A Brazilian Tradition For New Year’s Eve

Here in Brazil we have this tradition to wear white or the color or colors you want to attract the vibe for the upcoming year. And yes, every color has a different meaning. Here are a list with some of them:

• White: peace, tranquility, purity.
• Yellow: more money, happiness, optimism.
• Golden: financial abundance or stability, joy.
• Blue: serenity, harmony, healthy vibe.
• Green: fertility, good luck, stability and hope.
• Pink: love, love and love. The one, a romantic fling, that love story.
• Red: passion, desire, sensuality, infatuations.
• Orange: vibrant, excitment, openess to new things/experiences.
• Purple: spirituality and intuition. Transformation and self-knowledge.
• Lilac: purification, restart, reconecting with intuition.
• Brown: security and simplicity.
• Gray: flexibility, modernity and stability.
• Black: strength, formality, mystery and elegance.
• Silver: success, fun, joy and strong emotions.

Now, based on that list above, which colors or color would wear for the New Year’s Eve? This year I will be on the pink and purple duo. And yes, they do go well together. Because color talks to color, we are the ones who get lost in translation, sometimes.

How To Find The Perfect Shades Of Colors For Your Skin Undertone

Yep, it is your skin undertone that will dictate which shades of colors will complement your skin. And by complement your skin I mean that shade of color that will make you look your very best, that will uplift you, that will enhance your best features and that will make you glow even with no makeup on or sans a nice healthy tan to back you up.

And yes, you read it right: I said shades of color and not color, because for each 12 seasons (yes, you read it right again!) there will be different shades of blue, green, yellow, red, purple, pink, orange, gray etc that will be perfect for each. In another words, if you want to find the right colors for your skin you will need to think about which shades of colors are your best friends.

I am not gonna explain about each season here because to know which one you belong to you will need to do a draping test and only with this test you will know for sure which season you are in. There is no other way to know. But here I am gonna focus on a simplified way, without any need for a seasonal knowledge to figure out which shades of each color suits you the best. Actually, this is my favorite way to figure color out anyways. Because when you take the test you get your color palette with just a few shades of colors (around 55) and those are not your only options. And the only way to know about the other shades that suit you is by doing this test I am gonna teach you.

First, you will need a natural light from a window or a door or from being outdoors. And a mirror. It is a good idea to have no distractions in your background or simply choose a gray one. Make sure you have no make up on. Then get the piece of clothing with the particular shade of color and place it right below your chin. Then pay attention to the effects that this shade of color causes in your face such as:

• The white part in your eyes looks sparkling whiter.
• So your teeth. (smile to check this out)
• Your skin looks healthier.
• If you have dark circles or bags under your eyes they will look smoother, suddenly.
• Even without makeup you look refreshed, glowing, your best.
• The wrinkles might look smoother.

If you got those effects when testing a shade of color, then yes, this is a friendly one. If by any chance the results you get when you test that shade of color is:

• Unhealthy, opaque or dull looking skin.
• Opaque eyes.
• More than usual yellow smile.
• Wrinkles look more visible.

Then that shade of color is not your bff.

By the way, your friendly shades of colors are your best bet to wear near your face in tops, scarves, coats etc. When you wear them near your face they will do their magic. If you like a shade of color that doesn’t belong to your friendly palette you can wear it in a place away from your face as a bag, a shoe, a skirt or pants, for example with no side effects.

If you have a tan, you can do the test and take a note that this shade of color is great for you with a tan and when you no longer have a tan, retest it to confirm if it is a good shade of color for you. I am saying it because sometimes makeup and a tan can help a shade of color be your friend, but without them, not so much. And here we are trying to establish which shades of colors are the very best for you under any circumstances. Although, of course that if a shade of color looks good on you wearing makeup or a tan and you do intend to wear that shade of color with one or the other, than that color will be a good friend of yours then.

Got it?

Another way to know if a shade of color is your best friend: take a mental note to the compliments you get every time you wear a particular shade of color. That can help too.

If you still want to know… the 12 seasons are: True Spring, Light Spring, Bright Spring, True Summer, Light Summer, Soft Summer, True Autumn, Soft Autumn, Deep Autumn, True Winter, Deep Winter and Bright Winter. Some of those fell under the warm undertones, some under the cool undertones and some others under neutral undertones. The easiest way to know whether you are warm, cool or neutral just do the test with silver, yellow gold and see which one looks best on you. If it is gold, then warm you are. If it is silver, then cool you are. If you look good with both, then you are neutral.

If you are not so sure about the outcome of the shades of colors you can always invite a dear friend that can help you with that.