We Tried a Color Analysis at Haus of Chroma

I’m known by friends and family for using bold color and unique color combinations. So, when I saw that color analysis was a trending topic on social media, my interest was of course piqued. While scrolling away online I was greeted with face after face with colorful fabrics draped in front of them to help determine their personal color palette. 

With my strong interest in color and a need to freshen up my wardrobe and beauty routine, I sought out someone that could do a color analysis. Mason Gold, owner and stylist of Haus of Chroma (404-A W. Walnut, Springfield; 417-501-9272), came highly recommended, and I couldn’t wait to get on his books for my first ever color analysis experience. After I spoke with Gold briefly on the phone, he encouraged me to bring a friend along for a more fun experience. So, I called one of my fashion-loving girlfriends, Cacey Ball, and got us booked together. 

When we arrived for our appointment we were seated near the front window of the salon in front of a lighted floor mirror. There were colorful fabrics draped behind us and other visual aids sitting nearby. I went first. I sat in front of the mirror as Gold started explaining the process and why he’s so passionate about color analysis. Gold received certification for color analysis from a rigorous program in Germany. Gold says this process is not meant to be overwhelming or to make you go throw away your clothes. It’s simply meant to help you make better choices as a consumer, and to eventually (over several years) create a wardrobe that flatters you in the best ways. The first step was to discover what temperature I look best in. As he began draping colors with cool undertones on me, I couldn’t help but notice how tired I looked and how gray my complexion seemed. When colors with warmer undertones were draped, I could see the pink in my lips come out and my eyes began to sparkle.

We continued to work through the colored fabrics in the Autumn palettes, trying to determine what value and chroma was right for me. Value is how light, dark or deep a color is and chroma is how soft/muted or clear/bright a color is. After a lot of draping and double checking we determined that I am what they call a Dark Autumn. I learned I look best in dark, muted colors with warm undertones. What I found interesting was that the colors I decorate my home with are part of my palette but have not been part of my wardrobe. For me, black and white are not part of my palette, but creams, mushrooms, navy and brown are. I’m learning to rethink the neutrals in my wardrobe and embrace deep navy as a staple.

Another thing I found interesting is that your palette is your palette for life. It won’t change with hair color, or with or without a tan. He did say that using self-tanner can make color analysis more difficult, so if you’re thinking of doing it, you’ll want to avoid using tanner beforehand.

Seeing how different Cacey’s palette was to mine helped the ideas resonate with me more, and it was interesting to experience the other palettes. Cacey looked beautiful in intense and punchy colors with cool undertones.

We left our appointments equipped with more knowledge than we ever expected and with the tools to help us make better beauty and fashion choices. We each got a digital packet with all our colors. Included in the packet were wardrobe colors, hair colors, makeup colors and even metal ideas for jewelry and accessories. All in all, the experience was fun and very enlightening.