Have you ever noticed that even after a good night’s sleep, your skin looks glowing and your eyes look well-rested when you’re wearing one particular sweater, but your skin looks dull when you’re wearing another?The secret is rarely in your skincare routine (though it certainly helps!) or the amount of coffee you drink. Usually found in color theory. Yes, somewhere between the color wheel and the elusive harmony of hues. Sound familiar?
Of course, because color season analysis is all the rage right now. There is a lot of useful information on this subject. But in today’s blog post, we’re going back to basics and discussing the color palettes that most naturally blend with your skin tone, eye color, and hair color. The traditional and most basic system relies on four distinct, classic seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. A broader look at this theory suggests that there are 12 different types (classified by seasons: warm, bright, and bright). But this is the subject of a whole new blog post.
Origin of color analysis
The basic theory behind seasonal color analysis was first developed in the 1920s by Johannes Itten, a Swiss expressionist painter and lecturer at Germany’s famous Bauhaus art school. Recognizing that certain color groups clash with others yet harmonize beautifully with certain physical features, Itten formally organized these colors into four distinct palettes based on the four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Later pioneers like Suzanne Caygill and Carol Jackson eventually incorporated his artistic principles into the personal styling and fashion framework we use today.
Color Seasons Foundation: Undertones and Contrast
Before diving into the seasons, it’s important to understand the two fundamental pillars that define them: undertones and contrast. Similar to makeup bases, these two properties will help you decide which route is best for your skin tone and hair color.
- of your skin undertone Beneath the surface it is a very subtle shade. Whether you get sunburned in the summer or pale in the winter, that will never change. Undertones are generally classified as warm (gold, peach, or yellow), cool (pink, red, or bluish), or neutral (a mix of both). An easy way to determine your undertone is to look at the color of the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural light. If it looks greenish, it may have warm undertones. If it looks bluish or purple, you may have cool undertones.
- The second pillar is contrastrefers to the visual difference in darkness or lightness between hair, skin, and eyes. High contrast means there is a noticeable difference (for example, very dark hair paired with white skin). On the other hand, lower contrast indicates that hair, skin, and eyes blend more seamlessly (for example, light blonde hair and white skin, or dark hair and dark skin).
How to color analyze yourself
The four main colors combine these two elements to create the so-called seasons. Spring is warm and light, summer is cool and light, autumn is warm and deep, and winter is cool and deep. Therefore, to determine the season of your color, you need to analyze your own characteristics. Remove your makeup and let your hair down. Choose something neutral. It is best to prepare two outfits: a light outfit and a dark outfit. Make sure your clothes don’t interfere with your natural look.
Ellie-Jean Royden, in her video “How to Find Your Color Season,” suggests analyzing your natural features. “I haven’t dyed anything, so let’s look at myself in natural light.”
Spring (warm, light, bright)
Let’s start with the spring color season. Spring is always youthful, with warm undertones and a bright, clear, overall light appearance. People in the spring category often have hair with natural golden or red tones, from strawberry blonde or golden blonde to light auburn or warm brown. Their skin usually has a peach or creamy ivory glow, and their eyes are clear and bright, often shades of blue, green, hazel, or warm light brown.
The spring color palette is fresh, vibrant and lively, perfectly similar to its name and the awakening of nature from its slumber. For spring, colors that catch the warm sunlight and brighten from the inside are best.
- Best color: Coral, peach, golden yellow, bright apple green, warm aqua, clear turquoise, and warm cream.
- Colors to avoid: Heavy, dark, muted colors such as harsh, inky blacks, charcoals, and dusty leaden blues can easily overwhelm this delicate, luminous hue.
- Famous examples from spring: Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Blake Lively, Amy Adams, Zoe Saldana, Taylor Swift.
Summer (cool, light and soft)
Despite what the season’s heat suggests, the summer color palette is generally cool-toned, soft, and even soothing. Summer type skin has a cool pink or bluish color. Their hair usually lacks golden or red highlights and ranges from ash blonde to medium grayish brown. Summer eyes tend to have soft, cool colors such as grayish blue, cool green, and slate brown. Typically, the contrast between those features is low to moderate.
The summer color palette is elegant, understated, and calming. It’s filled with real clear colors, soft pastels, and muted tones (think watercolors) with gentle touches of gray.
- Best color: Soft dusty rose, lavender, powder blue, sage green, slate gray and muted navy. Soft whites or off-whites are much more appealing than pure, crisp whites.
- Colors to avoid: A strong neon glow and heavy, warm earth colors such as mustard, rust, and orange. These can clash violently with cold, delicate skin, making it look yellow or gray.
- Famous examples from summer: Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna, Emily Blunt, Cate Blanchett, Rosario Dawson, Margot Robbie.
Autumn (warm, bright, dark)
Now, let’s take a look at the romantic autumn season. It’s as rich and warm as it is rustic and cozy. The fall color season shares spring’s warm golden undertones, but the overall hues are noticeably deeper, more muted, and richer. Fall hair colors range from rich golden yellows and fiery reds to deep maroons and auburns. Skin tone can range from warm ivory to deep bronze or golden brown, and eyes are usually rich shades of dark brown, olive green, warm hazel, or visible warm amber.
- Best color: Rust, burnt orange, mustard yellow, olive green, deep terracotta, warm chocolate brown. When it comes to neutrals, warm beiges, camels, and deep browns are much better than stark black.
- Colors to avoid: Bright colors like icy pastels, stark whites, and vibrant cool tones like fuchsia and royal blue. These shades will take away the golden warmth from your autumn face.
- Famous examples from autumn: Julia Roberts, Zendaya, Julianne Moore, Beyoncé, Halle Berry, Michelle Obama, Padma Lakshmi.
Winter (cool, bright, dark)
And finally, winter season is here! Just like real winter weather, this season is characterized by striking contrasts and a deep, cool intensity. In winter, there are cool, bluish or pink shades. What really sets Winter apart is its high level of visual contrast. This often manifests as a combination of very dark hair (ranging from deep grey-brown to jet black) and very pale porcelain skin, or dark skin with a deep, cool tone. Winter eyes are usually intense and piercing, ranging from icy blue or clear green to deep, cool brown or almost black.
Winter is the only time of year when nature’s colors are so vibrant and contrasting that you can easily wear inky, pure black and crisp snowy white without looking washed out.
- Best color: Authentic, intense, icy, saturated cool tones. Gemstone shades are winter’s best friend – emerald green, sapphire blue, ruby red and deep amethyst. The bold primary colors are also very impressive.
- Colors to avoid: Warm, earthy, and calming tones such as golden brown, orange, peach, and muddy yellow. These can blur the striking natural contrasts of winter, making you look tired and aged.
- Famous examples from winter: Anne Hathaway, Megan Fox, Lupita Nyong’o, Courteney Cox, Viola Davis, Lucy Liu, Janelle Monáe.
Why follow celebrity style when it comes to seasonal analysis?
Let’s be honest. Trying to decipher seasonal trends straight from the runways is like trying to learn a new language by reading abstract poetry. Why not take a shortcut and learn from the pros?
Think of celebrities and highly paid stylists as your personal style mentors. I’m not talking about avant-garde Met Gala outfits. We’re talking about their daily street style. These looks show exactly how seasonal silhouettes move, crease, and function in the real world.
To summarize…
If you have favorite clothes that don’t fit the season, there’s no need to throw them away. The most important part of wearing seasonal colors is close to the face (shirts, scarves, hats, necklaces). Even if you wear the so-called “wrong” color on your lower body through pants, skirts, shoes, etc., you can rest assured that it will not reflect on your complexion.
*What you should read on this topic:
– Elements of Color: A treatise on color systems based on Johannes Itten’s book “The Art of Color”
– Color Me Beautiful by Carol Jackson
– Color: Your Essence by Suzanne Caygill
Source: Lizbreygel: Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle – www.lizbreygel.com
