The Colour Wheel

Our Summer 2016 issue is all about beauty. In her piece on oncology esthetics, Morag Currin gives estheticians working with clients undergoing cancer treatment advise about using the colour wheel to find the best palette to suit their client. Whether you’re an esthetician or spa therapist helping a client look good, or you’re doing your makeup at home, you can use the colour wheel to enhance your beauty routine.

Here’s how it works:

1. Grab a hand mirror and try to identify the dominant colour of the iris of your eye
2. Find your iris colour on the colour wheel
3. The colour swatch that sits directly opposite your iris colour is your complementary colour. Example: if your dominant iris colour is blue, your complementary colour will be orange.
4. Once you’ve identified your complementary colour, have fun with it! By all means, wear orange if your eyes are blue, or try out warm orange-inspired shades like coral and peach.