Matching a Color From Memory

Ever since trying the Dior lipstick, I've been thinking lipstick and lip coloring products (read: fooling around with a few formulas). Not long ago I jumped into the lab to give a few ideas a whirl and here's what came out: a lip pencil, lipstick and tinted lip balm.

The lip pencil turned out best with great texture and just the right amount of color to do a proper job. The lipstick was less successful – it turned out a bit too dry-feeling for my liking. The tinted balm was a total fail – it wasn't nearly 'balm-like' enough. I will be reformulating both the lipstick and balm.

As for the Color...

The one thing I am pretty pleased with is the color. I used the same color in all three products. I was aiming to recreate the Dior color no longer available to me, so it was a 'mixing from memory' job.

Sharpening Your Color Memory

Some people have great color memory – but it isn't necessarily something you're born with. It is actually possible to hone your color memory skills. If you practice at it (and make it fun for yourself), you'll be a color memory wiz before you know it. Being able to match a shade is obviously a great asset for mixing color make-up, but color-matching prowess has additional benefits – think shopping for clothes, furniture, accessories, etc.

Want to give it a try?

Rule One: Make it Fun 

Make it a habit to give yourself different 'color-remembering tasks'. For example: study, then put a color swatch of something you want to remember in your bag or pocket before going out for a walk (or shopping) and don't bring it out to check until you are certain you have found the right match. You may find that some colors are much easier for you to remember than others. I was pleased to discover that I had a bit of a knack for reds, oranges and browns, but was a bit less confident with purples, blues and greens.

When you can spot a sweater while shopping and know it will match that dress you have at home – and nail it every time – then you are a color memory master. I'm not quite a master yet, but definitely getting there (I nail the sweater thing almost every time).

Back to the Lipstick

After I finished making the lip products, I pulled out the photo I had taken – just for comparative purposes.



And here they are side by side. It's not a perfect color match, but if you take into consideration that it had been several weeks since I had seen the lipstick, it's not too terribly far off.



Do Tell

Do you have good color memory?

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