Summer, autumn, winter or spring? Warm or cold tones? Light or dark complexion? Brown or blonde hair? Blue or green eyes?
The colors we wear are able to give greater prominence to our beauty, did you know that? There are colors called “friends”, perfect for enhancing our face, precisely because they are in harmony with our natural colors.
If you want to know more and find out what color harmony is, along with useful tips for selecting the right frame based on your face, this is the right article.
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What is color harmony?
Knowing which colors are best compatible with our eyes, skin and hair is essential to make the face and every detail shine and enhance it.
The theory behind color analysis, was born in the early 1900s via the research of Munsell and Itten, but color analysis as we know it today became popular in the 1980s thanks to the work of Carol Jackson. In her book, Jackson had the merit of simplifying the concepts of the armochromatic seasons and explaining them in a simple and accessible way to all.
“The color harmony can be defined as the science that has the task of establishing the balance between the different colors. Based on the chromatic characteristics (skin, eyes and hair) of a person, it decrees a color palette.”
The basics of color harmony: color value, intensity, undertone and contrast
The chromatic value is the predominant element between light and dark, the intensity indicates the brilliance of one’s colours, the undertone is the “temperature” of the skin and the contrast is identified by the difference in value between elements.
Each season is characterized by a different presence and combination of these 4 variables: the winter and summer seasons represent the cold seasons, while spring and autumn are part of the warm seasons. These seasons in turn are divided into high intensity seasons (spring and winter) and low intensity seasons (autumn and summer).
The color value
The chromatic value refers to the chiaroscuro of our chromatic mix (skin colour, eyes and hair) which indeed can tend towards either light or dark.
To understand the value of skin, it is necessary to take the grayscale as a reference point.
Looking at it, it can be said that blond people with blue eyes instantly recall light colors, so they reflect a clear value. While black haired people with dark eyes tend towards dark value.
Intensity
It can be high or low, the strong and bright shades of winter and spring contrasting with the pale and muted ones of summer and autumn.
Undertone
The undertone is the background color of the skin and specifically it can be:
- Warm: manifests itself on the surface with an ivory, beige, yellow, golden or amber overtone;
- Cold: manifests itself on the surface with a pink, porcelain, alabaster overtone;
- Neutral: very light temperature head;
- Olive or Olivastro: it is composed of a gray component and a yellow component and on the basis of how they are combined in intensity, they give the typical green color of olive.
Contrast
Contrast is the difference in the natural colors of the eyes, skin and hair.
For example, a woman with very light skin and black or very dark hair is called high contrast. On the other hand, when there is a light complexion and light hair, we speak of low contrast.
Frames and complexion: the perfect combination to enhance your face
During an armochromy session, the expert will measure some facial characteristics such as undertone, value and contrast with the draping method, which consists in bringing drapes of fabric of various colors to the face in order to identify the color palette of the subject.
There are four reference macro-categories that are used to divide the chromatic characteristics of each one. They take their name from the seasons because they draw on the colors of the palette that each time of the year has.
Winter
We have a cold undertone, a dark value and a high intensity. If you have ash-blonde hair, blue, brown or gray eyes and almost pastel skin then you should choose frames in colour:
- rose;
- light blue;
- violet.
Autumn
We have warm undertones, the value is dark and the intensity is low. Light-to-medium skin tones, red-brown hair, and dark brown or green eyes are the ideal foundation for earthy-leaning frames, such as:
- brown and various shades;
- orange;
- gold and bronze;
- dark green or olive.
Summer
We have a cold undertone, a light value and a low intensity. For all olive/dark skin tones and very light skin tones with a blue undertone, we recommend the following frame colour:
- black;
- white;
- gray;
- pastel shades.
Spring
We have warm undertones, light value and high intensity. If you have peach-coloured skin, blond or reddish hair and blue, green–blue, green, green–brown or green–gold eyes, we advise you to prefer frames that tend towards:
- cream beige;
- lilac;
- gold;
- emerald.
The entire Seeoo collection can boast a variety of colors suitable for any type of complexion: from the Seeoo Reader Round Silver and Seeoo Reader Round Gold frames, excellent for light complexions, up to the Seeoo Big Acetate, perfect for dark complexions, with Seeoo you have the answer to all your questions!
