do you know your colour palette? - bfb image consulting · berta explains that you never have a...

To start off, Berta explained the reasons why it is so important to know your colour palette as once this is determined, this can positively impact the image that we portray of ourselves to the rest of the world thus helping us to succeed in all aspects of our everyday life.

So why is this important?

Everyday we are judged whether we realise it or not. Many of us may choose not to care about the way people view us because if we did it would require too much effort, however we do not realise that without having to go out of our way, just knowing what colours and styles suit us can largely influence the way we are perceived by others and also the way we see ourselves. Feeling positive about the way we feel the minute we walk out of the door in the morning creates such positive energy within ourselves influencing the way our day will pan out.

Berta explains that you never have a second chance to make a First Impression! “90% of people will form an opinion of you within the first 40 seconds of meeting you and in an interview situation you will be virtually fully judged within the first 4 minutes of stepping foot in the room.”

“The impact we make on other people depends, 55% on how we look and behave, 38% on how we sound – pitch, pace & tempo and only 7% on what you actually say!”

Berta also gave me a clever little quote from Coco Channel who said, “There is no such thing as an ugly woman, only a lazy one.” When thinking about it this does seem true. If we only learnt what colours and styles made us stand out along with pointing out our best features, we can then enhance those features with the right fabrics, styles and colours and we would all look amazing!

fashion shop ad

My session with Berta

Colour Palette?Everyday, we choose and wear clothing based on our favourite or preferred colours, or colours that are in fashion at a particular time. We also have a habit of following what colours our favourite celebrities are wearing. The problem is, you may find that those colours although nice in their own right may actually do nothing for you or worst case may end up being detrimental to your overall look.

Lifestyle Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Berta Balmes, founder of BfB International. She is a fashion and style expert who trained in London and has many years’ experience working within the industry in Los Angeles, Houston, Florence, Munich, Madrid and Marbella. Berta’s expertise can be applied to both men and women, working with each client individually to assess and fulfil their specific goals, whether they would like to update their everyday look, obtain a complete makeover, or prepare for a specific event. Her consulting strategy is matching personality, lifestyle, colour season, body and face type to today’s current styles, while solving common challenges such as problems deciding what to wear, what to buy or how to shop.

Do you know your

How to determine your colour palette

Colour analysis, also called skin tone colour matching, personal colour or seasonal colour, is the process of finding colours of clothing and makeup to match a person’s skin complexion, eye colour, and hair colour. It is often used as an aid to wardrobe planning and style consulting.

Colour analysis is the process of determining the colours that best suit an individual’s natural colouring. There are a wide variety of approaches to analysing personal colouring. The most well-known is “seasonal” colour analysis, which places individual colouring into four general categories: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Berta had offered to do

my colour analysis which I was looking forward to as I have never been able to find the right makeup to match my skin tone and would hunt endlessly for different brands that never looked quite right but were just ok. Sales assistants at makeup counters could never match me right, especially with the fluorescent lights in department stores. I was

also curious to know which hair colours would bring the best out in me and also if I was wearing the right colours in my clothing.

Berta sat me in front of a large mirror in natural light. This took place at 10.30 am as she explained around this time in the morning, here in Spain, is the best time to determine the colouring and undertones in my skin. All my make up was removed and a large white cloth was draped around me covering all of my clothes and a white turban towel covered all of my hair.

This was now the base from which to start. I must emphasise that what happens next, only a true colour analyst can do. Berta had large pieces of fabric in every colour and tone imaginable. These were called swatches. Who knew the colour pink or yellow for that matter, came in so many undertones. I thought pink was pretty much, light pink, bubblegum and fuchsia. Well I was wrong. Every colour had different tones with either Cool (pink, red or bluish undertones) or Warm (yellow or golden undertones).

We are either one or the other. I found out that the

wrong undertone against my skin really did make me

look awful. The colours that made my face lighten up and

which highlighted my eyes and make my skin look more youthful

were those colours with pink undertones. The difference was astounding. The yellow or

golden undertones made me look seriously ill!

After much time taken in holding different coloured swatches in various tones up to me, Berta narrowed me down to either a Winter or an Autumn. She then held the Autumn tones to me and the earthy

colours did nothing once again for my complexion or my eyes as there were a lot of golden and orange rust tones in that season. Berta then held up the Winter fabrics and those colours suited me much better. So she pinpointed me to Winter. Again the warm coloured Winter tones were put to me and then the cool coloured Winter tones. The cool tones made me look radiant. The ashy tones actually made my eyes and skin look brighter.

Some of my clothes in my wardrobe matched and a lot didn’t and come to think about it, the ones that I shouldn’t be wearing I rarely wore anyway as they weren’t really me. Now I know why. Had I known my colours before, I would have saved a lot of time and money.

This, by the way worked for my jewellery also. I always wore gold jewellery only to find out it was not what I should be wearing. I should stick to white gold or silver.

So now for makeup. This I was really looking forward to as I could never get my makeup right and again, now I know why. I kept getting matched in department stores to warm under toned foundation just because I have brown eyes. This is not the case. People also assume because you are blue eyed that you are cool. Again this isn’t the case. Cosmetic assistants match you more to the shade, how darker or lighter the foundation should be which is partly right, but thats only half the battle. Whether that foundation has a warm or cool undertone

makes the world of difference in finding a shade that is absolutely amazing and one that looks ok. The wrong undertone can make your face look dull, muddy or ashy.

(Your skin’s surface tone is the colour that you can see on the surface of your skin, often described as light, medium, tan, deep, and so on. Your skin’s undertone is the colour underneath the surface. You can have the same skin colour as someone, but a different undertone)

Berta applied my makeup using the undertones matched by my season, Cool Winter. The foundation used was light with pink undertones, eyeshadows were shades of pinks matched from my palette and blusher used was pinkish. She told me to stay clear of gold, bronzed toned blushers. They were my enemy. If only I knew this years ago as funnily enough I wondered why my colouring was never right and

my makeup never looked amazing. I just thought it was because I was not an expert at applying my makeup and that I wasn’t blessed with the best skin.

Now once Berta had finished applying my makeup I looked years younger, fresher and my skin looked amazing! For years I had spent money on makeup to make me look worse, what a waste. I can actually say the experience with Berta has been ‘life changing’. I was given my own pocket swatch of my colours with tips for my makeup, hair colours etc all written in the back. I was told that this should stay in my handbag and anytime I go to buy makeup, clothing, get my hair coloured etc, I should consult my swatch. Not a problem with me. I will now live by it!

This was definitely an eye-opening experience that I would recommend to everyone. Whether you are just treating yourself, or if it is a surprise gift for a loved one,

you could not find a more unique yet beneficial and life changing experience!

This one-time visit and the knowledge you take away with you will stay with you forever.

+34 663 793 [email protected]

Complete make-over • Body analysisColour analysis • Personal styling • Personal shopping

Business coaching • Social protocols

Berta Balmes ~ Image Consultant

Your image is the key to making a powerful first impression for personal, professional, and social success.