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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