As we continue to explore the world of colour analysis, today we’re diving into another crucial aspect: contrast. You can check out our previous blogs on colour theory and cool and warm colour palettes. Understanding contrast is essential because it helps pinpoint your specific season. In this blog, we’ll compare two Bamboo Body team members, both Winters, but with different contrast levels, to see how it influences their style choices.

Contrast in colour analysis refers to the colour intensity of your facial features. Your contrast level is the size of the gap between your hair, your skin and your eyes. Big gap, high contrast. Small gap, low contrast.

Here's how to work out yours.

Take a photo in daylight with no makeup and your hair off your face. Apply the black and white filter on your phone. Once colour is gone you can see where each feature sits on a scale from light to dark, without getting distracted by whether your hair is auburn or your eyes are green.

Look at the three features one at a time and give each a rating out of 10, where 1 is white and 10 is black. Rate your hair, then your skin, then your eyes. Now find the difference between your highest and lowest number.

A gap of 7 or more: high contrast. Very dark hair against pale skin is the version everyone pictures. So is near-black hair with dark eyes and a bright white smile.

A gap of 4 to 6: medium contrast. Usually two features sit close together and one stands apart, or all three land somewhere mid-range.

A gap of 0 to 3: low contrast. Pale skin with fair hair and light eyes reads as soft in greyscale. So does medium brown hair with olive skin and hazel eyes. Low contrast describes how close your features are in depth, so deep colouring can still be low contrast.

Two things worth knowing. Grey hair changes your result, often by several points, so run the test again if your hair has changed in the last few years. And makeup moves your contrast on purpose: dark liner and a bold lip will push you up a level, which is handy if you want to wear brighter clothes than your natural colouring suggests.

Let’s take a closer look at two Bamboo Body team members, Elouise and Luana. After a thorough colour analysis session by Sylvia from Colour Me Coach, both were identified as Winter with cool skin undertones. However, colour palettes that Sylvia offers them are different because of their different contrast level.

Luana, with her high contrast, and Elouise, with her medium contrast, will have distinct palettes that highlight their unique features.

Elouise is wearing the 3/4 Sleeve Ruched Dress in Forest

Luana is wearing the Melanie Dress in Magenta

Whatever your contrast level, Bamboo Body has something perfect for you! We introduce new seasonal colours to our collection twice a year, in Winter/Autumn and Spring/Summer. When creating each new collection, we keep in mind our clients' diverse preferences, colour types, and complexions. You'll always find a mix of cool and warm colours, as well as muted tones for low contrast and bright, bold hues for high contrast.

We encourage our customers to try different colours to see what works best for them. When it comes to contrast, you can also use makeup, like brighter lipstick or eye shadows, to enhance your contrast and try higher contrast clothing. If you don't feel like wearing very bright colours, try adding bright accessories like jewellery, scarves, or shoes to add a pop of colour to your outfit. Below, you’ll find Bamboo Body clothing options for both low and high contrast to complement your wardrobe. On our website, just use the search bar to look for a particular colour.