We used this ChatGPT hack to get our color analysis — for free!

Are you a summer? Or perhaps a winter?

No, I’m not asking you about your preferred season. I’m talking about color analysis – the latest TikTok phenomenon that might just change the way you get dressed in the morning.

Born from the hyper-personalized K-Beauty industry, the concept has quickly spread westward, driven by viral clips of Korean influencers discovering their ideal color palette.

One video of fashion influencer Lyn Jiang getting her analysis done in Seoul by a famed color consultant has a staggering 42 million views, and one of Aussie travel blogger Xixi Liu has 18 million and documents her travels to Korea to get the same service done.

For those who don’t have a couple of grand spares to make an international pilgrimage to find your “true colors”, you’ll be glad to know that specialized studios have been popping up down under, such as AEGI.Lab in Sydney and Colour Analysis in Melbourne.

However, it still won’t come cheap, with sessions costing $229 ($149 USD) and $400 ($260 USD) respectively for individual sessions.

What is color analysis and is it worth the price tag?

So, if you’re considering spending that amount of cash, you’re probably wondering what you’ll actually get out of it.

In summary, color analysis operates on the concept that each person’s natural features—like skin tone, eye color, and hair color—align with a specific season.

Each season has a tailored palette of clothing colors, makeup shades, nail colors and even jewelry that promise to suit you the most and enhance your natural beauty.

So, for fashion and beauty enthusiasts, the steep price for a bespoke consultation is justified, given you receive recommendations that can inform future purchases. It’s also proved popular among people going through life changes, such as women trying to grow out their greys who feel they need to embrace a new colour palette to match.

But, if that’s not you, and you’re still curious to find your colors, don’t worry, you still can! For free!

Thanks to the advent of tech tools like Snapchat filters, dedicated apps and AI platforms, the exclusive and covetable service is now accessible to everyone. And as a self-confessed fashion obsessive on a budget, you bet I was keen to try them before forking out hundreds at the fancy salons.

I set out wanting to see if an online tool could offer the same result as an in-person one-to-one session, so I tested out the ChatGPT approach with two of my colleagues.

Here are our results, our thoughts, and whether we’re convinced enough to swap out our wardrobes based on its advice.

How to use the ChatGPT hack see also The toughest reservation in NYC? Spending hundreds to be told what colors you should wear

There are plenty of TikTok videos that explain how to use ChatGPT for color analysis, like this one, but for your average person, it still seems a little complicated. You have to take a selfie, use Photoshop to get the exact hex code of your hair, skin, and eyes, and then upload those codes to ChatGPT to get your analysis.

But I found an easier hack, because what the heck are hex codes?!

Once you create a free account in ChatGPT, you’ll see a button on the left that says ‘Explore GPTs’. Once you click it, you’ll be taken to a massive marketplace of ‘GPTs’, which are basically customized versions of ChatGPT that people have created for specific purposes.

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Due to the hype around color analysis at the moment, there are hundreds of ready-made tools to choose from that will tell you which season you are and give you your personalized recommendations.

I chose the top one, called ColorBot, because all you have to do is upload a selfie (think boring passport photo) and it will spit out HEAPS of detail, including your season and ideal clothing colours. You can then ask it hyper-specific questions back, like ‘What color should I dye my hair?’ or ‘Which clothing stores suit my palette the best?’.

That’s literally it!

Time to give it a whirl.

Leah

Leah’s thoughts before getting her analysis:

“My wardrobe is rather boring, and I know it because I always gravitate towards colours that I know will be able to suit ‘everything’.

“Black, white, and beige are my go-to’s normally, but I do get a lot of comments when I throw in the occasional mustard, so I won’t be surprised if that comes up in my recommended colors!

“I don’t know if that’s because it’s my color or because it’s a color I don’t normally wear that makes people notice it more.”

Leah’s results:

“Looking at your photo, I’d place you in the Autumn category. You have a warm and rich quality to your features which is characteristic of Autumn types. Your personal palette would include earthy tones, deep warm colors, and some golden hues.

Clothes:

Here’s what colors would work well for you:

1. Olive Green (Pantone 18-0527 TCX Capulet Olive)
2. Golden Yellow (Pantone 15-1050 TCX Spectra Yellow)
3. Burnt Orange (Pantone 16-1448 TCX Autumn Maple)
4. Tomato Red (Pantone 18-1662 TCX Tomato)

For shopping, check out stores like Anthropologie or Banana Republic.

Makeup:

• Eyeshadows: Embrace earth tones like warm browns, olives, golds, and rich oranges.
• Blush: Peach or a coral-toned blush.
• Lipstick: Warm shades like terracotta, peach, coral, or warm muted reds.

Celebrities:

Autumn celebrities include Jennifer Lopez, Ana de Armas, and Drew Barrymore.”

Leah’s thoughts after analysis:

“I always knew I was up there with JLo! To be honest, though, I’m a little disappointed because I have always worn these colours anyway, so why am I not a supermodel already?

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“Interesting about the mention of tomato red – not sure how comfortable I would be in that colour, but I’ll give it a go. I only really need one compliment and I’ll do it again – with anything I do! ha.”

Em

Thoughts before analysis:

“ I tend to go with a lot of neutral colors – black, brown, grey, navy, etc. mostly for ease.

“However I was just saying this morning I need to get more experimental with color! I have one bright coral work shirt and I always get compliments… I need to be braver!

“Colours that do NOT suit me are like camels, mustards, some kinds of rust or beige – they wash me out.”

Em’s results:

“You exhibit qualities of the Spring color palette. Your warm, light hair and the bright, warm undertones of your skin suggest you’d look best in clear, warm colors that reflect the freshness of Spring.

Clothes:

Here’s a color palette tailored for you:

1. Coral (Pantone 16-1546 TCX Living Coral)
2. Turquoise (Pantone 15-5519 TCX Turquoise)
3. Sky Blue (Pantone 14-4313 TCX Airy Blue)
4. Camel (Pantone 16-1310 TCX Warm Sand)

You might enjoy shopping at stores like J.Crew or Madewell.

Makeup:

• Eyeliner: A warm brown or bronze eyeliner will be less harsh than black and complement your warm tones.
• Mascara: A warm brown mascara would complement your eyes well.

Nail Colour:

For a Spring, something like Lavender will harmonize with your natural coloring.

Celebrities:

Some notable Springs include Blake Lively, Hayden Panettiere, Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, and Charlize Theron.”

Em’s thoughts after analysis:

“A lot of this actually seemed pretty spot on – I laughed about the coral recommendation (no wonder that work shirt always gets comments!) but the camel thing is way off – it’s actually that kind of beige-y colour that makes me look dead. Also, I am intrigued that Nicole Kidman shares my colour palette – that doesn’t seem right to me?

“I felt like I already adhered to most of that makeup advice—it took me until my thirties to discover brown eyeliner (I know, I know), and I haven’t looked back. I haven’t used brown mascara, however—I would be keen to give that a try!

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“This has definitely encouraged me to branch out with my color choices. Turquoise here we come!”

El

El’s thoughts before analysis:

“ My wardrobe is filled with neutrals, as I’m trying to build a capsule wardrobe, so there are lots of blacks, whites, navys, and charcoals.

“I usually inject some color through my dresses, typically reaching for olive green and deep reds in winter and bright orange, hot pink, and pastel yellows in summer, as I think they suit me when I have a tan.”

El’s results:

I’d say you fall into the Winter color palette. Your features have a striking contrast which is characteristic of the Winter type.

Clothes:

1. True White (Pantone White)
2. Cobalt Blue (Pantone 2747C)
3. Ruby Red (Pantone 19-1664 TPX True Red)
4. Pine Green (Pantone 19-5414 TCX Pineneedle)

For shopping, check out brands like Zara, Uniqlo, or H&M online.

Makeup:

• Eyeshadows: Jewel tones like sapphire blue, emerald green, or amethyst purple can really make your eyes pop. For a more subdued look, try icy pink or silver.
• Blush: Opt for a cool pink or a minimal touch of plum to accentuate your cheekbones.

Hair color:

1. Jet Black: If you want to go bold, jet black can enhance the natural contrast of your features.
2. Cool Dark Brown: A deep, cool brown is less intense than black but still harmonizes with the Winter palette.

Jewelry:

Your jewelry should ideally reflect the cool undertones of your palette, so opt for silver.

Celebrities:

Winter celebrities include Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway and Jon Hamm.”

El’s thoughts after analysis:

“It’s great to know I’m on the right track with some things, like the dark greens and reds for clothes, but there were still some surprises. Cobalt blue?! Unsure. I won’t knock it until I try it, though.

“I also love all the makeup recommendations. I’m thinking I might start with a light pink blush and work my way up to purple eyeliner, because, baby steps. “In terms of the hair suggestions, they definitely reflect my experience as I went blonde last year (gotta try it once!), and it was the worst decision. It totally washed me out, so it’s reassuring to know that there’s a reason behind that, and it has nothing to do with me personally not being able to pull it off! Lol.

“The major revelation from all of this, though, is the silver jewelry thing because all of my jewelry is gold. I always thought this was a no-brainer but apparently, I have to chuck it all out now! Just maybe not my gold engagement ring!

“One final thought… I love how they said my celebrity color palette doppelganger was Jon Hamm. Look, I’m not offended – the man is fiiiiiine. And kudos for ChatGPT for not assuming my gender! Points all round.”

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