Which Season Are You? Seasonal Color Analysis and Why It Matters
Have you ever opened your closet to a rainbow array of colors and thought, well, it’s going to be black pants today, I guess? We have all fallen victim to closet color overload, where our clothing feels incapable of being mixed and matched, and just doesn’t even seem to look good on us. Well, here’s where seasonal color analysis can help you out.
Seasonal color analysis is a system that takes our skin tone, natural eye tone, and hair color and formulates the best color palette for us based on those factors.
Seasonal color analysis is based on three main color dimensions, which we will go over more indepthly but for now just know that they are hue, value, and chroma. The goal of finding your seasonal color is to match those same color qualities in your clothes and makeup. This allows for a strong color base to let your best features shine.
It’s honestly one of the biggest ways to have a style glow-up.
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How do you determine your season?
Seasonal color analysis is broken up into three main color dimensions, let’s dig into what they actually mean.
Hue: Hue is defined as being warm or cool. This means that the undertone of your skin either harmonizes with warm colors or with cool colors. Now, 75% of the world’s population is neutral/warm or neutral/cool. So things can get tricky, and this is why draping fabric (which we will get into) is the only surefire way to determine your undertone or hue. When a hue is warm it has yellow added to it. When it is cool it has blue added.
Value: How light or dark a color is (or how much white or black is added). When white is added to a color it creates tints. And when black is added it creates shades.
Chroma: Chroma measures how muted or bright a color is. If you think about a pure pigment that is straight from a bottle it has a high chroma. When you add gray to a color it softens it and creates a tone. Autumns and Summers are muted, whereas Winters and Springs are bright.
These three color dimensions are naturally found in coloring, with color analysis we are aiming to find where they fall and match those dimensions in the colors we wear.
Seasonal color theory is based on Munsell Color. And the below chart may help you understand how these three dimensions work together. If you change one part of the color (hue, value, or chroma) all the dimensions shift.
Now, it may seem like I’m going on and on about color theory, and you just want to know what season you are in… But this understanding is crucial to not only determine your seasonal color placement but also how to use it in your daily style.
So when you determine your color palette, essentially you want to be able to “spot” and buy those colors in real life. Paint mixing is great exercise to try if you want to learn more about color theory. But for now, just know that “hue” is the pure pigment. When white (or sometimes yellow) is added it becomes a tint. When gray is added, we are softening the color and it becomes a tone. And when black is added it becomes a shade. The next section will discuss where each of these types of colors are within each of the 4 main seasons.
Overview of Seasonal Color Palette Dimensions
Below you can see some visuals of the types of colors found in each season. This should help you get a feel for the overall season’s influence. But, don’t jump to any conclusions just yet. Just because you don’t like “olive green” doesn’t mean you can’t be an Autumn
Seasonal Color History: Where did this even come from?
Albert Henry Munsell who invented the Munsell Color theory had a huge impact on what we know today as Seasonal Color Analysis. His books are still used today to teach color theory and understanding to practically every art student. Ultimately, his system is a three-dimensional model that organizes colors based on hue, value, and chroma (ahh, remember what you just read!). These parameters would eventually be the base of seasonal color placement that we know today.
The concept of color analysis was furthered by a Swiss artist and teacher named Johannes Itten, who was a painter and teacher at the Bauhaus School in Germany.
As he observed his student’s work and color choices he came to realize that certain colors complimented the landscapes best. He divided them into categories from this observation: Separating colors by yellow-based or blue-based, and then further dividing them by bright and soft.
Then we have Robert Dorr. He was an artist who started to realize that people could look quite different based on the color they wore and he was prompted to explore the concept of “undertone”. He eventually consulted the medical community to find that we do have a layer under the skin that can either be yellow or blue. He created the concept of “warm” versus “cool using the color draping of skin response to “orange” and “magenta” respectively.
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Carole Jackson was a color consultant who popularized the concept of seasonal color analysis with her book “Color Me Beautiful” in the early 1980s. The book categorized individuals into one of four colors “seasons” based on their skin tone, hair color, and eye color. These seasons were Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, and each was associated with a specific color palette.
Jackson’s book was groundbreaking in that it provided an easy-to-use system for individuals to determine which colors worked best for them. The book became a bestseller and sparked a trend in color analysis that has continued to this day.
If you want to read her book, you can find it here. While her approach might seem outdated to many modern color analysts, it’s a nice overview of how color impacts your style and the general traits of each main season. However, how she “determines” seasonal color is no longer used by analysts today.
And in the 1980s we also have Suzanne Caygill with “Color: The Essence of You”. The book offered a more detailed and nuanced approach to color analysis, with a focus on the psychological and spiritual aspects of color.
Her system had sub-seasons (unlike Jackson’s) and she focused on understanding color harmonies.
- the key to Spring is Clarity
- the key to Summer is Mutation
- the key to Autumn is Tonation
- The key to Winter is Contrast
Her system included sub-seasons like Early Spring, Golden Spring, Floral Spring, Vital Spring, Iridescent Summer, Jewel tone and Rose Summer, Twilight and Dusky Summer, Metallic Autumn, Tawny Autumn, Bronze and Mellow Autumn, Classic and Soft Winter, Patrician Winter, Dynamic Winter, and Exotic Winter. Check out her book here, if you want to know more.
And if you’ve ever googled “seasonal color analysis” today, you probably know there are many many updated iterations and systems that you can choose from.
Some people focus on 16 seasons, others on “wow” colors, and some even offer personalized color harmonies.
Does anyone else have flashbacks of their mom trying to properly categorize them when they were a teen? No, just me. Well, I plan to give you some easier-to-digest resources on how to determine your seasonal color.
Undertone Confusion!
Ok, undertone confusion is really no joke. Because in the past, we’ve been told that if you tan you are warm, if you’re pale you are cool.
Enter in the argument of well, it’s because you’re looking at the OVERTONE of the skin… Ok, Jan.
So yes we have undertones and overtones to our skin, but any practicing color analyst doesn’t really worry about the difference between them. Because in Sci-Art (the system I’m trained in) and many others, the only thing we are paying attention to is how does our skin react to the color. You can’t just “guess” your way to your season…
You can be a tan Summer season or pale Bright Spring (cough, cough, me…)
So you can’t jump to the conclusion that since you’re pale you’re automatically cool. It will be an expensive wardrobe pivot (trust me, I know!).
related: the kibbe system explained
Determing Your Seasonal Color: The Options
Determing your seasonal palette is very tricky to do on your own. If you’re committed to DIY-ing it, I suggest you learn as much as you possibly can from trusted sources and begin exploring different palettes. This will also mean that you really need to understand color theory.
The MOST reliable way to find your seasonal color palette is to do color draping. This is examining how your skin reacts to color. I have an ULTIMATE guide on how to DIY your season, here.
Or you can hire a professional (like me!) to do in-person color analysis. If you choose to hire a color consultant make sure that you like the way they explain things, you like the results they get, and you understand and prefer the system they use. There are many different color certification systems.
For instance, I was certified in the 12 Blueprints Sci-Art system. A few others include House of Color and The International Image Institute.
The benefits of in-person analysis is that you can ask questions and visually SEE what the colors are doing to your skin. You should walk out of there with absolutely no doubts about your placement.
What about Online Color Analysis?
Most online color analysis is not really reliable. There are a few very skilled analysts that have been doing this for decades, and have very strict photo requirements that help them get accurate results.
But overall, someone you hire on fiver is not going to give you an accurate result most likely. Save your money.
TikTok Filters: Yay or Nay?
Nope, half of the palettes they use are not accurate. And they do not show the reactions to the skin. Especially when you have a full face of makeup on and it’s an edited picture. This will just not lead you to your season.
Plus, if you’re planning to really pivot your wardrobe based on this information, we want it to be right!
The Silver vs. Gold Test
So gold vs. silver can be a helpful test, but a small piece of jewelry really won’t cut it. A small delicate bracelet or ring is not going to have enough of an obvious reaction.
If you have large pieces of metallic fabric in gold and silver you could try that. But, you must also keep in mind that certain seasons will have variations of gold vs. silver. For instance, autumn does better with more antiqued gold or hammered gold, so neither traditional gold or silver may be obviously right or wrong. And neutral leaning seasons may be able to pull off some golds and some silvers. So, it’s not a definitive test.
You can see in the above metallic draping that the golds are much better for me than the silvers (I’m a verified sci-art Bright Spring). You can see that the hair cap stays the same color in each photo so the white balance is consistent, and yet in the pure silver, I look very sallow and flat.
Magenta Vs. Orange Test
In natural light, with no makeup drape yourself with bright orange and then magenta fabric. Take photos of each.
Now, even if you haven’t trained your eye yet, this color test/draping will help. Both of these photos were taken with no makeup, natural light, and with the same camera settings. Please note you need to use a cool-toned pink like magenta, if you use a salmon pink you are essentially just comparing two warm colors.
This can be an initial place to start… but it’s not always easy to tell and you have to be really consistent with the photos. If the your camera is adjusting the colors, check out my DIY guide for tips. Or just try it in a mirror instead of taking photos.
Here are some other color tests to determine your undertone:
How NOT to Determine Your Seasonal Color
Your veins and whether you tan/burn do not dictate whether you or cool or warm. This has been debunked. You can have green veins and be cool. You can be tan and be a Summer season. Forget about it 😉
Sometimes people try lipstick “drapes” to determine their season. I find this method unreliable. It becomes difficult to even place the original lipstick color into a season, so even if you find one you like you get stuck at “well, now what?”. And some people have naturally very pigmented lips which changes the color of the lipstick when it’s applied. Add in different textures affecting our perception of the color, and you’ve made this even more complicated.
Seasonal Color Basics
Let’s get a better feel for what each of the seasons palettes feel and look like. But remember it’s a spectrum even within the 12 color palettes.
There are two cool seasons
- WINTER
- SUMMER
There are two warm seasons
- SPRING
- AUTUMN
Here is how they break down in terms of hair and eye color.
Winter Hair and Eyes
Winter seasons have cool undertones, dark hair, vibrant eyes, and high contrast between their skin, eyes, and hair. But they don’t always look like Snow White. They have a regalness and confidence about them and they would look at home in the Alaskan mountains with purple skies above.
If you think you might be a winter, check out my winter seasonal color overview, here.
Summer Hair and Eyes
Summer seasons have cool undertones, but typically have more muted hair and eye colors. While they have some contrast between their skin tone and their hair/eyes it is much more moderate than in the winter seasons. They feel like fresh cut roses in a garden. There’s a beautiful ethereal quality to the summer seasons.
If you think you might be a summer, check out my summer seasonal color overview here.
Autumn Hair and Eyes
Autumn seasons have warm undertones, with dark hair and dark eyes. They do not have high or even moderate contrast between their skin, eyes, and hair, but rather create a soft blend between all three features. There’s a beautiful harvest quality to their coloring. As if they belong in a fall forest.
If you think you might be an Autumn, check out my Autumn Seasonal color overview, here.
Spring Hair and Eyes
Spring seasons have warm undertones but lighter hair and eyes. They can still have dark features (skin, hair, or eyes). But they shine in bright warm colors that remind you of tropical beaches and warm golden sunsets.
If you think you might be a Spring, check out my Seasonal Color Spring Overview, here.
The Landscapes of the Seasons
Here’s a little image to see some of the visual landscapes one might associate with each of the 12 color seasons.
You can notice how each of the example faces feels like they harmonize with the landscape. The colors and feels of these natural landscapes reflect their respective palette.
Here’s a landscape only version:
Help, I don’t fit into any of these seasons!
There are 4 main seasons, as we have discussed. But that is not where the seasonal analysis ends. In order to expand upon all the options, they went further and broke it down into 12 main seasonal analysis options.
It starts with your undertone/hue (warm or cool), then goes onto value (light or deep), and then into chroma (clear or muted).
Once we take into consideration all three categories, we have 12 main options. This will help you choose the most flattering colors for your unique season, and guide you toward an easy palette to choose from.
It does not mean you “can’t” wear certain colors. But instead, it is about picking colors with your correct undertone to more easily flatter your complexion.
related: seasonal capsule wardrobes for all 12 color palettes
12 Seasonal Color Analysis
The circle chart will give you a basic idea of what looks and colors we are associating with each of the 12 options.
Now, let’s go over each of the 12 seasonal color palettes and what characteristics they have.
Are all people of color Autumns and Winters?
Absolutely not! The following examples of hair/skin/eyes are to get a feel for each season and their holistic look. But, color analysis has evolved immensely over the past several decades and draping has been refined so that any ethnicity can be accurately determined.
I try to give a variety of examples here and in the individual guides of how varied each season can appear. But, don’t feel pigeon-holed into those two seasons.
WINTER Season Color Palettes
True Winter (sometimes called Cool Winter)
True Winters often have the following characteristics. But remember draping is the only way to be sure. So take the following color guidelines as a very generalized baseline. Because not every True Winter will look like Snow White.
Hair: Ashybrown, black brown or black with blue undertones, silver, occassionally there are blondes
Eyes: Blue, gray, violet, light brown, icy hazel, clear brown, black/brown
Skin: very pale beige, pale beige, pale olive, rosy beige, black (no golden hues)
Best colors: Primary colors, pure pigments, fully saturated
Worst colors: golden and brown hues, warm soft tones
Hue: Cool
Value: Medium
Chroma: Medium High
Cool winters have high contrast between their hair, skin tone, and eyes. They look best in icy colors and cool colors. Avoid warm-toned colors for the most flattering pairings. Pastels all also generally avoided and in their place, you should go for icier colors instead (high saturation + white). Darker values can work well for the cool winters, so long as they have a cool undertone.
Cool Winter Celebrities: Liv Tyler, Marian Cotillard, Jennifer Connelly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brook Shields
Bright Winter (also called Clear Winter)
Bright winters can have the following characteristics. But remember that we measure “brightness” by how the fabric drapes react. Can you undertone shine with these “bright” colors? It doesn’t automatically make you look like a super high contrast, brighter than everyone else in the room person. In real life, even the “bright” seasons look relatively normal.
In Sci-Art we believe there are red-headed winters and that there are some red-headed Bright Winters with bright red hair and sparkling eyes.. However, other systems will put all redheads in warm seasons. This is the importance of knowing the system that your future analysts uses!
Skin: Cool undertones and light olive complexions
Hair: Medium brown to black with blue or ashy tints and potentially bright red.
Eyes: Striking eyes (almost jewel-like) are a signature of the clear winter. Bright blue, green, clear gray hazel, and a rich brown.
Best Colors: Vivid hues with cool undertones, intense pigments, icy colors
Worst colors: dusty and muted tones, warmer shades
Hue: Cool/Neutral
Value: Medium
Chroma: High
Bright winters have high contrast between their skin tone and hair and have striking clear eyes. They are most commonly found with darker hair shades like medium to dark brown but can have lighter hair if it has a cool undertone. They look best in vivid hues that have cool undertones, like icy colors or intense pigment colors. They are a neutral season so they can pull off some highly saturated slightly warm colors as well. They should generally avoid dusty tones, or muted colors.
Clear Winter Celebrities: Megan Fox, Ziyi Zhang, Courtney Cox, Camila Mendes, and Krysten Ritter
Dark Winter (also called Deep Winter)
Deep winters have the following characteristics:
Skin: Olive undertones or deep cool undertones
Hair: Medium to dark brown, black, silver gray
Eyes: dark hazel, dark brown, black
Best Colors: High-saturation colors and rich primary colors, pure pigments
Worst Colors: earthy tones, warm nudes, and warm browns, oranges and yellows
Hue: Cool/Neutral
Value: Deep
Chroma: Leans towards bright and clear
Deep winters have a rich and high-contrast feel. Their skin tones are not purely cool and could even be considered more neutral. Olive complexions are also included in this. They have dark eyes and dark hair. They look best in high saturation colors and rich primary colors or pure pigments. They should avoid earthy tones, warm nudes, or warm-toned browns, oranges, and yellows.
Deep Winter Celebrities: Anne Hathaway, Viola Davis, Archie Panjabi, and Monica Belluci
SUMMER season color palettes
Light Summer
The Light Summer color palette embodies the fresh, cool, and soft hues reminiscent of early summer mornings. The colors in this palette are primarily cool and are characterized by a blend of Summer’s softness and a touch of Spring’s warmth. They are described as the uplifting, enchanting, and even princess-like. The palette includes shades like soft emerald greens, light turquoise, and light blues, along with neutral tones such as rose taupe and grayed blues.
Light Summers most dominant characteristic is their value level of light (or high if you’re referencing the Munsell Color chart). This means their colors need to be light in value first and foremost and their hue and chroma levels are a bit less important. This does not mean you don’t get a range of neutrals or you only get pastels. Every palette will have a full hue range and wardrobe range.
I want to note that while there are certain general stereotypes for each season, especially the light seasons, the reality of each season is very expansive. Any race or color combination could be a light summer. This would ultimately be determined in an in-person draping consultation that would decide if neutral/cool, light value, and medium chroma colors suit you best.
Skin: Neutral undertone with a possible rosy hint.
Hair: Light to medium ash blonde, light ash brown
Eyes: light gray, light blue, medium blue, light green (blue hue)
Worst Colors: The worst colors for Light Summer are those that are too warm, dark, or intense. These include deep oranges, earthy browns, and vivid, fiery reds. Such colors can overwhelm the delicate balance of the light summer person, making the overall look harsh or dull, rather than soft and harmonious.
Hue: Cool/Neutral
Value: Light
Chroma: Medium
A Light Summer person exudes a gentle, serene, and approachable presence. They are often seen as calm and soothing, with a natural elegance that doesn’t demand attention but rather invites it. Their vibe is light and airy, like a refreshing breeze on a warm day, bringing a sense of ease and tranquility to those around them. They tend to have a subtle charm, often characterized by soft features and cool, clear coloring.
Light Summer is characterized by cool leaning colors with a touch of warmth coming from Spring, making it lighter and more delicate than the cooler, more muted True Summer, and cooler and softer than the warmer, clearer Light Spring. While True Summer leans towards more muted and subdued hues, and Light Spring features warmer, more vibrant tones, Light Summer strikes a balance with its fresh, airy, and softly bright palette. Light Summer feels like a soft rainbow, and instead of yellow permeating colors (like in spring), you’re going to find drops of summer blue creeping into each hue.
Light summer celebrities: Elle Fanning, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michelle Pfieffer, Amanda Seyfried
Soft Summer
Soft Summers are the shaded side of the summer season so they are muted but have Soft Autumn on one side so we see a bit of warmth creeping in. Your color palette ranges from light stone to charcoal. Compared to Deep Winter, they can handle less depth and saturation, but Soft Summer handles the deepest summer colors of the Summer seasons. Soft summers can have the following characteristics.
Skin: Light to medium beige, light brown with neutral undertones
Hair: Light to medium brown (ash blond tint)
Eyes: Gray, Blue, Hazel, Brown
Best Colors: Soft, muted hues, in the cooler color family
Worst Colors: Neons, rich clear colors
Hue: Cool/Neutral
Value: Medium
Chroma: Soft
Soft summers have neutral undertones or blue undertones with a pink tint. They can also have brown skin tones that have a neutral undertone. Their hair colors are in the light-to-medium brown color family with ash blond highlights or tints. Soft summers have low contrast between their eyes, hair, and skin. They look best in soft and muted hues that are more subtle (usually in the cooler color family). They should generally avoid clear colors that are neon or especially rich, which tends to overwhelm their complexions subtlety.
They have a floatiness quality to their coloring as if they might drift away. We can imagine a foggy morning with soft lavender skies and soft gray clouds rolling over the water. They look otherworldly in colors like muted merlot, softened grape, and dusty blues.
Soft Summers can look tan. The concept of if you tan you are warm-toned is incorrect.
Soft Summer celebrities: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cara Delevingne, Ellen Pompei, Jennifer Aniston, and Rihanna
Cool Summer
Cool summers have the following characteristics:
Skin: Cool undertones that generally range from medium beige to dark cool brown
Hair: Medium to dark brown with ashy undertones
Eyes: gray, blue, slate
Best Colors: Cool hues that are medium to dark in tone
Worst Colors: warm tones, earthy shades, especially warm yellows
Hue: Cool
Value: Medium
Chroma: slightly leans towards soft/muted
True summers have cool or blue undertones to all three characteristics (skin, hair, and eyes). They often have cool or neutral skin tones with grey, blue or slate eyes. Their hair tones are ashy in nature and range from medium to dark brown (not black). They look best in cool hues that are medium and sometimes dark in the color palette. Their color palette is muted with blue-pink undertones but does not have the shaded quality of Soft Summer. They should avoid warm tones, especially yellow-toned hues or earthy warm shades.
True Summer’s most important characteristic is “hue”, which is cool and represented in the “true” part of their name. Both sister seasons (soft summer and light summer) are also cool-based. So True Summers will not be getting any warmth in the palette. They still get colors like yellow and red in their palette, but they will be created with a blue base, not a yellow one.
True Summers are like English roses in a beautiful garden. They have a delicate presence and a tranquil feel to their look.
Cool Summer Celebrities: Kate Middleton, Allison Williams, Emily Blunt, and Emily Deschanel
SPRING season color palette
Light Spring
Light springs have the following characteristics:
Skin: fair skin with pink or peachy undertones, may tan, freckles are common. This does not exclude women of color from being Light Spring, as draping fabrics is (again) the only true way to determine your seasonal color palette.
Hair: Light to medium gold blonde and brown, sometimes strawberry blonde. Dark hair is possible!
Eyes: Blue, green, hazel, or light soft brown
Best Colors: Light, warm, clear colors
Worst Colors: Dark, overpowering colors
Hue: Warm/Neutral
Value: Light
Chroma: Medium
Light Spring is a delicate blend of Spring’s warmth and clarity with a touch of Summer’s softness, creating a palette full of bright pastels and sun-kissed hues. Picture a serene orchard at dawn, where blossoms glow in the soft morning light—this is the essence of Light Spring. The colors are primarily warm-neutral, with a light to medium value range, and exhibit a medium-high saturation. While not as vivid as True Spring, Light Spring’s palette is filled with fresh, lively colors that maintain a sunny, warm glow.
The palette stays close to the sunny, joyful side of Spring but is tempered by Summer’s cooling influence, creating a perfect balance. Light Spring’s colors include clear pastels like chamomile tea yellow, light coral, and posy pink, often described as the “dessert” colors due to their creamy and soft appearance. When wearing the Light Spring palette, the result is luminous and effortlessly playful, inviting a tranquil but radiant energy.
But if you prefer an edgier look, have no fear because every palette has its own version of “lights”, “brights”, “neutrals”, and “darks”.
Light Spring Celebrities: Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Amanda Seyfried, Bill Gates, Alicia Keys
Bright Spring {also called Clear Spring}
Bright Springs has a very wide spectrum of possibilities. You will find redheads, brunettes, and blondes. Similarly, you will find people with my coloring (pale brunettes) that are Bright Spring. We tend to think of Bright Springs as tan, glowing beach goddesses with bright green eyes, but the reality is much more expansive.
People can be hesitant to type themselves as a Bright Spring because they don’t feel “bright” enough. They think I don’t “glow” more than anyone else I know. But that’s the thing, we all look like normal people out in the world. Bright Springs just shine when they are in their colors, just like every other season.
So if you don’t feel like a golden goddess, that doesn’t preclude this as a potential season option.
The palette feels intense when you look at it with lots of jello colors and tropical imagery, but don’t feel intimidated. There are neutrals in every palette and how you use the palette is up to you!
In my bright spring journey I was very scared of these colors at first, but now I love them! I have finally found a great pop color lip that makes me shine.
Skin: Porcelain, milky white to golden brown, tans easily
Hair: Golden light to dark brown hair, can include copper or auburn tones
Eyes: Bright, clear eye colors. Blue, green, and light brown
Best Colors: Saturated, warm hues and bright colors
Worst Colors: Nudes, dusty-muted pastels
Hue: Warm/Neutral
Value: Medium
Chroma: Clear, bright
Bright springs have a wide range of skin tones, from pale to golden brown and black. Their hair colors range from blonde to medium and dark brown and can include some red or copper highlights. Their eye range often has a mix of colors in it with blue, green, brown, and topaz being common. They look best in saturated, warm hues. Generally, they should avoid nudes and muted/dusty pastels as it will wash them out. Bright Springs are high-contrast compared to the rest of the spring family, which lets them embrace bright colors easily.
And they also border Bright Winter so they have a bit more coolness seeping into their palette than True Spring.
Clear Spring Celebrities: Mila Jovovich, Jessica Pare, Emmy Rossum, Kerry Washington, Rose McGowan, Emma Stone, Ni Ni, and Michelle Dockery
True Spring (also called Warm Spring)
Warm springs have the following characteristics (generally speaking, but remember that fabric draping is how we determine a season first and foremost).
Skin: Warm-toned skin, porcelain shades to light bronze
Hair: Strawberry blonde, golden blonde, light golden brown, coppery red
Eyes: blue, light brown, dark green, and light hazel
Best Colors: Vibrant, warm-toned colors (colors with yellow added to them)
Worst Colors: cool-toned pastels and darker shades
Hue: Warm
Value: Medium
Chroma: Leans towards Clear and Bright
Warm springs have warm traits in their eyes, skin, and hair. They have warm porcelain to light bronze skin with golden blonde hair, strawberry blonde hair, or coppery red hair. They look best in vibrant, warm-toned colors that compliment the glowiness in their complexions. They should avoid cool-toned pastels and darker shades. They look fantastic in oranges and yellows that bring out their warm intensity.
They have an energy that can be described as “hello sunshine”. They have a joyful and energetic coloring. It is important to note that True springs (also called warm springs) do not need bottle blonde hair colors. Examine the photo below for the difference between natural medium hair and ashy tones found in the summer palette.
True spring has a lushness to their palette and it feels like high sun over a meadow with blue skies. Instead of a range from pure black to pure white (like winter seasons), true spring gets a range close to buttermilk to warm dove gray.
The dominant trait for True Springs is warmth, so they must prioritize colors that have a warm undertone (yellow added) to shine. Their sister seasons, Bright Spring and LIght Spring both have warm/neutral undertones. So they are never borrowing into a cool season.
Warm Spring Celebrities: Blake Lively, Cameron Diaz, Goldie Hawn, Jayma Mays, and Gillian Anderson
AUTUMN season color palette
True Autumn (also called Warm Autumn)
Warm autumns have the following characteristics. Keep in mind your holistic view of your colorings, because True Autumns have a earthy and harvest quality to their coloring. They are like fall afternoons with fall leaves turning and the pumpkins on the front porch, with caramel apples and soft sun through the clouds. There is earthiness and warmth here.
Skin: Ivory, golden, medium brown (all warm undertones)
Hair: Medium to Dark Brown with golden tones, Warm auburn, darker red
Eyes: light brown, green, hazel, sometimes dark brown (rich)
Best Colors: Rich and muted warm tones (think browns, rusts, burnt sienna)
Worst Colors: pastels and pastel brights
Hue: Warm
Value: Medium
Chroma: Medium
Warm Autumns have warm undertones to their skin and the tone can range from ivory to medium brown. They typically have hair colors that range from medium to dark brown or red (including auburn) all with golden undertones. Their eyes are light brown, green, or (green) hazel. They look amazing in rich and muted warm tones, especially earthy colors like brown and rust. They should generally avoid pastels or pastel brights that wash them out.
Their dominant characteristic is hue (purely warm). So both of their sister seasons Soft Autumn and Dark Autumn will also have warm undertones. Autumns are also muted, so they have a rich rustic quality to the color palette filled with pumpkin oranges, butterscotch, and terracotta. They still have their versions of blues and purples and all other hues, but they are warmed up (with yellow) and toned down (with some gray added).
Their palette range has their version of white which is warm or soft or sometimes a light putty beige, to their version of black which is a warm pewter.
Warm Autumn Celebrities: Jennifer Lopez, Julianne Moore, Isla Fisher, Debra Messing, Julia Roberts, Hailey Bieber, and Alicia Herbeth
Deep Autumn
Deep autumns have the following characteristics as general color combinations. But remember that seasonal color is a holistic approach so you have to look at your entire coloring and how they relate to hue, value, and chroma. Do not just say I have brown hair and brown eyes so I must be Dark Autumn.
Dark autumns are autumns first and foremost but they border Dark winter, so they can have a bit of winter’s coolness and crispness seep in. Darkness in color is their primary focus in colors. This does not mean they only have dark colors in their palette but that the range of their colors includes more shades and tones (even if the color is lighter in appearance).
Whereas true autumn has your pumpkin oranges, Dark Autumn transitions to the brick reds, and warm redwood colors. There’s richness but still that evident warmth and harvest quality. They are slightly more pigmented than True Autumn because your chroma is going from medium (in True Autumn) to medium-high in Dark Autumn.
Skin: Ivory, golden beige, medium to rich browns with warm undertones
Hair: medium to dark brown, brown-black (can have honey or ginger highlights)
Eyes: Dark-blue, dark green, hazel, dark brown, brown black
Best Colors: Bold, warm colors with rich pigments
Worst Colors: Dusty colors and pastels
Hue: Warm/Neutral
Value: Deep (low value)
Chroma: Medium High
Deep autumns have warm tones in their hair, eyes, and skin. They have medium to dark brown hair with golden undertones. Their eyes are darker, and range from dark blue, dark green, to dark brown or brown/black. They look amazing in bold, warm colors that are rich in pigment. They should generally avoid dusty colors or soft pastels as it will make them look washed out.
Deep Autumn Celebrities: Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Gabrielle Union, Meghan Markle, Natalie Portman, Eva Mendes, Susan Sarandon
Soft Autumn
Soft Autumns have the following characteristics:
Skin: Ivory, tan, to light brown (all with warm or neutral undertones)
Hair: Golden blonde to dark brown (can have ginger highlights)
Eyes: Green, Hazel, Blue or light brown
Best Colors: Muted warm-toned colors, blended colors
Worst Colors: Stark colors (like black), and high-pigment bright colors
Hue: Warm/Neutral
Value: Leans Light
Chroma: Soft/Muted
A soft autumn does not have a lot of contrast between their hair and skin. Their skin tone often has neutral undertones, but can also have more prominent warm undertones. They look best in muted colors with warm undertones, that pair nicely with their skin tones hue. They also look great in blended colors (not primary). They should generally avoid stark colors (black), or bright colors (high pigment, like fuchsia, etc) because they tend to make them look sallow.
Soft Autumn Celebrities: Mischa Barton, Gisele Bundchen, Drew Barrymore, Rose Bertram, Elizabeth Moss, and Nicole Richie.
What are the benefits of knowing your season?
Knowing your seasonal color will dramatically help your style, makeup, and overall look. It will guide your choices on how to use color to flatter your skin tone, what makeup shades to look for, and even what hair dyes will flatter you most.
Knowing your seasonal colors can also help you hone your wardrobe so that you stop buying items that don’t enhance your beauty. The colors that relate to your season will make you look bright, fresh, and alive instead of washed-out or sallow.
The pitfalls of seasonal color analysis
It can be difficult to pinpoint your seasonal color at times. So if you struggle with the methods listed above, or can’t quite seem to place yourself, ask a friend for help. An outside perspective can help you narrow your season down without your innate bias.
The cool pink/orange draping test should help you narrow down your season options. If you look best in orange you are warm-toned and will be in the autumn or spring season. If you look best in magenta you will fall into the summer or winter season.
Next, you can also take a well-lit photo of yourself and turn it into a black and white photo by “de-saturating” it (do not use a filter!). This will help you see how much contrast you have in your face. Knowing your contrast will be able to hone which sub-season you belong to.
Whew! Have I inundated you with enough color theory and seasonal color analysis yet? These charts are great to save for reference. They can help you hone your wardrobe and makeup to perfectly fit your complexion.
Now, go be that _insert color season here_ and flourish!
This is a lot of information to digest, so be sure to save the pin below so you can reference your best colors and your season, as needed.
Amazing post! Thanks so much for the helpful analysis <3
You’re so welcome!
I think I am a Ligth Spring. I have NO contrast, I have very bright blue eyes (with a tiny bit of bright green) and ash blond (turning gray)….
My venes are confusing. I have blue, purple AND green. Mostly green. I also prefer gold all though silver is better for me during the winter. And “light summer” has colours I can wear too. For sure.
Is it normal to be more than one type? Actually screaming hot pink is really good to me too. So I don’t feel in just one or two boxes here…..
Very dark colours I usually avoid, that is to heavy on me.
PS: I tan well.
It all depends on the undertones of the colors, but no, you can only be one type.
OK but what if I’m very light and cool toned skin, jewel like green blue eyes, and copper red hair?? Am I a winter or a spring? Why don’t the cool tone categories have red hair ;-;
@Leela, i have the exact same problem. Pale cool toned skin and natural copper red hair and dark green eyes.
And I mean that is common for a lot of natural redheads ?♀️
Hair color is one of the least important factors. Go off of skin tone first, then how much contrast you have, and then eventually do a drape to figure out sub season if you feel you fit outside the general parameters.
Lovely write-up, clear and well explained! Thank you! I’m definitely Light, but seem to fluctuate between Spring and Summer. Living in a sunny climate now makes me seem more Spring…golden highlights in my naturally medium/light ash blonde hair, skin tone now more peachy than pink so that even veins appear more greenish blue than purple/blue. Is it possible to be a Light Summer in your youth living up North and then age into Light Spring now that Florida’s sun has made its changes? Eyes have remained blue. Recent eyeglass purchase had friends pushing me toward a peach or clear plastic pair of frames rather than pink or dark blues or purple. Grey hair has begun to come in but it’s pure white with no grey color to it, if that helps. Are you available to work directly with people on a consulting basis?
So I’m working on some follow up articles that will hopefully help clear up any confusion. But your season should not change with age. If you’re confused I would try taking well lit photos with both the spring and summer colors for objective perspective.
To add to previous comment, I had my colors done years ago before moving to Florida and was told I was a Summer, though the woman struggled more with me than the others in our group when deciding between Summer and Spring. Thanks!
best explanation i have yet seen in my 65 yrs. not sure if i am a winter or summer, but the colors are very similar. i had dk blonde hair and very light green-blue eyes. little contrast. blue veins. i know i am a cool undertone. this is a great help and i am interested looking at the suggested colors that these are actually the ones i have gravitated towards in my own wardrobe. you are a genius in putting this into terms i can understand. big fan….
I’m so glad it was helpful! I’m planning to add some dedicated winter and summer articles so that may help you narrow it down further!
@Gabrielle Arruda, wondering if you are still planning on the dedicated articles of the winter and summer! I love your in depth article on autumn and would love to be able to read about the other two!
Yes, I’m working on deep winter now! IF you have any specific subseasons you’d like me to do sooner rather than later, let me know! (soft summer is already out)
I would love to see Light Summer and Clear Spring! I believe my daughters are those two, but want to confirm after reading more about it! Your articles are amazing and really have me very interested in color analysis!
Thank you so much for this guide. The celebrity examples were super-helpful. I’m a soft autumn :).
I’m so glad it was helpful!
I don’t seem to fit well into any one category, as the only thing that seems clear is that I have fair cool toned skin. My eyes are a warm almost olive green in the center, but shift to a cooler almost teal green toward the outside. My natural brown hair is very long and a different color at the top and bottom; it is cool toned at the roots and shifts to a more golden brown with red tones at the ends (most of it being on the warmer side). I’m so confused!
So it also has to do with your contrast, do you feel you are high contrast (like a winter) or low contrast (like a summer)?
Clear spring isn’t limited to light colored eyes. I have dark brown hair and brown eyes, but my skin is very pale with a neutral undertone. I am NOT a dark autumn. I’m just not dark period. Bright vivid colors make me look best, not mustard yellow and brown brown brown.
So you’re right, one feature can be slighlty out of the traditional bounds for each season and sub season. According to the original text on this, clear springs most likely have blue, green, or bright hazel eyes. There are many features including overtone and undertone that can place you in a season- so this is jsust a starting point. Ultimately, a professional draping is best. However, yellow and brown can be part of ANY season depending on the hue, chroma, and intensity. But, it’s great that you found your season!
Is there anyone in Naples Florida who does this. Had my colors done in the 80’s but now hair has gone silvery blonde. Would like this find in person.
I’m sorry I don’t have any personal experience with someone in naples who does draping/seasonal color analysis in person. I would try googling it with your zipcode
Thanks for this… as an olive I have some lingering questions. How is olive both a cool tone and a warm tone? I am definitely olive and definitely cool (warms are not terrible but just ok) and definitely muted (relative to winter). So what is that? I would go dark-muted-cool but there’s no option for that. Would that just be summer?
I’m pretty sure I’m a Cool Winter. I look best in those colors. I’m super pale and cool toned, with dark auburn hair, and light brown/amber eyes; that kind of makes me think I’m a Warm Autumn, but I look good in pastels but terrible in yellow/green.
Just because you have brown eyes/hair doesn’t make you an autumn. If your skin is cool toned, and you have contrast, then I would stick with winter!
I am a natural dark blond with brown eyes. My skin tone is neutral but hair tends to the warm side. I think I am a winter because bright saturated colors look great on me (Royal blues, true reds, fuscias) but I also look great in earth tones like mustard, rust, and coffee. It’s so confusing!
If you are sure you are warm-toned then you cannot be a winter (they are cool-toned).
@Bekah, Hi. I’m no help but I have the same problem and I haven’t found an answer anywhere. Dark reddish blonde hair (warm) now just about lost all the warmth as I go white. But it’s still slightly warm. But neutral fair skin and dark brown eyes. So there is a high contrast with my eyes. I look better in almost all blues (as long as not greyed) and green/blue and some reds but also can wear light orange, burnt orange, corals, rust, warm reds. Can’t wear yellow, or nudes, or dark colours except black and browns and aubergine. I need slightly brighter rather than slightly softer. It is very confusing. We just don’t seem to fit any category on any system that I’ve looked at. I hope you find an answer, but at least you know which colours suit you.
@Judi, I bet you and Bekah are both bright or true springs. That would make the most sense to me.
Help! Light olive skin (pretty sure), but hazel green/golden eyes, dark blonde/light brown hair. It’s very confusing and I keep thinking perhaps I’m soft Autumn or Soft Summer…who knows. Lol Any tips?
This is awesome! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Hi, I’m a bit confused as I used to be a Soft Summer but since going grey I seem to have moved into being a Clear Winter – the softer hues don’t seem to suit & make me look washed out. Does that sound right?
This is a hotly debated topic in the seasonal color world. A lot of people maintain that your season does not ever change if you have been properly analyzed ( because it’s based primarily on undertone and hair color has the least impact). However, I think that it can change your overall contrast level. Summers and winters are both cool- so they have that similarity in terms of matching your undertone. However, going from soft to clear seems a bit less probable. I would try a draping test. It’s possible you were mistyped or the way you use color in your wardrobe now has changed. Either way, if clear winter is working for you and making you feel good, go with that!
@Gabrielle Arruda,
@Gabrielle Arruda, I would agree. Obviously contrast is seemingly opposite, but besides that soft summer and bright winter are both cool-neutral seasons, so that could be why colors from both can seem to work. But as you said, truly a person is just one season. I have a theory that bright seasons don’t necessarily look bad in soft colors but definitely look their best in brighter, whereas soft seasons do not look good in bright colors (they overpower them and make their skin look even more greyed out. In other words, brights can handle lots of color, but even soft colors don’t look awful because they have enough of their own color to pull them off. So I would perhaps venture to guess that Amanda may have been a bright winter all along, but because she maybe gravitated more toward neutrals or more understated colors when younger, she may have never noticed how good the bright winter colors looked on her until now.
I had an issue with the seasons. I believe that I am an Autumn. I have a warm hue, deep value, and soft chroma but these values do not really match any of autumn’s season color palette.
So seasonal color is a spectrum, and the easiest way to confirm these elements are through draping tests. But you could be a true autumn or a deep autumn based on this.
@Gabrielle Arruda, Thank you 🙂
Best colour analysis I have read. Very comprehensive!
thank you!
I think this seasonal system works for many white people, but does not work so well for people of color. Otherwise, people with dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes are all typed as autumn or winter, when that may not be the case. Many darker skinned people look great in summer colors for example. It would be great to find a color system that works for everyone.
I agree that people of color are often mistyped (there are TONS of poc who are springs, summers, or softer seasons), draping is the most effective method for determining your season. These are just very, very base visuals to help people understand what the terminology means and the most likely placements.
This was so helpful!! One thing I’m a little confused about is how to identify clothing in the appropriate colors while shopping. For example, I think I am light spring, there are blues/greens in the palettes, but there are similar hues in other seasonal color palettes. When I’m shopping, how do I tell the difference between or tell if a color is cool or warm (for instance, how would I tell the difference between a warm or cool blue?)
Buying a color fan can be very helpful! That way you can bring it with you when you shop to make sure the color is in your palette. But if you don’t want a fan, it’ll just take time to train your eye. You want to be able to begin to see what part of the color wheel the color was mixed with. For instance, Salmon pink has a lot of yellow or orange in making it a warm color, a cooler pink with a bluer base.
@Gabrielle Arruda, That’s so helpful, thank you! Do you have one you recommend? Do you offer consultations?
I think I’m a cool autumn leaves ?♀️? I’m not even kidding….
I’ve been trying to figure out these test for so long my hair is like a dark blonde but looks red and shines gold in the sun Icall it dark honey my eyes are green brown hazel but not striking or intense only when I wear green
My veins are blue but I don’t know if have cool undertones but I’m just kind of peachy pale at first I would say it seems warm but I look better in silver
I’m so lost ?
I am a deep winter. Thanks lots! Very clear and informative.
Hi Gabrielle,
Congrats to a great site.
I would like to highlight an angle.
I have kind of deeper colors. My skin is a deeper pink/rose/reddish on the cool side. This skin tone is never shown or written about as an example. After scanning the net and reading different sites, as yours, the conclusion is that my skin tone does not exist. But of course it does, I see it everyday 😉
I don’t tan. I get red, dark red. People think that I am hurting and that I will shed, but I don’t. After I might get a somewhat hightend skin tone, but it is not tan. I jokingly say that I am like a red head, without red hair. My sister is similar.
Fair skin tones with cool undertone resulting in perceived fair or light pink skin tone is mentioned, but not more saturated pink/rose/reddish skin tone.
My eyes a clear darkish bluegray with a tiny inclination towards teal, whit a noticable darker limbus ring. In clear sunny daylight they can seem lighter more towards medium blue, in cool daylight they can seem deep “stormy” blue. After sunset in indoor artificial light, they just seem deep, it’s hard to tell the colour.
My hair is medium to dark ash/cool brown. But when the sun is hitting at the right angle there can sparkle a red glint (never golden), (there are red heads on one side of the family).
If I have had somewhat lighter subdued hues I would probably have been analyzed as a cool summer, but I need darker, clearer, more saturated colors.
I have played around with self analyzing tools, using selfies, and have most of the time been analyzed as some kind of winter (sometimes as cool summer and sometimes even as clear spring!).
The results obviously depends on the quality of the natural daylight and the small differences it brings to my colors. I believe that it confirms that my season is some kind of winter and that I need cool, clear, saturated, deep colours. The question is in which proportions? Am I a cool, bright or deep winter? I guess that has to be determined by a color analysis in person.
But what I mainly wanted to highlight is that darker more saturated pink/rose/reddish skin tone does exist and we should be mentioned in the world of color analysis.
All the best, A
My father is a Summer. My Mother is an Autumn. I saw the chart that goes with my warm navy blue eyes. When I was born, red on my top of my hair, I grew older, it changed from light brown to medium warm brown with red highlights. I look great in Auburn and it pops up . My hairdresser dyed medium auburn. My skin tone is warm. I burn sometimes and tans a little bit. My veins are green. My Mom thinks I’m a Spring but the chart says deep Autumn like my Mom. She has dark warm hair and rich brown eyes and always tan. I’m jealous because I’m lighter than her. I look good in peach or mango lip gloss and beige shiny lip gloss. I look good in brown/peach blusher. I use brown eye powder to brighten my blue eyes. Am I an Autumn or a Spring? My sister doesn’t like me wearing red lipstick. I use rust lipstick with my rust top and earrings. What do you think? I could send you a picture. Sometimes I think I’m a Jane Fonda.
I can’t figure out what subgroup they are.
I have realized that my season is Winter, in fact: my undertone is cold, I look good in dark colors, I am very pale in complexion, in summer the first few days I get burned, but then I get drunk….
However, the subgroup I can’t figure out… I have hazel eyes, dark brown hair, thin and very light eyebrows (they look almost dark gray in color) very light olive or pinkish skin, despite that I manage to tan a little in the summer and along with the tan I also get ephelides on my face, red/purple lips and I have a high contrast.
I think I am Cool Winter, but the subgroups all seem so similar to each other.
I would try draping the colors to explore your subgroups or exploring your contrast levels!
I love your content for helping me navigate perfecting my appearance and confidence, but learning today that I’m a soft autumn has made me a little sad. I feel like all of my coloration just clashes so much. A really ashy brown color in my hair (which I wish were a richer, chocolatey brown), a very very warm and muted skin tone, and pale, gray-blue eyes? Idk, I just feel like my natural coloration is just really incohesive and kind of makes me look like a hot mess. Not to mention that black is my worst color, and I’m full blown goth lol. Dang.
Great post and love all your videos, question please, as we mature ( I’m 53) I know I am a Winter, likely a cool with my blue grey eyes, but I’ve recently gone blonde to cover grey regrowth, what blonde do you suggest? …(too ashy can be more ageing, too yellow blah) and does our season change with hair color or maturity eg move to cool summer for example? Love all your work, wonderful!
Great explanation! How would this work for Asians? It seems like they wouldn’t fit in the lighter spring/summer/autumn seasons but true spring/autumn colours seem to suit me best.
Great color analysis theory, I myself have sorted out all my friends into all these categories(not necessarily with this specific chart) yet I still don’t fit anywhere. I have cool undertones(I am pretty pale) and I have very dark brown eyes so my skin tone and eyes fit winter, but then I have light brown hair and the specific shade fits the autumn hair colors + I have natural blonde highlights. Tell me your thoughts!
I really appreciated you making mention of Katy Perry being a natural blonde but still a Bright Winter! Most people guess me to be a Light Spring or Summer based on my hair color being blonde naturally, so I stayed in those seasons a long time, not looking my best. I discovered my chroma is high and I am most definitely my best in cool, saturated colors, even though my value appears light. I look so much healthier in Winter colors, and people are noticing. I’m sure the extra info you included will help so many others who are in a state of confusion!
So glad it was helpful!
I’m not entirely sure what season I’m supposed to be…. I have quite a lot of contrast between features but I’m quite neutral in terms of cool-warm… I can’t wear foundation that’s cool or warm, I usually need to find neutral shades or warm shades that don’t lean orange or yellow or cool foundations that don’t lean too icy and bright… My hair is really dark brown (very ashy, very little gold mixed in) and my eyes are the same color. I tan easily (I’m a little olive) but even then i have contrast and can wear blue. I can wear both silver and gold jewelry well, and my veins look blue green….
Everything should say that I’m a deep winter or maybe a deep autumn for the contrast I have between my features, but bright colors (either cool or warm) wash me out and make me look like I’m in black and white. And I’m not one of the softer seasons because I can wear black and white well without makeup….
Pastels look good, same as true red and green… And really dark shades that are muted too.
Blues and teals are a hit or miss, I can wear them but only if there muted or I’m wearing cooler colored makeup.
And my worst shades are lime green (any thin in between green and yellow), really warm reddish browns, and really saturated purple and lilac, so I’m confused.
I am having difficulty deciding my season.
I have medium-dark brown hair which appears ashy at first glance, but I actually develop red highlights in summer. I have light green eyes with a gold starburst at the center. My skin is quite pale and seems to have cool undertones. I look better in silver, but I can wear gold jewelry.
I get the most compliments wearing bright colours like red or Royal blue.
I definitely can’t wear neon bright lipstick with looking ridiculous; I tend to go for rose , berry, or plum lipstick.
Maybe Bright Spring?
Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!!
This is an incredibly comprehensible overview on seasonal color theory. Well done!
I recognize myself in the comment above mine. I used to think (and still perhaps do) I’m a summer but I’ve noticed how good I look in winter colors. My skin is cool, my hair is a cool natural dark blonde (lighter in the summer season) and my eyes technically a dark blue-gray (but appear deep blue which gives my coloring a decent amount of contrast). According to summer coloring I should avoid black and opt for charcoal and other greyed out colors – but I look great in black and bright colors like red, cobalt, grape etc whereas charcoal just doesn’t really do anything for me and perhaps even drains me? Only really light greys compliment me.
are there more warm seasoned people than cool? I watch a lot of TV and movies and I see waaaaaaay more springs and autumns than winters or summers! I’m starting to feel positively peculiar! I am a cool, or in Kettlewell terms, a Dark summer, myself.
actually I think cool is overall (worldwide) supposed to be more common. But there is a lot of movie/tv magic and fake tans that might be contributing to the perceptions of more warm toned people
@Gabrielle Arruda, Thank you for saying that. I was wondering which season or skin tone, warm or cool, is the most common in the world.
I am a contrasting winter and have blue eyes cool undertone
Hi I am a winter palette with blue I’m in my 70s and I would like to change my hair to a gray silver color can you tell me what color silver gray would look best with a winter palette
Thankyou so much!!!! This will help my confidence. I always looked so dull… now I know why!!!
Hello! Great article! Can you recommend a color analysis kit ?
I’m a winter but need to wear a pastel peach dress for a wedding. What can I do with makeup to keep from being washed out?
I am forever lost by this. My skin tone is very clearly cool toned. My eyes are blue/grey but my hair is like golden blonde/strawberry blonde. I feel like i’m half summer and half spring is that possible?
No you’re only one season, but you might explore the light summer category and test with those color drapings
I have pale red hair ( going grey) grey blue eyes and colour analysis I given is Spring ( no other details)However I don’t suit warm based make up foundations. Skin tone pink, veins blue, have a few freckles and burn burn easily. Been advised my make up should be cool but cool lipstick looks awful. Help what type am I???
I’m struggling a bit with figuring out where I fall. I have olive green eyes, light warm brown hair that turns blonde in the summer. (Currently bleached blonde) and my skin tone is neutral. My best color is probably peach. Not sure where I fit.
As somebody who was told I a deep autumn I would like to know what happens when you dark hair turn most white. Brown used to be my best color but does not seem so now.
@Betty Morgan, same. I was an autumn when I was younger, but going from rich dark brown hair to silver grey has meant a lot of my old colors now just look bad on me.
Hey! So, looking at hue, value, and chroma, my answers kind of keep coming up as mid.
Like my skin is a very light/fair neutral, maybe more warm in the summer and more cool in the winter. My hair is dark brown, to the point I generally dye it one shade darker so that it looks almost black, again with neutral tones, that maybe lean slightly warm? I did dye my hair a dark auburn color once. My eyes are mid-toned hazel green, that look lighter in daylight and darker in the shadow, but I think are warm (spring/autumn like). My features in a gray-scale are all distinct but not distractingly so, they blend together pretty well.
So it’s like, my hue is middling to maybe slightly warm, my value middling to slightly dark, and my chroma is just mid, maybe to slight high?
If you have any insight, I’d love the help.
I’m abit unsure still. I’m a natural redhead with dark brown eyes and fair skin (does not tan). Bright pink and bright orange both look horrendous. I think silver and gold both suit but actually I don’t wear any jewellery. My veins are blue. Am I cool or neutral toned? Am I summer or autumn? Yes I read your seasonal colour article but still couldn’t narrow down exactly which I was. Can you help? I am currently mostly wearing navy blue, black, dark green and charcoal. Yellow orange red and pink all look terrible as do peach and beige. I feel very limited and lost with patterns. I’m a size 16-18, 5”11 and age 37.
So there needs to be a cool autumn option. As a definitive pasty ginger, my skin is very cool toned (has always pulled cool in every test but the metal, but that’s because I just love gold over silver), but my natural hair is a dark auburn and my eyes are green/gold. My best colors have always been olives, muted jewel tones, and purples. Never put me in yellow, orange (save deep rusty/terra cottas), bright red, or pink!! Every one of these misses by some degree or another.
Follow up to my previous comment: by skin tone alone, as that’s the only thing that fits any of the cool profiles, I’m a Soft Summer. Hair and eyes have me between Warm and Soft Autumn.
Contrast test, can definitely see the difference between skin, eyes, and hair (light, medium, dark respectively). Blue veins, that I can see very clearly. Tanning is impossible. Both bright orange and magenta are my mortal enemies.
Honestly this just made it all more confusing. I think I’ll stick to basic color theory. Red & Green = complimentary colors therefore Redhead (with orange highlights) wear green (with blue accents).
This was pretty helpful but I’m still not 100% sure. I definitely have more cool-toned skin, and my natural hair color is a dark blonde that is very cool with no red or yellow undertones, almost gray. My eyes are dark hazel. This means I’m a winter, but I can’t figure out which type? My hair is too light to be considered a deep winter, but my eyes are too dark for the other types. I’m often compared to Anne Hathaway who is deep winter. When I take a black and white photo I think I have a lot of contrast between my skin and eyes but I definitely look better with lighter hair colors, I tried to dye my hair black and it looked awful and completely washed me out.
Hello there,
Please do you offer colour analysis services?
I’m sorry I don’t- I don’t find online analysis to be accurate. But I do have a post on how to DIY color drape to figure it out yourself (adding it today)
Hi, I’ve been analyzed both spring and summer. In person. I have light hair, not sure what it’s natural color is now. I color my hair with highlights. It was golden blonde at teen. I have freckles, my skin looks golden against pure white. But in pictures it looks pinkish. I have low contrast, my eyebrows are naturally light. But my eyes are at least medium blue. Not light. I tan but sometimes burn. Veins are blue and green. I wear warm foundation. Can you say which season I am?
so interesting
Hello! What happens when you have golden blonde hair with warm tones, brown/green hazel eyes, and cool/neutral skin tones? I want to say I fit the “soft autumn” season, but my skin is too cool to be a true autumn… I’m a little lost. I’d be grateful for any advice!
Yes with neutral-leaning skintones you could be a Soft Autumn. But if you feel you have a neutral-cool I’d also explore SOft Summer- they are sister seasons so there is some subtle crossover
https://gabriellearruda.com/soft-summer-the-ultimate-guide/
https://gabriellearruda.com/soft-autumn-the-ultimate-guide/
hi, i’m an autumn type or deep winter but not sure which one. green veins, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and skin like a tan rich medium-dark brown. im pretty sure silver jewelry is better because my skin is golden and doesn’t go all that well, or maybe it’s my bias. and colors i know are my color are navy blue, dark green, and particular shades of red. The colors i know don’t go well are berry reds and medium brown – but i’m super confused. (plz help)
I’m thinking about ditching the hair dye and growing my hair which will probably be mostly gray with some soft black or dark brown (can’t remember my natural color)
Let’s say just gray.
So I wonder if I will automatically be deep winter?
Gray hair can’t belong to any other season, only deep winter? ?
No not at all! You can obviously be any season with gray hair. And in fact different grays can be common within each season. I don’t go into this subject a lot in this overview post. But I do recommend following the DIY drape article to determine your season over just evaluating eye, hair, and skin. You really want to see how your undertone reacts to color.
https://gabriellearruda.com/discover-your-best-colors-diy-seasonal-color-analysis-guide/
I’m struggling to figure out the season chart. I can wear both gold and silver, but silver looks best. My eyes are blue, grey green with a striking almost see through quality. My hair is red copper but a lighter hue, I had faint see through freckles that faded after puberty, My veins are clear blue and my skin is pale with a bit of rose tint. I burn extremely easily in the sun, I absolutely never tan. I get most compliments when I wear the colour petrol with cinnamon colour accents. If I wanted to fake my own death, I would just need to wear orange or yellow. I just cannot figure this out.
confusing 🙁
green eyes, blue, purple and green veins, ash mid brown hair, ivory-rose skin… and black eyebrow and lashes :/
silver is good in winter despite gold for summer.
By the way, love this website!!! I learned half an hour ago that I am dramatic classic kibbe type.
This is super helpful, thank you! Our colors are pretty similar, and I was wondering if you plan to write more about “dark summer”?
And a heads up to anyone else doing this: When I started doing the drapings I noticed that my iPhone will add a warm filter when it detects a face… To get somewhat back to normal I have to reduce the warmth in the image by -50.
Yes, eventually!
Very helpful information!
Do you offer consultations or color palettes for sale?
Please do an ultimate guide for bright winters! Thank you.
I plan to!
I had light auburn hair and warm not dark brown eyes as a youth and grown lady but now I have warm brown eyes and completely white hair. I have blue veins and wear silver jewelry but prefer gold. I burn easily.
Hey! This article is so interesting
Wondering if you do color pallets in person? I know it’s done overseas and they are given color swatches and advice etc- is this a service you offer?
If not do you know someone who does?
Looking forward to hearing from you
As a child I had blonde hair and as I grew up it turned from mousy to brown. I have quite dark blue/grey eyes with a dark ring. I feel happier with definite colour. I look terrible in yellow tone and am better in Blue/greens more like jade, also, cardinal red. My hair is grey now. My skin tans in the summer.
I have Rosacea but its not as bad as it was when I was younger.
‘ve always thought that I am a summer but don’t look good in wishy washy colours.
Thank you! Your examples made it very clear for me that I am a soft summer! The color examples you gave will help so much when finding clothes and such!
Hello! I love all of your posts!
Just a humble request… could you publish a cool true summmer and a warm spring full ultimate guide! Please!!!
Yes I plan to soon!
I am such a shape shifter lol. I have a neutral skin tone, medium brown hair (not quite ashy but not quite warm) and blue eyes. All of my hair is virgin/never been artificially colored. My eyes are my most prominent feature but they are not bright like Courtney Cox. They are really unique. Like a deep darkish ocean blue. I’ve never met anyone else w my eye color. I can wear soft summer and deep autumn. So muted tones and deep tones. I can do orange and yellow if they are like mustard or rusty. And I look awful in soft summer yellows. But I also look really good in hot pink and fuchsia. I look like a sick Victorian child in pastels. So I’m certain I can’t be spring. HALP lol
Thank you good article
I really wish darker skinned people didn’t get automatically lumped into the autumn / winter category! Can’t darker skinned brown/black people fit into spring and summer? I never see any examples of it, but I’d like to learn more about it because I don’t feel like I fit into Deep autumn or deep winter at all.
If you check any of the full guides I have examples of this…
This is fascinating! Do you have the full guide to clear winter, please? I could seem to find it. Thank you!
I don’t have one yet, but I will be adding one soon!
My eyes are black, the only season for black eyes here is dark winter but the pallette of dark winter doesn’t work on me, how is that possible? Would you please guide me? My skin tone is cool olive, my hair is black (and a little ashy) and my eyes are black! (and without any makeup I look a little sick if that helps!) thanks!
It is more about how your skin undertone reacts to color, so i would explore the draping article
Hiya! I’ve been looking through your style advices for a while and they have been helpful! I thought I’d share a part of my own process too since my skin is gold looking and I blush a very cool pink. Been glad to hear about overtone and that eyes will look better in the right season for your skin, it’s so true!
The obvious answer for me was autumn, y’kno, I look golden, my eyes pop orange in natural lighting, my veins look more green, I even have the aztec sun patern. I look like a yellow alien in warm colors, lol. It’s so bad I ended up cringing when seeing warm colors. Getting over it, on the right person they’re great.
I had to face it, I look all warm but I have cool undertones. Taking pictures and comparing colors in front of mirrors has been instructive, I’d suggest everyone to do both to see if some difference occures between the two, as it happened for me. Both mirror and photos confirmed that I look much better in cool hues, that tinits are too light, altho pictures showed better skin coloration with brighter winter colors, yet in mirrors, the more muted summer colors looked better. I decided that mirror wins because photos can be off. I stood at the same spot for both for the reccord, and based my conclusion on 10 minutes sessions on several days, same fabric being examined a few times.
I found looking at the same fabric in different lighting can help identify colors in store, once you know which one looks good on you I mean, since stores often have artificial lighting that can change from one part of the store to the other. Got caught thinking a cool winter and a dark winter pieces were true summers because of it, lol. Got the cool part down at least.
I think the worst part of finding your color is when you know but cannot find the right things, I mean “this looks great but it’s not the right color” or “this is the right color but I don’t like it” kind of thing. I’m looking for certain pieces that fit true summer and my essence(s) and I’ve been disappointed so far. Need some new clothes atm, old ones getting worn out.
Talking of essences, I found something strange that I think is explainable by essences. Gold accesories look better on me than silver ones even tho I’m predominently cool in temperature. Here I’m talking about delicate, small things like a small chain with a pearl on it. So I’ve been thinking about why. I think that romantic might look better in gold because it looks more luxurious than silver, naturals get gold because it’s closer to earthy than silver, and ethereal, I don’t know but they are associated with gold and white a lot. I don’t know if some essence would be more silver than gold even if they are warm, maybe dramatic for contrast and gamine for this surprise effect, tho I think those two essence can get away with the “wrong colors” more than the others.
Talking about “wrong colors” I have feeling that certain people might be affraid of wearing things that might not make their eyes shine, there’s so many “use this color to make X eye color pop” around, so I want to stress that the right color palette can technically clash with you eyes yet make them more beautiful. I wrote earlier my eyes look orange, yet in the wrong color palette, it looks weird, like alien eyes(I have ethereal in my essence blend to end up looking like an alien so much lol). In the right colors, my eyes keep their orange hue, but the outer ring take some green quality, and I finally look like a human! This new hue in my eyes actually look awesome and somewhat more honest and trustworthy, not sure why but it gives me this impression. Guess I don’t look hidden behind colors anymore.
That’s it for me, thank you for reading! Much love!
I read a lot about colour analysis, and yet this is the best article/blog I found on the topic. It was a huge help for me to find my colours and what suits me the most. The pictures were helpfull too, because it was easier to understand the descriptions when I saw what you meant. Thank you!!
I’m so glad it helped!
Thank you for all the free education! Im curious if you have found color analysis drapes that you recommend? The colors you provide for each season make sense to me in terms of their relation to the color wheel including tints and tones. I feel like the drape sets ive seen don’t always include the most wearable colors within a color season. Thank you in advance!!!!
I’m in the process of being certified in both Image Institute and Sci-Art so I’ll let you know which drapes I prefer. That being said, drape sets are used more for determining your season, so they might be the most “wearable” but more likely the most informative. If youre talking about a color fan, I don’t have a particular one I prefer. I tend to make up my own palette and try to judge a color based on its color properties over a fan reference.
Thank you this was amazing and so helpful
This is amazing however I’ve been through repeated analysis and I still anticipate can’t find my season or tone!! I was professionally typed online as Soft Autumn, my husband said I disappeared I’m Soft Autumn. He has always said he loves bright colours on me. I wore a royal blue/cobolt top and got compliments from everyone I knew about how my skin was glowing. I wore a rich purple top and I got the same compliments as I did with a light lavender top. When I do all of the quizzes, try to find my undertones, and I fall under neutral with everything. My Chroma is on right side of the middle almost bright. My value isn’t light nor dark it’s in the middle on the right side of dark. My hue isn’t warm and it isn’t cool either it’s also in the middle. I look good in both shiny rosegold/light yellow gold and shiny silver I just like silver with grey (I wear all shades of grey well), white, black, navy and cobalt blue. I like to wear light shiny rosegold/light yellow gold with all other colours. I hate most of the colours of warm Autumn like, red-orange, mustard, rust, orangy yellow and yellow green and yellow browns are awful so I don’t wear those. Muted colours do nothing for me but they don’t look horrible, I can do them but they’re not the best. But yet lemon yellow and butter yellow and true yellow look good on me!! I can also wear olive green, khaki and beige and many shades of pink. I have been so lost where I stand!! I have dark clear brown eyes with a spring flower burst around my pupil (not aztec sun) yet I have winter spokes and blue/grey ring around my iris and fair skin. I neither burn nor tan quicker than the other- I tan within an hour and burn longer than that but it turns to a tan by the next day. My hair is medium reddish brown yet I was born blonde. ??????
Hi Gabrielle! Your website is amazing and I have learned so much from reading it. I was wondering if you have a True Spring or Light Spring Full Guide somewhere? I only see one for the Bright Spring. Thank you for your help. The Full Guides are so nice!
I am working on true spring now! So it should be out in early may and hopefully light spring in june! I’m so glad you found it helpful. sorry for the delay in the full guides.
Black color look worst on which season in your opinion ?
When I wear black I always get comments like; are you tired ? Are you anemic? You look sick
Everytime I wear black I got those comments.
So every season has their version of “black” sometimes it pewter, deep navy, or warm brown/black but true black is for the winter seasons
In most cases, dark hair ( brown-black) and ivory/fair skin with dark eyes lay in which color seasons?
Which seasons have dark features?
They can be in any season really. I’m pale with darker hair and I’m a bright spring.. Someone i just draped was a dark winter. It’s impossible to tell just based on features, you need to see how colors react
If ivory/off-white is better than true white on me
Is that indicate that I have warm undertone?
Can I have cool undertone and don’t look good in true white
Yes, summer seasons don’t look good in true white either and they are cool/muted
What shades of grey suitable for each color season?
I see different shades of grey
A question that may seem naive
Many times I see people have apparent yellowish undertone almost orangy ( without any illness / without any makeup) and their face don’t have that yellowish color
Do the hands have the same color season as the face?
So some people have naturally golden tones to their skin, but what we don’t want is the color turning someone sallow or greenish. The same would happen to the hands if the color is not a match
If off-white is better than true white, And grey is better than camel. Navy and brown are equal ( not good not bad ).
And black look very bad on me
Is that can mean that I’m summer ?
yes, it could mean you’re a summer based on this, but I would definitely explore things further
Your website is so lovely and useful, thank you!
I suspect I’m a Light Spring, so I’m looking forward to the ultimate guide!
Thank you! I hope to work on light spring soon!!
Hi, Gabby! Just an idea, would you consider doing a style guide for kibbe/seasonal colors for hiking gear?
Probably not for kibbe, as there are too many parameters to include and I’ve generally moved away from covering kibbe. But I would consider doing it for seasonal color palettes!
Thanks for this detailed guide, reading it has been eye-opening for a 28 year old male with abysmal fashion sense. Now I find myself analyzing commuter’s color palettes while riding the subway and silently critiquing their style choices – the world of personal aesthetics is more interesting than it appears. What you’re doing might not seem that important but if it helps people express themselves then it’s a worthwhile occupation.
Have a beautiful day
If Gold looks better than silver on me ( in clothes and in Jewellery)
+ Black is my worst color
Is that can role out that I have warm undertone ?
No if gold is better that would be a warm undertone. But, draping fabrics is the most accurate way to determine this
You’ve included the same color palette for both Soft and True Summer.
Will fix, thank you!
I remember when you originally published this overview; you were so certain you were a summer. I myself wasn’t sure when looking at your photographs but you definitely favor magenta over orange – which you used to think as well but you’ve removed that part from the article? The magenta makes your skin look stunning.
So I completed sci/art training and part of that was to do my colors. We determined my season to be a bright spring. I did originally think I was cool toned, potentially a summer. BOth the magenta and orange are brights, so neither will be “bad” on me per se. But in the full draping, warmth was better. The magenta is having a bit of a “freezing” effect, where I look stiff. This is a potential sign that neutral/cool is incorrect.
Ignoring the magenta/ orange issue; you really do seem to glow in bright colors, by the way.
What if one looks equally bad in both magenta AND orange, or at least no easily discernible difference, would that point to a muted/ soft season?
If I have high contrast features
Is that can say that clear colors more suitable for me?
You can’t really base it off one feature alone, but if you feel you are higher contrast then yes higher chroma colors would be reasonable. Winters and Springs have clearer colors
Which warm color seasons that have high contrast features?
Springs are higher contrast and warm
Such a helpful article! I know I am not a winter or a bright spring. I had an AI analysis (Style DNA) and it said I was deep summer, but I think I am more of an autumn.
I was born with very blonde hair and blue eyes and since my mid-thirties, it has turned into a medium golden/ashy brown and my eyes have darkened significantly. I was never able to really tan and had freckles into my teen years.
I want to have a more put together look and defined style.
So glad you found it helpful! I have some autumn articles that might help you decide!
“True spring has a lushness to their palette and it feels like high sun over a meadow with blue skies.”
But that’s the landscape you chose for the light summer season, right? I’m just checking because I compared my own face to the array of landscapes in your collage and found light summer being an unquestionable match. However, both AI apps I tried keep telling me I’m a warm spring (which cannot be since I’m either cool or neutral leaning cool). I think the AI is just getting confused by my blonde hair lol!
So Ai apps are not reliable, they just go by the hexcodes of the color of the photo. Many landscapes could apply to each season, but if you want to know what I was referring to with true spring, the true spring article has a great featured image with exactly what I meant. True spring is vibrant and golden. Light summer is softer grass, blue/gray skies, and a softer light that feels slighlty diffused overall. I wouldn’t determine your season based on a landscape image alone, they are really just to show harmony examples and visualize the palette.
can I be dark winter and black color don’t suit me?
Yes, Dark Winters can do black but they do a slightly vintage black better. You can’t determine your seasonal color based on one color however.
Hi Gabrielle,
The colors and photos you assembled to represent the color ‘seasons’ were beautiful and joyful! I have re-read your ‘articles’ many times, and would love it if there were a way to participate in a virtual session to help determine my season. I believe it is in the Spring family, but tough to tell which one since my hair has turned ‘light blond’ as I have gotten older. Look forward to hearing more about how we can continue to explore which beautiful colors bring out the best in us!
Thanks for you great narratives, and lovely photos! They are lovely!
Cheryl
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked the images and descriptions. Unfortunately, at this time, I’m not offering online seasonal color placement. I just find it a bit unreliable with the current technology and parameters we have. But I hope you find your color home and I”m here if you need any color support!
This is a great article. I struggle to decide what looks better on me. Ive gotten 2 different reading, true summer, and warm autumn. My natural hair colour is sandy/dirty blonde, and really offers no contrast between skin, hair, and eyes. But I now dye my hair a deeper mahogany red, which now offers me quite a bit of contrast. I think im settling into warm autumn with my darker red hair, green/grey/blue eyes, and pink ivory skintone
I think for many people the season type can be based on their intuition and common sense. Make up artists work with the blue/green veins and it might fail sometimes, many times it might be right. To know with more certainty your method is interesting.
that’s a great post. I’m pretty sure i’m a winter i have pale rosy skin, dark brown hair (quite rich but with some ashiness in the undertone 3.12 in coloration) but medium to dark hazel eyes that are quite warm in colour (go from brown to yellow depending of the lighting) with a dark gray ring around them. I’ve been told I can only be warm with hazel eyes but except colors that are present in my eyes I don’t look good in warm colours i can borrow but I don’t feel like autumn suits me at all
Carole Jackson is Alive!
Where in the Columbus Ohio area would you suggest getting this done? If there is not anything in my area, where are you located?
Jennifer Connelly clearly has green eyes so either she can’t be a true winter or you should add green eyes to the characteristics of true winter.
The eye color examples are for reference not all encompassing. Green eyes are possible. Eyes by themselves are not a determining characteristic. It is a holistic test based on how your features react with color.