One of the most basic aspects of beauty is that we all want to look our best. No one actually tries to look tired or washed out, do they? (Unless you're looking for sympathy!) We choose our skin care routine, style of dress, the cut and color of our hair, and which jewelry and accessories we wear , all with an eye toward looking great.

And we all seem to have favorite colors! It's a fact that certain colors will look fabulous on us and bring out our best features. But others do nothing for us (at best) or actually make us look tired and washed out (at worst).

The question is, which colors are you drawn to, and are they the ones that make you look your best?

It's been suggested that people naturally choose the colors that flatter them. Unfortunately, I've seen way too much evidence to against that! Not everyone is "a natural" at choosing color. Think about music: some of us can hear a beat and stay on key effortlessly, while others are completely tone deaf, and can't find a beat to save themselves!!

And so it is with color...

A friend of mine, for example, should absolutely NEVER wear orange. But she owned an orange coat as a child that was her favorite garment in the whole world. To this day, she still loves the color orange. And to this day, it's still the absolute worst color she could choose to wear!!

By contrast, the woman in our picture looks great in orange. In her classic little black dress, however, she looks deathly pale.

Hey, I'm not saying to avoid a color if you're really happy wearing it. But if you're asking for beauty tips... I'm going to give you beauty tips!

How do we know which colors flatter us, and which don't?

Before you invest any more money in your wardrobe...before you decide on the perfect gown for that formal occasion that's just around the corner...before you change hair colors...don't you want to be sure you're draping yourself in the very best hues for you?

After all, as you've learned from my orange-loving friend, just because you like the color doesn't mean it works for you!

Try this simple test

Go to your closet right now, and pick out a top that you never wear. You know, one you're always putting on, looking in the mirror, and taking off in favor of something "better". Now grab that shirt or sweater that you throw on when you're in a hurry, the one you know always makes you look great.

While I can't guarantee it, chances are the first top is the wrong color for you, and the second is one of "your" colors. The first top makes you look kind of "blah" or tired, or draws you eye right to that little blemish on your chin. It exaggerates vertical lines and shadows on your face, making you look drawn and tired. But the second one makes you look healthy and vibrant, and makes your eyes shine. Dark circles are less apparant, blemishes blend in, ruddy skin looks less red, and olive skin less sallow. Even those fine lines in your skin seem to soften.

Do this with a few articles of clothing, and see if you can tell which are your "best" and "worst" colors.

If you can figure it out, congratulations! You're on your way to understanding the intimate connection between beauty and color!

For a more accurate way to determine which colors are your best colors (and if they are actually colors you're naturally drawn to!) check out the following article:
Color Draping at Home

Related Articles:

Beauty and Color: are you "Warm" or "Cool?" Explains the difference between these basic color groups and gives more pointers on how to do your own "color test" at home.

Defining the Best Colors for Your Season Helps you to understand the difference between warm and cool colors, intense and muted tones, and explains which ones belong to each color palate. A link to the color swatches for each color palate is also provided along with examples of celebrities who look best in each color palate.

Color Therapy (Chromotherapy) The effects that color has on our moods, health, and ways of thinking

Hair Color Impressions Does your hair color affect the way other's react to you?