The best light for colour analysis (and a 4-step checklist)
The best light for colour analysis is soft, indirect daylight from a window in front of you, with no direct sun, no filter and little or no makeup. Warm bulbs, shade and beauty filters all shift your skin's apparent undertone and can give you the wrong season.
The checklist
- No filter
- No (or light) makeup
- Hair visible
- Facing a window
Lights to avoid
Warm indoor bulbs make everyone look warmer. Deep shade and overcast evenings make everyone look cooler. Ring lights and phone beauty modes smooth and recolour skin.
Screens differ too: the same photo can look warmer on one phone than another, which is why measuring the photo beats eyeballing it.
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Questions
What time of day is best?
Late morning to early afternoon on a bright day, sitting facing a window rather than in direct sun.
Should I wear makeup?
Little or none. Foundation, blush and bronzer change the colours being measured.