There is more to this issue, too, that I am just puzzling out. Maybe looking for the colors present in the skin is about looking for the subtle hues present (the melanin and hemoglobin), rather than the main color created by all of them together (which works with ev’s example).

Another example: last night my hero was wearing a dark burgundy shirt. It brought out a pink/red in his coloring that one would never notice if he weren’t wearing the shirt (and was very flattering). Alternatively, he looks good in a medium warm brown also, because it’s the same as his melanin color (freckles). No color “system” would put those two colors on the same person.

And I do think contrast is important, I just haven’t been able to quantify how it works well enough to explain it. Here’s my previous attempt: http://betweenmypeers.com/2007/09/10/using-contrast-with-the-personal-color-palette/

Thanks again, both of you, for contributing to the discussion!

As an example: I like my dark brown hair, and by wearing dark brown trousers or shoes instead of black, I bring out the colour of my hair. I bring out the chesnut of my eyes by wearing something lush green.
I do however have rosacea which makes my complexion look pinkish. I don’t want to highlight that, so I don’t wear pink (or I’ll look all pink). However, I wear red, becaus it makes my skin look not-so-flushed, and blue.