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Color Me Beautiful basics

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Joann M. Hnat

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Aug 15, 2001, 2:41:41 PM8/15/01
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Color Me Beautiful has a website, with a quick color test
(http://www.colormebeautiful.com/colorharmony.html). It's not very
detailed, because they want you to buy the book or have your colors
done. Maybe you can find the book at a used book store for a couple
dollars, but I don't know.

Here is a chart from the CMB book, which is copyrighted, just as a
guide.

BTW, you are often not the best guide of what looks good on you.
Personally, I was wearing pinks, roses, blues, etc. -- the colors of
summer -- when I first went to CMB. I could hardly believe when 10
people kept telling me that I looked good in orange, brown, olive, gold,
etc. - all the colors of autumn, which I clearly am.

.. Joann


Compare the colors of the four seasonal palettes:

Winter Summer Autumn Spring

Pure White Soft White Oyster White Ivory

Taupe (grey-beige) Rose-beige Earth beige Clear beige
gold-beige, inc. camel Creamy beige, inc. camel

All grays, from icy Blue-grays, lt.-med. No gray Warm (yellow) gray,
lt.-med.
to charcoal

No brown Rose-browns Dark brown, most browns Golden browns
No tan Cocoa and tans, coffee, Clear tans
bronze, mahogany

Black No black No black No black

All navy grayed navy No navy Clear light navy

True blue Gray-blues Teal blue Light royal blue
Royal blue Sky blue Deep periwinkle Periwinkle blue
Icy blue Periwinkle blue
Powder to medium blue

Hot turquoise Pastel aqua Turquoise Medium warm turquoise
Chinese blue Clear aqua
Icy aqua

Light true green Blue-greens, Grayed yellow-greens Clear yellow-greens
True green pastel to deep Yellow-greens, pastel to bright
Emerald green lime to bright
Icy green Earth greens,
Olive, moss, jade, forest

No orange No orange All oranges Light oranges
Deep peach, salmon Apricot, peach, salmon
Rust, terra cotta All corals, light rust

Shocking pink All (blue) pastel No pink All peachy (yellow) pinks
Deep hot (blue) pink Deep rose
Magenta, fuchsia Blue-pinks
Icy pink

True red Watermelon Orange-reds Clear red
Blue-reds Blue-reds Bittersweet Orange-reds
Raspberry Dark Tomato

No gold No gold All golds Clear gold

Clear lemon-yellow Light lemon yellow Yellow-gold Bright golden yellow
Icy yellow

Royal purple Plum No purple Medium violet
Icy violet Soft fuchsia Blue-violet
Mauve, orchid, lavender


The cool seasons (winter and spring) generally have no reds or golds in
their hair, except possibly in sunlight. If they color their hair and
want it to match their skin tone, eyes, etc., they should use an ash
tone, nothing called "gold" or "red" or "metallic" or anything like
that.

Warm season is exactly opposite. Autumns generally have red or red-brown
hair, or at least rich brown hair with metallic highlights, spring is
usually lighter reds or golden brown/blond.

Springs and winters should look for clear colors, autumm and summer for
more muted colors.

Warm seasons wear gold as accessories, cool seasons wear silver.

If a season other than winter wants to wear black, wear it on bottom
with "your" colors on top.

Neander Thal

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Aug 15, 2001, 6:01:40 PM8/15/01
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j...@shore.net (Joann  (the Beautiful, no doubt) wrote, in part:

>Color Me Beautiful has a website, with
>a quick color test<Snipped>
Boy.....that test just ruined my day. I didn't fit in any of the first 3
seasons, so I was stuck with Summer....delicate and translucent it
sez...I've been called worse :)
Wear pink, it sez.....ok.....
Guess I'll never be "beautiful"..so I'll just remain as
always...just...tall..dark...and handsome...

cozyhome

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Aug 15, 2001, 6:51:40 PM8/15/01
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dark? do you mean skin, hair, eyes? what's dark? just wondering about
you being summer and 'dark' - don't sound right maybe. To make it easy,
if you are really summer - think pastel anything.

--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
Neander Thal <MrT...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:23387-3B...@storefull-116.iap.bryant.webtv.net...

WHOLEYLADY

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Aug 15, 2001, 9:01:27 PM8/15/01
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In article <02De7.299$5d.63...@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com>, "cozyhome"
<cozy...@prodigy.net> writes:

>To make it easy,
>if you are really summer - think pastel anything.

Mr. Thal might not be able to find too much in pastel appropriate to his gender
;-)

cozyhome

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Aug 15, 2001, 9:06:44 PM8/15/01
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well, truth is I never know what gender I'm talking to here, BUT my husband
is a summer ad wears all pastels great! He looks good in his dress shirts
in creams, tans, light blue, greys, light patterns, creamy shirts with soft
brownish stripes, blued grays, taupe, - when younger he wore aqua, but
hasn't for a while.

--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
WHOLEYLADY <whole...@aol.comeondown> wrote in message
news:20010815210127...@nso-ct.aol.com...

Susiemw

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Aug 15, 2001, 9:28:29 PM8/15/01
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>
>Mr. Thal might not be able to find too much in pastel appropriate to his
>gender
> ;-)
>

My middle brother, if he had a computer, would jump in here to tell you that
(and I quote) " women love guys in purple, "

finding the appropriate shades is a totally different topic.

Susan

Annie

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Aug 15, 2001, 10:49:00 PM8/15/01
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My library has that book. Once while in a fabric store with my sister
and nieces, the nieces decided to "color drape" me. They had me holding
up different bolts of fabric, telling me which colors did the most for
me. It was fun, but I don't pay much attention to it myself. Going to a
fabric store with a friend and holding up the different colored bolts of
fabric would be a frugal way of finding out your best colors.
Annie

http://community-2.webtv.net/adowning/FirelessCooking
My web page about fuel-efficient cooking.

n...@spam.com

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Aug 15, 2001, 11:24:34 PM8/15/01
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I don't know what season I am according to the color me season colors

I wear black all the time, 95% of my clothes are black..

I look TERRIBLE in white, but I wear these colors well...
black, browns, royal purple, hot pink, turquoise, teal,

I look TERRIBLE in yellow terrible in beige, terrible in grey....

do not look good in pastels, but look better in bright colors

do NOT look good in red at all, or orange either

don't wear navy or straight blues well either

am fair skinned, brown eyes, brown hair

SO what season am I i based on the above?

WHOLEYLADY

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Aug 16, 2001, 12:26:53 AM8/16/01
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In article <E0Fe7.387$uo4.80...@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com>, "cozyhome"
<cozy...@prodigy.net> writes:

> BUT my husband
>is a summer ad wears all pastels great!

uh , am I confused. . . .when I went to the site it was about cosmetics . . . .

i'm getting nervous . . . and i live in san francisco . . . .

Joann M. Hnat

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Aug 16, 2001, 1:25:15 AM8/16/01
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I just realized that the chart I sent didn't look very good on this
newsgroup. I converted it into a Word file, so if anyone wants it,
e-mail me and I'll send it.

.. Joann

Heather D. Tierney

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Aug 16, 2001, 1:50:35 AM8/16/01
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Please send it to:

readso...@home.com

Thanks,
Heather

cozyhome

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Aug 16, 2001, 9:30:23 AM8/16/01
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Summer includes all pastels that do not have a touch of yellow in them.
For every color there is a warm version and a cool version.
lemon yellow vs golden yellow
turquoise vs. aqua
mint green vs. yellow green
peach vs. apricot
wheat/ivory vs. cream
blue pink vs. sand pink
So, actually, what I mean by pastel anything, is the pastel version of
anything on the cool charts compared to a spring who will wear the pastel
versions of the warm colors.

--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
liv <l...@ziplink.net> wrote in message
news:4demnt0slnuat8q8l...@4ax.com...
> On 16 Aug 2001 01:01:27 GMT, whole...@aol.comeondown (WHOLEYLADY)

> -------------------------------------------
> I seem to remember that summers are all blues and bluegreens (but not
> green-blues/turquoises/aquas) in all shades of light and dark, but not
> the navies that are almost black, if you can avoid them. Also
> watermelon and pink (but no yellow pinks like salmon) and cherry reds.
> All purples. Indigo (denim, which is more purple than blue, although
> it is tricky to see it :-) Chocolate brown (but not orange browns) and
> tans based on chocolate browns. All burgundies (which can be awfully
> close to chocolate brown). Whites, but not bright whites and not
> yellow whites (cream). The gamut includes powder blue and pink, to be
> sure, but not pastel mint green, yellow, salmon, and many other pastel
> shades.
>
>
>
>
> liv
> l...@garbage.ziplink.net
> take out the garbage to reply...
>
> If you can't beat your computer at chess try kickboxing.


cozyhome

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Aug 16, 2001, 9:42:00 AM8/16/01
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I'm going to take a hunch here (and that don't mean I'll be right!) But
when I see the missmash of colors you wear from all different pallettes, I'm
going to guess that you are wearing whatever colors you like to see and only
reject the ones that go YUK when you put them on. Many colors that are not
your color will not go YUK. So why bother to find your colors? Many
people will look in the mirror and look at the DRESS, and only notice a
problem if their face goes uga and jerks them to notice.
The thing is if you are wearing a color that is not your color and
don't go yuk, you may often here people say "what a beautiful dress".
The reason they say that is because if it is not your color, your face will
recede and the dress will be what pops out. If it is your color, your face
will pop out and people will say "you look great!"
Another point that people need to realize is that when you say 'I
can't wear yellow or gray or red or blue" is that those (and all colors)
come in different SHADES for the different seasons. A cool season will
wear a soft cool lemon yellow with no gold tones in it, while a warm season
will wear golden yellow. I look terrible in grays with a trace of blue in
them (the most common), but look great in charcoal. Warm seasons wear red
orange, cool seasons wear blue red.
So the first thing you need to do is get examples of these colors.
In order to figure out if you are warm, you are going to have to wear no
make-up and see if you have a version of both colors around there.
hold these up to yourself in front of a mirror, and don't look at the design
of the dress as it will effect your concept of how it looks on you, so use
the back and only look at your face when you hold it up.
Which is _BEST_?
black or brown?
cream or white?
yellow green/advocado/olive or kelly green/forest green
Rust or burgandy?
Royal blue or teal?
Remember, you are not looking at the fabric, as your enjoyment of SEEING
those colors will kick in and screw up the whole thing. You are looking
at your face and seeing if those colors make your face pop out or do you
disappear in them.
PS - you didn't say if your hair and eyes are dark or light, and is it
your natural haircolor?


--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
<n...@spam.com> wrote in message
news:3b7b3b84....@news.mnd1.mn.home.com...

Sewmaster

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Aug 16, 2001, 10:42:37 AM8/16/01
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Annie wrote:
>
> My library has that book. Once while in a fabric store with my sister
> and nieces, the nieces decided to "color drape" me. They had me holding
> up different bolts of fabric, telling me which colors did the most for
> me. It was fun, but I don't pay much attention to it myself. Going to a
> fabric store with a friend and holding up the different colored bolts of
> fabric would be a frugal way of finding out your best colors.
> Annie

I did my colors long ago with CMB. I am a deep summer,
have dark brown hair (going gray now) & green/blue eyes.

Doing my colors was a great thing for me.
Haven't made wardrobe color mistakes since.
Learning the difference between yellow-&-blue-based
colors really made a difference. Previous to learning
about all this, I had a bright yellow-based red sweater
(fire engine red) that I noticed people asking me if I
was ill when I wore it. Now all the reds I wear are
blue-based; cranberry, rose-red, Christmas-darker red
& they look great. I keep yellow to a minimum in my clothing
& never near the face.

I like not wasting time, money or fabric on wardrobe mistakes.

Sewmaster

Joann M. Hnat

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Aug 16, 2001, 11:10:14 AM8/16/01
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Sewmaster wrote:

> Doing my colors was a great thing for me.
> Haven't made wardrobe color mistakes since.
> Learning the difference between yellow-&-blue-based
> colors really made a difference. Previous to learning
> about all this, I had a bright yellow-based red sweater
> (fire engine red) that I noticed people asking me if I
> was ill when I wore it.

I had the same experience, mostly because I *liked* the winter and
summer colors. I spent my life wearing gray and black (though they took
all the color out of me), bright pinks and red-blues (which clashed with
my hair terribly, but all I could see was the color). My favorite
lipstick was berry pink.

I almost cried when I went to CMB and found out I was an autumn. Ten
people were there, and they all raved when I was draped with dark brown,
rust, olive, gold -- all of which were pretty much "those muddy shades"
to me. I was so set on continuing to wear pink that the instructor
finally said, "Well, no one can make you wear anything!"

I bought a few things in my colors, though (the ones that didn't repulse
me too much!) and the compliments on how I looked (as opposed to "what a
nice sweater", as Cozyhome wrote before) was enough to convince me.

Over the years, my taste has changed so that I now love the earth tones
I wear so well.

.. Joann

Charlotte DeMott

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Aug 16, 2001, 3:35:45 PM8/16/01
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"Joann M. Hnat" wrote:

> I bought a few things in my colors, though (the ones that didn't repulse
> me too much!) and the compliments on how I looked (as opposed to "what a
> nice sweater", as Cozyhome wrote before) was enough to convince me.

I think I've had a similar experience. I'm generally classified as a
summer, but perhaps this story will change some minds? I once had a
long-sleeved, olive-green turtle neck that was actually a bright
olive-green, rather than the more muted olive greens that are so popular
today. Had this shirt been any brighter, it would have been downright
ghastly, although I thought it was a nice color on me. The first day I
wore it to work, I joined in a conversation with a coworker who took one
look at me, stopped mid-sentence, and said "Wow, I never realized your eyes
were so green!" My eyes are "hazel", which in my case means mostly dark
green, but with a little bit of brown near the center. Most of the time,
they just look light brown (probably 'cause my hair is a plain, medium
brown). I kind of liked the "green-eyed" look, but have never been able to
find another shirt in quite that color.

Charlotte

cozyhome

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Aug 16, 2001, 3:43:03 PM8/16/01
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It's not impossible to find something that looks good on you that's not on
your pallette. I have some colors that are not on mine. The thing that
is important is that many people end up with a closet of things that don't
go together, and this is why it happens. When you shop from the same
pallette, everything turns into mix and match! It makes having a workable
wardrobe much less stressful.
My sister and mom are both springs and I always loved their warm colors
and everyone always asked if I were not feeling well. When I found my
right colors, I looked as good as anyone. I do have a few that look good
that are not the right ones, but one should keep in mind to try to keep
those as exceptions and not try to build a wardrobe around them. For
instance I bought a fuzzy zip up pull over jacket at a concert that is a
bright lime green and love it. The other color was bright orange! But,
I want try to start getting pants/shoes/blouses/purses to co-ordinate with
it. I will wear it with black pants and black accessories from my own
pallette.

--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
Charlotte DeMott <dem...@atmos.colostate.edu> wrote in message
news:3B7C2091...@atmos.colostate.edu...

John Bomberger

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Aug 16, 2001, 5:22:31 PM8/16/01
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The original book is primarily about clothing, although as I remember
it does address cosmetics, and I truly enjoyed out

For a few bucks you used to be able to get swatches in your colors.

Don't be confused. In many paces men have the opportunity to wear a
variety of clothing colors. Unfortunately my guy is in a dress for
success office, so when he wears a suit, the shirt has to be white.

Autumn don't just have to wear browns by the way. There are some nice
shades of blue, even a lavender if you will and some soft greens,
yellows, and a peach in my swatch. I don't live and die by the
system, I do try for the most part to use my colors around my face

Barb
On 16 Aug 2001 04:26:53 GMT, whole...@aol.comeondown (WHOLEYLADY)
wrote:

cozyhome

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Aug 16, 2001, 10:04:09 PM8/16/01
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I think you're right about the ivory. Problem comes from maybe a local
difference of how people perceive certain colors. If it looks anything
like cream it's warm. The wheat I speak of is a taupe color, also may be a
different color to different people. That's why having the book is
important.

news:iksont89ia3up4eau...@4ax.com...


> On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 13:30:23 GMT, "cozyhome" <cozy...@prodigy.net>
> wrote:
>
> >Summer includes all pastels that do not have a touch of yellow in them.
> >For every color there is a warm version and a cool version.
> >lemon yellow vs golden yellow
> >turquoise vs. aqua
> >mint green vs. yellow green
> >peach vs. apricot
> >wheat/ivory vs. cream
> >blue pink vs. sand pink
> > So, actually, what I mean by pastel anything, is the pastel version
of
> >anything on the cool charts compared to a spring who will wear the pastel
> >versions of the warm colors.

> ----------------------
> You may have gone to a consultant who had developed, or subscribed to,
> a different system. From the book I remember reading, and my eyesight:
> Ivory contains yellow (and so does wheat, probably, since I think
> wheat is a form of pale tan, which comes from brown, which is orange
> based--now summers got the very pale chocolate (which is burgundy
> based), called, um 'rose beige', something like that.) It was the
> white for one of the warm colorations. I seem to remember that summers
> could wear something called 'soft white', the only color that almost
> everyone could wear. There were, indeed, some version of each color
> in each palette, but for summers the only green was blue green (dark
> and light), there weren't many greens, certainly not mint green, which
> is very yellow (but pale blue green might be called mint somewhere,
> although it wouldn't be a traditional use of the description). By the
> same token, I remember that winters wore the pale 'ice' colors (ice
> pink/ice blue/etc) that weren't recommended for anyone else, pale and
> pastel-like as they were. Summers could wear any pinks, but not the
> 'Ice Pinks".
>
> However, this is just based on my memory of the book.
>
> I did a search to see if the system was online anywhere and found a
> lot of businesses using the name or system, but I didn't find any real
> information, so I cannot supply a link, however the book itself seems
> to be still available at Amazon.com, and can be bought frugally used
> for $2.99.
>
> I am sure that a lot of people have come up with variations on this
> theme, since it seems to be the basis of a lot of businesses, each
> needing their own gimmick, so I am sure you are right, but Carol
> Jackson's original book was different.

cozyhome

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Aug 16, 2001, 10:06:32 PM8/16/01
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Just realized I didn't respond to the rest. Yes, around here mint green is
a light blue green. The winters wear bright and icy, the summers wear
pastels. I have packets of real material made up if I can get to it I could
scan it.

news:iksont89ia3up4eau...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 13:30:23 GMT, "cozyhome" <cozy...@prodigy.net>
> wrote:
>

> >Summer includes all pastels that do not have a touch of yellow in them.
> >For every color there is a warm version and a cool version.
> >lemon yellow vs golden yellow
> >turquoise vs. aqua
> >mint green vs. yellow green
> >peach vs. apricot
> >wheat/ivory vs. cream
> >blue pink vs. sand pink
> > So, actually, what I mean by pastel anything, is the pastel version
of
> >anything on the cool charts compared to a spring who will wear the pastel
> >versions of the warm colors.

WHOLEYLADY

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Aug 16, 2001, 10:27:01 PM8/16/01
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In article <l7eontok9q0dsrgv6...@4ax.com>, John Bomberger
<mull...@ex-pressnet.com> writes:

>Unfortunately my guy is in a dress

oh, lordy, you didn't put it in quotes and i REALLY got nervous . . .

n...@spam.com

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Aug 16, 2001, 11:50:34 PM8/16/01
to
Thank you for your reply.
My hair is natural medium brown. As a child I had reddish highlights,
but now it is pretty much just drab brown. My eyes are medium brown.

I don't think I choose colors to wear based on whether I like the
color, I just know which ones look terrible on me. I think I have
always looked alive with warm browns, not dark browns. Although I wear
a lot of black, it is probably NOT my color. (it has just been a good
easy basic color) The second color which has looked great with my
skintone, is aquamarine, or teal, or turquoise.......That is why I am
confused as to what season I am in. I would like to build a wardrobe
based around my colors, but I just don't see which season I fit in,
because I look terrible in the other autumn colors of gold, orange,
yellows etc....

I don't look good in ANY white or cream or ivory or anything pale.
Look terrible in pastels.

I see your point about mish mash of colors, but I really don't buy
only colors I like, I like many colors, but I have only bought black,
purple, turquoise, and brown. I have liked how olive looked, but I
know longer own anything olive.

Any insight is appreciated.
I would rank these colors in the order of what looks best on my
skintone:
1. warm browns
2. turquoise or teal or aquamarine
3. olive
4,possibly rust

I CAN NOT wear grey or peach or white or mauve or ivory or any yellow
or any orange or any red or any mint green or any royal blue or any
burgundy

On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 13:42:00 GMT, "cozyhome" <cozy...@prodigy.net>
wrote:

Joann M. Hnat

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Aug 17, 2001, 1:51:46 AM8/17/01
to
n...@spam.com wrote:

> Any insight is appreciated.
> I would rank these colors in the order of what looks best on my
> skintone:
> 1. warm browns
> 2. turquoise or teal or aquamarine
> 3. olive
> 4,possibly rust

What do you mean by "warm browns"? If you mean the browns that have a
hint of a rosy color mixed in, then those are cool browns, and are
summer colors.

In general, though, those are all spring/autumn colors, so far.

> I CAN NOT wear grey or peach or white or mauve or ivory or any yellow
> or any orange or any red or any mint green or any royal blue or any
> burgundy

Well, if you *are* one of the warm seasons, you would look awful in most
gray, white, mauve, many reds, mint green (which the book shows as a
winter color, though it probably varies by each person's perception of
the color), royal blue, and burgundy. If you are a spring, orange is not
your best color, though lighter shades and pinky-peaches should look
okay.

*Everyone* can wear some shade of red, yellow, and white/ivory or
another. It's just a matter of shade.

You did say that black and white weren't good on you, which rules out
winter.

You said pastels were bad, which rules out summer.

Due to the fact that you feel that orange isn't a good color for you,
I'd rule out autumn. Autumns look *fantastic* in orange (much to my
chagrin, since orange isn't a favorite color of mine).

I would tend to think that you are a spring, based only on what you've
told us and not on an actual observation. Do you have red or gold in
your hair? That would clinch it for me.

.. Joann

n...@spam.com

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Aug 17, 2001, 2:33:04 AM8/17/01
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On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 05:51:46 GMT, "Joann M. Hnat" <j...@shore.net>
wrote:

>n...@spam.com wrote:
>
>> Any insight is appreciated.
>> I would rank these colors in the order of what looks best on my
>> skintone:
>> 1. warm browns
>> 2. turquoise or teal or aquamarine
>> 3. olive
>> 4,possibly rust
>
>What do you mean by "warm browns"? If you mean the browns that have a
>hint of a rosy color mixed in, then those are cool browns, and are
>summer colors.

No, I don't mean browns that are rosy browns, I mean more golden
browns.


i guess rust would be a form of red.
is it possible i am an autumn that looks good in golden browns,
chocolate browns, and rust colors, but just don't look good in any
shade of orange or yellow?

i seem to fit into autumn more than any color season i guess, but i
don't look well in ALL the autumn colors


Joann M. Hnat

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Aug 17, 2001, 2:52:21 AM8/17/01
to
n...@spam.com wrote:

> i guess rust would be a form of red.
> is it possible i am an autumn that looks good in golden browns,
> chocolate browns, and rust colors, but just don't look good in any
> shade of orange or yellow?

I suppose. I find that I don't particularly like bright orange on me,
but pumpkin, burnt orange, and other darker, more muted orange look
good. Also, if you look good in golden browns, are you sure you don't
look good in gold? Have you asked other people how you look in the
colors you think look bad on you?

Also, again, you said your hair is brown, but is it more of an ash
brown, with no metallic highlights (other than what you might see in the
sun once in awhile), or do you have gold or red highlights? Most autumns
do.

Do you tan easily? Most autumns don't.

Perhaps you're what CMB is now calling "fall moving towards spring" or
"fall moving towards winter", too. I don't know much about these,
because I got into CMB well before them, and I am a classic autumn (what
they now call a warm autumn, I think) with ivory skin, auburn hair, and
green eyes with a few brown flecks. (Brown eyes are also a common autumn
color, of course.) Though I have my favorites, I can pretty much go down
the list of autumn colors and wear everything well.

.. Joann

cozyhome

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 9:04:39 AM8/17/01
to
I'm thinking that no one tans golden brown like an autumn. A winter
person will get tan and become very dark. But an autumn will look like
someone just turned the lights on with their golden tan skin.
Sometimes you may not enjoy a certain color, but can use it for accents.
I'm leaning toward autumn for you also, based only on what you've said.
If that's true, stay with your golden browns, khakis, tans, rusts, teals,
aquas, olives/advocados. It will be expensive to trash all your black
clothes and it is true that most people have some basic black no matter what
they are, but you can get away with it better by looking for blouses and
sweaters in your colors to go with the bottoms. It's hard to find, but if
you can find any, try dark periwinkle for your shade of blue, and red violet
purples. If you can find it, it would be interesting to see how coral or
salmon looks on you.
My mom looks pasty in all light colors, which also takes out the creams
for a total blouse by itself - but not under a vest or sweater, or as slacks
with a colored blouse that might have a tiny cream design in the otherwise
bright shirt. Stick with gold toned jewelery. If you are a scarf person,
you could also add a touch of your own palette to a black dress you already
own that way. Or you could add a nice teal jacket over a black dress or
ensemble. Think of the color gold as an accent color that may show up in
an advocado blouse, for instance.
Realize that we can't know what we're talking about because we're just
guessing and can't see you and start throwing colors on to really know.
Wishing we could all meet and spend the day throwing colors on each other!

--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife


NG Subber

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Aug 17, 2001, 10:45:24 AM8/17/01
to

cozyhome wrote:

> It's not impossible to find something that looks good on you that's not on
> your pallette. I have some colors that are not on mine. The thing that
> is important is that many people end up with a closet of things that don't
> go together, and this is why it happens. When you shop from the same
> pallette, everything turns into mix and match! It makes having a workable
> wardrobe much less stressful.

I went to the web site and at first thought I was autumn. I have very dark
hair with reddish gold natural highlights. My eyes are very dark and my skin is
olive. Now I can't decide whether I am autumn or winter as winter lists dark
hair with no golden tones. Winter has the strong vivid tones listed. I prefer
black and navy also listed under winter, much to DH's dismay. He thinks they
are too conservative looking. Last week he bought me a summer shift that was a
bright red background with vivid coloured, large print flowers. My first
thought was "I can't wear that!". Anyway, I tried it on and the difference was
amazing! These colours are also in the winter category but I simply didn't use
them.

NG Subber

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Aug 17, 2001, 10:55:42 AM8/17/01
to

liv wrote:

> On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 13:30:23 GMT, "cozyhome" <cozy...@prodigy.net>
> wrote:
>

> >Summer includes all pastels that do not have a touch of yellow in them.
> >For every color there is a warm version and a cool version.
> >lemon yellow vs golden yellow
> >turquoise vs. aqua
> >mint green vs. yellow green
> >peach vs. apricot
> >wheat/ivory vs. cream
> >blue pink vs. sand pink
> > So, actually, what I mean by pastel anything, is the pastel version of
> >anything on the cool charts compared to a spring who will wear the pastel
> >versions of the warm colors.

> ----------------------
> You may have gone to a consultant who had developed, or subscribed to,
> a different system. From the book I remember reading, and my eyesight:
> Ivory contains yellow (and so does wheat, probably, since I think
> wheat is a form of pale tan, which comes from brown, which is orange
> based--now summers got the very pale chocolate (which is burgundy
> based), called, um 'rose beige', something like that.) It was the
> white for one of the warm colorations. I seem to remember that summers
> could wear something called 'soft white', the only color that almost
> everyone could wear. There were, indeed, some version of each color
> in each palette, but for summers the only green was blue green (dark
> and light), there weren't many greens, certainly not mint green, which
> is very yellow (but pale blue green might be called mint somewhere,
> although it wouldn't be a traditional use of the description). By the
> same token, I remember that winters wore the pale 'ice' colors (ice
> pink/ice blue/etc) that weren't recommended for anyone else, pale and
> pastel-like as they were. Summers could wear any pinks, but not the
> 'Ice Pinks".
>
> However, this is just based on my memory of the book.
>
> I did a search to see if the system was online anywhere and found a
> lot of businesses using the name or system, but I didn't find any real
> information, so I cannot supply a link, however the book itself seems
> to be still available at Amazon.com, and can be bought frugally used
> for $2.99.

I just checked ebay and there are 14 listings, if that helps anyone.


cozyhome

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 10:54:21 AM8/17/01
to
The shift colors can be deceiving, because the red could still be autumn or
winter.
Blue true red, or red with orange?
Also could be affected by colors of the flowers, which you didn't mention.

Do you look better in dark advocado or forest green?
blue purple, or red violet purple?
rust or burgandy?
Winters can also have what is called 'sallow' skin.


--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
NG Subber <emailis...@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:3B7D2E04...@invalid.com...

n...@spam.com

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Aug 17, 2001, 12:20:54 PM8/17/01
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yeah, i don't plan on trashing any clothes right away! LOL :)
i do shop thrift stores and severe mark downs or clearances when i do
shop for clothes
but I also sometimes bleach clothes and then dye them when I want a
color change in my wardrobe
i have seen often when i bleach black cotton, it turns a beautiful
brown

i don't tan easily, only burn (if not using sunscreen)and i haven't
done that for a couple of decades!:) if i did try to tan (which I
don't intend to do), with sunscreen I could turn golden brown, but it
would take great effort to tan on purpose... I don't like being in the
heat OR tanning

autumn happens to be my favorite weather season too :)

thanks for the ideas about burnt orange
i will have to go to the store and just hold some colors up

what color eyeshadow should an autumn wear?

lipstick?

this is difficult figuring this out because i always looked good in
bright purplish raspberry lipsticks

tho, for eyeshadows, probably brown and cream work best as 2 colors
together

i can see continuing to wear black pants with my "season" tops

i just don't see how i can be both turquoise and golden browns
(separately and apart from each other of course)

my brown hair leans more towards golden highlights than ash, however i
would still just call it drab medium brown :)


too bad there isn't a big long cloth that covers all the seasons ..
the color me beautiful people could sell such a long cloth so a person
could shift and hold the colors up to their face and arms in the
mirror and start assessing the season they belong in :)


yes i have only worn gold toned jewelry, i look terrible in silver
tones

thanks for the scarf idea
i used to wear scarved to accent outfits, but never thought of it
terms of accenting skin tone with natural "season" according to CMB

i do plan on borrowing a few books from the library on this topic
before i add any more clothes to my wardrobe or delete or change any
:)


On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 13:04:39 GMT, "cozyhome" <cozy...@prodigy.net>
wrote:

n...@spam.com

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 12:23:13 PM8/17/01
to

and what season does lime green fall under?

cozyhome

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Aug 17, 2001, 12:51:19 PM8/17/01
to
You should look good in browns, creams, copper colors on your eyes.
You should also be able to use a purple with a redder rather than blue base
on your eyes, and if you like other colors, just match your clothes. I
usually only wear my eyeshadow in the crease and up a little in my eye,
where the natural shadow would fall.
Burnt orange or violet purples on lips (could be what you are describing as
raspberry).
You may look pretty good in both, but if you look at yourself with first
one and then the other, you should find that it is AGUA, not TURQUOISE that
you look good in. Agua is the one that is more like teal, but teal is
darkest. You will find the aqua looks great with your browns.

news:3b7d40a4....@news.mnd1.mn.home.com...

cozyhome

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Aug 17, 2001, 12:43:32 PM8/17/01
to
well, the light version would be spring, the brighter would be autumn.

news:3b7d446a....@news.mnd1.mn.home.com...

val189

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 1:34:02 PM8/17/01
to
Wasn't there something in the analysis about the color of the rim around your iris?
I never wanted to spend the bucks for the analysis, but those who did typed me as an autumn. I have
to say, the cosmetics are geared nicely to your type, once you know it, but I can't speak for the
quality of price.
Actually, it's tough enough to find clothes you can afford, like the cut and that fit, let alone
being a slave to certain tones and shades. Why do we buy into these schemes? Vanity?

Val
"Joann M. Hnat" wrote:

> Color Me Beautiful has a website, with a quick color test
> (http://www.colormebeautiful.com/colorharmony.html). It's not very
> detailed, because they want you to buy the book or have your colors
> done. Maybe you can find the book at a used book store for a couple
> dollars, but I don't know.
>
> Here is a chart from the CMB book, which is copyrighted, just as a
> guide.
>
> BTW, you are often not the best guide of what looks good on you.
> Personally, I was wearing pinks, roses, blues, etc. -- the colors of
> summer -- when I first went to CMB. I could hardly believe when 10
> people kept telling me that I looked good in orange, brown, olive, gold,
> etc. - all the colors of autumn, which I clearly am.
>
> .. Joann
>
> Compare the colors of the four seasonal palettes:
>
> Winter Summer Autumn Spring
>
> Pure White Soft White Oyster White Ivory
>
> Taupe (grey-beige) Rose-beige Earth beige Clear beige
> gold-beige, inc. camel Creamy beige, inc. camel
>
> All grays, from icy Blue-grays, lt.-med. No gray Warm (yellow) gray,
> lt.-med.
> to charcoal
>
> No brown Rose-browns Dark brown, most browns Golden browns
> No tan Cocoa and tans, coffee, Clear tans
> bronze, mahogany
>
> Black No black No black No black
>
> All navy grayed navy No navy Clear light navy
>
> True blue Gray-blues Teal blue Light royal blue
> Royal blue Sky blue Deep periwinkle Periwinkle blue
> Icy blue Periwinkle blue
> Powder to medium blue
>
> Hot turquoise Pastel aqua Turquoise Medium warm turquoise
> Chinese blue Clear aqua
> Icy aqua
>
> Light true green Blue-greens, Grayed yellow-greens Clear yellow-greens
> True green pastel to deep Yellow-greens, pastel to bright
> Emerald green lime to bright
> Icy green Earth greens,
> Olive, moss, jade, forest
>
> No orange No orange All oranges Light oranges
> Deep peach, salmon Apricot, peach, salmon
> Rust, terra cotta All corals, light rust
>
> Shocking pink All (blue) pastel No pink All peachy (yellow) pinks
> Deep hot (blue) pink Deep rose
> Magenta, fuchsia Blue-pinks
> Icy pink
>
> True red Watermelon Orange-reds Clear red
> Blue-reds Blue-reds Bittersweet Orange-reds
> Raspberry Dark Tomato
>
> No gold No gold All golds Clear gold
>
> Clear lemon-yellow Light lemon yellow Yellow-gold Bright golden yellow
> Icy yellow
>
> Royal purple Plum No purple Medium violet
> Icy violet Soft fuchsia Blue-violet
> Mauve, orchid, lavender
>
> The cool seasons (winter and spring) generally have no reds or golds in
> their hair, except possibly in sunlight. If they color their hair and
> want it to match their skin tone, eyes, etc., they should use an ash
> tone, nothing called "gold" or "red" or "metallic" or anything like
> that.
>
> Warm season is exactly opposite. Autumns generally have red or red-brown
> hair, or at least rich brown hair with metallic highlights, spring is
> usually lighter reds or golden brown/blond.
>
> Springs and winters should look for clear colors, autumm and summer for
> more muted colors.
>
> Warm seasons wear gold as accessories, cool seasons wear silver.
>
> If a season other than winter wants to wear black, wear it on bottom
> with "your" colors on top.


Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 3:29:08 PM8/17/01
to
cozyhome wrote:
>
> I'm thinking that no one tans golden brown like an autumn. A winter
> person will get tan and become very dark. But an autumn will look like
> someone just turned the lights on with their golden tan skin.


Interesting. I always think of all the warm autumns with the pale skin
and reddish hair, who do the burn-peel-burn thing if they're out in the
sun. But I know there are darker-skinned autumns, and they probably do
look good tanned.

.. Joann

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 3:30:35 PM8/17/01
to
n...@spam.com wrote:
>
> and what season does lime green fall under?

That's an autumn color. Some springs look good in it, too.

.. Joann

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 3:33:18 PM8/17/01
to
NG Subber wrote:

> I went to the web site and at first thought I was autumn. I have very dark
> hair with reddish gold natural highlights. My eyes are very dark and my skin is
> olive. Now I can't decide whether I am autumn or winter as winter lists dark
> hair with no golden tones. Winter has the strong vivid tones listed. I prefer
> black and navy also listed under winter, much to DH's dismay. He thinks they
> are too conservative looking. Last week he bought me a summer shift that was a
> bright red background with vivid coloured, large print flowers. My first
> thought was "I can't wear that!". Anyway, I tried it on and the difference was
> amazing! These colours are also in the winter category but I simply didn't use
> them.


You're probably an autumn, if you have reddish-gold highlights. Winters
have no metallic highlights, unless you happen to look the right way in
the sun.

Perhaps you're what they're now calling a "cool autumn", which they
define as an autumn flowing into winter. Meaning that you look good in
all of the autumn colors and some of the winter ones.

.. Joann

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 3:38:51 PM8/17/01
to
val189 wrote:
>
> Wasn't there something in the analysis about the color of the rim around your iris?
> I never wanted to spend the bucks for the analysis, but those who did typed me as an autumn. I have
> to say, the cosmetics are geared nicely to your type, once you know it, but I can't speak for the
> quality of price.
> Actually, it's tough enough to find clothes you can afford, like the cut and that fit, let alone
> being a slave to certain tones and shades. Why do we buy into these schemes? Vanity?


You could call it vanity, but I think that most human beings are vain by
that definition. We like to look good.

I've been doing the color thing for years, and I don't have much of a
problem finding colors that work for me. There's a wide variety. Also, I
buy clothes like many people stock their pantries, buying when I find
things I like at a good price, so I don't need to buy clothes that don't
fit or look good.

And "slave"? I thought it was only slavery if someone forced you to do
it. No one forced me. I was intrigued, and found it valuable and
workable. If it's a scheme, it certainly a good one.

.. Joann

cozyhome

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Aug 17, 2001, 4:33:51 PM8/17/01
to
Think of someone like Sophia Loren

--
Cozy
http://www.geocities.com/cozyhomelife
Joann M. Hnat <j...@shore.net> wrote in message
news:3B7D74AF...@shore.net...

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 7:47:20 PM8/17/01
to
cozyhome wrote:
>
> Think of someone like Sophia Loren


That makes sense. I guess I'm just not used to thinking of tans as
attractive anymore. I do love the color of her skin, though.

.. Joann

Sue

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 9:04:36 PM8/17/01
to
>From: "Joann M. Hnat"

>Perhaps you're what they're now calling a "cool autumn", which they
>define as an autumn flowing into winter. Meaning that you look good in
>all of the autumn colors and some of the winter ones.

---
This makes absolute sense to me... When I went to get my season analyzed, the
women went nuts because, they determined, I "could" be a spring or I "could" be
a fall. I've got two different eye patterns and, depending on where one is
checking on my body, I've got a couple different skin tones. I favor my
mother's mediterranean olive on my face, neck and arms once I hit sun, but my
shoulders and legs and the rest of me favor my father's lily, nordic white.
But, get this, I look best in *some* winter colors.

So, I could be one of these cool falls, or is it warm winters. Hmmmm....
another way to look at this entirely.

THANK YOU....

Sue
The Chicken: It Came. It Clucked. It Conquered.

n...@spam.com

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 9:34:56 PM8/17/01
to
well then that clinches it, because I look good in lime green. (I
posted about trying to figure out if I was an autumn, and the 2 of you
were very helpful :)

I was worried if I looked good in lime green and it was not autumn I
would be really confused what season I was! :)

Thanks to both of you :)

On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 19:30:35 GMT, "Joann M. Hnat" <j...@shore.net>
wrote:

Heather D. Tierney

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 10:43:50 PM8/17/01
to
All this CMB talk really intrigued me, so I went on eBay and bought a book. It was
... 99 cents. Shipping was $3, though. ; )

I'm pretty sure I'm an autumn. My hair is naturally drab brown, but I color it
auburn. When I was younger, I had lots more red in it than I do now, and I WANTED
IT BACK. And, it's weird, it never fails: If I wait for a while before coloring my
hair, I get lots of compliments when I finally do color it. People ask me: Did you
just get back from vacation? and the like.

I also have hazel eyes: Depending on what I'm wearing, my eyes can look blue or
green or even kinda greenish brown. And I burn VERY easily -- a few weeks ago, DH
and I were at the local ballpark watching a day game, and I was wearing shorts. In
20 minutes, my exposed skin was bright red.

This has been an interesting thread. I'm trying to pare down my wardrobe, and I
want to make sure that what I DO buy or sew as replacements all goes well together.

For years, I have wanted an adult version of Garanimals -- those kids' clothes
where you could match shirts/pants/etc. by the animal on the tag!

-- Heather

Heather D. Tierney

unread,
Aug 17, 2001, 10:46:24 PM8/17/01
to
I'm buying into it for simplicity's sake. If I could just get a list or swatches of what to buy, I'm
all for that.

Can you tell I hate clothes shopping? For this and this alone, catalogs are the greatest invention
EVER.

Now, books ... books are another matter. I prefer to shop in person, so I can fondle the pages. ; )

-- Heather

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 1:09:14 AM8/19/01
to
n...@spam.com wrote:
>
> well then that clinches it, because I look good in lime green. (I
> posted about trying to figure out if I was an autumn, and the 2 of you
> were very helpful :)

Congratulations on coming one step closer to total self-knowledge. :)

.. Joann

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 1:17:47 AM8/19/01
to
"Heather D. Tierney" wrote:

> I'm pretty sure I'm an autumn. [Sounds right, from what you've written. Keep coloring your hair auburn!]


>
> I also have hazel eyes: Depending on what I'm wearing, my eyes can look blue or
> green or even kinda greenish brown. And I burn VERY easily -- a few weeks ago, DH
> and I were at the local ballpark watching a day game, and I was wearing shorts. In
> 20 minutes, my exposed skin was bright red.

Isn't that a great feeling?:(

I remember that, back in college, I had an Italian-American roommate
with the gorgeous olive skin that tanned beautifully. Once, we were
driving to her parents' home, and she decided to take a detour to a flea
market in a parking lot where her mother (similar coloring) was working
at her stand. I told my friend that I could only stay for a few minutes
or I'd burn. We ended up staying almost 1-1/2 hours, though I begged her
the whole time to leave. (There was no shelter, and her car didn't have
AC and it was a 90 degree + day.) She just didn't see the rush.

By that night, I was bright red, and developed blisters by the next
morning. My friend was *so* apologetic, and she and her mother were
panicked because they'd never seen someone that red. Ever since, when I
go anywhere with this friend, her first question is, "Do you have your
sunblock?"

.. Joann

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 1:21:09 AM8/19/01
to
"Heather D. Tierney" wrote:
>
> I'm buying into it for simplicity's sake. If I could just get a list or swatches of what to buy, I'm
> all for that.

I can send you the list, if I haven't already, or you can get swatches
by contacting Color Me Beautiful.



> Can you tell I hate clothes shopping? For this and this alone, catalogs are the greatest invention
> EVER.
>
> Now, books ... books are another matter. I prefer to shop in person, so I can fondle the pages. ; )

I don't especially like shopping for clothes, but I have to feel them
before I'll buy them.

Used to be the same with books, but I've mostly stopped buying them. I
try to get all my books from the library, and only buy them if I want
them for reference or are sure I'll read them over and over again.

.. Joann

Heather D. Tierney

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 3:11:17 AM8/19/01
to
Wow. Sounds like we could compare sunburn stories! The first time I realized that I burn really easily was
when I was 12. I spent the day with a friend in a swimming pool that, when I was standing (I don't swim), the
water came up to my upper arms.

The next day, when I woke up, my arms hurt. I looked at them, and I had two GIGANTIC blisters, bright red and
raised. Apparently the sun reflecting off the water ...

The other worry is my scalp. I'm finally learning that, even though I look like a total DORK in hats, I'd
better wear one if I'm outside for very long. Either that, or find a new hairstyle. (I've parted my hair on
the side forever. Stupid cowlick.)

I'm soooo jealous of olive-skinned people. I love the sun, but my coloring, combined with the fact that I'm
very mole-y, is bad news.

And, I'll NEVER stop coloring my hair. All I need to do is see the drab brown color that's exposed when I
wait too long between colorings. I LOVE the auburn. It has made a big difference.

-- Heather

Heather D. Tierney

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 3:15:10 AM8/19/01
to
Thanks for the offer, Joann. I'm waiting for my copy of "CMB" to arrive. I bought it off eBay.

I checked the Web site, but couldn't find any swatches. I was hoping I'd be able to buy a set of fabric
swatches, or a little paint-chip type thing to keep in my purse. (Donna Fujii had something on her site.
You could order a set of swatches based on your color profile.)

I, too, like to feel the material when I buy clothes. I buy a lot of clothes on eBay, though, and they're
mostly from manufacturers (catalogs!) that I'm very familiar with. Eddie Bauer fabric quality is pretty
consistent, I've found. I can't STAND itchy fabric! Thankfully I live in a fairly warm climate, so I can
stay FAR AWAY from most wools!

-- Heather

Joann M. Hnat

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 6:35:32 AM8/19/01
to
"Heather D. Tierney" wrote:
>
> Thanks for the offer, Joann. I'm waiting for my copy of "CMB" to arrive. I bought it off eBay.
>
> I checked the Web site, but couldn't find any swatches. I was hoping I'd be able to buy a set of fabric
> swatches, or a little paint-chip type thing to keep in my purse. (Donna Fujii had something on her site.
> You could order a set of swatches based on your color profile.)

I think you can get them at any Color Me Beautiful place. There's one in
Topsfield, Massachusetts if you don't have one where you live. (10 S.
Main St., Topsfield, MA 01983-1832, Phone: (978)887-8750) They were
about $15.00 five years ago, but may be higher by now.

> I, too, like to feel the material when I buy clothes. I buy a lot of clothes on eBay, though, and they're
> mostly from manufacturers (catalogs!) that I'm very familiar with. Eddie Bauer fabric quality is pretty
> consistent, I've found. I can't STAND itchy fabric! Thankfully I live in a fairly warm climate, so I can
> stay FAR AWAY from most wools!

I used to wear wool sweaters all the time. Over a t-shirt and a
long-sleeve shirt. I itched all day. I never wear anything with even 1%
of wool anymore. Well, I'll wear a winter coat, but always with a scarf
around the neck. Thankfully, my tastes have changed, and I don't really
want to wear wool anymore.

.. Joann

Heather D. Tierney

unread,
Aug 19, 2001, 4:15:17 PM8/19/01
to
Joann,

Thanks for letting me know this. I'll probably call the shop directly, even, if I can't find a phone listing
for a local store. (Virginia -- Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach)

Now, I hope I can use up all the fabric I've bought recently that's NOT "autumn" colors!!!!

Thanks!
-- Heather

Julian9EHP

unread,
Aug 25, 2001, 9:32:53 PM8/25/01
to
And to
Julia...@aol.com

Thanks.


E. P.

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