Stop Guessing! Here’s Why Veins and Tanning Don’t Predict Your Colours
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
When it comes to colour analysis, quick-fix methods like checking vein colour or assessing how someone tans in the sun are often touted as foolproof ways to determine undertones. It’s no surprise—these tips seem easy and straightforward, making them appealing to consultants and clients alike. However, as a colour analyst with years of experience, I can confidently say that relying on these shortcuts can lead to more confusion than clarity.
In this blog, I’ll explain why these popular tips often fall short, highlight their limitations, and offer better approaches to ensure accurate, professional colour analysis results.
1. Vein Colour: A Flawed Indicator of Undertones
The Myth:
- If they look green, you’re warm-toned.
- If the veins on the inside of your wrists appear blue, you’re cool-toned.
- If you can’t decide, you’re neutral.
Why It’s Misleading:
Vein colour seems like an easy place to start, but it’s not as reliable as it sounds. The appearance of your veins can vary significantly based on several factors:
- Olive tones: Individuals with olive skin—a subset of cool tones—often have veins that appear greenish, which can easily be misinterpreted as a warm undertone.
- Lighting: The colour of veins can shift depending on whether you’re in natural or artificial light.
- Skin thickness: People with thinner or more translucent skin may see blue or green veins regardless of their undertone.
A Better Approach:
Instead of relying on veins, use drapes in warm and cool tones to assess how the skin reacts. A warm coral vs. a cool pink, for example, can reveal undertones far more effectively than wrist veins ever could. Look for subtle changes in the skin—does it appear more even and luminous, or does it take on a dull, shadowed appearance? Drapes never lie.
2. Tanning Ability: Not a Reliable Indicator of Warm or Cool Undertones
The Myth:
- If you tan easily, you’re warm-toned.
- If you burn easily, you’re cool-toned.
- If you do a bit of both, you’re neutral.
Why it's misleading:
The ability to burn or tan is tied to melanin levels in the skin, which are influenced by genetics, not undertones. Here’s why this approach doesn’t work:
- Warm-toned individuals can burn easily: Fair-skinned individuals with warm undertones, such as those with strawberry blonde hair and freckles, may burn quickly but still fall into the warm category.
- Cool-toned individuals can tan deeply: Think of someone with a cool undertone and dark brown skin—they may tan easily, but their undertone is still cool.
A Better Approach:
Rather than focusing on how a client’s skin reacts to the sun, focus on their natural features—skin tone, hair colour, and eye colour. When combined with draping, these clues create a more complete and reliable picture of their undertone.
3. Relying Solely on Skin, Hair, and Eye Colour for Diagnosis
The Myth:
You should be able to tell if someone is warm or cool toned just by looking at their skin, hair and eyes.
Why it's misleading:
While natural features like skin tone, hair colour, and eye colour can provide clues, they are not definitive indicators of undertones. Many people’s features have mixed signals, such as cool-toned eyes paired with warm-toned skin, or hair colour that’s been altered by dye. Relying solely on these factors often leads to misdiagnoses, especially for individuals with subtle or balanced colouring.
A Better Approach:
Use skin, hair, and eye colour as a starting point, but always confirm your assessment with draping. Vibrant warm and cool drapes, such as coral and magenta, reveal how a person’s skin reacts in real-time. This method ensures accuracy and eliminates guesswork, especially for clients with ambiguous or mixed features.
The Power of Professional Draping
So, if vein colour, tanning ability, and the concept of cool/warm features aren’t reliable indicators, what is? The answer lies in professional draping and a keen understanding of colour theory. Draping allows you to observe:
- How the client’s skin reacts to warm vs. cool tones.
- How the overall contrast in their colouring plays into their best palette.
- Whether their features harmonize with soft, muted colours or bright, bold ones.
By using a structured system—whether it’s seasonal, tonal, or a hybrid—you can provide precise results that resonate with your clients.
Why Nuance Matters in Colour Analysis
Colour analysis is both an art and a science, requiring skill, patience, and nuance. Simplistic tips like checking vein colour or tanning ability may seem helpful at first glance, but they ultimately fail to capture the complexity of each client’s unique colouring. As a professional, your goal is to provide clarity and confidence—not shortcuts.
By focusing on the big picture, using professional tools, and educating your clients, you’ll set yourself apart as a skilled and thoughtful colour analyst. And in a world full of oversimplified advice, that’s a breath of fresh air❣️
Hi, I'm Aileen Lane AICI CIP
6-Figure Mentor To Personal Stylists
I help stylists build 6 figure income.
I provide:
🌈Certified Online Colour Analysis Expert Training
👠Certified Online Style Training
💰Marketing Programs to help you reach consistent income in your styling business.
🔥Want to build consistent income as a personal stylist? Pop me a message through the chat bubble below💬.
10 Ways to Incorporate Mocha Mousse—Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2025—Without Wearing It Head to Toe
Saturday, December 07, 2024
Thursday, December 05, 2024
Exclusive For You
Free Online Colour Analysis Training
FREE TRAINING
How Image Consultants Can Be Fully Booked With Online Colour Analysis...
...using skills you already have!
Sign Up for my 3 part training Now and get The EXACT Same Strategy I used to go from having the odd client here and there to my first 10k month.
