Dressing Your Truth Experiment: How Do You Reflect Light?

If you've been reading my recent posts, you have learned about how I'm doing this new DIY makeover called "Dressing Your Truth." You can sign up here.

In "Dressing Your Truth," Carol Tuttle talks about the four "energies" that make up human personality. In other news, I watched an episode of "Cosmos" about the light spectrum and how different elements reflect light with unique spectral patterns. This made me wonder about the four energies as they translate into elements (gas, liquid, fire, earth) and I wondered, "What is my spectral pattern and how do I physically reflect light?"

I'm a big nerd and I wonder these kinds of things. . .

Here is an example of how Carol's daughter, Anne, looks as the four types. It's a little hard to tell her energy type simply because she is young and can get away with more (which is why magazines always show-case clothes on teenage models). She looks to be faking the 1,3, and 4 looks--making them look "off" on purpose, because she looks so beautiful and comfortable as a Type 2. Notice how her skin tone looks too pink as a 1,3, and 4. Notice also how the background in the 2 picture is distinctly different from the rest. She reflects light best as a 2.

Here is an example of how Carol Tuttle herself reflects light. She is older than her daughter (as all mothers are!), and you can really start to tell how uncomfortable she is as any other type besides a 3. It almost looks like she is trying to make the types 1,2, and 4 look bad, but she isn't. That's just how her Type 3 energy "shines." Notice how her skin looks washed out in every picture except the third one. Notice also the backgrounds. The 1 and 3 looks have the highest contrast for her face because she is a higher energy, but she reflects light best as a 3.

(Disclaimer: If you view these on an iPhone, the pictures may be out of order. The "Type 4" picture is the one of me in the black dress.) Lest you write this off as a gimmick done with high tech camera tricks, I decided to do my own experiment. I took all these pictures after a full day of work with the same lighting and flash and no digital touchups whatsoever. All these pictures were the first picture taken. Furthermore, my Type 4 picture was taken after an hour long massage (lying face-down!) with absolutely no makeup touch ups except lipstick. Not even blotting.

Isn't it freaky how all three of the first pictures have a similar background, but the fourth is warmer? I look very grey in the first three pictures, but my skin looks alive in the fourth picture. You can't really see my facial features except in the fourth picture. I also look thinnest in the fourth picture, even though that dress is very baggy. One of the weirdest things I noticed is how frizzy my hair looks in the first three pictures. I honestly did the LEAST amount of touchup or planning for the fourth picture (my face is a little shiny as a result), yet that is the one that looks the best. That's one of the perks of "Dressing Your Truth: Effortlessness.

Also, I am making a similar face in all four above, but I just look awkward in the first three. I didn't even realize that till after. Let's examine that "face" phenomenon for a second. I went back after taking these pictures and tried retaking them with more expression pushed through to see what difference it would make. Here are the first two looks with more effort put into my smile:

It took a lot of effort to try to make my eyes and whole face more "smiley" to support what I was wearing. If I had to keep that up all day, I would be exhausted after an hour. 

Okay, so. . .I hope this helps to show you that when you aren't "Dressing Your Truth" looking good takes way more effort with way less payoff.

How do you reflect light? Start doing some experiments at home. You will surprise yourself!

The End