Journal
Myths, taken apart.
What you have been told about color, and how much of it holds up.
01 Lead story · Makeup
Why lipstick turns ashy, orange or disappears
Three results that look like one problem, with three causes and three fixes.
02 Every story
More in the journal.
Each one gets an evidence seal, from Strong to Myth.
- MythDeep skin is not automatically AutumnA season takes three readings. Deep skin answers one of them.
- LightWhy apps give you a different season every timeSame face, new lighting, new season. The face was not the variable.
- MythThe vein test, and why it fails so many skin tonesTen seconds, no gear, and an answer that depends on the lamp.
- MythGold or silver does not tell your undertoneA necklace makes a poor lab instrument: it is small, shiny and copies whatever is around it.
- StyleWhy gray can make you look tiredGray gets filed under neutral. Next to your face, it still has a say.
- HairWhat hair color suits you? Start with contrastSearch for the best hair color for olive skin and the top results disagree. That is a clue.
- StyleKeep your black: what to wear next to itBlack stays. What sits between it and your face is what changes.
- MethodWhy your season is only one layerYour season answers one question. Japan, Korea and China ask a few more.
- PhotosWhy you look different in photos than in the mirrorYou left the house feeling good, and then somebody sent you the photo.
- Skin toneCan dark skin wear yellow, orange or bright colors?If someone told you a color was not for you, you can hold it up to your own face and look.
- ChangeDoes your color season change? Gray hair, dye, a babyThe card on your phone describes the coloring you had the day you took the test.
- MakeupDeep Winter makeup for a normal daySame palette, lower volume. Berry does not have to mean a party.
- MakeupBright Winter makeup without a bold lipClear color does not have to sit on your mouth.
- MakeupWhy blush looks orange on olive skinA shade name is a guess. Your cheek is the test.
- MakeupLove the shade, not the formulaColor is one question about a lipstick. Finish, coverage and comfort are three more.
- ShoppingHow to shop your palette, and when to stopA palette is a range, not a barcode.
- MakeupMakeup after color analysis: start with your bagYou do not need a new bag. You need three piles.
- MethodDark Winter or Deep Winter? Why the names differNames change from analyst to analyst. Colors are easier to compare.
- MakeupYour shade was discontinued: what to look forThe name is gone. The color is still describable.
- GuidesWhat a color guide should show before you payA page count tells you a size. It does not tell you a reason.
