Can Your Best Colours Change as You Get Older?

Have you ever put on a colour you've worn for years, looked in the mirror and thought:

"Why doesn't this look as good on me anymore?"

You're not imagining it.

It's something I hear from women all the time.

The black top that used to look fabulous suddenly feels harsh. The beige you always relied on seems to wash you out. Your favourite lipstick doesn't quite work anymore.

And that's often when I hear the words:

"I just don't know what suits me anymore."

The good news is that you haven't suddenly lost your sense of style.

Your colouring may simply have changed.

Do our best colours really change with age?

Yes – but perhaps not in the way you might think.

Your fundamental colouring doesn't necessarily completely change as you get older, but the relationship between your skin, hair and eyes can change.

Hair may become grey, silver or white.

We might colour our hair differently from the way we did 10 or 20 years ago.

Skin can become softer in appearance and sometimes lose some of its natural contrast.

Our eyebrows and lashes may become lighter.

Even the makeup we wear can change.

All of this can affect how a colour looks when it's sitting right underneath our face.

A shade that once looked striking may now feel overpowering, while another colour you've never considered before might suddenly make you look absolutely beautiful.

Why black can suddenly feel too harsh

This is a big one.

Many women have wardrobes full of black.

It's easy. It goes with everything. It's slimming. We don't have to think about it.

But black is also a very strong colour.

As our natural colouring becomes softer, particularly if our hair becomes grey or lighter, black sitting directly underneath the face can sometimes create too much contrast.

You may suddenly notice shadows, lines or darkness underneath the eyes that you hadn't really noticed before.

Does that mean everyone over a certain age should stop wearing black?

Absolutely not.

Some women look fantastic in black throughout their lives.

That's exactly why I prefer to test the colour on the individual person rather than make rules based on age.

If black looks fabulous on you, wear it!

But if it doesn't, there may be other beautiful dark neutrals – perhaps navy, charcoal, chocolate, petrol or another shade – that give you the depth you love without overpowering your face.

Going grey can open up completely new colours

One of the loveliest things I see is a woman who has transitioned to grey or silver hair discovering colours she never would have worn before.

Sometimes cooler blues suddenly look incredible.

Soft pinks become beautiful.

A gorgeous teal, plum, raspberry, lavender or blue-green might make silver hair absolutely shine.

Other women remain beautifully suited to warm, earthy colours.

There isn't one palette for grey hair.

That's why looking at someone and saying, "You've got grey hair, so you must be cool," is far too simplistic.

We need to look at the whole person.

Your hair colour matters more than you might realise

It's not only natural ageing that can affect our colours.

Many of us colour our hair.

You might have been brunette when you were younger, blonde for the last 15 years and now be gradually moving towards your natural grey.

Or perhaps the hair colour you've used for years is beginning to feel a little too dark.

Hair frames the face, so changing it can alter the overall balance of your colouring.

This doesn't necessarily mean your entire palette suddenly changes, but some colours may become more flattering and others less so.

This is why I like finding someone's individual best colours, rather than saying, "You're an Autumn, so here is your Autumn palette and that's it."

People are more individual than that.

Sometimes it's not your clothes – it's your makeup

There's another piece of the puzzle that is easily overlooked.

The makeup colours we wore when we were younger aren't necessarily the colours that make us look our freshest now.

A very dark lipstick can suddenly feel heavy.

A foundation that's too yellow or too pink can look more obvious.

Heavy black around the eyes can sometimes make the eyes appear smaller rather than brighter.

That doesn't mean mature women need to disappear into beige makeup!

Quite the opposite.

The right lipstick or blush can bring life back into the face almost instantly.

During my colour consultations I also look at makeup tones, because your clothing colours and makeup colours should work together, not fight each other.

Don't make the mistake of becoming scared of colour

This is probably one of the most important things I want women to know.

Getting older does not mean you have to stop wearing colour.

I actually think it's often the opposite.

The right colour near your face can be incredibly flattering.

It can brighten your complexion, make your eyes stand out and give you a fresher appearance without changing anything else.

You don't need to dress "younger".

You just need colours that work beautifully with the woman you are now.

And there is a big difference.

How can you tell if your old colours aren't working anymore?

Go to your wardrobe and pull out a few tops in very different colours.

In natural daylight, without heavy makeup, hold each one underneath your face and really look at what happens.

Try not to look at the clothes.

Watch your face.

With one colour, you might notice your eyes first.

With another, suddenly all you can see is the darkness underneath them.

One colour might make your complexion appear smooth and even.

Another may make redness or unevenness much more obvious.

The difference can be surprisingly noticeable when you know what you're looking for.

When is it worth having your colours analysed again?

If you had your colours analysed 20 or 30 years ago and you're still happily wearing them and they look fabulous, there is no rule saying you need to do it again.

But if your hair has changed significantly, you've gone grey, your old wardrobe colours suddenly feel wrong or you regularly find yourself saying "nothing seems to suit me anymore," it may be worth having another look.

And if you've never had your colours professionally analysed, it can be such an interesting experience – particularly at a stage of life when you're ready to stop buying things that aren't quite right.

Looking for colour analysis in Perth WA?

If you're searching for the best colour analysis Perth has to offer, my biggest advice is to choose a consultation where you can actually see plenty of individual colours tested against you.

At Colours By Sue, I use 75 different coloured drapes because I don't believe everybody fits perfectly into a little seasonal box.

Yes, we can identify your season, but I'm much more interested in finding the individual colours that make you look your absolute best.

You'll also leave with a personalised colour guide and samples of your best colours that you can take shopping with you, along with guidance on makeup colours that complement your colouring.

For anyone comparing Colour analysis Perth price, my individual consultations are currently $195, with the price per person reducing when you come with friends. You can see all my pricing here.

Where can I get colour analysis done in Western Australia?

Colours By Sue is located in Currambine, Western Australia, in Perth's northern suburbs, and I also offer mobile colour analysis throughout the Perth metropolitan area.

If you're wondering where you can get colour analysis done in Western Australia free, there are online quizzes and DIY tests you can try at home first.

They can be fun and may point you in the right direction.

But nothing quite compares with sitting in front of a mirror and watching different colours being draped against you one after another.

Sometimes the change is subtle.

And sometimes we put one particular colour underneath someone's face and everyone in the room immediately says:

"That's it!"

That's the colour we're looking for.

Dress for the woman you are now

One of the nicest things about colour analysis isn't actually finding out what season you are.

It's rediscovering yourself.

Our hair changes. Our skin changes. Our bodies change. Our lives change.

There's no reason our wardrobe has to stay exactly the same for 30 years.

If you've reached the point where you're looking at your clothes and thinking "I don't know what suits me anymore," perhaps you don't need more clothes.

You may just need to rediscover your colours.

And you might be very surprised by the ones that make you shine.

Ready to rediscover your best colours?

Book a personal colour analysis with Colours By Sue at my Currambine studio or enquire about a mobile or group consultation across Perth. If you have any questions, get in touch any time.