Hi, I’m Karley Ziegler Mott, founder of The Authentic Palette. After nearly 30 years in the beauty industry — as a makeup artist, educator, and writer — I’ve learned that color is so much more than warm vs. cool or “Spring” vs. “Winter.” It’s personal, powerful, and uniquely yours.

I created The Authentic Palette because I wanted a more modern, inclusive way to approach color analysis — one that celebrates all people. My method embraces the full spectrum of beauty: people of color, people rocking pink hair or blue hair, members of the trans and nonbinary community, and anyone who’s ever felt unseen in traditional beauty spaces. Every face deserves to be reflected in its most authentic light.

While I offer traditional color analysis, my true passion — and my specialty — is creating custom makeup shopping guides designed around your unique coloring. These guides take the stress out of makeup shopping by helping you find your perfect shades — the ones that make you look radiant and feel like you.

Because at the heart of The Authentic Palette is this belief: color analysis isn’t about fitting into a box. It’s about self-expression, confidence, and celebrating every version of beauty — including yours.