Take Your Color Temperature

We've pointed out a couple of times that you should know if you're warm, cool, or neutral. Some of you have probably heard about your color temperature and some of you are probably wondering what on God's green earth we're talking about. Your color temperature is a great way to tell if you look better in warm tones like red, orange, and gold or cooler tones like green, blue, and silver. If you've ever read in a magazine about your skin's "undertones," this is really where they come into play- pink undertones are warm, blue are cool. You can be neutral, as well, which gives you a wider palette of colors that work on you, but also a greater margin for error when trying to put an outfit together!

There are lots of ways to try to figure out whether you're a warm, a cool, or a neutral. Here's one I like: Regardless of what metals are trendy, do you look better in gold or silver jewelry? If you glitter in gold, you're a warm, and if you shine in silver, you're a cool. If you can go with either, you're a neutral. Still can't tell? Try going bigger: Grab a sheet of silvery foil and a sheet of gold foil (like the kind florists use, mylar balloons, or gift wrap) and drape them around your shoulders. Stand in front of a mirror to see what flatters you most. You might already know that you look better in blues and greens than in oranges and yellows- you're probably a cool. Do you have a brick red sweater that always gets you compliments? You're probably a warm. It's been said that most warms have darker or olive skin tones and are likely to tan easily, and most cools are fairer and likely to burn. This is a good guideline, but not all fair women are cool and vice versa.

Keep in mind, if you're a warm you can still wear "cool" colors- but you'll often find that "warm" versions of them look best on you. For example, a warm who just loves green might find that a lime green, with it's yellowy tones, will flatter her more than a mint green, which has a bit more blue. Likewise, red can lean more toward orange (red-orange, which is a very warm red) or more toward blue (red-violet, a cool red). You'll find this especially helpful when buying lipstick- no warm coral lipstick if you have cool undertones!

It's important to know where you stand- warm, cool, or neutral- so that you can stop wasting money on unflattering shades of makeup and pieces of clothing that just don't do anything for you. If you know you're a cool and a salesperson in a department store is trying to sell you warm, honey toned blush, clearly she has no idea what she's doing. You want something that's truly pink, as well as a more skilled makeup artist who wants you to look good and become a repeat customer. On the other hand, if you're a warm and there's an amazing deal on an icy blue cashmere sweater, and you really just LOVE the sweater, go ahead and buy it - it's fashion, there are no hard and fast rules (except for the no dark lipliner thing and that crocs are disgusting). Promise me one thing: Try it on in the store, check the return policy, and try it on again at home to make sure you still love it before you take off the tags.

I made a color wheel out of one of my own wardrobe staples- the Converse sneakers I would certainly shrivel up and die without- so you guys can check yourselves. Can you spot the warm versions of cool colors and the cool versions of warm colors? Happy hunting :)

converse color wheel - by lj_frueh on Polyvore.com