FAQ

This FAQ is a work in progress. Do feel free to send me other questions if you have any!

Do you receive samples for review?

Not yet - although perhaps one day if I get sufficient readership the nice companies will start sending me some! At present, all products are purchased by me, albeit some are in sample sizes. All opinions are my own, no sponsorship, yada yada.

What colour analysis systems do you use?

At present (May 2013) I'm investigating CMAS (Colour Me A Season), Sci/Art, and David Zyla's systems. The first two are what I'd call proscriptive systems; you get draped with a set of known colours, and from that your season is chosen. Then you get a fan and you're supposed to stick to those colours. Zyla's system is descriptive; it takes the colours you have in your body, and your colours are then supposed to harmonise within individualised ranges of chroma, hue, and brightness. I will probably go into more detail about the different systems in a post. Watch this space for a link.

What style systems do you use?

I'm currently happily ignoring a lot of David Kibbe's guidelines, as I don't seem to really slot in anywhere neatly in his system. I'm working with some of David Zyla's guidelines, because for me, they're a lot easier to individualise, and feel more appropriate to my personality. I've looked into some of Imogen Lanport's ideas, and while I disagree here and there, I think she's on the right track a lot of the time.

What are you in ___ system?

Sci/Art: Some kind of Spring, probably Bright or Light. Or maybe a Soft or Light Summer.
CMAS: Some kind of Spring, no idea which.
Zyla: Tawny Spring, probably.
Kibbe: Current leading suggestions are FG (Flamboyant Gamine), TR (Theatrical Romantic), or SN (Soft Natural). Odd combination of possibilities, but I'm pretty odd anyhow.

Have you had training in colour, style, beauty or fashion?

Aside from a lot of art history, art theory, hands-on art practice as part of my schooling and extracurricular activities, no. Certainly no formal qualifications. I can sew by hand, but machine sewing regularly defeats me. Beauty wise, most of my knowledge of skin care comes from having sensitive, irritable, problem skin all my life. Cosmetic application is something I'm currently learning how to do, which is part of the reason this blog exists. One day I might look into doing something along those lines more formally, but I think my basic skills need work first.