The Colorimetry Kit

Technical cloths and diagnostic metals

The fundamental arsenal of an image consultant is centered on the color diagnostic kit.

This set of tools is not a simple swatchbook of cloths, but calibrated precision instruments.

The centerpieces are the metallized cloths: the gold lamé (which should have a warm, rich tone, avoiding greenish or pale golds) and the silver lamé (which should be a bright, cool silver).

These act as master reflectors to determine the client's basal temperature in the first few seconds of the session.

In addition to the metals, the professional kit includes sets of comparative cloths for contrast and value.

An optical white (bluish) and a cream or ivory white cloth are essential for refining the temperature diagnosis.

Also, "witness" or critical colored cloths, such as a pure orange and a vibrant fuchsia or magenta, are used to break doubtful cases.

For advanced 12-season diagnostics, sets of cloths representing specific ranges (soft, bright, dark, light) are used, allowing visualization of how the skin reacts to color saturation and depth, beyond just temperature.

Elements of visual neutralization

The accuracy of the test depends on the assessor's ability to isolate the face from any external chromatic interference. To do this, neutralization tools are essential.

If the client's hair is colored with a color that does not correspond to its nature or is distracting (such as a fantasy red or rusty blonde), it must be completely covered.

Wide elastic bands, headbands or turbans in medium gray or neutral white are used to hide the hairline and leave only the facial oval exposed.

Similarly, the client's clothing should be visually "erased".

For this, a neutral gray (preferably an N5 gray on the Munsell scale) or white hairdresser's cape or wide bib is used, covering the shoulders and chest.

This prevents the color of the client's blouse or shirt from reflecting on the chin or altering the consultant's perception by simultaneous contrast.

Affordable and homemade alternatives

For the professional who is just starting out and cannot yet invest in expensive imported kits, there are functional alternatives that respect the logic of color.

You can use scraps of fabric bought in textile stores, provided you have a trained eye to choose the right shades (a real warm gold, a cool silver).

Even in casual or practice situations, you can resort to non-textile materials that serve the function of reflecting light, such as metallic stationery cardstock, the backs of high-quality g