Determining your color season can help you choose the most flattering colors to wear. Your color season is based on your unique combination of skin tone, hair color, and eye color. Once you know your color season, you can use it as a guide when shopping for clothing, makeup, and accessories. Choosing colors that harmonize with your natural coloring will help you look radiant. There are 4 main color seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Read on to learn how to determine your color season and shop accordingly.
How to determine your color season
Here are some tips for figuring out your color season:
- Examine your skin undertone – is it warm, cool, or neutral?
- Look at your eye color – are your eyes warm or cool toned?
- Analyze your hair color – is it warm or cool, light or dark?
- Test out draping – drape various color fabrics around your neck and see which ones make your face glow.
- Try on lipstick and clothing in a variety of shades and see what looks best.
- Ask a color analysis expert for help determining your season if you’re still unsure.
You can also take an online quiz designed to identify your color season. Some signs of the different seasons include:
| Season | Common Traits |
|---|---|
| Spring | Warm skin undertone, blue or green eyes, golden blonde to strawberry blonde hair |
| Summer | Cool skin undertone, blue/gray/green eyes, ash blonde to dark brown hair |
| Autumn | Warm skin undertone, hazel/green/amber eyes, strawberry blonde to dark brown hair |
| Winter | Cool skin undertone, icy blue/gray/green eyes, dark brown to black hair |
Once you’ve determined your color season, it will make shopping for clothes and makeup much easier.
Shopping for Spring colors
If you’re a Spring, your palette contains warm, light, clear colors. Stick to these shades when getting dressed:
- Yellow
- Peach
- Light warm blue
- Ivory
- Coral
- Moss green
- Periwinkle blue
Springs look best in golden metals versus silver. For makeup, peach, coral, and rosy pink lipsticks and blushes will be most flattering. Eyeshadow in neutral champagne or warm brown colors will make your eyes pop.
Some specific shopping tips for Spring include:
- Choose blouses in sunny yellow, peach, periwinkle blue, or mossy jade green.
- Look for cardigans and sweaters in ivory, peach, buttery yellow, or sky blue.
- Search for skirts in golden khaki, warm red, coral pink, or orangey reds.
- Select gold, bronze, and copper jewelry rather than silver or platinum.
- Try lipsticks with a warm, peachy undertone.
- Pick bronze or warm brown mascara.
Stray away from these colors, which can wash you out:
- Emerald green
- Royal blue
- Pure white
- Bright pink
- Pure black
Shopping for Summer colors
Summers suit cool, soft colors like these:
- Icy pastels – mint, ice blue, lavender
- Pure white
- Dusty pink
- Gray
- Navy blue
- Sage green
Since Summers have cool undertones, silver looks better than gold. For makeup, opt for berry, rose, and mauve lipsticks. Cool-toned brown or gray eyeshadows will complement your eyes.
Some specific tips for Summers:
- Look for tops in watery blues, true reds, rosy pinks, and violet purples.
- Choose scarves and shawls in soft muted colors like sage green, dove gray, or powder blue.
- Select silver over gold jewelry.
- Try lipsticks with a berry or rose tone.
- Use a light gray or taupe eyeshadow.
Avoid overwhelmng your cool complexion with these colors:
- Orange
- Kelly green
- Hot pink
Shopping for Autumn colors
Autumns suit warm, rich earth tones like:
- Mustard yellow
- Spicy orange
- Forest green
- Sapphire blue
- Burgundy red
- Rusty brown
Since Autumns are warm-toned, gold jewelry is more flattering than silver. Creamy nude, terra cotta, and cinnamon colored lipsticks look great. For eyeshadow, try shimmery bronzes, purples, and deep blues.
Specific shopping tips for Autumn include:
- Look for tops in emerald, ruby, sapphire, purple, and teal.
- Search for dresses in warm autumnal colors like spicy red, mustard yellow, or hunter green.
- Choose cardigans and sweaters in camel, loden green, mustard, mustard, burnt orange, and amethyst.
- Pick gold over silver jewelry.
- Try lipsticks with brick, mocha, or caramel tones.
- Use eyeshadow in olive, plum, navy, smoky topaz, and espresso.
Avoid pastels and extremely bright or light colors:
- Baby blue
- Bubblegum pink
- Pure white
Shopping for Winter colors
Winters look fabulous in rich, vivid colors with cool undertones like:
- Icy blue
- True red
- Royal purple
- Emerald green
- Hot pink
Since Winters have a cool undertone, silver and platinum metals are best. Berry, magenta, and red lipsticks with a cool base are ideal. Eyeshadow in slate gray, cool brown, or deep purple enhances your eye color.
Here are some Winter shopping pointers:
- Look for tops in jewel tones like sapphire, emerald, magenta, and violet.
- Choose charcoal gray, navy blue, or black over pale washout colors.
- Select cool-toned reds versus warm orangey reds.
- Opt for lipsticks with blue-red or berry tones.
- Try eyeshadow in shimmery grays, frosty lavender, or glistening navy.
Avoid warm, dull shades:
- Khaki
- Taupe
- Mocha
Conclusion
Determining your color season and shopping accordingly can help you always put your best face forward. Follow the guidelines for your seasonal palette when choosing clothing, accessories, and makeup. Stick to harmonious colors that complement your natural features rather than compete with them. With the right colors, your inner and outer beauty will shine.
