- 12 hours ago
This week on For a Living, color analysis expert and Yoni Color Studio founder Sarah Shim shows Gloss Angeles co-hosts Sara Tan, Refinery29 Beauty Director, and Kirbie Johnson, red carpet reporter and beauty and entertainment insider, how personalized color analysis works. Together, they explore how different tones enhance natural features—and what their results reveal. Plus, Sarah shares how she turned her love of color theory into a full-time career. Watch the full episode to see their reactions and learn how color analysis can transform your approach to beauty.
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For A Living documents extraordinary women thriving within unique careers. From the salary they earn to the most unexpected task they perform at work, we learn the ins and outs of life for these women dominating in their field.
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Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
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ABOUT SERIES
For A Living documents extraordinary women thriving within unique careers. From the salary they earn to the most unexpected task they perform at work, we learn the ins and outs of life for these women dominating in their field.
ABOUT REFINERY29
Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29
Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29
Follow Yoni Color Studio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonicolorstudio/?hl=en
Follow Sara Tan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saratan/?hl=en
Follow Kirbie Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirbiejohnson/?hl=en
Follow Gloss Angeles on Instagram:
Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/
Follow Somos on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29somos/
Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00My name is Sarah Shim. I'm 27, and I'm a color analysis expert for a living.
00:05I got my color analysis done in 2017 when it was trending in Korea,
00:09and the results were absolutely shocking.
00:13It was completely opposite of what I thought and what I had been wearing at the time.
00:17I just got so mesmerized, and that's how I started my journey in color analysis.
00:27For my full-time job, I'm a buying analyst at a fashion company.
00:32Yoni Color Studio started more as a passion project for me.
00:35The name Yoni is actually a nickname from my Korean name, which is Hyeyeon,
00:39and my best friend always calls me Yoni.
00:41Creating a space where we get to share what we love has always been a dream for both of us,
00:45and before starting my studio, we were chatting, and my friend just said,
00:49if you open your studio, you should call it Yoni Studio, and it just stuck like that.
00:53It's definitely a space where I get to share more creative and expressive side of me,
00:58so that's how it became Yoni Color Studio.
01:00Color analysis has been around since the 80s.
01:04It started becoming popular again on social media as Korean culture got more popular.
01:08A lot of US tourists would visit Korea and get their color analysis done,
01:12so I thought it just made sense for there to be a studio in LA too.
01:15Thankfully, that's how I got fully booked since the first month of opening my studio too.
01:20Nice to meet you, I'm Sarah.
01:21Hi, I'm Kirby.
01:22Once my clients come in for the session, there's two parts to our consultations.
01:27I start with a short intro, and then we go straight into the draping process.
01:31Have you heard of like warm tones, cool tones, undertones?
01:33Yes.
01:34Warm tones are the colors that have yellow as the base color,
01:37and cool tones have blue as the base color.
01:39So after we look at the undertones, we'll look at saturation, brightness, and chroma.
01:44So we'll see if we like more softer colors on you or more vivid colors.
01:48And we'll see brightness to see if we like darker colors or brighter colors on you.
01:52And chroma is the clarity of color.
01:54So we'll see if we like more muted dull colors or more clear and sharp colors like Barbie pink or
01:59emerald green.
02:00This is the chart we're going to use to find your palette.
02:03Oh wow.
02:03And we'll find one best circle for you.
02:06Oh, and each of these different seasons.
02:08Wow.
02:09Spring and summer share white as the base color.
02:11You know like in art class when you like add more white in the paint, the color gets brighter.
02:15Yeah, so that's basically what it is.
02:17And summer and autumn share gray as the base color, and they're the muted palettes.
02:22And autumn and winter share black as the base colors.
02:26So there's deep autumn and dark winter palette.
02:28Which palette do you think you usually gravitate towards the most?
02:31Probably this one for me.
02:33I think I probably go more towards these shades.
02:36I've seen you a lot of like in these colors on your podcast.
02:40Yeah.
02:40I feel like we don't really match.
02:44You know, we want to express our own personalities and it always works anyways.
02:50You know, we're a good match regardless.
02:52So, but it would be fun to know, you know, what our complimentary colors would be.
02:57Who wants to go first?
02:58I will.
02:59When I do the draping, I prefer to do it separately on each client.
03:03But when we review results, I prefer to do it all together.
03:06Because when you understand other people's palettes, it's easier to understand yours too.
03:11We're going to start with spring colors and summer colors to start undertones first.
03:15So these are warm tones and cool tones.
03:17And if you see right below your eyes and right under your chin,
03:20you can see cool tone brings a little more purplish grayness out a little bit more.
03:24And then in warm tones, you can see the shadows get a little softer.
03:27If you see on your cheekbones too, warm tone brings a little more glow on the high points of your
03:31face.
03:32And cool tone takes the glow away.
03:34The draping process is where I get to see multiple colors on my client to find the color palette that
03:39best enhances our client's features.
03:41And the second part of the session is more focused on reviewing the results.
03:46So that's where we go over some makeup and clothing recommendations based on our client's best palette.
03:51Cool and warm. And you can see warm tones a lot more lively.
03:55Yeah.
03:56And cool tone gets a little too harsh on you.
03:58Overall, I like warm tones a little more.
04:00Okay.
04:00So we'll compare spring and autumn to see what type of warm tone you are.
04:04Okay.
04:05Growing up, my dad was an engineer. My mom was a teacher.
04:08So I wasn't really exposed to very many industries other than more like traditional STEM industries.
04:14Well, I actually studied biochemistry at UCLA to become a doctor.
04:18But it was actually while I was in school when I realized a job is not a title.
04:23It's something that you have to live every day.
04:25I remember one day I just sat in front of my laptop and searched online what kind of jobs are
04:30out there and what can I really do consistently.
04:33You don't have to get certified to legally become a color analysis consultant in the United States.
04:39But I decided to get certified in Korea.
04:41I trained for a month in color theory and then participated in about 20 sessions with actual color analysis expert
04:49and the clients.
04:50And also did the 20 to 30 minute presentation on my studies too.
04:55After I learned color analysis and got my certificate, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to start my own
05:01space.
05:01As I met more clients, that's when it became an actual business.
05:05The clear colors do bring a little more grayness out compared to muted autumn, which evens out your skin tone
05:09a little bit.
05:10And overall, the powdery colors do make it look a little more sophisticated.
05:14So when we look at medium saturations from spring and autumn, you can see spring.
05:19It brings a little more redness out.
05:21And here too you can see muted autumn.
05:23Evens out your skin tone makes it look a little more smooth.
05:25So I'm leaning a lot more towards autumn.
05:26In Korea, beauty standards are a lot more strict.
05:30So clients are fine with the consultants telling them what to do.
05:33It makes it easier for them.
05:35But here in the US, there are more diverse trends.
05:38So I try to give more flexibility to my clients.
05:41Balancing the science behind color theory and the emotions my clients could have with colors is really where my role
05:49comes in.
05:49I always make sure to explain technically why the best palette is the best palette for my client.
05:55But even if a color is technically flattering on them,
05:58if my clients don't feel happy in those colors or if they don't feel like themselves, that's what really matters.
06:04I've had clients who were not happy with their palettes for sure.
06:07I always explain to my clients color analysis and best palette is nothing more than just a tool for them
06:13to utilize to shape how they want to feel or shape their identity.
06:17When you really open up your mind, that's when you can really see how colors affect on you.
06:22I think that's when the consultation becomes more empowering than just informative too.
06:27Since you don't have any color in your hair, we don't have to cover your hair and we'll just go
06:30straight into draping.
06:31So these are warm spring pinks on you with yellow as the base color and cool summer.
06:36Which one do you like more?
06:38I prefer the warm I think.
06:39Warm does feel a little softer on you.
06:41Because Kirby and Sarah come from a little bit of different background and culture,
06:45it's easy to mistake that they'll have completely opposite color palettes, but it's really not the case.
06:51And that's what really makes color analysis experience so unique and fun for each person.
06:56So when we look at low saturation and high saturation, you can see low saturation washes you out a little
07:01too much.
07:02High saturation makes your features look a lot sharper and more defined.
07:05So I definitely like more colors on you.
07:08The biggest challenge I have as someone who has a full-time job and also a side business is definitely
07:14managing time and my energy.
07:16I want to make sure I have energy and be ready to meet my clients when I have appointments.
07:21And I also want to make sure I'm giving my 100% at my full-time job.
07:25So I try to section out my day as much as I can.
07:28In the morning, on weekdays, that's usually when I have time to handle more administrative stuff for my business,
07:33like emails and finances.
07:35After work on weekdays in the evening is usually when I have time for more creative work for my content.
07:41And on weekends, that's when I have the most appointments with my clients and any events for color analysis.
07:47My revenue streams for this business come from client sessions and pop-up events.
07:53Client sessions can range from $140 to $250 per person depending on the type of consultations.
08:00And pop-ups are more by hourly rate.
08:03The rates can vary from $400 an hour to $1,000 an hour depending on the size and type of
08:08the event.
08:09Darker, deeper, black-based colors flow a lot more harmoniously into you, if you see your back.
08:15Compared to the spring color, which pops a little bit and makes your neck look a little more pale.
08:19Great.
08:19Compared to the black-based.
08:20Yeah, I feel like these two are my favorite colors.
08:24This is like a little more pop-up color and this is a little more like nighttime.
08:27Here are your result cards.
08:29You're both autumn.
08:30Yay!
08:32Kirby, your best palette was muted autumn soft.
08:34Your second best palette was muted autumn dull.
08:36Try to stay on more like brighter softer side of autumn.
08:39And for Sarah, your best palette was deep autumn.
08:42Second best was strong autumn.
08:43So we like richer, bolder, vibrant colors from autumn on you.
08:47So for Los Angeles events, you can go for more dusty pink, salmon pink, peach pink, or even dusty rose.
08:53And for Sarah, you can go for more coral pink, more vibrant pink, or even red.
08:58You guys are both autumn, so there will be a lot of overlapping colors too.
09:01So it'll be fun to match.
09:04Great, thank you so much.
09:06Of course.
09:06Thank you, Sarah.
09:07I can show you some fashion and makeup recommendations based on your color palette.
09:12Yeah, let's do it.
09:12I'll show you some celebrities in your palette.
09:14When Sarah and Kirby first came in, or when I just saw them on Los Angeles, I actually knew they
09:20were going to be a similar palette.
09:21They're both autumn, so they're in the similar bigger group, but their palettes within autumn are actually the opposite.
09:27When I work with celebrities or influencers, I feel like there is a little less pressure on me because I've
09:33seen them in so many different outfits and colors.
09:35So I kind of have an idea of what group they would fall under.
09:39I created the deck based on what I would've wanted to see in my first color analysis consultation.
09:45My first color analysis was in Korea, and it was a lot more scientific and technical.
09:50So it was hard for me to really apply those colors in my everyday life.
09:54I try to provide more practical examples for my clients.
09:58So my deck includes some color theory, celebrity examples, makeup inspiration, fashion inspiration, and actual fashion styles.
10:06I try to incorporate as much trends as I can.
10:10I hope Yoni Color Studio empowers my clients.
10:13I get so many positive feedback from my clients.
10:16They would email me telling me it really transformed their life.
10:20It's crazy how impactful these sessions can be.
10:23For Kirby, I think her results were a little more surprising to her than it was for Sarah.
10:28Because she's so used to wearing stronger colors or darker colors, but her best palette was more softer, unmuted pastels.
10:35And for Sarah, I think it was easier for her to accept the palette because she feels comfortable wearing those
10:41deeper, bold colors from Autumn.
10:43Can you send this over to us?
10:45I will, I will.
10:46So we know what we're doing.
10:48Thank you so much.
10:50I hope it was fun.
10:51Yeah, it was.
10:51We learned a lot.
10:53There are times when I feel the pressure to scale up my business, but I always try to go back
10:59to why I started and keep grounded.
11:02It's definitely not just about profits.
11:04It's more about providing a space for me to express what I want to express and giving my clients the
11:10time and space to learn about themselves.
11:13For anyone who's interested in starting a color analysis business, I would say don't compare yourself to other people.
11:20Don't look at numbers too much and just do it your way.
11:23These sessions can be a lot more emotional than you think and you're not just there to give them the
11:29numbers and data.
11:30You're there to consult them and hear their stories.
11:33So be more open-minded, be positive and thoughtful.
11:38To learn more about color analysis, check out my page at Yoni Color Studio on Instagram and TikTok.
11:44To watch more videos like this, subscribe here.
11:47Make sure to make it.
11:50You
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