Seasonal color analysis
Color analysis matches clothes, makeup and hair color to your natural coloring. The 12-season system sorts everyone into a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, then into one of three sub-seasons. Find yours with the quiz, then use its palette.
What is seasonal color analysis?
Seasonal color analysis is a way of finding the colors that flatter you most. It grew out of the color theory of Johannes Itten and became popular in the 1980s with four seasons. Modern versions split each season into three, giving the 12-season system used on this page.
The right colors make skin look even and eyes look bright. The wrong ones can make you look tired, sallow or washed out, even when the color itself is beautiful. A season is simply a group of colors that share the same undertone, depth and clarity as your own coloring.
Undertone, value and chroma
Every color, and every person, can be described on three scales. Your season is decided by the scale that matters most for you (the dominant trait) and the one that comes second.
| Dimension | Question | Seasons it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Hue (undertone) | Warm (golden) or cool (blue-pink)? | True Spring, True Autumn (warm); True Summer, True Winter (cool) |
| Value (lightness) | Light or deep overall? | Light Spring, Light Summer (light); Deep Autumn, Deep Winter (deep) |
| Chroma (clarity) | Bright and clear, or soft and muted? | Bright Spring, Bright Winter (bright); Soft Summer, Soft Autumn (soft) |
Springs and Autumns are warm; Summers and Winters are cool. Springs and Winters are clear; Summers and Autumns are soft. That is why neighboring seasons share colors: Soft Summer and Soft Autumn are both muted and differ only in warmth.
Spring seasons
Warm and clear. Springs look best in fresh, light-to-medium colors with a yellow undertone.
- Light SpringLight, warm and clear: peach, warm pink, buttercream, mint and aqua.
- True SpringWarm and clear: coral, poppy, golden yellow, grass green and warm turquoise. Also called Warm Spring.
- Bright SpringSaturated and warm-leaning: hot coral, poppy red, lime, turquoise and violet. Also called Clear Spring.
Summer seasons
Cool and soft. Summers look best in gentle, blue-based colors with low contrast.
- Light SummerLight, cool and soft: powder blue, lavender, rose pink, mint and soft gray.
- True SummerCool and softly muted: rose, raspberry, cool blue, periwinkle, lavender and blue-green. Also called Cool Summer.
- Soft SummerMuted and cool: dusty rose, mauve, slate blue, soft teal, sage and gray-plum. Also called Muted Summer.
Autumn seasons
Warm and muted. Autumns look best in rich, earthy colors with a golden undertone.
- Soft AutumnMuted and warm: sage, camel, terracotta, soft olive, muted teal and salmon. Also called Soft Fall and Muted Autumn.
- True AutumnWarm and rich: rust, pumpkin, mustard, olive, forest green and teal. Also called Warm Autumn and Warm Fall.
- Deep AutumnDeep and warm: chocolate, brick, rust, olive, forest green, deep teal and aubergine. Also called Dark Autumn, Deep Fall and Dark Fall.
Winter seasons
Cool and clear. Winters look best in vivid, high-contrast, blue-based colors.
- Deep WinterDeep and cool: black, burgundy, emerald, sapphire, plum and deep teal. Also called Dark Winter.
- True WinterCool and vivid: true red, fuchsia, royal blue, emerald, icy pink, black and white. Also called Cool Winter.
- Bright WinterVivid and cool-leaning: hot pink, true red, electric blue, emerald, violet and icy tints. Also called Clear Winter.
How to find your season
- Work in daylight, facing a window, with no makeup and your hair pulled back or covered with a white towel.
- Test undertone: compare silver against gold, or a cool pink against a peach, under your chin. The one that evens out your skin shows warm or cool.
- Test depth: compare a light color with a deep one of the same hue. Deep colors that overpower you point to a light season; light ones that wash you out point to a deep one.
- Test clarity: compare a bright, pure color with a dusty version. Bright colors that "wear you" point to a soft season.
- Combine the answers, or take the color analysis quiz, then try the palette of your season and its two neighbors.
4, 12 and 16 season systems
The original four-season system (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) only uses warm or cool and light or deep. The 12-season system adds clarity, so each season has a light or deep version, a true version and a bright or soft version. Some analysts use 16 seasons, adding names such as Warm Summer or Cool Autumn for people between two of the 12; those sit between the neighboring palettes here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common color season?
There is no reliable census of color seasons. Soft Summer and Soft Autumn are often described as common because many people have medium, blended coloring without strong contrast, but any season can be yours.
Can my season change?
Your undertone does not change, but hair color, a tan or graying hair can shift your depth and contrast. Many people move to a neighboring season, for example from Deep Autumn toward Soft Autumn, as their hair lightens.
What is the difference between warm and cool undertones?
Warm undertones look golden, peach or yellow and suit gold jewelry. Cool undertones look pink, rosy or blue and suit silver. Neutral undertones sit in between and usually belong to the soft or bright seasons.
Which seasons are the 12 color seasons?
Light Spring, True Spring and Bright Spring; Light Summer, True Summer and Soft Summer; Soft Autumn, True Autumn and Deep Autumn; Deep Winter, True Winter and Bright Winter.