Colour and colour psychology is a large topic and can be broken down into the following areas.

The effect it has on us
The effect it has on others
How you look with certain colours

Colour is far more interesting than we initially think. Colour has played an important role throughout history and still does today. It's always been used to communicate to us. Religion, war, politics, ceremony, and all the way to Barbie are saturated in colour.

It's created a community and told us what to avoid. Like many important things in life, colour is often overlooked and underappreciated. By the time you get to the bottom of this page, you'll have a new appreciation for it. Colour sends messages to you faster than words so you can use it to pull up associations in the observer's mind.

Take blue for example. It's going to make most people think of the sky and make them feel comfortable. Not so good if you want someone to be comfortable but you have strong red lips and the wrong hair colour. So yes, knowing what colours work well on you is good, but knowing how to use them is better.

Knowing what colour your hair should be to match the overall message you want to send and then combining it with your makeup is even better again. That's what I do that's different. A newfound enthusiasm can embolden our experimental side. So we need to know how to create a cohesive look. The last thing you want to do is invoke the association of Ronald McDonald as a first impression.

Now, putting two colours against each other will change how the less abundant colour is perceived. In this case, the less abundant colour is your skin, hair, or makeup. Clothing usually makes up a greater proportion of the image that's projected. What can happen is that you can bring out darker tones, greys, and tans or make yourself look pale. This can give the appearance of looking older, unhealthy, or tired.

All of which could be seen as less professional. It can also draw attention to your challenged body areas and make you look out of proportion. Once you know what colour style works best for your skin tone, we look at your hair. The wrong hair colour will have a major impact on how your face colour appears… which will change how your makeup looks too.

As part of my colour analysis, I'll advise you on what hair colour you could go with or even do it for you as I've been a professional hairstylist for almost 3 decades.

You'll be given a colour wheel that you can take shopping with you. That way, whenever you pick new clothes, the colour will have the best effect and you'll know that it works for your skin, hair, and makeup.

The pictures below are of all the US presidential candidates.  It's a very interesting picture from a colour perspective.  I wonder if you can see what I'm about to point out to you……but I'll come back to this picture in a moment.

Other clearer pictures can be found by following this link:  http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/gop-republican-debate-cleveland-2015/   Due to copyright laws I can't add them directly to our website. 

Can colour have an effect on you?

Well, according to this study, at science magazine, it absolutely can. You can perform better, simply by exposing yourself to a certain colour. What this study found is that red improved performance on detail-oriented tasks. Stop and think about that for a second. Just by surrounding yourself in a certain colour, you can change how you perform cognitively. What's really interesting is that if you can change your performance to the positive, then is it safe to assume certain colours can have a negative effect in certain situations?

The New York Times wrote an interesting article on the effects of colour on children in detention centres. Basically, when the manic and psychotic juveniles became violent, they put them in a pink cell, which calms them, and they usually go to sleep after 10 minutes. Previously, the staff would have to physically restrain the children until they settled down. Naturally, there are those that believe this is a pile of rubbish, however, an estimated 1,500 hospitals and correctional institutions across America have become sufficiently convinced of the pacifying effect of bubble gum pink that they have painted more than one room in that particular shade.

Surely these professionals and medical people would not have gone to this effort without some evidence of it being effective.

Still not sure? 

I have read several studies about the effect colour has on our memory.  In this study called The Influence of Colour on Memory Performance.  

The researchers concluded, "The choice of colours, and the manipulative aspects can, however, influence the extent to which colours can influence human memory performance." It's not just the colour that's important, it's also the harmony of colour, as stated in this colour harmony study. It appears that contrasting colours are harder to remember…..which might seem obvious in hindsight. 

But how does all of this help us?  Well, it can help you with your performance and mood.  If you're feeling a little low on a particular morning, the right-coloured outfit can lift your spirits.  It's an easy way to change how you feel, and it can also help you stand out in a situation. 

Take for example a job interview.  It's better to feel better, perform better and stand out from the crowd because it helps others to remember you easier.  Advantageous?  I think so.  To learn more about HOW colour works on us, click here

The effect colour has on others:

Well, there are several studies that show colour has an effect on how others perceive you!  For example, red has been shown, time and time again to make a lady more attractive.  So ladies it's pretty simple, if you're heading out on a hot date, a red dress is going to get his attention more than any other colour.  I guess that's why there is a song called "lady in red".  Also, If I mention the movie Pretty Woman, that stars Julia Roberts, there's a good chance men will think of her in that lovely red gown, I know my partner did.  In fact he even thought she was wearing that dress on the movie cover, which isn't correct.     

Ok , so what about that picture at the top of the page, with all the politicians?

If you look at all the men, they are wearing a black suit with a white shirt, and either a red or a blue tie.  In fact if you do a quick internet search you'll see that most politicians prefer blue and red ties, especially when making a significant public appearance. 

The reason for this is simple.  They know and understand the importance of colour psychology.  People are catching onto it slowly, as per this article in the Sydney Morning Herald.  

Red =  Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, masculinity
Blue = Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.

Interesting isn't it?

However, it's important that we put all of this information into context.  I'm not suggesting for a moment, that we can make all of our problems go away, by simply wearing the right colours and nothing else. 

That would be silly.  What I am suggesting, is that we can certainly give ourselves an advantage by using the right colours to complement our other efforts. Things like the right clothes, and the right style for your body shape, the right hairstyle and accessories, work well together with the right colours.  In a highly competitive world, doesn't it make sense to give ourselves every possible competitive advantage?  Besides, if politicians think it's a good idea to use colour to convey a message, then I think we should be using it too. 

What You Get

A colour analysis is included in my Effortless Elegance styling program, but I do them separately too.

My consultations go beyond just choosing colours. I provide a comprehensive three-hour session that covers everything from head to toe, including

• An interactive makeup lesson (you get involved - normally $197.00),

• makeup product audit

• advice on hair colouring and Hairstyling/Cutting

• While cheaper alternatives may focus solely on colour analysis, I offer a complete package that addresses your entire image and personal brand.

• You will have a personalized workbook guide to reflect on different skill sets that you have learned.

• colour swatch 100+ colours

This will ensure you pick the best colour outfits for your skin tone, hair, and the message you want to send."

Regards
Kelli Boucher
Styling/Hair/Colour/Makeup