Black clothes can put years on you: The unwanted side effect of fashion's favourite colour.
Black has long been lauded for its ability to flatter women's figures and suit every occasion. But the colour has a rather less flattering side effect say the experts; it ages the face. Black clothing can highlight dark lines under the chin, shadows around the eyes and wrinkles on the face.
And it can even make those who wear it appear to have dark 'spokes', or fissures, in the iris. While black does give the appearance of a slimmer figure by making the shadows from your figure less visible, wearing it next to the face brings out the worst. Wrinkles and sunken areas appear deeper and more pronounced, meaning the effect is more prominent in older women.
Dark scarves, hats, polo neck jumpers and high-collared coats are apparently particularly likely to emphasise ageing features of the face. But fear not. The effect can be tempered by a splash of colour around the neck in the form of a scarf or chunky jewellery or a low neckline. Many women will not look young and healthy with black against their faces - in fact, it will age their skin tone dramatically.
Black gives the illusion of slimming down the wearer, and designers will have us believe that it's the colour of the season and you must not be seen in anything else. But it can also bring out dark circles under the eyes and lines. The effect can be as serious as making women feel drained, selfconscious and introverted.
Wearing black detracts from your healthy looking hue by 'flattening' it and bringing out tired-looking darker patches on the face. Black looks for dark things on the face such as the shadows, lines and dark circles, and highlights them, particularly as women age.
The good news for those who seek refuge in a little black dress for evenings out is that a simple test can help determine whether they can wear black well. Hold the colour up against your face, stand in front of the mirror: look for dark lines under the chin, shadows around the eyes or lines on the face that are highlighted. If there are no dark areas or shadows, you can probably wear black close to your face and look great. Otherwise - change your ways!
Sooo, now you're probably thinking - if I don't do black, THEN WHAT?
It's time to look for an alternative for the basic in your wardrobe. For darker colours, think navy or charcoal. For lighter colours think white, cream, light grey or beige. All of these tones are so universal and you can mix and match with almost anything.
If you are 'cool-toned' you'll be searching out purple-based navy, and will look great in steely grey. If you are 'warm-toned' - head for yellow-based navy and beige or coffee for your basic colours.
But that's just the beginning - there are more exciting posts to come to help you glow in the colours that are truly yours! You can stay informed by subscribing to updates here.