MANILA, Philippines – Ever stumbled upon those viral TikTok clips of tourists heading to South Korea to get color-matched by color analysis experts? Clients are seated in front of a mirror while different swatches of colored fabric are placed against their skin to find their perfect color matches. Color me curious as well!

I can understand the need to find your personal set of colors – I’m sure I’m not the only indecisive girly who’s stood in front of retail shelves, wondering which color top won’t wash me out. I’ve spent too much time at drugstores swatching on multiple concealers and blushes to find the shades that “seem” to work best for my skin’s unknown undertone.

This is where the art of color analysis comes to play – a fascinating world where science meets style. By unlocking a palette of color possibilities, this can help hue get to know your colors (and yourself) better! Thankfully, a trip to South Korea is not needed for this – certified color analyst Enzo Villacorta of Color Match is here to bring more color into his client’s lives, helping them embrace their personal rainbow, one shade at a time.

No shade – just love

Inspired by the K-beauty trend taking Seoul by storm and his hunger for creativity, Enzo – who started in theater, marketing, and branding, and is now in beauty content creation – trained under the Korean Standard Color System in South Korea in 2023 and brought his learnings to Metro Manila shortly after.

Needing to fulfill his creative drive and apply his many learned skills, Enzo realized that a lot of his interests gravitated towards telling stories. “I realized how important and underrated the role of colors plays in our lives,” he said.

A color analysis session will tell you which shades can bring out more life in you, and which ones don’t necessarily do you much justice. No shade thrown here, just the truth and a sense of empowerment to explore and play with color in your daily wardrobe, makeup looks, and even personal space. Plus, it’s a fun and in-depth learning experience that you can apply forever!

“My philosophy when it comes to personal color analysis is that we shouldn’t be adjusting to colors. People often think that color analysis is about restricting yourself on what you should and shouldn’t wear – but I see it more as using colors to your advantage,” Enzo said.

“If a client likes a certain color that doesn’t complement them so much, I’ll try to find a way to incorporate it into their wardrobe.”

Color analysis relies mostly on the principles of color theory and the science of human perception. Every individual has undertones in their skin that are usually either warm, cool, or neutral. These undertones interact differently with various colors, affecting how they appear against the skin. And it’s not just skin tone – the process also considers your eye color, hair color, and even personal image to determine the most flattering shades for you.

“My color analysis method is like a guide. I can’t dictate what you’re going to wear, but I can tell you why certain colors affect you a certain way. That way, you’re able to be more intentional and mindful when picking out colors,” Enzo said.

Are hue ready for this?

Every color analysis experience is deeply personal, and Enzo fosters a warm, non-judgmental, and intimate atmosphere where insightful conversations are encouraged. Think of it like a personal puzzle, where every pigment is a piece, and Enzo helps you find each piece and arrange them accordingly.

My session began with Enzo casually running me through what to expect for the next two hours. I was tasked to answer a personal info sheet – alongside a serving of tea and cookies – on my personal color preferences and personal image.

“A lot of people really think that it’s simply being told what they should and shouldn’t wear, so I like to set the tone early during my sessions,” Enzo said, making sure to inform his clients that sometimes cameras don’t always capture what we’re seeing in real life, so sometimes the changes we see in person aren’t always the same on camera.

The next step – which may be one of the most crucial – was finding out my undertone through a nifty skin-analyzing device, which helps Enzo compute the amount of redness and yellowness present in your skin, which determines the undertone.

After 30 years of existence, I finally found out that I was a cool-toned chick, and not the warm-toned woman I thought I was! This explained a lot, like why certain concealers weren’t covering my dark circles as well, or why I always gravitated towards pink shades of lipsticks and blush.

“People with deeper skin tones are told to only wear dark colors, people that are more fair are told that pastels suit them best— which isn’t always the case,” Enzo said as he proceeded to explain the basics of color analysis, color theory, and even the set of colors associated with the “personal image” I chose about myself (I chose spring, which shows “tender, “delicate,” “soft,” and “sensitive” pastel shades). I say: ACCURATE.

Now onto the main event: the draping! I was led to a fully set-up room with a long table of different fabric swatches laid out, a beauty mirror, chair, and a phone stand for time-lapse video-taking. Enzo’s fabrics and materials are all sourced from Korea, and the lights are specifically timplado according to science to showcase your real skin, Enzo says, which is why online consultations for color analysis aren’t advisable.

After tying my hair back and removing my makeup, I donned a white cape and let the colors do the talking!

Swatch and learn

The overall draping session typically lasts an hour – Enzo really took his going through every shade with me and its effect on my skin, while also answering my questions. At the beginning, Enzo instructed me to focus only on the apple of my face – the center area of my nose, cheeks, and undereyes – whenever a fabric is draped against my skin. Instantly and amazingly, I could see the impact of color on my skin!

The shades are categorized by seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter – and according to strength: soft, vivid, deep, dull, pale, and whitish. We went through each shade meticulously, and I could really see how two shades that look almost the same made a difference.

Some colors noticeably brought out the natural redness in my face, while others helped diminish it. Deeper and dull shades made my undereyes darker, while the lighter, more pale shades made my skin look more filtered and clear, even. Some brought upon a dullness, while other shades evened out my complexion. It was fascinating to see for myself!

We even did a makeup analysis, where Enzo “drapes” lipstick and blush shades to match, as well as hair colors (warm-toned and dark browns work well, apparently). The last part was the jewelry analysis, which was so helpful – apparently, I am not a silver girly, but a gold and rose gold one.

At the end of the session, I felt validated, affirmed, and excited to maximize my newfound colorful discoveries! Through Enzo’s work, we discovered that Summer Whitish shades work best for me – nudes, creams, pastel pinks, lavender, baby blue, pale yellows and greens – which are already the colors I love the most and have in my wardrobe. Included as well were Spring Pale and Autumn Soft shades.

I was also surprised to find out that Winter Vivid shades work on me too, which I’ve always discredited for being too dark and bold for myself. This then gave me the nudge to add new colors to my closet and inch out of my comfort zone with bright red, yellows, and royal blues!

My best colors were those of “high value and low-med chroma,” and as for monochromatic colors, white and light gray were my best friends. Enzo’s makeup recommendations are also extensive and very useful – he suggested a green primer/corrector for excessive redness, and even gave my K-standard foundation number of 20, as well as specific beauty brands and products.

Everything is visually presented in your own color board, and his makeup suggestions are also presented after your session. For me, spring colors are best (warm, corals, and peaches). He even checked out my makeup pouch and analyzed each beauty item, letting me know if the current concealer, cheek tint, or tinted lip balm I’m using are working for me.

“Color analysis isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of thing. When done right — it’s really such a personalized process, and in some ways it’s also very intimate,” Enzo said.

“It’s a really great feeling when I see people realize how good certain colors look on them. Growing up in the Philippines, I think a lot of people were taught to view colors in a somewhat stereotypical manner. That said, a lot of my previous clients have mentioned how good of an investment it was to do color analysis with me. Some of them even sent me updates on how they apply their personal colors, and it’s really such a wonderful feeling to see them looking so confident and happy,” Enzo added.

Admittedly, some clients come out more confused than excited – a lifetime of thinking black is your color can suddenly be challenged in just an hour, and some panic over the thought of overhauling their entire wardrobe. But that’s okay! It is a learning process, and as Enzo said, there is “no bad color” – it’s just about guiding you towards more coordinated color choices that reflect your best and most confident self better. Embrace the versatility!

Enzo’s Color Match packages cost P6,000 for the Basic Analysis, which includes the skin tone analysis and finding out your best and secondary colors. The Full Color Analysis (P8,000) includes makeup, hair, and accessory colors. You can also make your own package by choosing what to add to the basic analysis (ex. Basic Analysis + Makeup colors).

I can agree wholeheartedly that a color analysis session is a worth-it investment, especially if you’ve always been curious to try it out or are just looking for new ways to amp up your style. It’s an eye-opening and exciting experience that you will be able to carry with you your whole life – the knowledge you gain from Enzo is timeless and practical, and you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the vast world of color around us. And hey, it gives you an excuse to buy new clothes and makeup! – Rappler.com

You can check out Color Match by Enzo Villacorta on his Instagram page.