Comparing My Jeweltone Summer Zyla Palette with Soft Summer Sci/Art Colors

Well, now I have two separate palettes from two completely different sources - well-regarded experts, both, but not systems intended to go together.

My Zyla palette is Jeweltone Summer. My Sci/Art palette is Soft Summer. So, how do they fit together?

I photographed them side by side:

Left: Soft Summer - Right: Jeweltone Summer

You can see some similarities but they aren't identical. Overall, I think the Zyla colors are just a touch brighter than the Soft Summer ones, but that may be due in part to the Sci/Art palette being fabric and the Zyla one being paper. Let's take a closer look at each Zyla color.

The Tranquil colors are pretty close to the purple SSu strips.

Energy fits in pretty darn well with SSu, those blued sea foam green shades.

I think Dramatic is a decent match, the darker shades in particular.

There is no true match for my Essence shades. But do they harmonize?

                                   
                       

                                       The Romantic shades are a near-perfect match for my favorite pink strip (6.1).

First Base fits right in, the darker shades particularly.

Second Base is a good match, too, especially the darker one.

Third Base really don't fit in - it's greener than any of my beiges.

Here are my Pastels and Metals. They're mostly pretty good, maybe a bit brighter.

So, what do I do with all of this? My plan is to use both. I'll especially look for the colors that exist on both palettes. If I find an item that fits the Zyla palette perfectly but really isn't on the SSu palette at all, I'll simply do what I was instructed to do when shopping with my fan in the first place: Thwap! In other other words, open up the fan, thwap it down on the item, and look at it. Do I see harmony, or does the item make the fan look dingy? Do they work together to bring out the best in one another, or does the fan make the item look garish? It's hard to tell if two sets of color strips harmonize. I really need to take it on a case by case, carefully examining each garment and comparing it to my palettes before I buy it.

Another way to think of it is to consider my Sci/Art fan to be an extension of my Zyla colors. After all, if both David and Christine are as accurate as they are reputed to be, then both palettes really are ME, and either one should bring out my best.

How do I like them, and which do I like better? I really do like them both. There are certainly colors on each that it would have never occurred to be to try (that Essence peach, the pale First Base sage, the greeny SSu yellow), but now I will if I can find them in stores. It did take me time to adjust to the muted tones of the SSu palette, since I tend to gravitate towards brighter, more saturated tones. My Zyla colors are ever so slightly brighter than my SSu tones, which I like.

I've only been shopping a couple of times since I saw David Zyla, and what I did was LOOK for the Zyla colors, but double checked everything with my SSu fan. In the future, I know there will be times when I NEED to buy something and maybe don't have time to hunt down an exact Zyla shade. Or, I will fall in love with an item that just isn't on the Zyla palette at all. I don't think the Zyla palette is meant to be exclusive, as in I should ONLY live in those couple dozen colors. So when I can't find Zyla, I'll use my SSu fan instead. It's not that I like Zyla's colors better, it's more that I think of them as my "sweet spot." While I may still buy things not pictured in my Zyla set, I will not buy anything that doesn't suit the SSu palette.

Do you have palettes from different systems? How do you use them? In concert, or have you chosen one over the other?

David Zyla Told Me That I Am a Jeweltone Summer!

Karen's Jeweltone Summer Palette

Ok, so I'm not keeping you in suspense. That's my archetype. And above, you can see the palette he put together for me. I posted previously about who David Zyla is and my experience seeing him. Here are my results, in minute detail:

Romantic - the color of my fingertips, the color I blush - my version of red, sexy, vitality, one of the most powerful colors to wear. For me: a cool winter raspberry - don’t warm it!

Essence - skin color - my version of white, nude. Most subtle thing to wear, vulnerable

Energy - the darkest part of my iris (but not the ring) - friendly, approachable, present, I’m here

Tranquil - the lightest part of my iris - mellow, chill. For me: a cool lilac.

Dramatic - the color of the veins in my wrist - kaboom, look at me! Guest of honor. It’s the opposite of romantic on color wheel.

First Base - taken from the ring around my iris - formal neutral, my version of black. LBD, coat. For me: Charcoal.

Second Base - the darkest part of my hair - everyday neutral - my version of brown. For me: Red Plum/Aubergine.

Third Base - the lightest part of my hair - informal neutral - my version of khaki. For me: Pale Sage

Pastels - lighter versions of the above colors. Great for summer clothes, bathing suits, and home decor. For me: stay away from white or anything icy. 

Metals - metallic versions of the above colors. Use for jewelry, belt buckle, pen, business card case, metallic thread running through a scarf. For me: silvers and platinums, metallic versions of my colors.

Notice there is no true blue - it goes a little cold on me - he doesn’t like it as well. There is blue in the greens and lilacs. No brown, yellow, or orange, either.

Wearing an outfit with bases only will be pretty but it won’t have much impact. Use a pop of color.

My personality (and I think he is dead on with this):

I get along with men but stay feminine  

I have a strong energy but still feminine  

I have a nurturing management style but not coddling  

My children are getting a realistic view of the world - I’m not doing their homework for them, but I set limits to make sure they succeed

I am: Jeweltone Summer! Hyperfeminine but still strong

Overall: 

Always an element of drape, but streamlined overall (this is TMIT)

Drapes and wraps - for example, wrap dress, faux wrap top, waterfall sweater, pashmina (with dressy dress)

Roman updated - but not Grecian, that’s too wispy. Roman is stronger

Unbroken lines - top flows into the bottom - don’t color block, don’t end at the waist

Dresses are great

If separates: tie the top to the bottom with a scarf or jewelry containing both colors

I have elongated curves - like a stretched out hourglass - and my clothes should be elongated

Only one element of wrap/drape at a time, overall look should be streamlined. Eileen Fisher is too drape-y

Nothing rustic! (Rustic: tweed, heavy knit sweater, birks, whipstich, distressed)

Classical, cleaner

Clothes that look like you took a piece of fabric and wrapped it around me and it just stayed - fabulous

Patterns: 

Ovals

Painterly effects

Pointillist - confetti - looks like a solid from a distance, but up close it’s dots of different colors

Saturated

Prints should be no larger than palm of hand

Avoid anything cartoonish

Avoid hard contrast - keep tones similar

If there are “bad” colors in the pattern, then draw out the “good” colors with another item of clothing

40’s style:

Like high waisted pant, fluid leg, hollywood pant, side/back zip, no belt loop, with a fitted top (brands: Layfayette 140, Ann Taylor)

Silk Jumpsuit with a heeled roman sandal (designer: Kathryn Malendrino) - simple in shape, no metal hardware

Avoid menswear

Fabrics:

Jersey, suede, silk velvet, cashmere, mohair, crepe, crepe de cine, georgette crepe

NO men’s cotton shirt, or tweed

Suits:

Tricky! 

Separates or a dress are better for me

Jacket/blazer:

Always show waist

Single button

Go in at waist, end at hip

No collar (that notched, angled look is not good) 

Maybe a soft belt that ties like a bathrobe

Dresses:

Wrap dress is ideal - Lauren by Ralph Lauren makes a nice jersey faux wrap in a bunch of colors every season (packable, dress up or down)

No shift dress - that’s too plain for me

Example of a cocktail dress:-high waisted, crepe on the bottom and chiffon on the top

Skirts:

To middle of knee

Wrap skirts

High waisted pencil skirt, top tucked in

Perhaps a four inch trumpet

No pleats

No gathers at the waist

Pants:

Boot cut when they’re in style

Side/back zip

High waisted

If not high waisted, then wear long shirt

Instead of jeans, go for brushed cotton, twill

Look for luster, pile, velvet

Cords only if very fine wale

Denim is too flat and masculine

Brand: DKNY often does velvet jeans at the holidays

Blouses/shirts/tops:

Crossover jersey/faux wrap

Length - high hip - (well below the waist)

Sweaters:

Cowl neck (lovely with skinny pants)

Waterfall cardigan (lovely with a watercolor print blouse under) 

Purses:

Buttery, like calf skin - not patent leather

Shape - no drawstring, need some structure. Bottom wider than top is nice. Double handle

If crossbody purse, it should be really small.

Shorts:

Bermuda 

Capris:

Should stop at the ankle, not mid-calf (if I must!)

Casual:

“Jeans" made out of a beautiful twill with a cowl neck sweater

Gym: Luxe, terrycloth Juicy Couture-type pant with tank top  

Shoes:

Sandal with thin straps is great

Soft V or elongated oval - not pointy or round

Comfortable brand: Arche - they make stretch grosgrain.

Avoid hard horizontal, like a strap across the ankle

For tennis shoes - look for slip-ons, or laces that are the same color as the shoe so they “disappear” (lacing is rustic)

Boots - suede in the charcoal or aubergine

Coats:

Hood - drapes softly around the face

Draped collar 

Hidden buttons

Self belt (like a bathrobe)

Softly structured

If must get a down coat - get in Romance color! (try LL Bean)

For raincoat: pearlized, iridescent (try London Fog or Sanyo)

Sleeves:

Short short (not bustline length - that widens the bust)

3/4 length sleeves but not with capris (with capris, wear short sleeves instead)

Long sleeves - ideally really long, onto the hand

Bell sleeve sweater is nice (fitted at the top of the arm, ends in bell)

Neckline:

Softened V is perfect, echoes my chin

Draped neckline

Scoop and crossover also very good

Shorter, harder Vs are ok

portrait not as good

No crew neck

Jewelry:

Glassier-looking

Pink Tourmaline, Amethyst

Pink pearls but not freshwater (those aren’t formed/refined enough)

No turquoise or catsite or anything veined or rough or unfinished - too rustic

Necklaces:

Oval, teardrop pendants are great

Longer length necklaces, not collarbone

Layer two necklaces, say, long strand of beads and a shorter pendant/medallion

Or long necklace with beads and metals

But not heavy or chunky

Earrings:

Oval studs

White gold, open in the middle

Designers: Rebecca Norman, Melissa Joy Manning

Bracelets:

Never a cuff

Three thin bangles are nice

If it’s an inch wide or wider, it should be filigree - open work, not thick/solid/chunky

Rings:

More oval than square

This is a good place to bring in colored stones, perhaps in tones of a color

Watches:

Bracelet watch

Pearlized face is better than black or white

Open work bracelet-type band

Scarves:

Cowl neck is fantastic

Linen, translucent for summer

Avoid Hermes twill silk

Wool shalley

Wider, longer scarves - to cowl and create drama

Not shiny

Not small and perky

Belts:

Soft belt like bathrobe

Or skinny belt to define waist

Covered buckle - don’t want to see spokes and holes - it should end cleanly

Glasses:

Silver frames, or any of my metals - he really likes the metals for me

Clear plastic frame

Clear with silver flecks

Second base color - aubergine

The bases and metals blend more with my hair.

Or for more of a statement, really any of my colors, dramatic, tranquil, energy, romantic. Energy and tranquil really pulls out my eyes!

Don’t go any wider than my current pair in the temple - if too wide, you can see the arms and they compete with the eyes

Slight angle to the lens shape, not a total oval

If I go with color, it should be mottled light and dark like my purple/blue pair, not a solid color

Current lens size is perfect (I’d call it medium)

Hats:

Winter: Skullcap-style knit beret - symmetrical all the way around

Variegated in color - a combo of my colors

Maybe a brim, but fun and floppy, 70’s style - do a straw version of this in summer

Gloves:

Long - past the wrist

Hair: 

Don’t go shorter than jaw or longer than shoulder (that would be too languid)

Do go shorter in the back - if longer in the back, it would drag my head back.

Slight layering

Nails:

Any of the colors in my palette, but he pointed out essence, metallic, and pale romantic

Makeup:

Foundation/Powder: Essence

Lip/Blush: Romantic

Charcoal eyeliner (1st base) - the softer one

For variety: aubergine eyeliner (2nd base)

Eyeshadow: 3rd base over eye

For evening out eyeshadow: a little bit of energy or tranquil

Good brands for me: Shisedo for eyes, Dior for lips - the french brands go cooler

Stores/Websites good for me:

Diane Von Furstenberg for wrap dress

Kettlewell (UK) - lovely wrap sweaters and wrap dresses

Talbots (just a few pieces there - will take some hunting - 80% of the store is not good)

J. Jill

Ann Taylor 

Ann Taylor Loft 

Other questions I asked:

Will my palette change over time? It may mellow and soften a bit. I may find someday that the darkest shade no longer works, and will want to go with the lighter ones.

Why several variations of each? To give me options. The deepest color is the most potent. You can use any color in between the chips themselves.

In my next post, I'll go into detail comparing this with my Sci/Art designation.

My Color Journey Continues - with David Zyla!

The book: Color Your Style by David Zyla

I have a lot to say about this, so I'll split it up into three posts. In this one, I'll explain a bit about who David Zyla is and what he does. I'll also talk about my consultation with him, what it was like. And, hopefully, help you decide if this is something you'd want to pursue for yourself. In subsequent posts, I'll go into minute detail with my Zyla results, and compare them with my Sci/Art results.

So, as I blogged about earlier, I had a Personal Color Analysis done in the Sci/Art system. I loved the experience, and was actually quite happy with the results. But still. It's only color. So what about style? What kinds of clothes will flatter me best? Sure, I've read fashion blogs, but no one really has my exact figure, and it's hard to self-analyze to put myself into a category. Some people have great success figuring out their Kibbe style, but while I dabbled around in that, I never felt that confident that I had chosen correctly.

And then I found out about David Zyla. His system is entirely different from both Sci/Art and Kibbe. In his book, he describes his entire system. The basic idea is that everyone has a personal palette of colors, drawn from their own coloring. You can use these colors to your benefit if you know which colors to use and in which situations. For example, you might wear your Romance color (the color you blush) on a date, your Energy color (drawn from the darkest color of your iris, but not the ring) for a pick-me-up, or your Tranquil color (drawn from the lightest part of your iris) for relaxation. Additionally, every woman is one of 24 archetypes. He divides these into four seasons (which don't necessarily correlate with Sci/Art's or any other systems out there), six types within each. These archetypes not only define your style, but your personality as well.

I started by reading the book. It was really interesting, and I did "Zyla" myself according to the instructions in the book. But then, I found out that the man himself was coming right to the city I live in. While a two-hour consultation with him is quite expensive (he styles the stars after all - he works in show business and has won an Emmy for his work), the fact that I wouldn't have to travel made the idea irresistible.

Fast-forward to the day of my consultation. It was a real pleasure to meet David Zyla himself, he is personable and friendly and I could have chatted the day away with him! We spent the first hour or so sitting by a window (he needs the good light), where he had a bunch of color wheels - paint chips, like you find at the hardware/paint store. While he busily cut chips and held them up to me (from a few feet away), pasting the best ones and discarding the others, we chatted about nothing really related to anything. Our families, travel, restaurants, TV, you name it. I think he was using this time to get a feel for my personality. But he certainly didn't quiz me on anything that might be pertinent to his system.

Then, once he had completed his "Karen collage" (my term), he presented it to me along with my archetype and detailed style recommendations. He allowed me to record this last part (over an hour), and I'm glad I did. Because while I furiously scribbled down nine pages of notes as he talked, upon listening to my recording later I found I had missed a few things. I'm also glad I had come prepared with questions (five typed pages' worth) because I got a lot more detail than I might have gotten otherwise. One question I asked him repeatedly was, "Where can I find this?" I got names of specific designers, websites, and stores that he might not have otherwise suggested.

This was all incredibly fun, and it gave me some fabulous ideas for shopping in the future. So did I "Zyla" myself correctly? No, and I'm not really sure anyone can, because Zyla's eyes see beyond the literal. For example: your Second Base color (intended to be used as a neutral, where one might wear brown) is taken from the darkest part of your hair. I chose Espresso Brown for my Second Base, because that's what color it is! David, however, chose a Red Plum/Aubergine. Third Base is based on the lightest part of your hair and is intended to be used as your casual neutral, like khaki. I chose Silver, but David chose a pale Sage Green. I assure you, my hair is not purple or green in any way! And he didn't say it was. But that's how he translated the idea of my hair. I can't do that myself, no one can, at least not exactly the way Zyla would do it!

As for archetype, you use your colors to get you partway there but ultimately you just pick one. David did not select the same one I did (though it was in the same season).

So, is it worth buying the book (or checking it out from the library) and figuring out your own archetype if it's not going to be "right?" Well, why not. It could be fun, and it could give you some self awareness and some ideas for dressing better. And if you try on your archetype and it really doesn't fit you, then move on.

I can't say that seeing Zyla himself is something that every woman needs to do. The book suffices for many. (And of course, there are plenty of women who have zero interest in this sort of thing! I am speaking to my fellow color nerds here.) Additionally, there is a treasure trove of websites, Facebook groups, and Pinterest boards devoted to his ideas. But I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and I have every intention of living my archetype and my palette and seeing how it goes! Now, to go shopping...

Nail Polish Review: Sinful Colors - Blue La La and Out of this World

Sinful Colors - Blue La La

Ladies, this one's a two-fer. I like to do an "accent nail" sometimes, just for fun. Since my Sinful Colors haul last month, I've been playing around with all of the colors. My favorite of the bunch is this gorgeous blue shade, Blue La La. The silver one, Out of this World, is nice too.

I applied a base coat and two coats of Blue La La, followed by a top coat. Application was smooth, and two coats gave me complete opaque coverage. I didn't get any chips or tip wear at all until about the fifth day, which is pretty good for me. I have no complaints about this polish!

Sinful Colors - Out of this World

Well, this is still the same manicure, but here I'm holding Out of this World, the silver shade. I actually had to do three coats of this one to get enough opacity to stand up to the gorgeous blue. You could really get away with just two coats if you don't mind a bit of sheerness. Other than the fact that I get cranky when I have to do three coats, I can't complain about this lovely metallic shade, either.

I bought these with the thought that they might be in my season, Soft Summer. What do you think?

Blue La La and Soft Summer fan

Blue La La is fairly close to ss7.9 but it's not as purpled, and it's probably a bit bright.

Out of this World and Soft Summer Fan

Out of this World compares to ss3.1, though it's cooler for sure.

Of course, when you're shopping for your season, you're not supposed to match things to the tiny squares. You're supposed to look for harmony with the entire fan.

Looking for harmony

I'd say both colors are not quite Soft Summer shades. They are close enough not to look garish, and I will wear them both, but I can't recommend them as Soft Summer nail polishes. I just don't see the harmony I look for.

Still, both polishes are great quality, on par with much more expensive polishes I've tried. And, the colors are lovely, if you're in the market for a fun blue creme shade and a metallic silver.

My Personal Color Analysis Was a Big Surprise

Color me shocked. As it turns out, I'm not a Bright Winter at all. I'm actually a Soft Summer! They are both neutral seasons, leaning cooler with just a touch of warmth, but the colors and saturation are very different.

I wrote about what I was anticipating and a little about what this is all about in my previous post, here.

Now, how does a personal color analysis work, exactly? First, you wear no makeup. The "studio" (actually a hotel meeting room) was set up with a gray background and full-spectrum lights. I wore a gray scarf over my hair (because there is still a tiny bit of dye in the ends) and a gray drape. My analyst, Christine, also wore a gray coverall so as to not distract the eye. She started by draping me with fabric drapes representing the four true seasons, Winter (black), Autumn (dark brown), Spring (gold), and Summer (silver), comparing two at a time. It was clear that none of the true seasons were a perfect match, but Summer was the best, followed by Winter. We were looking for each color's effects on my face. You want feature definition, smooth skin, healthy skin color, bright colorful eyes, pink lips. You do not want shadows, yellowness, redness, pale lips, dull eyes, or hard lines.

We went through the red drapes (a series of pinks to reds designed to test for how much saturation suits you) and then we did each of the 12 seasons individually. Nine seasons were eliminated pretty quickly. She spent extra time comparing Light Summer and Soft Summer (SSu), but Soft Summer won out. She saved Bright Winter (BW) for last, because she know it was what I was expecting. I didn't tell her straight out, but she figured it out by my comments on how pretty certain drapes were, as well as what I walked in wearing (black and fuchsia).

The Bright Winter vs. Soft Summer draping was interesting. The BW drapes really didn't look bad - they didn't make me sallow, like the warmer seasons (Spring), or severe, like the cold seasons (True Winter and True Summer). But - in the BW, I just sort of receded. I wasn't center stage, the drape was. The SSu drapes, on the other hand, showed ME. This may sounds like a subtle thing. But I really could see it. The SSu colors are truly colors I've hardly looked at in stores. I just assumed they didn't have enough saturation for me. The SSu colors are heathered and grayed. I think they're very pretty, but they are just so far from the electric pinks, purples, and teals I've been favoring lately!

Christine sensed my shock, and she spent a long time with me. She really wanted me to see the changes that SSu made in my appearance. In fact, my session was about six hours long! Granted, much of that time was talking, about color theory in general, and then more specifically once my season had been revealed. We also talked about makeup, and she applied a full face of makeup on me, explaining as she went.

Once I got over my shock (even my shock shocked me - I swore I was totally open minded!), I decided to just embrace my new season. Hey, nothing is permanent, I can always go back to my old bright colors if I like. I've been collecting new makeup from Christine's recommendation list, and bought a few clothing items and scarves. Below, I'm sharing some photos from from draping session, as well as a selfie I took in my car wearing some of my new purchases. All of the draping photos are in my Soft Summer colors, with makeup on (I wasn't going to take any pictures of the "bad" colors, or any no-makeup shots, no matter good an illustration they might be!)

My colors (well, a few of them, anyway)

Some individual shots with Soft Summer colors

Here is my attempt at "doing Soft Summer" myself.

The scarf in the photo above is by Natasha (purchased at TJ Maxx). Foundation is Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup in 14N, blush is Clinique's Cupid. Eyeliner is Urban Decay's Uzi. Eyeshadow is a custom palette I created with MAC's Blackberry, Yogurt, and Scene. Mascara is Almay's Sapphire. Lipstick: Plumful by MAC.

A sampling of Soft Summer colors 

So was it worth it? Yes, I think so. I do love the way I look in the softer colors it would never had occurred to me to wear. And I did DO this in order to push myself out of my comfort zone - and to be the best me I can be. It's a work in progress! Have you ever had a PCA? Were you surprised by your results?

I'm Going To Get Draped - A Personal Color Analysis with 12 Seasons

Remember Color Me Beautiful from the 1980s? Did you get your "seasons done" back then like so many of us did? I was in high school, and my mom and I went and had our seasons done. Her season was very clear, but mine was a little confusing. She was a winter and I was a winter/summer borderline case. While she had a clear set of swatches with which to shop, I didn't really. The four season system just didn't really have something for everyone.

Now, a quarter of a century later, the science of seasonal analysis has advanced quite a bit. No more trying to squeeze everyone into four seasons whether they quite fit or not. There are many different seasonal systems out there, but the one I'll talk about is Sci/Art. One of the most well-known and respected analysts is Christine Scaman, whose website is called 12 Blueprints. Christine explains what seasons are and what a Personal Color Analysis is here.

The basic idea with Sci/Art is that there are 12 seasons. Within each of the four traditional seasons, there are three variations. They are as follows:
Bright Spring, True Spring, Light Spring
Light Summer, True Summer, Soft Summer
Soft Autumn, True Autumn, Dark Autumn
Dark Winter, True Winter, Bright Winter

I put together a collage of all 12 seasonal palettes, with images borrowed from Diary of a Colour Addict.

Just a glimpse of all 12 Sci/Art seasonal palettes

The point of all this is that once you find your seasonal home, you can focus your wardrobe and makeup on the colors in YOUR palette. These are the colors that will be your most flattering and beautifying.

There is quite a lot of science and color theory behind this and I'm not an expert so I won't try to explain it all here. Other sites that explain a lot of this: Truth is Beauty and Diary of a Colour Addict.

You can try to figure out your own season; some of the ways you can do this are explained in the Truth is Beauty link above. However, I've decided to get officially "draped" and have a PCA (Personal Color Analysis) with Christine. It will require some travel, in fact my mom and I are going together for a mother-daughter road trip adventure. It's all part of the journey I've embarked upon as I embrace my natural hair color while still striving to look my very best.

I am pretty sure already that I am a Bright Winter, at any rate, it is the palette I look at and see "me," but I will not mention this to Christine. I will just go into the draping with an open mind and see what results. I'm excited to see what the expert says! I'll be sure to write up my experience here once I'm done.

Have you ever been draped? Were you happy with your results? If you've never had it done, is it something you find interesting?