CLEAR COOL : THE RULES OF WEARING COLORS

CLEAR COOL

If you suit silver best, blueish red, bright pink, ink black and pure white, jewel tones and clear bold or icy colors. Your natural coloring is crisp, distinctive and high in contrast. Your eyes and hair color is usually rich, clear and intense, and sometimes a little ashy. Your best colors are always clear, bold, icy and rich, and should mirror or be in contrast to your eye color. Those with the brightest coloring in this group can sometimes flow into CLEAR WARM bright, and need a lot of contrast. The purer cool types is best to stick with the perfectly clear and cool colors. 
Dusty, muted, and wishy washy pastels, does not do you justice, so try to keep your look sharp. 

Megan Fox, Michelle Dockery, Lupita Nyong'o, Alek Wek, Alexis Bledel, Liv Tyler, Jennifer Connoly, Lisa Vanderpump, Zooey Deschanel, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kelly Osbourne, and Brook Shields.

IF YOU ARE A CLEAR COOL, YOU MAY HAVE
Eyes: Bright blue, blue, cold green, blue-green, violet, emerald green, charcoal gray, soft dark brown, icy hazel, black, black brown. 
Hair: Medium to dark brown and black with blue or ash tints, deep ash, blue-black, black, black-brown. May have some faint warm highlights. White-ish blonde hair can also occur, silver, ashy white-blonde, steel grey, salt & pepper. Absolutely no red or golden tones. 
Skin: Often translucent. Milky white, light/neutral beige, very pale beige, pale beige, pale olive, soft cool olive, rosy beige, deep brown, black, blue-black, black-brown. Undertone is usually blue or pink, but the skin may have some warmth which is a sign that you flow into DEEP or CLEAR WARM.

A CLEAR COOL can have hair, skin and eyes of any color, so don't be too concerned with whether or not the people in the photos match your identical color combination, such as tan, hair color and eyes. The most important thing is that you have the right contrast level, and look good in the colors on the chart. If you do feel the need to identify with the CLEAR COOL "poster girls", best to google the names above without makeup, natural hair color and in daylight. Makeup, lighting, spray-tans, and photoshop can change the overall appearance a lot. 

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A typical CLEAR COOL are those whose overall look is saturated, has a medium to high intensity, noticeably lacks warmth, or has a strikingly high contrast level.
All CLEAR COOL's has a medium to hight contrast level, and has a dominant cool undertone to their overall look (eyes, hair and skin). They have a clear and crisp intensity, and looks their best in cool, icy, pure and clear shades. Black will look fresh instead of severe (even without makeup). Royal blue, red with a blue undertone, emerald and other jewel tones, minty green, fuchsia, and icy colors are other great CLEAR COOL colors. Silver and platinum 
are the metallics that compliment a CLEAR COOL best, because it has the right shine for their intense chilled look. 
The difference between the other high contrast group; the much deeper DEEP COOL, is that the DEEP COOL has a hint of earth tones in the mix, and can make goth-style makeup look "natural" and balanced.

A CLEAR COOL's most flattering look is high in contrasts combined with intense colors. Prints without contrast and hues that are dirty or faded, does absolutely nothing for you. If you're pale, black gives you the best contrast, but if your skin is very dark, an all black outfit might diminish you. The trick is to create contrast, with the help of other light or strong colors (e.g. black and white, bright patterns or color blocking).
Being such a high intensity group, a CLEAR COOL's features are brought to life by clear and bold colors that echo their own natural icy, contrast level. This means that you can wear a "barbie pink" lipstick, black eye-makeup and a emerald green dress without looking crazy. Your best color is individual, but should mirror or be in contrast to your eye color (e.g. blue for the brown or blue-eyed and emerald green for the green-eyed). For the darkest CLEAR COOL's, it might be a good idea to use bright and dark colors as a tool to create contrast, to balance your own dark features.
A CLEAR COOL shouldn't look pale or ashy in cool hues. In the proper cool and pure colors, a CLEAR COOL doesn't look "cool"; they look alive.

Medium to dark hair is the best look for a CLEAR COOL, and mousy softer shades, warm and light red, and dirty blond hues are not hair colors for this intense shading. Most CLEAR COOL's disappear or look fake with a soft hair color, as it drains color from the face. Whilst, darker hair makes the features appear more defined and fresher. For most CLEAR COOL's blond hair will diminish their look, but the CLEAR COOL bright can pull it of because of their flowing into CLEAR WARM bright. Just make sure that the shade of blond is bright and not at all dull or dirty. It won't look natural, but it can look cool and fresh. For the rest of the CLEAR COOLs, icy, white, blond is the only light look intense and chilly enough.  

WORST COLORS ARE warm and golden tones, dusty muted colors and weak pastels.
Truly soft, golden, warm, and pale colors make you look blend or unbalanced. If strong colors look wild on you, your not a CLEAR COOL. And even though you have many similarities to the DEEP COOL, remember to leave the goth look to your DEEP neighbors (unless that's what you're going for), on a CLEAR COOL it will look properly goth. If goth makeup looks goth, you are probably a CLEAR COOL and not a DEEP COOL.
Remember that your biggest no colors are the ones that will clash with either your eye, skin or hair color, no matter if everything else tells you it should be great. 

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Now that you know which "season" you belong to, and what type of colors that suits your saturated intensity, you might feel that you sometimes also fit into some colors that aren't that pure or only cool. This might mean you have a "soft" or "bright" tendency, and that you look better in , or can get away with more colors that are either softer, brighter or warmer. But never go too soft and muted, or all warm and earthy. You can still run the risk of looking faded and dull, because you are above all CLEAR, and need bold colors. This is based on your natural coloring, and might vary a little from one CLEAR COOL to another, but that's what the "add on" is for. 

For example, you can be a 
CLEAR COOL true, or should I say "simply clear and cool" (Zooey Deschanel). These are the CLEAR COOL's whose overall level of contrast is medium to high, and whose skin noticeably lacks warmth. Usually has piercing bright, or dark and cool eyes, medium ash brown to black hair, and very fair to cool brown skin. This is a classic CLEAR COOL, and so the rules above should apply to you more or less perfectly. Because of the cool skin-tone of the CLEAR COOL true; nude, warm and brownish colors, especially on makeup will look a little orange, pale or simply just drain the color from you face. On the other hand, they do look fantastic in pure cool colors and even pure shades of white, black and grey. Only someone as purely cool and sharp as a CLEAR COOL true, can look super fresh in colors composed only of black and white, or make bold makeup look almost natural. Your strong features can handle almost anything but warm, dirty or soft looks.

CLEAR COOL bright, (Lupita Nyong'o, Megan Fox and Michelle Dockery) are CLEAR COOL's whose overall level of contrast is strikingly high. As a bright, the natural level of contrast in your colors are amazingly high, so the light looks very light and the dark looks very dark. Bright's are on the cusp between CLEAR COOL and CLEAR WARM, so your colors that are mainly cool, bright and clear, are being influenced by the warmer CLEAR WARM bright colors. You may have a slight warmth to your features, have some colors that are lighter or darker than whats typical for a CLEAR COOL, or just have an incredibly bright or strong natural coloring. This sub-group is the brightest of all the groups and sub-groups, and so they need a little more drama to achieve the flattering contrast look. Only the most saturated, vibrant and bright colors brings out the best in this sub-group. The obvious way is to pair very light colors with very dark colors, but this may not be enough contrast for the bright. Simple black and white (for example), probably won't be exciting enough. You'll look even better if you create contrast by pairing dramatically different hues, such as matching black with yellow instead, or try hot pink with teal. One of your biggest shopping challenges is finding respectable clothes in colors that are bright enough to properly flatter you. Because it's only when you wear colors and combinations that look insane, that you look super fresh. Also, really dark hair will look rather natural on you, even if it's naturally not. 

CLEAR COOL soft, (Jamie Lee Curtis and Amanda Peet) looks their best in CLEAR COOL colors, but needs a little splash of grey in them. This sub-group is very much a CLEAR COOL, but since this "soft" is borderline/flowing into PURE COOL, they can look good in some of the same colors as well. The CLEAR COOL can wear all the colors on the chart, but are best in the ones that has a splash of grey in them. As to the more vivid colors; the cooler and calmer ones will be the best on large surfaces, and the brighter on smaller surfaces, such as lips, nails or accessories. Steel grey, black and white, berry colors, magenta-purple, burgundy, blueish red, and all types of blue such as petroleum blue, navy, ice blue, pure blue, royal blue, powdery blue, are your absolute best colors. Try not wear too busy combinations, color blocking or balanced patterns is the best way to soften the look, but still use the correct colors. Because of the cool skin-tone of the CLEAR COOL soft; nude, warm and brownish colors, especially on makeup will look a little orange, pale or simply just drain the color from you face.

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CLEAR COOL VARIATIONS

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CLEAR COOL soft 
(Jamie Lee Curtis)

A CLEAR COOL that is flowing into (looks a little like a) PURE COOL, but still looks their best in black, pure white, royal blue and pure red. The soft has a medium intensity, and looks their best with a medium dark, cool hair color. As the most ashy of all the CLEAR COOL, they achieve the most flattering look when using the CLEAR COOL colors that has a little grey in them.

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A typical CLEAR COOL soft, Amanda Peet.

CLEAR COOL soft, 
Marion Cotillard, 
looks like a PURE COOL, but looks her best in CLEAR COOL colors.

This golden yellow dress is only saved by the red lipstick and the fact that it's a clear color, but the peachy and warm beige dress below is doing absolutely nothing for the CLEAR COOL soft.

Blond or red hair will make a CLEAR COOL soft look flat, if you must, go with highlights, or all icy platinum (that will at least give a sharp look).

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Shalom Harlow, is a very dark CLEAR COOL soft, but she is still slightly more delicate than the true and bright CLEAR COOL's. 

When the CLEAR COOL soft wear makeup or color the hair, it is extra important to stay away from warm hues. Keep it neutral or cool. Even when you're dark there is an ashiness to your overall look, and your features might not be as darkly defined as on the other CLEAR COOL's.

The CLEAR COOL soft, also has to be more careful with how and where they use their own colors. This purple-pink would look great on a dress, but is too bold as a lipstick for the softer CLEAR COOL. You don't wan't to use a makeup color that will steal away attention from the rest of your face.

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CLEAR COOL soft, Brook Shields has gotten even cooler with the years, as most people do. She is definitely a CLEAR COOL, but just slightly less intense, or slightly more ashy, and therefore suit a slightly calmer look.
The CLEAR COOL soft looks their best is the coldest shades on the chart and need hair colors that are cold too. 

CLEAR COOL true 
(Zooey Deschanel)

Pure, cool, icy or bold colors are great on the CLEAR COOL true. A 60's style looks very natural and fresh on this type. Saturated colors and a bold look is important for a CLEAR COOL true to look it's best. Blond hair is too soft and looks dull, where the dark hair looks amazing.

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Another typical 
CLEAR COOL true, 
Lauren Graham.

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CLEAR COOL, Lisa Vanderpump.

A less typical, but still truly  intense and best in 
CLEAR COOL true colors, 
Jessica Lowndes.

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CLEAR COOL true, 
Mary Louise Parker. 
As you can see a CLEAR COOL true can come in many combinations. What they all have in common is that they have more of a medium to high contrast level and look best in the same styles, contrast level, and combinations of colors and patterns.

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CLEAR COOL true, Michelle Williams, is often mistaken for a DEEP, but actually looks her best in CLEAR COOL true colors. Which means colors that are purely clear and cool, not too bright, warm or deep.  

Pale lips (below) are not intense enough for a CLEAR COOL true, bright pink lips are far more fresh and flattering (above). Also, the reason you know for sure that Michelle Williams is not a DEEP COOL, is that goth makeup looks a little "too much" on her. On a DEEP COOL, dark lipstick should look "natural". Also, her look is too "calm" to be a bright.

CLEAR COOL bright
(Megan Fox)

A CLEAR COOL bright is cusping on CLEAR WARM bright, as it is easy to see in these freshly tanned images of Megan Fox. 

Dirty, deep and soft colors are not intense enough for a CLEAR COOL bright (first image below). Also, goth makeup looks a little too much on a CLEAR COOL bright (second image below). Bright and intense, bold colors are much better (above).

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Another CLEAR COOL bright, Sophie Ellis Bextor, also looks great in bright and bold colors and combinations that would overwhelm any other type. 

Bright colors and bold combinations look effortless and fresh on this intense group. Typical for a bright is that they can look even better with dark/bright hair than their sometimes more subtle natural hair color.

 Softer and deeper shades does very little for the CLEAR COOL bright (se image both above and below). 

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CLEAR COOL bright, Gwen Stefani looks much better in a bright red (below), than deep red (above). Also, the bright can handle platinum blond hair quite well. It won't look natural, but it can look edgy, cool and fresh. Which is perfect for this intense look.

CLEAR COOL bright
(Lupita Nyong'o)

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CLEAR COOL bright, 
Alek Wek, 
looks amazing and her absolute best in bold colors and combinations. Her high intensity makes it look balanced and fresh. 

Because of Alek Wek's dark skin tone, an all black outfit looks flat. White pattern gives her the sharp contrast she needs as a CLEAR COOL bright.  

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CLEAR COOL bright, Michelle Dockery, is a perfect example of how someone looking very cool can still look good in CLEAR WARM bright colors. 

The CLEAR COOL bright is cusping on the other clear group, CLEAR WARM bright, and can look good in some warm and bright colors as well.

The CLEAR COOL bright, is the most intense of all the groups, and can look awesome in colors, prints and combinations that would look insane or overpowering on any other type. One of the biggest struggles for the bright, is to find clothing that looks grown up or sophisticated and classy, in colors as bright as this group needs. 

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TO DETERMINE YOUR COLOR GROUP, CLICK HERE

FOR THE RULES OF WEARING COLORS, CLICK HERE

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(My sources are "Color me beautiful", thechicfashionista.com, http://visual.ly/, http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/, the 12 seasons system, the 16 season system, and the basic four element system. I have made alterations and created my own system. Photos in this post are random pictures from Tumbler, Pinterest or borrowed from Google. Unknown source.)

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