How a Colour Consultation Changed The Way I Shop
Taste the rainbow: How a colour consultation changed the way I shop
written by Tina Gaudry (Spree with Me client. Event Manager, Dot Dash Events)
after a
Spree with Me Colour Consultation with Ann Whitaker
About: Ann Whitaker
Ann is a professional colour and image consultant. Connect with Ann for a journey of self discovery to a more stylish, colourful and visible you and give you the tools (and knowledge) so you can confidently shop and dress yourself for any occasion.
Location: Brisbane
Ann met colour 18 years ago. She told me she was working in a London office where black and grey dominated the boardroom, when one day she noticed a girl walk into the building that captured the attention of the whole room. She was 40-something, size 16, strawberry blonde, donned a bright red dress-suit that looked simply incredible, and Ann and her colleagues needed to know just how she managed to pull it all off.
“We promptly ran across the room and asked, what did you do?”, Ann recalls. The woman had been to a colour consultant, and she was generous enough to give the consultant’s number out to the group. “I’m eternally grateful for that,” Ann says, “because of the difference it’s made to my life, but also the difference it’s made to thousands of other women.”
Personally, I’ve stayed away from wearing colour for most of my adult life, with the extent of my style knowledge stemming from intuition and old-fashioned sayings from my nana like red and green should never be seen.
My wardrobe is 50 shades of black, because I tend to miss my mouth when I eat, and I was told once that black goes with everything and makes you look skinny. It’s a place where outgrown goth meets nautical corporate sailor, navigating seas of confusion. None of my statement pieces work together. It’s a salty mess and I will be the first to admit it.
“It’s not about the colours that you like, it’s about the colours that like you,” says Ann.
“Colours can make you look old and tired, or young and fresh.” Ann explained the different ‘seasons’ and guided us through which spectrums worked best for different skin tones.
Working her way around a spinning circle of silk scarves, her keen eye quickly detects which colours make a person’s eyes fade or pop, their skin dull or brighten; whether a certain colour makes them look wider or slimmer. It’s an incredible magic trick to witness before your eyes, as your own face transforms with each different colour. I also noticed that certain colours made me feel happier when wearing them, and there is a lot to be said about colour psychology.
Ann swiftly sorted me into the House of Spring, which is all about fresh, delicate and vivid shades that feel warm, light and bright. The colours of this season are a delightful mix, but far from what I would have naturally leaned towards. When I saw myself in black compared to spring colours, I noticed how sallow and broad my face looked in comparison.
“I really don’t believe that people need a little black dress,” Ann says. “But if you’re a clothing manufacturer and you were to make some dresses, which would be cheaper? One black dress you tell people everyone suits or 16 different colours? That’s my logic.”
…I think it might be time for a review of my LBD collection.
Me in my WOW! colours in the ‘House of Spring’
The process was plenty of indulgent girly fun, especially with a friend alongside to help identify each other’s Wow! Colours. We were each given a pocket guide for our seasons, with ratings for each shade and a cute mini colour palette keyring, the perfect shoppers’ sidekick. Not only did I learn so much about my own season, but it was fascinating to see this transformation on my friend as well. Ann’s consultation also included a detailed makeup analysis, and with her own wide range of affordable lipsticks available from her studio, I couldn’t resist taking several home with me; having the exact shade matches readily available is so much easier than having to go out and hunt them down myself!
The first time I went shopping after our consult, armed with my spring swatch, I felt confident in my colour choices for the first time. I was op-shopping for a Sixties-themed gala dinner dress, and instead of playing it safe, I beelined for a rainbow of options instead. My eyes fell on a mannequin showing off a stunning royal blue vintage shift dress, and I knew it had to be mine as soon as I slipped it on. I had not felt this much joy shopping in a long time, and I strutted out of the store with matching cowboy boots and a confidence in my step that felt priceless.
Ann’s experience falling in love with colour was very similar. “It transformed my life. I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence, and having a set of rules to follow was massive.” It has now been several months since my colour consultation with Ann, and I have to say that it’s completely changed the way I shop, especially for makeup. I have opted away from heavy contouring and focus on bright highlights and warm pops of colour. Lipstick is my new best friend, and I feel like I can wear a lot less makeup when I’m wearing the right shades that let my skin tone shine through. I would definitely recommend this Spree with Me experience as a fun and unique mother-daughter day, bridesmaids or couples activity. The gift of colour is really the gift that keeps on giving, and now that I’ve tasted the rainbow I just don’t think I can go back to black.
FEATURED SPREE
Colour Analysis Consultation
with Ann Whitaker Style
In this 3hr personalised class we will discover the colour shadings that really suit you .....and those that don't. You will see yourself look healthier, younger and more dynamic. You will feel confident and empowered.