Ask The Expert is a monthly column to answer your questions on topics related to fashion and beauty.
In this edition, Colour Me Beautiful Malaysia founder and colour consultant Michelle Chan answers your questions on this popular trend.
What exactly is colour analysis? – Rachel, KL
Colour analysis is the systematic process of identifying the colours that harmonise most naturally with your individual skin tone, hair colour, and eye colour, based on how light reflects off colour and onto your face.
When you hold a colour near your face, the light reflects upward and can do one of two things: it can cast flattering, brightening tones that even out your complexion and make your eyes sparkle, or it can cast dark shadows that exaggerate imperfections, dark circles and unevenness.
It involves professional draping with different shades to assess how colour interacts across three dimensions: hue (warm versus cool), value (light versus deep) and clarity (soft versus bright).
This helps identify an individual’s dominant colouring and offers a framework for understanding which colours and shades may work best with their natural colouring.
It can also show how colours can be mixed and matched, and how shades that someone already owns can be incorporated into their wardrobe. The approach can extend beyond clothing to accessories, hijabs, make-up, eyewear and jewellery.
How do we know which colours work best for us? – Sera, PJ
It is a combination based on skin, hair and eyes, working together in harmony.
Skin tone is the most significant factor because it is the largest visible surface, but hair, eye colour and combination of all three natural features provide crucial additional information.
For example, two people with the same skin tone can have different results depending on whether their hair is ash-brown or golden-red, or whether their eyes are cool grey or warm amber.
Then you can see the interplay between your skin’s undertone, the depth of your hair, and the clarity or softness of your eye colour.
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What if someone has dyed hair, or has gone through tanning or cosmetic procedures? – Esme, KL
This is a very delicate situation.
When natural colouring has been altered, the challenge is determining the person’s authentic colour.
In this case, the goal is to help them understand how their current colours interact with their skin, and how they might adjust their palette or switch the colour palette if they choose to change their hair or tanning habits in the future.
Why do I look different in filters and beauty apps from real life? Does colour analysis help with this? – Allie, JB
Filters and beauty apps are incredibly clever, but they are also incredibly deceptive.
A single filter can shift your skin tone from cool to warm, add artificial brightness, or smooth out your natural undertones entirely.
Over time, this distorts your perception of your own face.
So it’s best to assess your true skin tone response to colour in real time.
What about the warm versus cool colour codes? – Noor, KL
Colour analysis has come a long way from the rigid “four seasons” system many still remember.
While the seasonal approach – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter – was revolutionary in its time, it often boxed people into overly simplistic categories.
An outdated rule frequently seen is the belief that “warm skin tones can only wear warm colours.”
In reality, most people have a mix of warm and cool undertones, and you can identify specific shades within each colour family that truly harmonise with your natural features.
Another myth? Pale skin should avoid white, or dark skin cannot wear pastels.
These are simply not true – it’s about finding the right white or the right pastel for your unique colouring.
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I’ve seen colour analysis videos online, but how accurate are the things we think we already know about our best colours? – Rekha, Penang
The most common misconception is that colour analysis is a simple 15-minute process – “just hold a few drapes up and decide if I’m warm or cool.”
You need more time than that for a personal full-colour analysis session.
Another misconception is that they already “know” their colours based on a phone app or a quick online quiz.
Can colour analysis take into account that some people prefer to look fairer or more tanned? – Elizabeth, PJ
Colour analysis, at its core, is deeply individualised – it is about your skin, your hair, your eyes, and how they uniquely interact with colour.
It is not about conforming to regional standards of beauty but about discovering the colours that make natural features look their absolute best and also how to wear the colours and mix and match.
That said, cultural and regional preferences do influence how people feel about certain shades, with some having a preference for looking fairer, while others desire a tanned complexion, so it is really up to personal preference.
Do you have any questions on fashion and beauty? Email us with the subject heading Ask The Expert at lifestyle@thestar.com.my. Please include your name, address, contact number and if you prefer, a pseudonym.
