How do you perceive yourself? Do you don rose tinted glasses that leave a flowery finish? Or do you look at yourself under a magnifying glass, picking at the healing scabs and emotional scars that make up your quirks? From clay tablets containing meticulously carved symbols, to MBTI and colour analysis tests, human identity extends back to prehistoric years, and is still a popular discussion topic today.
Identity’s claim to fame is its versatility. It can be a powerful tool to be welded in many different ways, but it is also a journey of discovering who you really are as an individual.
For some, identity is a platform for self expression. For the unheard to be heard, and for the misunderstood to be understood. It serves as a platform for individuals to showcase their unique traits, as well as their background and story. For others, it can also be a mode of self discovery. Exploring trends or behavioural patterns which they associate with can allow them to further understand the way they act. An increased sense of self-awareness thus allows them to rationalise and process their feelings with greater understanding.
Social identity: MBTI test
One of the prominent aspects of our identity is our social identity. Social identity encompasses our character, as well as how we interact with and complement others. Recognising your personal strengths, weaknesses and work ethic allow you to make more conscious and beneficial decisions, and possibly allow you perceive yourself in a different light. One such way to enunciate our social identity is the MBTI test.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test, is a free personality test which has rose to fame in recent years. Typically in the form of a questionnaire, the questions in the test seek to understand the way individual users react to different situations, providing options which show to what extent they agree or disagree with the given prompt. In this way, the MBTI test aids self assessment by assigning the user a numerical value to 4 different categories, and further assigning them 1 of 16 personality types which have been derived from their answers. Some popular MBTI tests online include 16personalities and Truity Typefinder.
General characteristics of the 4 categories include:
(E/I): Extraversion/Introversion: Extroverts tend to gravitate towards other people and gain energy by being around others, while introverts tend to recharge by spending time alone and prefer to stay at home.
(S/N): Sensing people tend to observe facts and data and adopt a more practical way of thinking, while Intuitive people tend to look for deeper meanings in data and adopt a more abstract way of thinking.
(T/F): Thinkers tend to follow their head when it comes to important decisions, while Feelers tend to follow their heart, and are more influenced by their emotions when it comes to important decisions.
(J/P): Judgement-oriented people tend to plan ahead and are more structured, while perceiving-oriented people tend to act more spontaneously and prefer to adapt to situations instead of planning for them.
By combining one letter each from the 4 categories, users are able to derive their 4-letter personality type. (ie. ISTP, ENFJ) For the various personality types, an abundance of information is available online to identify what personality traits and work ethics are associated with specific personality types. Thus, individuals are able to relate with each other and become more self aware.
The MBTI test’s rise to fame can trace back to Korea, where it’s popularity first surged domestically before taking the rest of the world by storm. Due to it’s unrestrictive nature, people have recognised it as a harmless way to categorise people by their personalities, and thus find individuals with shared experiences worldwide. Derivatives of the original MBTI test have popped up to accommodate the MBTI fever which has infected the world.
Some feature extensions which analyse how one’s personality type can affect their compatibility with other personality types, while others include specialised questions which cater to certain aspects of social identity, such as personal growth.
Physical Identity
Apart from the social aspect of our sense of identity, another crucial dimension is how we express ourselves physically. As we embark on our journey of self discovery, we can also use our physical appearance to articulate our distinct personalities and quirks. Whether through our fashion choices, accessories, hairstyles, or other means, our outward appearance can be effectively used to convey our sense of self.
Yet, it can be daunting to find out what best suits our features when we first begin to figure out our own personal style. If you find yourself in this predicament, fret not. Ever heard of the Korean Colour Analysis, which recently rose in popularity after being publicised by celebrities like Blackpink’s Jisoo? Here’s an explanation of what it is, and how it can help you take a step to understand your physical features and refine your personal style better.
What is Personal Colour Analysis?
Personal colour analysis involves analysing our natural skin tones to find out our most harmonious colours. The most common method is to use the 12 season colour system. The 4 main seasons — Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter are further divided into three categories each based on their temperature, value and chroma. This is called the “Flow Seasonal Theory”, as it considers that there are transitions between the colour palettes of the seasons.
Typically, colour analysts start with working out your daily personal colour palette. This is done by draping different fabric swatches onto you and analysing its reflection on your skin. Certain colours can make you look more washed out and tired, or even bring out the oiliness and redness of your skin. Interestingly, even different tones and hues of the same colour can have varying effects on your complexion.
By the end of the colour draping, you will be able to find out if you are naturally warm or cool toned, your personal seasonal palette and best colours, as well as the most suitable palette from each of the other three seasons. In addition, the colour analyst will recommend the makeup palettes, colour of jewellery, and hair colour that best compliments your skin.
Personal Experience
Previously, I was clueless on whether I was warm or cool toned, and preferred wearing “safe”, neutral colours like black and white. I was also unsure which makeup shades were suitable for my skin tone, and simply picked them based on my personal preferences. Hence, I jumped on the bandwagon and booked a colour analysis session at Cocory Personal Colour during my trip to Seoul, Korea.
The colour analyst was very patient and took the time to explain to me the theory of colour analysis, while elaborating on how certain colours were more flattering on me. I turned out to be a Summer Pale while leaning towards being cool-toned, with my personal best colour being powder blue. Something I found really helpful was to avoid darker shades of grey to look more energetic. I was also recommended to follow the Winter Vivid makeup palette to appear more professional in a formal setting.
After the session, I still wear colours I personally prefer, such as brown, even if it is technically not the most flattering colour on me. However, I do keep the results in mind and have stepped out of my comfort zone to wear the brighter colours recommended for me.
Here are the results you can expect to receive after the session:
Value of Colour Analysis
All in all, a personal colour analysis session can be an extremely enlightening experience. Our personal best colours could be totally different from the colours we typically gravitate towards. It can also push us to experiment with different colours, as many of us can tend to have largely achromatic wardrobes. Hence, it is largely worth the time and money if you are looking to enhance your physical features and personal style, which can be incredibly beneficial in boosting your self-esteem.
However, keep in mind that the results of a colour analysis definitely do not have to be strictly followed. It is unrealistic and impractical to completely switch up your wardrobe based on one colour analysis alone. Moreover, we should not force ourselves to wear colours we personally dislike just because it appears to suit our features better. At the end of the day, it is all about understanding your features better, which could potentially help you feel more confident in styling yourself.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, both MBTI and colour analysis tests generally give us greater insight into our sense of identiy. Though they are not definitive, they can serve as starting points for self-reflection and personal improvement as we navigate through our sense of identity. Even if we end up disregarding the results, they are harmless and certainly worth a shot. As with any popular trend, it could simply be a fun experience that does not have to be taken seriously.
Thanks for reading
Written by: Heidi and Megan
Edited by: Alicia and Sarah
Designed by: Cayden
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