Barbelles Opens its Doors in Franklin
This summer I spent two Saturdays at Barbelles Strength & Fitness, Franklin's new women-only private strength club, for their soft opening on May 2nd and their grand opening on June 13th.
Toni, the founder of Barbelles, reached out through a referral about bringing color analysis to her opening events, and I was excited to say yes.
In the Chair
At both events I offered mini color analysis sessions. Each guest sat down for a tailored mini color analysis session to find their main color season. I saw around 8 guests at each event, and every one of them left with a better sense of the shades that work best for them.
Coffee, Perfume, and a Tour
Both events brought together a lineup of vendors, including a coffee bar, a perfume bar, and wellness offerings. Guests could also tour the club and see the space for themselves.
A big thank you to Toni and the Barbelles team for having me, and to everyone who stopped by for a session.
A Club Built for Women
Toni started Barbelles after seeing how often women felt out of place or overwhelmed in weight training spaces. The result is a private, women-only club where lifting feels welcoming instead of intimidating.
Every detail is considered, from the spa-inspired locker room to the members' lounge and sauna. If you're in Franklin and want to build strength in a space designed for women, it's worth booking a tour.
Gorgeous natural lighting for a day of mini color analysis sessions.
Can AI Find Your Colors? My Honest Take
AI color analysis is everywhere right now. Upload a selfie, and within seconds you're told you're a Soft Autumn or a Bright Winter. I understand the appeal. It's quick, it's easy, and it's fun to play with.
But as someone who analyzes color in person for a living, I'll be direct. AI is not a serious way to find your colors.
What AI actually sees
AI looks at the surface of your skin. That's your overtone, the color people notice at first glance. Fair, olive, rosy, tan, deep.
Your undertone is something else entirely. It sits beneath the surface, and it's what decides whether warm or cool, soft or clear colors work in your favor. Overtone and undertone don't always line up, and that gap is exactly where AI gets it wrong. It reads the surface and guesses the rest.
Color analysis is about how your skin reacts
When I place a drape under a client's face, I'm not looking at the fabric. I'm watching the skin respond to it.
The right color evens out the complexion and brings the face forward. The wrong one can deepen shadows, pull up redness, or leave skin looking sallow or gray. These shifts are subtle, and they happen right in front of you as each color goes up. That reaction is what tells me someone's undertone. An algorithm reading a single photo isn't seeing it.
Why a trained eye matters
Seeing undertone takes training and a lot of practice. I trained with the Italian Image Institute as well as Colour Analysis Studio, and every client I've draped since has sharpened my eye. After hundreds of real sessions with real faces, I notice things that don't show up on the surface. That kind of judgment doesn't come from an app. It comes from experience.
In my opinion, a trained human eye is the only reliable way to determine a person's undertone.
So is AI useless?
Not entirely. It's an interesting place to start. If an AI result gets you curious about color, that's great. Just don't rebuild your wardrobe or your makeup bag around it. Treat it as a conversation starter, not an answer.
What about online color analysis?
This is a fair question, especially since I'll be offering online sessions starting in late 2026. The difference is who is doing the looking. With my online sessions, I personally review your photos and assess the skin nuances that AI can't catch. Years of experience and many in-person sessions are what make that possible. It's still a human eye, just from a distance.
Find your colors the right way
If you're in the Nashville, Brentwood, or Franklin area, book an in-person session and let's see how your skin responds to color firsthand. If you're farther away, stay in touch for online color analysis in the near future.
Finding Fall Colors at Favorite Daughter in 12 South
On Thursday, September 24th, I spent the evening at Favorite Daughter in 12 South for an in-store event.
The Favorite Daughter team reached out about hosting a color analysis pop-up as part of the evening, and I was excited to say yes. I got to work alongside Tiffany Gifford, a celebrity stylist based in Nashville. Drinks were served and a DJ kept the energy up all evening.
The experience
For this event I offered mini color analysis sessions. Instead of walking each guest through their full season, we focused on one thing: the Favorite Daughter fall arrivals.
The collection is full of rich autumn tones. Cognac brown, chocolate brown, charcoal, navy, black, deep eggplant purple to name a few. On the rack, these shades all feel like they belong to the same fall mood. On a person, they can look completely different. Navy might brighten the face while brown flattens it. Cognac might warm someone up while black overpowers them.
I worked with guests to find the shades in that collection that suited them best, and they loved discovering several colors that truly worked for them.
Worth the wait
I saw roughly 20 guests, and some waited in line for almost two hours for their session. To everyone who waited, thank you. Your patience meant so much to me. And a big thank you to the Favorite Daughter team for having me.
Why I love 12 South
If you haven't spent an afternoon in 12 South, put it on your list. The neighborhood is lively and youthful, with tons of restaurants, boutiques, and coffee spots all within a short walk. Favorite Daughter sits right next to La La Land, so it's the perfect place to grab a coffee before you shop.
Planning a brand activation or pop-up?
If you're a brand or boutique looking for an in-store activation or pop-up that gives guests something personal to take home, I'd love to hear from you. Color analysis gets people talking, trying things on, and looking at a collection in a new way.
I also bring color analysis to corporate events, conferences, and private parties. Email me at krystina@thechromaticstyle.com to talk about your event or find me on Instagram, @thechromaticstyle