This week I had my colours done, an unusual turn of phrase for those not familiar with colour analysis.

I hadn’t until very recently, but upon discovering the dedicated service Colours by Eleanor in Walthamstow I booked myself in for what would be a fascinating consultation.

Eleanor Mitchell, 36, is a qualified colour analyst, meaning she is able to tell you which colours make you look best and those that don’t do you any favours.

She explains: “I work with your skin, hair and eye colours and match them to your best colours for clothes and make up. This saves time and money shopping while ensuring you always look great.”

Elenor told me how before she had her colours done seven-years-ago she wore mostly black and silver, but was then told neither worked for her. In a much more brutal fashion, her colourist came to her home and divided her wardrobe colours into the good and bad and Eleanor wasn’t left with much.

She says: “I couldn’t afford to replace everything but quickly worked out how a couple of new items and accessories could make a big difference. So I began experimenting and loved the transformation in my appearance. I no longer looked washed out from the wrong colours and felt confident. Amazingly everything went together too!

“Life changes often alter the way you dress as you have to adapt to practical challenges and the impression you make on people. Starting a new family, a new job, recovering from illness, break up of a relationship all have an impact on your confidence. Knowing my colours helped me deal with these changes ensuring that, despite no sleep and the ups and downs of life, I felt I was looking my best at work and elsewhere.”

The consultation includes your full analysis, make up application and prescription, as well as style and make up tips for your colours and body shape. You leave with a set of swatches that match you best and full knowledge of ‘your colours’.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

The consultation begins by ascertaining what your ‘dominant’ colouring is. There are six categories that everybody will fit into: soft, deep, light, warm, cool and clear.

I am a ‘soft’, meaning the colouring of my face and hair blend together with no stark contrasting colours, but I am not overly pale.

This instantly tells Eleanor a set of colours that will suit me, and the next step is to find out what shades.

With a white gown (similar to what you wear at the hairdressers) wrapped around me I sat in front of a mirror as Eleanor placed ‘cool’ and ‘warm’ shades of the same colour across me, as she looked for changes in my face.

She explained that when you wear the wrong colour, your eyes are drawn to the colour prior to a person’s face because something is instinctively not right. Whereas when you are wearing your colours, people will be drawn to your face as it will be lit up and your eyes will pop.

Sound naff? Well trust me, it is true.

Sometimes it isn’t so easy to tell, but with some shades I could see the blue in my eyes bursting out while other made my skin look sallow and blemishes were more evident.

So now we know that I am both ‘soft’ and ‘warm’, but am I light or dark?

My wardrobe consists mostly of black, and while Eleanor informed me this colour isn’t one of mine, I was hugely relived to know that dark colours suit me best. Had she told me light colours I would have been bereft, if not dubious of the process.

Of course light colours suit me as well, but Eleanor explained how to combine the lighter colours together with dark warm ones and seeing them side by side, with the darkness giving extra edge, I was instantly less resistant.

We then went through make up and which colours worked best on my face, something I was very receptive to as I wear little to no makeup day-today.

She put a moss green eyeliner on me, with brown mascara and a cooper lipstick and I was stunned (if I don’t say so myself). I have always been wary of makeup and colour, believing neither suited me that well. Turns out I just needed to get my colours right.

I will definitely be investing in a few more beauty items and adding a little colour to my face, for special occasions at least.

It is going to take me a while to let go of my mostly black wardrobe, if I ever do at all, but I am keen to pick up some more colourful items the next time I go clothes shopping and slowly incorporate more and more into my style.

Eleanor is offering readers a 10 per cent discount. She conducts consultations from her studio in Walthamstow and can travel to you. Details: 07891 136 851, eleanormitchell.com