color decoded: a brief guide on seasonal color analysis
Color Analysis, the 80’s concept of assigning one’s appearance a ‘seasonal palette’ is having a resurgence in popularity. The underlying principles, though, are timeless: some types of colors are going to be more flattering than others, based on the temperature and intensity of your appearance.
Color consultants and apps may tell you it’s a nuanced and complicated process (it can be!)- but just understanding the basics will go a long way in helping you look your best.
MAIN FACTORS
Temperature- the warmth or coolness of your overall appearance (warm skin tones often have a yellow cast, cool ones appear pink or ashy)
Intensity- The uniformity your appearance (uniform = soft, contrasted = bright/clear)
Another, secondary factor that contributes to one’s palette is how light or deep you appear. Winters and Autumns tend to be on the darker side (dark hair, skin, or both), while Springs and Summers look lighter overall (blonde and/or lighter-skinned).
FOUR SEASONS: Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter
FIND YOUR PALETTE
Evaluate yourself in natural light, with no/minimal makeup.
You’ll be draping two solid items (fabric or clothing) next to your face, one at a time. Note which looks better- the warm one or the cool one? The bright one or the muted one? You may have to try multiple combinations to confirm.
To determine temperature, drape two solid items of similar brightness (one cool, one warm) near your face, one at a time
To determine your intensity, drape two solid items of similar temperature (one bright, one muted) near your face, one at a time
Spring (warm) vs Winter (cool); both bright
Autumn (warm) vs Summer (cool); both muted
Autumn (muted) vs Spring (bright); both warm
Summer (muted) vs Winter (bright); both cool
TIPS
Check out photos of yourself as a child- your intensity may have changed (we tend to go from high-to-lower contrast as we age), but your temperature doesn’t
Take a trip to Sephora- most makeup brands include descriptive words like “warm.” “golden,” and “neutral” in their shade names. Use their color match tool or seek help from a specialist
Peruse your closet- chances are, you’re drawn to colors that make you feel good and earn you compliments
Many people fall in between seasons- not everyone has an obvious color profile. Colors from different palettes may work for you (e.g. reds from Winter and blues from Spring)
Don’t feel restricted by your season- color analysis is just a tool to help you figure out which colors look best on you- not limit you from wearing any colors. Yoga pants may not make us look our best, but we all still wear them, right? Color is just one of many factors to help you choose what to put on!
TWELVE SUB-SEASONS
Once you have an idea which season works best, you can break down that palette even further to determine your sub-season.
Each season can be split in three each based on their defining properties: temperature (cool/warm), intensity (soft/clear), and lightness (deep/light). For example, Soft Autumn is warm and muted, just like the overall Autumn palette, but this palette contains the most muted shades.
Soft/muted or Clear/bright
Deep or Light
Warm or Cool
