She has videos on lipstick shades in the club, on c&d and c&r so far (but it's probably going to be more in x amount of time) so it's unlikely she'll do those videos here too.
As a “goth” woman, implying I wear what I want when I want, I still love watching these videos and incorporating bits and pieces of how to use kibbe or color schemes depending on the effect I want.
I'm happy you enjoy the videos! I think of it this way--you wouldn't go to a video on 'how to paint a landscape' or 'how to draw a face' and say that you draw whatever you want (obviously you do). :p This is how I see color analysis and body typing--this was never to tell people what to wear, but rather to explore how to achieve different looks through style (by attempting to take the art of colors and lines into style). Of course it's subjective to some extent like art, but what's more important is that whatever look (or art piece) you achieve is intentional.
Same but as natural blonde with low contrast. I love dark colors because I find them very soothing so I often wear them even though in the sun I may begin to look washed out in them if I don’t have makeup on lol. I enjoy what I do. 💁🏼♀️
Same! It can still help to incorporate these tips with goth fashion. I am a high contrast warm and delicate. I tried dyeing my hair red (like a light copper) a while ago, and while the color looked lovely with my skin, I suddenly felt washed out in all my mostly-black clothes. I’ve since gone very dark auburn and it works way better. The auburn helps bring out the delicate warmth in my skin, but it’s high-contrast enough to help anchor the black clothing and make it all look cohesive on me.
I think I'm warm and radiant and recently I wore a black hijab, thought black hijabs didn't suit me but I was surprised that I actually got complements saying that black looked good on me
A great example of Cate Blanchett looking great in black was for her role in Thor when they gave her character dark hair. It looked STUNNING on her. Nicely balanced.
I agree, she looked stunning. And there's plenty of photos out there of her in black looking stunning as well. I feel her very defined bone structure adds to her ability to wear higher contrast/darker values. After all that dramatic bone structure casts shadows which is a form of contrast - you would see it in a black and white photo.
I posted this as a response to another comment, but I think it can help a lot of people: I think this has more to do with your body type rather than your colors themselves. You might need that contrast against your skin because you need to repeat the contrast that is in your features, not in your own colors. I was thinking about this too because although I’m warm and muted, a plain muted warm beige will actually look worse on me than cool green, which is not on my palette. So, you might be a low contrast person, but your features are not blended, so they need to be balanced out by a darker value color. Just like gamines can get away with wearing colors that are not on their palettes because their features need to be brought out by contrast. They might even look better with a contrast that is not on their palette rather than a solid plain color that is in harmony with them, but is in the same value as their skin. The color that gives the contrast might not be objectively the best against your skin compared to the one that is, but for some body types contrast is more important than harmony, and that’s why you look better with the darker one, not because of the color, but because it repeats the depth of your features. Here is a video that I think might help you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4_-pooXLVeM.html As you can tell, the lady in the video is not high contrast, her hair is silver and has a light coloring, but her features are so prominent that she needs the color contrast to match that. So more than hair color, I think features have more to do with it.
Isabella S I totally get this and think it’s a major missing link in the colour and body type chain, I really do. This makes such sense! I would even be so bold as to state it in a very oversimplified theory: the more yang in a body type, the greater the need for contrast. The more yin, the less contrast required in colour, and the more harmonious. I know my Kibbe lines well as well as my undertone, but still find missing links in the recommendations because following my recommended Kibbe clothes lines and my recommended undertone colours doesn’t always make for the right look for me. Then I figured out contrast and realised, oh, I’m higher contrast (black dark hair next to multiple shades lighter skin). Thus figured that I need to repeat this high contrast in my colour choices. This has answered many questions thankfully, EXCEPT FOR ONE. Remember I said that I am contrast due to very dark hair against my skin, but now, why is it that making my hair lighter and close to my own skin tone, turning me into a low contrast person, simply doesn’t work on me. I look very odd. Even if I play around with the hair colours that match my skin undertone. And now finally the answer has materialized for me, fully echoing your suggested insights: It’s my features and bone lines that require contrast too! So even if I change my hair colour to become low contrast, I STILL require high contrast looks to look put together and harmonious- because my Kibbe type has more yang and sharpness in it, regardless of colour anything. So I will always look best with high contrast hair, always. Any hair colour that blends too well with my skin, that turns my colouring into low contrast, looks very out of place on me. Here is Merriam’s video titled “Does contrast matter?” link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--6LlcHCCJTc.html This video only confirms my thinking: Kim Kardashian is a soft natural (there are a few great videos detailing this despite any cosmetic alterations she might do). Soft natural has a yin lean. Thus, despite having a higher contrast look with her dark hair against her skin, she ends up looking better in lower contrast looks. Because her features (lines) favour less ‘drama’ (contrast). Wow my comment is long, but I hope it makes sense. I’m really happy for this potentially final missing link for me for bringing together my understanding of body type, colour analysis and now the importance of contrast- both colours and features. My features dictate my need for contrast just as much as hair/skin/eye colour very possibly. I too am warm muted, but look better in a mint green than a beige-brown that’s supposed to be in my best colour choices and close to my own skin colour. Whether my hair is high contrast or not. This realisation has been most fascinating to me, even causing me to wonder if I’ve got my skin undertone incorrect. But I’m almost certain that I don’t. Merriam Style it would be so helpful to get your refined astute and much valued opinion on this status quo shaking string of thought. [N.B: February 2021 edit: See my updated view on all this that I've written, in my updated response below posted in February 2021] 💐
Maropeng Ralenala It was a missing link I had too, and it took me quite a while to figure it out. After I connected the dots things made so much more sense! I’m really glad it helped!!
I agree with this, contrast depends more on sharpness vs. softness of features. As a TR, super high contrast doesn't always look good on me. I have medium skin with dark hair and eyes BUT as soon as I tried to mimick the contrast of my hair to my eyebrows, for example, it looked too harsh on me. I did an experiment using wigs: black wig is closest to my natural hair color (dark brown) but the high contrast looks hideous on me. I tried lighter brunettes and gingers, which are medium contrast, and looked better against my features, even if they didn't match my undertone (only the auburn one, for some weird reason). But once I tried ashy dark blonde, 0 contrast against my medium skin, I looked so amazing. My eyes popped (I have small eyes), my features looked smooth, I looked better in general. Therefore, I am planning on lowering my contrast levels by dying my hair a bit lighter, so it will match the rest of my medium contrast levels. As for choice of colors (cool and delicate here) I am all crazy about being rainbowy anyways. 🤣 Get me anything from Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Romero Britto, Lisa Frank, Lirika Matoshi, Vivienne Westwood, Betsey Johnson, Candy Trap, Cara Bloom, Irregular Choice and I am happy, even if they overpower me. 🤣
Huh. Now I realize why I sometimes feel so drab in all black with no makeup on but love wearing black when I have makeup on, even just some mascara. I always knew I was warm and delicate with low contrast (gold dark/medium blonde hair) but didn’t think about the adding contrast vs. trying to take it away concept. This is really helpful.
I’ve been needing this!! After watching your videos I determined that I’m most likely cool/delicate, but I had the hardest time figuring that out because black and navy are two of my best colors, while optic white looks strange... I didn’t realize I can get away with darker colors because of the high contrast between my dark hair and light skin! Everything makes SO much sense!! 🤯
Thank you for your unique insights in color and body classifications. Problem is that some of us have gray or white hair. My hair color was revealed last month after finishing chemo. I have about a quarter inch of white bright rabbit hair. It has taken some adjustment since I had colored it for so long. It seems simple for those with cool coloring to transition since gray and white are cool colors.i think I have warm coloring but some warm colors seem to clash with my coloring now (white, not gray hair). It seems nature would color our hair to go along with our skin tone. Gold and orange seem particularly bad. I would appreciate you doing an analysis on people with warm coloring but white/ gray hair. Can’t think of a senior celebrity but I’m sure you can. That should be an interesting challenge!
I love your videos because they make me understand the fashion principles I had intuitively set for myself a long time ago and obsessively followed even when I couldn't justify them. I love a good rational explanation!
I would love a video on warm radiant. I think technically I’m a dark autumn but hate these colours and I think it’s because they often don’t have enough contrast for me. I’m mixed race with high contrast (dark hair and eyes with light brown skin) so I reach for warm spring colours a lot.
ha, I am warm and delicate probably, but I wear black often and didnt think it looked too bad on me. I actually have really really dark brown almost black prescription glasses frames.
Thank you for the great video! Can you do a video on dark skin south asians with a warm delicate look. (Nc50) ish. I am finding it so hard to find anyone famous with similar features that i could relate with. Love your videos
Would love to see you take a celebrity or one of your lovely volunteers and go though the last several steps you mention. Sort of show how you do it so we can try it on ourselves. This would provide a lot of clarity. Thanks for the video.
please do a video on contrast for the body types. i heard that f.e. TR should not wear clothes with high contrast, but matching colors and contrast overall.
That's interesting, I've always looked nice in black, not as good in grey and really not good at all in white. And I have low contrast like Cate Blanchett (though I've been told that my eyes sometimes appear dark even though they are blue). I'm definitely warm, probably radiant. So I'm wondering why it could be that most light colors (even a peach) don't really suit me that well except if I wear them with something contrasting and black does.
I have light skin and I think my contrast is somewhere between low and medium (maybe low), I wear prescription glasses with black frame almost all the time and it makes me look good in black clothes. So everything Merriam says is true :)
Also, I'd like to see you do a color analysis on Alicia Vikander. My guess is that is she's, and this is hard one for a lay-person, cool toned, but I'm not sure.
She's tricky! In some photos she leans olive and in others leans rather warm (probably because she's wearing self-tanner and bronzer). I'd say her natural skin tone leans cool.
I would love to see some tips on how to dress while your colour is fading from warm and almost radiant to cool and delicate. I'm at the cool and delicate stage of winter already, but I feel like my clothes haven't really caught up fully, and it's just an awkward stage to go through every year!
I am cool and bright. I have also high contrast between my pale skin/dark hair. That is way I always tend to wear leather pieces that matches somehow my hair color. I recently changed it to reddish Brown, and I will be in the hunt for a reddish brown leather purse that is as dark as my hair.
I love your videos! Can you make a video on how the color seasons align with the Kibbe body types? I am a True Summer and Soft Dramatic but feel it is difficult to combine the two because Soft Dramatics are fairly intense and Summers are more muted.
Merriam, you should talk about cool and bring that are extremely extremely pale. . My colouring is like a back and white photo :D My hair is naturally very dark, my skin is see through blue, and even though brings colours look good on my skin, my features tend to disappear with no makeup. Thanks :)
I love getting to know your work,and have watched many stylists over the years and love your holistic approach with personality and expression of style to capture essential essence. analysis .As I have got older my style icons have remained the same,and my colour and style is most important in my transition into retirement .My salt and pepper hair has thrown me,regards image although I am loving this look.,I am 5.1 and half and a curvy 9 and half st at 66,I love to keep fit . Previously been told I am winter or cool. my difficulty is finding icons of my era I can look to for guidance,
my hack as a medium/high contrast (white warmtoned skin and rich chocolate brown hair) is using yellow when i want to wear something lighter. its not quite the same but a rich earthy mustard or safran colour looks nice and lighter on me than my usual dark browns, bordeauxs and greens
I love your videos, especially when there's anything about colors :) Thanks to you I discovered I'm actually warm and delicate, not cool and delicate. As always, good to hear from you!
Maybe a specfic video about all of Alexis would be great because in another video you mentioned she is Cool and Delicate, so I imagine it is be harder to find high contrast in Cool and Delicate colors, right?!
Im cool medium contrast and i have a cream drees, i put an optic white big belt and much better... Im SN and can tolerate black couse of my big bones. LOVE YOU
When I was a kid there were still many adults, especially of my grandparents generation, who aside from Winter over-garments, were against kids wearing dark colors (might be a Danish thing or a working class thing - forced to wear dark for practical reasons when they were kids and young) so we have lots of cute-but-washed-out pictures of me; the cute dress wearing me. I looked good in my toddler years, the late 70s, when deep reds and purples were still "allowed".
How can soft dramatics pull off lighter colors? My undertone is cool and delicate (and is overall light) but I don't want to wash out my appearance - would love to see a video combining color theory and the body types
One thing I really haven't figured out how to do is create the "seamless" ideal recommended by kibbe for romantic types, as a high contrast person, without using a high contrast print all over - which I don't particularly like and tends to make me look kind of "busy." Adding a dark belt, bag and shoes to a light outfit starts to look like colour blocking, which isn't recommended for my type. A dark knee length dress in the summer with nude shoes does the trick, but in the winter with all the layers and covering up I don't know what I'm doing.
what do you mean by seamless ideal? Oh, and as cool and radiant and romantic, those jewel tones (watercolors) would be lovely for you. Bright colors are also great for romantics.
@@merriamstyle Thank you! There's a particular bright blue - google tells me it's cobalt/azure, that I just adore in the winter! Kibbe on romantic separates; "Your use of separates should always include an artful blending of plush textures, draped fabrics and luxurious colours so you never disrupt the soft fluidity of line. Always avoid any kind of harsh contrast between the top and the bottom." I have found the to be accurate when dressing myself. And yet I also find your rule of needing contrast for my colouring to be accurate as well!
Could you explain why so many south East Asian women look so great in light, delicate, dusty colours, even though they have jet black hair and are higher contrast? They seem to be both contrasting and very delicate (not trying to be racist in any way, it’s just a physical type I have seen a lot in say, Japanese women)
I agree, I have dark brown hair and pale skin but I can't do a full light outfit, impossible! I need my outfits to be dominantly dark, it's a question of balance. I was wondering when it comes to muted and bright, does having warm and muted eyes with a cool and bright hair and skin can soften the overall brightness?
I mean I do rock a bright and hot pink lipstick with blue undertones. I actually rock bright cool colors and some of the bright warm ones, even on my face. (ignore the dp plz, it's filtered). But my skin looks a bit pale yellowish.
I have never been typed or done a color analysis. I wear what I feel good in. It may not look great to a trained eye. Though I keep my hair in the blonde family, as I was always a blonde, with blue eyes and fair skin, I still gravitate towards black. I like the contrast with my hair. I know colors that I definitely do not like on me. Reds, certain yellows, especially mustard yellow make me look sick. Peach is not my color, even light peach. I think most people have an intuition that tells them if a color looks good on them or not.
Does a high contrast warm and delicate person(skin like zendaya+jet black hair)need too avoid bright colors? Does contrast increase the ability to wear clearer chroma?
I would love to watch this type of video but about jewelry. I am seeing rose gold jewelry everywhere, and I would like to know if it is possible to incorporate it in my look (at least with moderation). I tried some earrings and didn't like the result (because I am cool and radiant). I have a pair of sandals that they got me as a gift for my birthday, they are silver color with just little accent of yellow gold and rose gold. They seem to make not much harm, since they go away of the face. Also, I would like to know for that kind of combination of metals (yellow gold, silver, rose gold) if is it for bright or delicate? I am guessing is suited for warm skin, I am not sure. I loved this video.
I would love to see that as well! I'm warm, but I can't really say that I'm clearly radiant or delicate, my chroma is more in the middle. Rose gold looks horrible on me, it looks somehow pinkish/too cold and emphasises the yellow in my skin very unflattering. I heard Merriam say, rose gold was good for warm + delicate people, but I have my difficulties with it, maybe my chroma is more radiant than I thought :-D . For your skin tone I would think, silver is best near your face. Maybe some rose gold will be alright if you wear it far from the face (watch, bracelet, rings) - but maybe even better if you don't wear it directly on your skin like in a bag, belt, shoes... Yellow gold won't look very good on you, just like yellow, but in those shoes it might just not be so noticable.
When I edit my pictures, they actually look better when I turn down the contrast level on them. Most others look better when i turn it up. I assume that means I *am* Low Contrast?
it actually might mean that. it could also be a preference thing. making a photo lower contrast will make the shadows lighter and maybe show less imperfections, but on the other hand, someone with dark hair, making their hair darker in photos (like me) will make the shadows of the face seem less dark because compared to the hair they aren't dark. what color is your hair, and what color is your skin?
@@merriamstyle My hair is dirty blonde (changes with the lights, look more like a blonde outside and more like a brunette inside, with the tiniest hint of red tones in it). And lowering the contrast on photos tends to make the blonde tones appear better, which is why I like doing it. I'm also deadly pale due to sun-induced eczema, and have a bit of rosacea. Been called a "spring" by two different stylists, without learning more from that than "you look good in greenish blues, like teal".
@@FannysLoA I am also very pale and have a similar blonde hair colour but I am high contrast because even though I'm blonde it's "dark" or higher contrast compared to my skin. My eyes are also dark blue, I have darker lips and I have a lot of shadows in my face (SD) adding to this. The seasons does not work at all on me because of this and it's why I love Merriams system, it's made for everyone because you combine freely from sliding scales! Try the black and white trick she mentions in the video, and make sure it's just making the photo black and white not lighter/darker. When I do this you can clearly see my high contrast but when I for example wear white it looks better editing a photo so I myself look lower contrast to harmonize with the shirt.
@@user-qp6lj6gu7s I like Merriam's system too. It explains a lot more, and goes in to greater detail. However, the extra details are also what makes it confusing :P I will definately try that.
I am warm and delicate, is there a way i can wear cool and dedicate clothes without looking dead? It like seeps all life out of my face, like a way i can wear my makeup or incorporate warmer accessories?
in my opinion, it depends on how deep your cool or warm undertone is. as cool and delicate, I never wear gold, not because i don't like it, but because it's too yellow (warm) and it clashes with my skin. the pearls in the video appear to be grey and I also own grey pearls and did not notice until you pointed it out. good eye! As Merriam is cool and delicate, grey pears in silver (i suppose, it's hard to say because of the lighting) setting look very balanced and pretty on her.
I'm a fair, low contrast warm and delicate girl... And always get so many compliments when I wear black. I love my black turtlenecks and sweaters... Now I'm confused! Am I just not seeing what I'm supposed to see? Maybe the harsh contrast just grabs people's attention more?
It's a classic colour that looks classy, and it may be that the turtleneck shape or the quality of the item is what they are complimenting too - the colour of an item isn't the only thing people are seeing.
There are a lot more factors than just colouring that can define what looks good. Could be your body shape, face shape, haircut etc. That go well with the black and add depth/shadows where needed. Maybe the high neck with dark colour emphasise your jawline? Or full cheeks? Or long neck? (Ofc I’m not saying you do/don’t have these things, just pointing out some other possibly influential features that other ppl see which we may miss on ourselves or even be features we personally dislike that others find flattering when emphasised) Or maybe it’s none of these things, and the black just makes you feel more confident, and people pick up on that Confidence is always the key! Definitely have to take these kind of videos with a grain of salt :)
Hi! I come to think of a thing. If you are a person who fits in muted colors, but like the feeling of sharp contrasts, is it possible to achieve similar effect within ones best colors? Really love your videos, they have so nice content and good explanations. And I also like that your voice is so nice and calming :)
But Ma'am, I want to go color crazy like Jojo Siwa. 😞 Cool and delicate with medium contrast here. P. S. I still want to buy that bright yellow purse with a cat patch on it. 🤣🤣🤣
kcherre if you’re hair is naturally lighter than the dark shade you are considering, I wouldn’t recommend going darker. As darker hair colours fade from a lighter base, hair can look grey/ashy and patchy, as it likely won’t fade completely evenly. And as lighter roots grow in, it can look like your hair is completely grey naturally (not that there’s anything wrong with grey hair!!) Also consider your eyebrow and eyelashes colour and density naturally. You may find you have to darken them, and will have to do this weekly to keep the colour even as your lashes/brows shed and your naturally lighter colour grows in, it can look patchy and like your eyebrows and lashes are thinning Also if you have any dullness in your skin, dark circles, freckles, large pores or scarring/pigmentation etc, dark hair can emphasise these things, as the eye naturally looks for similar colours between hair and skin. However, if you are a fairly high maintenance person and are rarely seen without some makeup/hair styling/nice clothes, then these things don’t really matter! As you will be able to balance things with your makeup etc. And make it more complimentary. The things I’ve discussed only really matter if you are a more ‘natural beauty’ person :) Lightening hair is usually the safer bet, as then you only really have to think about tone, whether you want something more warm, more cool or more neutral. You may also want to look at your features. Is there a particular feature you look and want to emphasis? If you have full cheeks and are proud of them, lighter hair can draw light to them and illuminate them. If you have green eyes, red tones compliment them really well. You could also keep your hair at the depths it is, but just change the tone to be warmer/cooler if you just want to move away from the neutral ash you have If you’re able too, I recommend you go to a hair/wig shop wearing no makeup, and try some wigs on. Take a selfie and then look at the selfie a few days later, and you will be able to see more details without personal bias, and will have a better idea of what suits you
How can I find out, if I am radiant/bright or not: high or low chroma? I somehow have a hard time understanding this concept. :/ Please, somebody help! 😓
Also, is it true that, if you're bright, you're better off with bright colors with the wrong temperature than wearing the right color, but in its delicate version? I don't know where I got this from, but I think you said this in one of your videos as a result of people confusing being "neutral". :)
Reminds me again that guys have it so easy: all they need is two pairs of sneakers and denims, a couple of t-shirts and a hoodie in grey, black or navy and they are good. They can always go as dark as they want. In fact almost all clothes are dark anyway except white shirts. No makeup and almost no hair issues. Simple. :/
Merel Aartman I'm a warm and radiant theatrical romantic and I like to stick right by that as much as physically possible but as into makeup and hair I am its kinda sad cuz I cant really do anything these desires but its fine, the only other guys I know like this are like trans or something
Hi can you please give an example of a celebrity with: warm delicate skin, high contrast (auburn dark hair fair to medium skin? temperature, chroma, value, contrast
Malikah J - LOL, I love the miss print of “time“ of your hair… Because my natural hair color, or rather my original hair color, looks great with my darkest and most vivid outfits right after I have it restored… But over “time“ the skunk line comes out and it doesn’t look as good with my clothes!
So for example if I am light/medium and high contrast and I wear an all white outfit I can add darkness to it with a belt, sunglasses, eye makeup for example?
Hallo Merriam, your video is really interesting. Unfortunately, you mix it a lot and you repeat a lot, so it is back and forth. Please try to get structure. EG show some pictures with low contrast and talk about it. Then show some pics of high contrast and give Tipps for them. Watch Justine Leconte, she has wonderful structure in her videos. No word too much, no confusion. Please keep on doing it, maybe write some words on cards for better concentration.
Do you know an astrologer working this? All my personal planets are squaring my ascendant. I wonder if that impacts the difference between how one feels and appears).
Wait, so you're saying that all dark skinned people are automatically high contrast because they have white eyes and white teeth? That seems very odd. If Lupita had platinum hair and dark skin then she's high contrast, I don't see how she's high contrast now. So no dark skinned people can wear dark colors because their eyes and teeth are white?
Kaci Parker -No I don’t think that’s what she saying it all. You can have dark skin and low contrast, it depends on the difference between all of the elements including hair and skin and eyes and teeth/whites of eyes. But remember the contrast is only one part of the equation, too. It’s just that if you are high contrast and your entire outfit is close to the darker color of you, you need some punches of contrast to balance the light parts of you. Like the dark dress that had the contrasting buttons. To me, those contrasting accents really brought attention to the smile and the eyes of the model.
Kaci Parker - I can see the reason that this seems complicated. I have wondered the same thing. After all, we are not comparing just two elements, right? We have hair, skin, the colorful iris of the eye, the white of the eye, the white of the teeth. Some people have more than one color of eyes. Some people have variation in their skin color on different parts of their bodies and in different seasons. As our age changes, our hair might fade and our skin might fade. That’s a lot of moving parts. So let’s put it this way: Lupita is high contrast because one person on RU-vid categorized her like that. The reason? Contrast between eyes and teeth flashing out a contrast with skin and hair. But how do I describe the fact that her hair in her skin are low contrasting? And what would it mean if I said that? And how does that relate to the “rule” that she should not wear dark colors? I invite you to free the shackles of your mind from the label, and just let the label begin to point you in the right direction. Let the rule simply point you in the right direction. You are not at your Destiination yet. If the label isn’t helping you, refine it. Lupita has overall low contrast between hair and skin which take up a major percentage of her visual image. That low contrast area is punctuated by high contrasting eyes and teeth. When you step back and squint to little bit, it may appear that she has an overall high contrast appearance. Why? If you step back and squint a little and the first thing you notice are her eyes and teeth and she smiles, and her hair and her skin blend together as one, that’s why. But let’s say you’re someone who has very dark skin, but not as dark as Lupitas… And your hair is jet black. And maybe you have medium color eyes and the same white and white teeth. Step back and squint a little bit. You are going to see a different pattern and a different percentage of lights, mediums and darks. This works on everyone. The idea is to replicate the pattern of dark to light in your outfit to suit your taste. When you mimic the colors and contrast inherent in you, and put it into your outfit, it’s really hard to not create a becoming out fit. Unless you choose all the wrong fabrics and accessories etc. The square footage of Lupita had a very small amount of light against a backdrop of the dark. Wearing a solid dark dress doesn’t echo that pattern. Wearing a solid dark dress with accent buttons and an accent belt does echo that. That’s why that dress looked good. But if you have a more medium mix, then an outfit that supports that unique mix will look better than Lupitas dress. Does that make sense? I feel like I’m repeating myself but what I’m trying to really get you to understand is the label is only a point of departure, and it will never apply equally to “all” people who have dark skin. No more than the fact that my dark hair and medium skin put me squarely into either a cool delicate or a cool bright category. I don’t fit in either one. I cannot wear black and white patterns, And low contrast is awful. I can wear some clearer colors nicely, and some muted colors nicely, but mostly I need to be somewhere in between. Strong, vivid, but not perfectly pure. And definitely not very soft and muted and grayed. I look dead in those colors. Just put me in the coffin now. I think I have a pretty good feel for my level of contrast, but when I was trying to figure out my colors I decided to take photos of my eyes up close, my hair, my skin in various places, The inside of my lips, and then I did enlarged and did the screenshot thing to isolate the colors in my eyes and my fingernails etc. I kept doing that until I had a good representation show up on my photos album page, a bunch of squares of different colors. Then I screenshot THAT to create an individual color palette to hold up to fabrics. It was pretty interesting and very effective. I like the idea of doing an overall photo to determine dark light contrast. Estimate the percentages of light, medium and dark values. Because in the end, isn’t it all about knowing exactly how to get the effect you want to create? You can learn how to create harmony by becoming a very good student of your visual appearance, and then you can create other successful looks That may be avant-garde and separate from you, or you might look for your version of elegant or romantic based on your foundation. If a simple label works for you, that’s great because it is so easy. If it doesn’t, refined the label like I did with Lupita. And if that doesn’t work just know what you look like, pay attention to that. Have a way to identify the right colors and to measure the contrast pattern. No color theory with a limited number of types will be perfect for everyone. It’s just a reality because we are all so unique.…Don’t worry about the label. Use the label for its usefulness and be a beautiful you!
I really like how LCH described it, and the squinting trick is a great idea. Kaci, to answer your question, Lupita is high contrast because she has very deep skin and light eyes and teeth that shine really bright. Most deeper skintones are medium or high contrast because of their dark hair and relatively light skin. For example, Alicia Keys might be high/medium contrast, and the whites of her eyes and teeth don't add any significant contrast to her look, unlike with Lupita, who is much much deeper.
Why not?. I have fair skin and deep hair but my skin is delicate and cool so I look better in softer colors. What does your hair color have to do with it? Now if youre radiant, it may be harder to pull off light colors as itll wash you out
At the moment I am doubting my body type again: for a while now I thought I would be a mixed type (gamine / soft gamine). But I feel like I get totally lost in bright colours when I try to use them for colour blocking. Maybe this video is the answer to my confusion. Thanks! One general question though : is it possible to have a mixed face and a blended (classic) body? I know that the face sometimes doesnt match; I watched your videos on that topic. But at the same time I feel like the blended type needs that balance everywhere.
I think about the type what is the majority of your answer to the test. If you are mostly mixed then you are a mixed type and if you have mostly blended answers you are a blended type even though your face might be more on the mixed side. Anyway I think an easy to figure it out is to try both outfit one for blended type and one for mixed type with both coloring that suit you (because it could distract you otherwise). I think you can see it quite clearly especially if you do a simple monochromatic outfit with clean lines and more broken lines (shorter lines) with color blocking (light on top and dark on bottom for example). About the color, if you don’t think bright colors suits you is probably because you have delicate skin tone and it’s possible if you are a mixed type.
funkuchen2 - i’m wondering about this same thing! Were you typed by someone else, or are you figuring it out yourself? I feel like I have Sort of a Gamine face on a head too small for my body. Fairly blended body but with big feet. Bigger hands and wrists. But slightly narrow shoulders. I’ve been experimenting in front of the mirror with different combinations of clothing. Other than getting a consult (on my wish list), I’m really trying to see and understand my body using the mirror and different clothing. Good daylight. I finally like my hairstyle, and I do it nicely before I play this game. I found out that if I don’t, it’s visually confusing to me. It’s very simple, I don’t fight my hair texture or shape at all. My hair seems to want to be a classic gamine, too! Happily creates a smooth bob, but looks like garbage as soon as a puff of wind comes by, but hideously fake if I spray it. Needs little layers, then it has gamine-like flips while staying sleek over all with a post-breeze finger combing. As someone else mentioned, you might try adjusting the color before you give up on color blocking. I discovered that Low contrast color blocking, mixing black cardi and dark eggplant top with a lighter neutral color pant was much nicer than a solid outfit, imho. And that the separates I have turned out to look better than single pieces like dresses, or monochromatic separates. But only if they were the right pieces. Was showered with unexplained compliments in a (classic) navy wrap dress. (Inner dialogue: why? Because I never wear dresses? Navy vs black? The soft lavenders, blu-violets and soft silver in the scarf? Does someone want a favor from me? Lol!) I discovered I am somewhere between clear/bright and soft/delicate. I need contrast because I have a fairly high contrast. Cool, not warm. Pearls and polished semi precious stones are better than shiny metal and faceted gemstones. Eyeglass frames that are neither too heavy nor invisible. Fabrics that are neither too heavy or too light, and that have a subtle sheen not a shiny surface nor a matte surface, beading not sequins or lamé. Working out these pieces of my look lowers my distraction, it is making it easier for me to see how the shapes work or don’t work. I don’t have an automatic “yuck” based on something other than the shape or the line. It helps me see past the things that are wrong. The other thing that I think will help me is just shopping. I did a whole lot of that when I decided to reevaluate my coloring...The lighting in department stores is hideous, but on the other hand that’s the sort of lighting we are seen in a lot of the time. I just located a mirror and picked out things and held them up to myself and observed and then surreptitiously made voice notes into my phone. I found I had to go way beyond color...so I looked at color, texture/sheen, detailing, size/shape/type of print, amount of contrast, And my emotional reaction to the piece, whether or not it would fit into my lifestyle and why. Because I didn’t try things on, I was able to cover a lot of ground in a couple of hours. A month or so later I repeated the process with clothing from a different season. It was super informative, reinforcing some things that I knew, clarifying why things worked, and surprising me in other ways. I’m looking forward to shopping with shape/line evaluation in mind. I post all this in case any of it helps you, too. Any ideas on your part are welcome, too. If you figure out your dilemma, I would love to hear how you did it, if you can remember to post here so I can follow up! This whole classic vs gamine thing is a tough question for me, too!
@@gittevandevelde2208 I think you are right, I really have to make some adjustments when it comes to the colors I use for color blocking. Thanks for your comment :)
@@katemaconeil7087 That’s a good point - I have to try different outfits. Thanks for your suggestions! I struggle mostly because I feel like the lines which fit me really depend on my hair. For my face i think a slightly messy *high* bun (which changes the silhoutte quite a bit imo) works much better than very clean parted, straightened, long hair. BUT if I take pictures a few steps away from the mirror I think I can pull off blended lines quite well as long as I wear my hair in a blended manner. The struggle is real! :D But I will try what you’ve suggested; Thanks again! :)
yes, I'd say so. Sort of depends on your body type too. Like if you're Rounded/Romantic or Blended-Soft/SC, you might not want to, but all the other types probably can do it well.
I would love a video on this. I went from dark brown hair, dark warm brown eyes and medium warm skin to soft white hair and light warm skin. Light colors don't seem to work for me so I mostly wear black although it washes me out and I need to wear darker make-up. How to expand?
Yes, but I think this has more to do with your body type rather than your colors themselves. You might need that contrast against your skin because you need to repeat the contrast that is in your features, not in your own colors. I was thinking about this too because although I’m warm and muted, a plain muted warm beige will actually look worse on me than cool green, which is not on my palette. So, you might be a low contrast person, but your features are not blended, so they need to be balanced out by a darker value color. Just like gamines can get away with wearing colors that are not on their palettes because their features need to be brought out by contrast. They might even look better with a contrast that is not on their palette rather than a solid plain color that is in harmony with them, but is in the same value as their skin. The color that gives the contrast might not be objectively the best against your skin compared to the one that is, but for some body types contrast is more important than harmony, and that’s why you look better with the darker one, not because of the color, but because it repeats the depth of your features. Here is a video that I think might help you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4_-pooXLVeM.html As you can tell, the lady in the video is not high contrast, her hair is silver and has a light coloring, but her features are so prominent that she needs the color contrast to match that.
@@dearisabella This really rings true - and I'm very familiar with Butler's work! My features are prominent and deep even though I'm now a lower contrast. You really pegged me here. Thanks! Any thoughts you might have on this Miriam?
@@dearisabella Thank you for your reply. You really made me see this differently! And even made me search further.. I notice contrast between my face (round soft features) and body (dramatic).
Hi Merriam can you please do a video where you feature RACHEL BILSONS body type. She is a celebrities body type that is similar to mine, but I am 5'7" much taller than her. This is something that confuses me about the body types, the height requirements for that type.Thank you for sharing your expertise.
b b15 Do you have any olive/green in your skin or features? Or thinner skin that makes veins more prominent? That could be why Or if you have skin trouble like dark circles, freckles, hyperpigmentation etc. Maybe the clothing is emphasising that. Could also be the cut of the clothing, maybe it’s too close/far from your face Maybe try changing your makeup if you do still want to make dark colours work for you. A more “perfected” base could help, or a different colour blush, or blush in a different placement (lower on the apples, high on the cheekbone etc)
@@IGibbyyy thanks for your help! I actually prefer pastels so I am lucky, but just frazzled on why blacks and darks look bad when they shouldn't, based on her theories. Firstly, I believe I have a bit of olive tones in my skin in some lightings and I do have some green in my eyes. My veins arent green but are purple/blue and have some under my eyes. No freckles, dark circles etc. I do wear make up and have a pretty flawless base once applied. I have also worn everything from v necks to turtlenecks in dark colors with no such luck.
Sorry, I'm pretty new on this channel. I saw you did Kibbe body types video, which I found very helpful, but now this seems very different, so have you given up completely kibbe's types and trying new things? Or is this complementary to Kibbe? Will you do other Kibbe videos? I don't understand sorry.
nicg g - This is kind of like a new system in that she takes Kibbe body types and renamed them. She identified and solved the problem that I had with this Kibbe body type system... in the original system, personality traits were linked to body type and it completely confused the process of trying to identify with one or the other. In addition, the names of the body types implied ideas That people had problems. If you don’t look like Marilyn Monroe, you can’t be a romantic. If you’re not super tall and look fabulous in model avant-garde clothing, you can’t be dramatic. If you hate the idea of being boring, being a classic is hard to swallow. If you feel like a Natural person but look terrible in slouchy drippy drippy clothing, there is a conflict. If you are tall you cannot be Gamine. Merriam analyzed the actual body types and removed the terminology and the emotional blocks to figuring out which shapes and lines describe your body, hence which shapes and lines harmonize with your body. Basically, the names have been changed to protect the innocent seekers of beauty. She did something similar with her color system. I love it. It really helped me wrap my mind around the idea that I don’t have to rule out certain potential body types based on my personality or my feelings about the body type names.
@@bitrudder3792 oh ok, thanks now I get it. I'm TR and many things of Kibbe really get along with my personality, but I also love rock and so leather, smokey eyes, punk accessories, rock'n'roll stuff that I'm not supposed to wear because for dramatic. Merryam's system is still a big confusing though for me.
nicg g - your answer came at a perfect moment! I was just watching the video that Merriam did called Real life body type profiles - Romantics, and she said that it is easier for some theatrical Romantics to successfully pull off Gamine looks (which can include the rocker chic vibe) than it is for Gamines to pull off TR looks. I wonder if works just fine for you, too?
@@bitrudder3792 yes, I looked into that, expecially after watching the video on Rachel McAdams, a TR that uses soft gamine lines. I still have to try to be honest. I have a black jeans jacket with round studs and my family say it looks good on me, idk. On Rachel only leather looks a bit too heavy. I think probably I'll have to balance it with something very female, like heels or ornate things and softer fabrics, probably that will work, also the leather has to fit and follow the curves, be very sexy, I could go for the "oversexualized" look like Rachel in merryam's video. Silk and leather sounds like a good combination. For smokey eyes I noticed I look very good with a blended dark shimmer brown, it gives a smokey effect without actually being a smokey eyes, because it's not black and it's not matte (we look bad with matte) and being shimmer it keeps the "glamour" effect TRs look good with. I think breaking kibbe rules is about compromise and balance.
I don't think I agree with this. You see the body and the head as separate things. Hair is nothing but an accessory, a more permanent accessory but still.
I don't really know for sure in person if I am high contrast because my hair is like a light brown and my eyes are blue and my skin is like a medium tone (my hair is lighter than it looks in my profile photo right now) so I wonder if I really am high contrast or not
There are variations within both high and low contrast, so you can pay attention to harmonizing with your unique level of contrast. You can call it ''medium'' if you want.
low contrast? If your hair and skin are both light brown-ish. If your eyes are really obviously there and they're a very light blue, medium contrast between your skin and eyes, looking better in colours the same value than your eyes. But it depends on how bright, light blue your eyes are exactly. But I would say low to low-medium contrast. You sound gorgeous by the way! having hair lighter than your skin is quite rare.
Gitte Van de velde thank you! I think my eyes are more of a deep blue however and when I do the black and white photo trick it looks about low to medium contrast so I think that's what I am, thank you!!
