What skin type are you?

There are three common challenges when we go shopping for clothes: finding a flattering style, sourcing the correct size (fit) and identifying colours that suit our skin type. Shoppers often buy clothes in a colour they like and not necessarily in a colour that suits our skin type.

What skin type are you?

The undertone of our skin genetics will never change, however, the overtone of our skin colour palette (hair, skin, eyes) changes as we mature, or we choose to alter our overtone with using cosmetics. If you do not know what fashion colours suit you, the first thing you need to know is what skin type you are?

There are only two types of skin types and these are determined by three elements: haemoglobin, carotene, and melanin. Follow my two very simple steps below to determine what skin type you are. Knowing what skin type you are makes shopping for clothes easier and more fun.

Skin analysis

There are different ways to identify our skin type. I use the following most convenient steps when I profile a client prior to personally shopping for them:

Step 1: Determine whether you have a cool or warm skin type. 

Remember there are only two skin types (cool or warm). Our skin type doesn't change but our skin tone continues to change as we age therefore I would recommend booking a skin analysis with an MUA (make-up artist). Most department stores offer this service for free with the suggestion you buy a couple of products to cover the time spent with the expert during the consultation. Basic manners really.  A quick and effective way to do it yourself is to dab pink on one cheek and a dab of yellow on the other cheek. Whatever colour blends the best determines whether you are a cool or a warm skin type. It is up to you, but by the time you have bought a pink and a yellow toner for testing it probably makes more sense and it is more fun to book a skin analysis in a department store with an expert, a glass of fizz and expert advice.  Either way, if the pink toner blends better you are a Cool skin type and if the yellow toner blends better you are a Warm skin type.

Step 2. The cheapest alternative is to use your veins to check your skin type. If your veins are green you are warm. If your veins are blue, you are cool. Use your eyes, ask for a second opinion. 1 in 12 men are colour blind and 1 in 200 women are colour blind so when it comes to defining colour, if you aren't confident book a skin analysis as it is way more fun than self-diagnosis. Your skin type isn't a medical condition so self-diagnosing won't kill you.

Blue veins = COOL skin type. Green veins = WARM skin type. It is this simple.

Determining whether you are light or dark in eye type is obvious.

• Chocolate, brown, dark brown, brown-hazel and black eyes (a variation of) = DARK eye type.

• Blue, hazel and green eyes (including a variation of these colours) = LIGHT eye type.

People with lighter eyes tend to be more sensitive to light. I have ginger hair and pale blue eyes and my skin is pale, as a result, I am sensitive to bright light because I have less pigment in my iris to protect me from the sunlight. There is no evidence that a darker eye colour means greater visual acuity. Only 8% of the world’s population has blue eyes, (although blue is the most common colour in Britain) and this is the rarest colour and brown eyes are the most common.

Buy clothes in colours that suit you and completely avoid buying clothes in a particular colour simply because you like it. Remember, to remind yourself of what skin tone you are before you go shopping for clothes. There are so many shades of one colour, for example:- Shades of yellow can come in canary yellow, gold, lemon and mustard and each colour leans towards cool or warm so try to be a more socially conscious consumer by being mindful of what works on your skin type be it cool or warm.

For more light-hearted shopping tips subscribe to my blog and never miss an update.