Determining your color palette can be tricky, but there are some key factors that can help identify if you are a Summer. Summers tend to have cool, soft coloring with muted tones that aren’t overly warm or dark. Here’s what to look for to find out if Summer colors suit you best.
Your Skin Undertone
The biggest determinant of whether you are a Summer is your skin undertone. Summers tend to have cool undertones in their skin, rather than warm yellow or olive undertones. Here’s how to identify if you have a cool undertone:
- Your veins appear blue or purple rather than green
- Silver jewelry flatters you more than gold
- Your skin looks pink, red or blue toned rather than yellow
- You tan poorly or not at all
- You burn easily in the sun
If most of those descriptors sound like you, chances are you have a cool undertone indicative of a Summer coloring.
Your Hair & Eye Color
In addition to skin undertones, your natural hair and eye color can provide clues about whether you are a Summer. Summer coloring is cool rather than warm. Here are some typical Summer hair and eye traits:
- Ashy blonde, mousy blonde or salt & pepper hair
- Dark brown or black hair with cool tones rather than warm tones
- Light blue, light gray or blue-green eyes
- Hazel or brown eyes with a bit of cool blue or gray mixed in
Warmer hair colors like strawberry blonde, auburn and golden blonde tend to indicate Warm colorations rather than Summer. If your natural coloring is predominantly ashy, muted or neutral, Summer is very likely your seasonal palette.
How You Look in Summer Colors
The most telling way to know you are a Summer is to test out how you look in Summer colors. The colors in the Summer palette are cooled off, muted versions of Spring and Winter hues. Here are some key colors for Summers:
- Muted blue shades like sky blue, periwinkle, cornflower
- Cool muted purples and mauves
- Sea green, jade, mossy green
- Dusty pink, rose quartz
- Soft grayed reds and oranges
- Camel, mushroom, light brown
Summer colors have a delicate, subtle look compared to deeper, brighter seasons. If you look washed out or sallow in black and stark white, that’s another sign of a Summer palette. Wear a few Summer colored outfits to test if you feel healthier, brighter and more confident in the muted cool tones.
How Summer Colors Work with Your Face
One of the best ways to test if you are a Summer is to hold drapes of Summer fabric near your face. Cool Summer colors will enhance your facial features rather than overpower them. Here are some tips for how Summer colors interact with different complexions:
| Skin tone | Summer colors that are most flattering |
|---|---|
| Fair, porcelain | Soft rose quartz pink, light gray, baby blue |
| Medium, pink undertones | Periwinkle blue, mauve, seafoam green |
| Olive, tan | Muted teal blues, light tawny browns, cinder gray |
Summer colors enhance your skin subtly rather than compete with it. They add just a wash of color without high contrast. If the muted cool tones make your complexion glow rather than appear sallow or tired, you’ve likely found your seasonal home in the Summer palette!
Your Relationship with Other Palettes
Another useful way to discover if you are a Summer is to explore how you relate to the other seasonal color palettes. Here are some key things to look out for:
- Winter: If stark Winter white washes you out, you likely lean Summer. Winter palettes are too contrasting for most Summers.
- Spring: If warm Spring colors like coral pink make you look drained or ruddy, Summer’s cool, delicate colors are probably best for you.
- Autumn: Autumn’s burnt oranges and mustard yellows often overwhelm a soft Summer complexion.
While the seasons are beautiful in their own right, Summers shine when they stick to light, muted hues. If other palettes make you feel like you’re playing dress up, your natural home is likely Summer.
Your Response to Lighting
How your coloring changes in different lighting is also indicative of your season. Summers tend to look their best in low, indirect sunlight that is diffused and flattering.
Harsh midday light and fluorescent lighting can make Summers look washed out or emphasize circles under their eyes. Soft lighting that scatters and diffuses is a Summer’s best friend. Candlelight, shaded outdoor settings and overcast days bring out the delicate beauty of Summers.
Pay attention to what lighting you feel most comfortable and confident in. If softer, low lighting shows off your coloring, it’s a clue that you are a Summer.
Celebrity Summers
Looking at celebrity examples of Summers can also help you decide if you share the same cool, delicate seasonal attributes. Some famous Summers include:
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Cate Blanchett
- Kate Middleton
- Princess Diana
- Audrey Hepburn
- Grace Kelly
- Queen Latifah
- Lupita Nyong’o
These celebrities all shine in Summer colors that complement their cool skin tones and muted features. Seeing how Summer palettes flatter and enhance public figures can help you recognize the season in yourself.
Get Color Analysis
While assessing your seasonal characteristics yourself has merit, getting a professional color analysis done can provide definitive answers. Many color consultants now offer virtual analysis services, providing custom fabric drapes and other tools to diagnose your coloring.
Investing in an expert color analysis removes any second-guessing and provides personalized guidance on tailoring your wardrobe, makeup and hair care to your unique seasonal palette.
Experiment with Summer Colors
In addition to analyzing your natural features and seeing how Summer colors interact with your complexion, experimenting on your own can help you decide if Summer is your seasonal home. Here are some tips:
- Try the “wardrobe test” – only wear Summer colors for a week or two and see if people compliment you more
- Update your makeup, opting for cooler pinky nudes, gray browns and blue-based reds
- Add accessories in muted Summer tones like pearls, silver, pale blue scarves
- Focus on softening your look with light Summer layers, casual hairstyles and minimal jewelry
Immerse yourself in the Summer palette and see if it feels like coming home. Our physical comfort and confidence in certain colors is a huge seasonal clue.
Conclusion
Determining if you are a Summer seasonal type takes some thoughtful analysis of your natural coloring, experimenting with Summer colors and seeing how they interact with your complexion. While the process can take time, embracing your Summer qualities allows you to put your most beautiful face forward with colors that complement you perfectly. Trust your instincts and have fun finding your most flattering shades!
