Which colours dominate your wardrobe? As a quick exercise, go to your closet and take a close look at the colours. Are you surprised to find a closet full of grays, blacks and browns? While dark colours can make you look wonderful, you might be missing out on an array of colours that really bring out the best you.

The key is figuring out which colours balance and strengthen a person's natural colouring. Begin by looking at your skin, eye and hair colour to determine your most predominant colour category. There are three basic categories: warm, cool and neutral.

Cool People

People who fall into the cool colour category typically have blue or grey eyes and blonde, brown or black hair. Their skin has blue and pinkish undertones. Most people who fall into the cool category look best in true white, blue, red, pink, or purple.

Warm People

People who fall into the warm colour category generally have brown, green or hazel eyes and brown, black, red, auburn, blonde or strawberry-blonde hair. Their skin has yellow/orange or olive undertones. Warm-toned people usually look best in earthy-tones like brown, yellow, orange, yellowish-green and cream.

Neutral People

People who fall into the neutral colour category are the most fortunate. Their eyes, hair and skin can be any colour. They look good in almost any colour.

Your Personal Colours

Some people can be a combination of cool, warm and neutral. It is possible to have warm hair, cool skin and neutral eyes. Determining your colour palette may be frustrating and could be the reason why your wardrobe is filled to the brim with neutrals. It doesn’t have to be a struggle. Your most flattering colours are probably best selected by professional or self-analysis. For self-analysis, first observe and compare the effects of colour by placing colour swatches next to your skin. You can order swatches from a professional or hold up clothing that you already own in natural light and watch how the colours affect your overall appearance.

Colours that aren't in harmony with the skin will fight against the skin tone. This will cause the face to look drained and cause shadows, lines, dark circles, blotches, blemishes and other flaws on the face to stand out. Colours that are in harmony with the face will cause both the skin tone and the colour worn to look more vibrant.

Once you have colours that bring out your best, help keep them looking their best by washing them in Tide® with Bleach Alternative. It penetrates the fabric’s fibres to deeply clean whites and colours.