Kim Bolsover Colour Analysis

11/08/2025

Clementburga from Australia emailed me, "Dear Kim, Does your colour analysis system follow the Colour Me Beautiful technique or is it something that you have devised."

Dear Clementburga,

I teach both seasonal and tonal, as the two are mutually inclusive.

Seasonal and tonal are NOT different
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They're the same thing, and all roads lead back to your client.

With my training, you can choose to work seasonally only, tonally only, or combine them both – and a lot of that will be down to your personal dominant learning style and the way your brain works.

Most of the big colour companies stick pretty much to a script, as it's a much easier way to teach. And they focus on draping as the method of diagnosis. They also tend to make the draping session the main focus of a consultation.

That's not what I do at all!

What I have devised over the years is how to do colour analysis quickly, in the back of your head, with the drapes, without the drapes, using other methods, and always focusing on the client and NOT the chuffing process.

In a 1-1 consultation, if I'm spending more than 20 – 30 minutes draping my client, I am wasting valuable time:

• The consultation is NOT about the dratted drapes
• It is NOT about providing an easy method for the consultant to follow
• It IS about what the client is going to do with the information that the draping session (and other methods) has produced

In fact, my mantra is,
Stuff the system; put the client first
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So if the Brightest Spring on the planet walks in and she wants to wear Soft Summer colours today, I need to get out of the way and show her how to look fabulous right now, where she is.

And you can't do that with a chuffing script!

09/08/2025

Psychological perceptions and the colour black
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1) In colour psychology, black means power and control, hanging on to information and things rather than giving out to others.

2) Teenagers often have a psychological need to wear black during the stage of transition from the innocence of childhood to the sophistication of adulthood.

>> It signifies the ending of one part of their life and the beginning of another, allowing them to hide from the world while they discover their own unique identity.
>> It is important they go through this stage but could become a worry if it continues on into adult years if they continue to wear black to the exclusion of other colours.

3) Too much black can cause depression and mood swings and create a negative environment.

>> Combined with white only, it can create an argumentative atmosphere.
>> It is best to use some colour with black to lighten and brighten its energy.

4) The definition of black comedy is creating comedy out of a tragic event or situation.

>> As the opposite of white, movies, books, print media, and television typically depict the good guy in white and the bad guy in black.
>> In more recent times, the good guy is shown in black to create mystery around the character's identity.

5) Black packaging can make an item appear expensive and heavier.

>> Used as the primary brand colour, it has a bold, powerful, classic effect that feels confident and sophisticated for more expensive products.
>> It creates a classy and elegant impression. Consider Chanel, Hotel Chocolat, and Guinness.

6) Using black for selling and marketing products and services to the high-end youth market, including music-related businesses, is seen as cutting edge and trendy.

>> The youth market tends to be attracted to black with its sophistication and rebelliousness.

09/08/2025

Can online colour analysis courses work hand-in-hand with in-person mentoring sessions?

If you've been wondering about this for yourself, you’re not alone.

Many of my clients ask whether it’s worth investing in both, or if one is enough. Let me show you why combining the two could be the smartest move you make for your colour analysis journey.

Why combine online learning with mentoring?
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Online courses like my Colour Analysis Training in a Box are perfect for learning at your own pace, revisiting lessons as many times as you like, and fitting study around your busy life.

You get all the theory, demonstrations, and step-by-step guidance, right at your fingertips — no travel or schedule juggling required.

But sometimes, there’s nothing like a real conversation. That’s where private 1-1 mentoring comes in.

During these sessions, you can ask questions, get feedback on your technique, and tackle those tricky client scenarios that never seem to come up in a training course. It’s your chance to get tailored advice and boost your confidence before you step in front of a client.

What my students say
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“I love that I can watch the online course whenever I need a refresher, but having a mentoring session with you, Kim, made everything click. You helped me see where I was overthinking things and gave me the confidence to just get started!” – Felicity

It’s that blend of self-paced study and personalised support that helps you move from learning to doing. And when you’re ready to work with real clients, you’ll feel prepared for anything.

Why choose private 1-1?
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>> Bespoke learning at your pace: No more trying to keep up with the crowd. Private means you set the agenda, ask all the questions you like, and get answers tailored to your specific needs. You’ll leave with practical skills you can use straight away.

>> Real-life practice and feedback: You’ll be testing your skills in real scenarios and get immediate feedback (sometimes blunt, but always helpful!) so you can tweak your technique on the spot.

>> Direct access to decades of experience: Tap into over 40 years of colour, style, and image know-how — without the filter of a franchise script. You get honest advice, industry secrets, and plenty of stories from the front line.

>> Focus on your business goals: Want to attract more clients? Polish your consultation style? Or simply stop second-guessing your own analysis? Your private 1-1 is designed around your business, not someone else’s system.

>> Confidence to do things your way: There’s no ‘one size fits all’ in colour analysis. Private 1-1 helps you develop your own approach, so you can stand out from the crowd and offer a truly personal service to every client.


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If you’d like to chat about private mentoring or need help choosing the right course for you, just get in touch and let’s make a plan that works for you.

08/08/2025

The out-and-out lies that continue to get air time about colour analysis simply never stop, do they?

I read this online, about discovering Warm or Cool for yourself, "Finally, a good indicator is how your skin reacts to the sun. If you tend to burn or go a little pink in the sun then you likely have a cool undertone. If your skin tends to tan then you will have a warmer undertone."

What a load of pig poo.

My father only has to look at the sun to go the deepest shade of brown and he absolutely, definitely, couldn't be anything else, and without doubt, has COOL tones.

I've been doing this for 45 years and could produce thousands of examples of Cool people who tan easily.

I also have loads of examples of Warm people who burn in the sun!

Generalisations are not acceptable when dealing with human beings - in any field.

We are not analysing a lump of meat!
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We are analysing unique human beings, who do not drop neatly into 2, 4, 6, 12, etc. little boxes just to make it easy for colour consultants, or for trainers who need a simple 'system' to make it easier to teach.

This is the kind of rubbish we learned 40+ years ago, before some of us started questioning such daft generalisations and went on to create personalised colour analysis, that takes into account WHO you are, and not just your physical appearance.

Stuff the system. Put the client first!

07/08/2025

I teach colour analysis concepts that deal with every skin tone, hair, and eye colour and that's what makes this franchise-free colour analysis system special...

Colour analysis for every skin, hair, and eye colour
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Too many poorly-trained image consultants jump to the same conclusion - that Asian, Black, and Hispanic clients are all Deep colouring before they've even looked at hair or eye colour.

Q: "Kim, I'm interested in your Colour Analysis course, but I have a question, does your training cover Asian women, particularly those in my home of Singapore. These Asian women include Chinese, Malay and Indian. I'm Eurasian (German and Chinese mix) and I realised light and warm colours suit me best and I have a light look. My concern is, will your training help my clients?"

A: Absolutely.

You treat every single client in exactly the same way as you would for Caucasians, Hispanics, Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, Orientals and any other ethnic group you can think of.

The concepts I teach enable you to deal with absolutely any skin tone, hair, or eye colour that you come across, and that's what makes this system so good; you can use it anywhere around the world.

Far too many poorly-trained image consultants jump to the conclusion that all Asian, Black, and Hispanic clients are a Deep colouring before they've even looked at their hair or eye colour.

My friend Esmeralda was trained as an image consultant by another training company (who shall remain nameless) and was furious that they insisted, during the training, in putting her immediately into the Dark category just because she has a dark-coloured skin (Afro-Caribbean).

She is clearly (at least, to Esmeralda and myself) a Bright Spring.

Needless to say, she didn't stay working under that company's umbrella for very long and started her own independent image consultancy.

The concepts I teach enable you to deal with any skin, hair or eye colour that you come across. Perfect!

Watch my Skin Tone video (14 mins) to find out more.
https://vip.kimbolsover.com/video-colour-analysis-for-every-skin-hair-eye-colour/

Questions about my colour analysis training courses?

Get in touch and let's talk.

06/08/2025

Skin tone will always be controversial
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“Dear Kim, I’m loving the Colour Analysis Course - I’ve watched it three times in the last week! But I do have a question. What about skin colour and complexion? Why isn’t that taken into consideration when assessing the colours? From the course almost 25 years ago that I was telling you about, we were taught to analyse cool and warm from skin colour on the wrist or forearm. You don’t seem to mention it, or am I missing something fundamental?” Prunnhilde

Dear Prunnhilde,

Skin tone is completely arbitrary and for this very reason, skin tone is not included in my approach to colour analysis at all.

Image consultants, make-up artists, manufacturers of foundation and blusher will all disagree until the cows come home about the actual shade of porcelain, ivory, and beige.

Does porcelain skin mean Cool tones?
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To me, it does. But not to my good friend and image consultant, Svetburga, who is convinced it means Warm.

Try and buy a skin foundation product called Porcelain. You will find that all the top make-up houses have a completely different perspective on what constitutes Porcelain – half of them suit Warm skins, and the other half only work for Cool skins!

Skin tone is completely arbitrary. I rest my case!

Testing for Cool and Warm using the skin colour on the wrist
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In over 40 years, I have only ever met one image consultant who could do that successfully.

In fact, I have yet to come across a single method of identifying skin tone (Warm or Cool) that works 100% of the time for every single client.

So I leave it out and concentrate on what actually works.

But if YOU have a foolproof method of working out whether someone has Cool or Warm skin tones, then you should absolutely include that in your consultations.

Personally, I simply imagine my client in gold jewellery or silver jewellery
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To help my client see what I see, I show her, and confirm for myself, using gold and silver drapes, or gold and silver jewellery.

Once I know which one makes her look good (by that, I mean it doesn’t make me squirm), then I know she’s either Warm or Cool.

I don’t spend any longer than that on skin tone.

You don’t need skin tone anyway!
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No two image consultants will ever agree over skin tone, so you will notice that my approach is to encourage you to look at hair and eyes only.

Working through the tables on pages 13 and 14 in your Colour Analysis Training Manual will always lead you to the right answer, without skin tone ever being mentioned.

In the past, I wasted far too much time working through my ‘system’ when I should have been spending time talking to my client, finding out what she wants, making her feel fabulous and confident.

The only people who are ever interested in our system, our process, and how we come up with our diagnosis, are other image consultants.

And the irony is that, at the end of the day, if I discover (by hook or by crook) that my client has Warm colouring and she then tells me that she wants to wear Cool-toned clothes and jewellery, then I need to stop blethering on about the flippin’ process and her Warm colouring, get out the way, and give her what SHE wants.

All of this, together with hundreds of years of trying to include skin tone as a parameter in the analysis of my client’s colouring and failing miserably, is why my approach leaves skin tone out completely.

Skin tone will always be controversial
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Controversial means ‘open for someone else to rubbish your diagnosis’.

Focusing on skin tone, or any other parameter of your ‘system’, just takes time away from your real purpose – to make your client look and FEEL wonderful.

Over time, you may discover that skin tone plays a more active role in your diagnoses, but this will only come with lots of experience.

Leave it out for now, until you have mastered the fundamentals of using hair and eye colours. You’ll discover that page 13 in the colour analysis course works every time!

Over time, you may discover, like me, that you never want to re-introduce it, but I do not run a franchise - this is your business, so you can choose.

Stuff the system. Put the client first!

Marie, one of my trainees, commented - I love that you don’t mess with skin tone. I had a very bossy red tell a group of ladies about their skin tone based on vein color on their forearms. I smiled and said, “Thanks for sharing, as an industry we’ve moved on from that approach, because it doesn’t work for everyone.” Before finding Kim, I would have been frustrated by the interruption. I’m sure it would have sidelined me for the event.

Marie, what a kind reply you gave. I’d have been far less respectful – being a bossy Red myself. The older I get, the more I detest being told what to do, especially when it comes to colour analysis.

There are no chuffin’ rules!
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STUFF THE SYSTEM! PUT THE CLIENT FIRST!

05/08/2025

How much do you really want to become an image consultant?
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Once upon a time, hundreds of years ago, I was invited to the inaugural meeting of the UK Northern Group of what was then The Federation of Image Consultants (TFIC).

I remember grumbling to myself as I drove up the motorway to Leeds that Saturday morning in 1985, wondering why on earth I had given up half of my weekend to ‘learn more about’ something I hadn’t the remotest interest in joining.

That day I was introduced to a revolutionary concept of colour-coded products that totally changed my future as a business owner.

But this story isn’t about me.

This story is about Petunia, the image consultant who had telephoned to invite me to this event.

Read the full blog article

How much do you really want to be an image consultant? : Image consultant training content by award winning author Kim Bolsover.

04/08/2025

Perception and the colour black
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As an image consultant, I firmly believe, teach, and know from long, personal experience that black and the darker shades of blue are the colours most likely to engender confidence.

They will also help to make you look intelligent.

For instance, you don't see hoodlums going to court dressed in pink or yellow. Their barrister will counsel them to wear a dark-coloured suit to make them look as though they should be afforded some courtesy and respect, even if they have just robbed a bank, despatched their other half, or punched the vicar.

All the services – police, fire, army, navy, air force – usually wear the darkest of colour formal uniforms because black and navy and variations of both inspire respect.

The research article was entitled 'The Perception of Colour' and that's what this is all about – perception.

How other people perceive you can never be ignored – unless you wish to be ignored, that is.

You never get a second chance to make a fabulous first impression so If you need to make a great first impression, the question should not be,

"What colour shall I wear?"

The question should be,

"If I wear [name of colour], how will I be perceived?"

Here are some psychological perceptions, dressing tips, and quotes about the colour black to help you make up your own mind.

>> Black is the absorption of all colour and the absence of light.

>> Black implies weight – people will think a black box weighs more than a white one.

>> In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.

>> In Aztec culture, black represented war because black obsidian glass was used as the cutting edge of battle swords. It was also the symbol of religion; priests wore no other colour but black.

>> The colour black can be serious, professional, and conventional, but black can also represent the mysterious, s*xy, and sophisticated.

>> Black is a visually slimming colour for clothing and like other dark colours, in interior design, black can make a room appear to shrink in size.

>> Black is associated with sophistication and power… tuxedos, limousines, judge's robes, and priests' robes are all typically black. Consider 'the little black dress', or 'the black tie event'. Affluent and success-orientated women often choose black as it can give an impression of elegance, sophistication and confidence.

>> Black is intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable because of the power it exudes. It can prevent two-way communication because of its intimidation. The salesman wearing all black will make less sales, and no friends! It radiates authority, but creates fear in the process.

31/07/2025

What goes into making those trusty colour analysis draping kits and fabric swatch wallets you use for your consultations?

Our colour analysis supplies are hand-crafted, right here in England, just a few miles up the road from our offices.

Handmade with a personal touch
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From precision-dyed cotton fabric to careful finishing, every single drape, fan, and wallet is handmade by a dedicated team who have been working alongside me for over 40 years.

No conveyor belts, no hurried factory work, just skilled people who understand that quality matters when you're putting your reputation (and client's confidence) on the line.

Each colour analysis draping kit is built for years of consultations, and every drape label is matched to both tonal and seasonal systems.

I've kept the whole process franchise-free, so you get flexibility to work your way, whether you're coaching clients 1-1, running workshops, or building your own business around what works for you.

What real image consultants say
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Consultants often tell me they can spot the difference between handmade and mass-produced supplies straight away — they feel sturdier, look better, and hold up consultation after consultation.

This isn't just about nice fabrics; it's about delivering an experience that feels worth every penny to your clients.

Imagine giving your client a set of card paint-chips after a consultation...

They're not buying paint to decorate a chuffin' living room.

They're buying clothes to wear next to their skin - made from fabric!

If you offer your client anything other than fabric swatches, you've just destroyed her confidence in you without saying another word.

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Ready for a draping kit upgrade?
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If your drapes are looking tired or you want to treat yourself to a set made with care, visit my colour supplies store and browse the full selection.
https://supplies.improvability.co.uk/

Every order supports skilled workers here in England, and gives you tools you can feel proud of every time you use them.

Which draping kit?

Questions about which draping kit or swatch wallets will work best for you?

Just contact me and let's talk.

Colour Analysis Supplies : Franchise-free colour analysis supplies for image consultants as used by Kim Bolsover.

30/07/2025

Don't believe everything you read.

Some years ago, a study announced...

Wearing Black Makes You Appear

>> More Attractive
>> More Intelligent
>> More Confident

The study proclaimed...

"Good news for Scandinavians and goths – people who wear black are considered to be more attractive, intelligent, and confident. The study, which was conducted by an online t-shirt store, surveyed over 1,000 people, asking them which clothing colour they associated with certain personality traits. Black ended up coming out either first or second in every single positive category, with 66% of women believing its the most attractive colour on a man and 46% of men preferring black on women. In terms of confidence, red came in at a close second, although it was also heavily associated with arrogance and only 12% of people thought it made the wearer appear intelligent. Black, on the other hand, managed to snag 45% of the vote for intelligence."

Absolute truth?

Social media and news outlets were quoting the results as absolute truth.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why people believe everything they read on social media etc. without checking it out first.

What's wrong with the educated world we live in these days?

Just because it's written down
does NOT mean it's unquestionable truth
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The survey was conducted by an online shirt company and the researchers presented survey participants with nearly-identical photos of people of the opposite s*x where the only thing that changed was the person's shirt colour.

Participants were asked to share their opinion on which colours correlated with certain traits.

Black took the lead (or second place in a few cases) in every positive category like s*xiness, trustworthiness, and intelligence.

Research should be verifiable so the first question to ask is…

Is this valid research?

This 'new research that shows wearing black clothes makes you appear more intelligent, confident and attractive' was undertaken by a shirt-retailer.

That hardly floats my boat.

If the researcher had been a University psychology professor or a Which? Magazine Editor, I might have given it a tad more credence.

Apparently, they interviewed 1000 people.

Who were these people? Age? Status? Income bracket?

We naturally assume they were customers of said retailer but there was no evidence to verify this, so I asked myself:

a) Were they alive?
b) Were they drunk?
c) Did they find them on the street?
d) Did they pay people?
e) Did they, perhaps, not even run a survey at all and make the whole thing up?

A humongous well done
to said shirt-retailer

They created a fabulous marketing device to get people to know they exist and, possibly, even locate their website – all regardless of the validity of the 'survey'.

What they've done is create a massive talking point, one specifically designed to stir emotional reactions – which is exactly what happened, and what spurred me to write this.

My response was motivated by my absolute exasperation at the rubbish the majority clearly read and believe without checking the facts first.

From the tender age of 11, when I first encountered the fascinating subject of history at grammar school, I was taught to question absolutely everything.

My two favourite questions have always been, "Why?" and "Where's the evidence?"

But then, it's a free world and you're free to believe any old rubbish you want.

Your choice, after all.

26/07/2025

How do you use a colour analysis swatch wallet to choose the right nail polish to match your clothes, accessories, make-up, and your skin tone?

The idea is not to match the nail polish with your colour analysis swatch wallet so let's start with a celebrity example of how NOT to choose nail polish colour!

Years ago, I nearly fell off the sofa when I saw Joan Collins in an episode of Dynasty wearing an orangey-coral nail polish alongside her usual bright bluey-red lipstick.

I have no idea what any of the characters had to say or what the scene was about because I was totally distracted by this completely ugly mis-match of colours.

As you can see, I still remember the shock. To be honest, I doubt if anyone on set would have had the guts to tell Joanie...

Please, please, please, choose nail polish colours to match the clothes, accessories, and make-up that you’re wearing!

** If you have Cool skin tones, then (hopefully) your clothes, accessories and make-up will all have complementary Cool tones too. So it should be easy for you to choose Cool tones for your nail polish as well

** Similarly, if you have Warm skin tones, then (hopefully) you’ll be looking fabulous in complementary warm-toned clothes, accessories and make-up. So choosing Warm tones for your nail polish should be easy-peasy

This is where your colour analysis swatch wallet is useful.

The idea is not to match the nail polish with the swatches because you will never do this absolutely, so please don’t waste your time.

The aim of the exercise is to see if the nail polish looks good alongside and with the colours in the wallet.

Hold the nail polish bottle across the complete range of colours to assess this properly:

>> Does it look as though it belongs with the colours in the wallet?
If it does then try it!

>> Or does it look completely out of place?
Then put it back on the shelf and save your money!

You can also use this exact same method to find the right shade of lipstick, jewellery, make-up, hair colour, and all your clothes.

Simples!

25/07/2025

Understanding your unique colour palette is not just about the clothes you wear but also about choosing the make-up that best complements your skin tone.

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The power of colour analysis for choosing make-up
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Colour analysis is a transformative skill that helps you identify the hues that naturally enhance your skin tone, eye colour, and hair.

By understanding your seasonal colour palette

>> whether you're a Winter, with a cool undertone
>> a Spring, with a warm and fresh complexion
>> a Summer, with soft and muted tones
>> an Autumn, with rich and earthy hues

- you can select make-up shades that harmonise with your complexion.

This not only makes you look vibrant and refreshed but also ensures that your natural features are highlighted in the most flattering way.

With the right colours, your make-up can enhance your natural glow, bring out the best in your appearance, and boost your self-confidence.

Choosing the right shades
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For instance, if you are a Winter, bold and cool tones like deep reds and blues will complement your features.

On the other hand, Autumns might find that earthy tones like golds and browns enhance their natural warmth.

By aligning your make-up choices with your natural colour palette, you not only enhance your appearance, but - more importantly in my humble but most accurate opinion - make you feel totally confident on every occasion.

Explore my colour analysis course to gain deeper insight into how colour can be a transformational experience both inside and out.