Discovering your colour season is like finding a personal style compass. It simplifies shopping, elevates your wardrobe, and allows you to present your most radiant self with ease. Wearing colours that align with your natural complexion, hair, and eyes creates instant harmony, making you look fresher, more vibrant, and effortlessly polished.
Many people struggle to define their style because they are wearing colours that fight against their natural beauty. Understanding your seasonal palette changes everything, helping you build a wardrobe that truly supports and enhances who you are.
Understanding the four seasonal colour palettes
Seasonal colour analysis divides personal colouring into four main categories: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Each season captures a unique blend of undertones, depth, and brightness that mirrors the natural changes observed throughout the year.
By aligning your wardrobe with your season, you ensure that every shade you wear complements your skin tone, eye colour, and hair colour. It is a simple yet powerful way to elevate your overall style without overwhelming effort.
To dive deeper into your true palette, working with experts like Curate Your Style and their online colour analysis can offer precise, tailored advice based on your specific features, helping you avoid common pitfalls and confusion.
The key traits of each season
Although there are many nuances within each season, a few defining characteristics can help you start to pinpoint where you might belong. The journey begins by examining your natural colouring in terms of undertone (warm or cool), depth (light or deep), and clarity (bright or muted).
Understanding these elements makes identifying your colour season far simpler and more accurate.
Winter: Cool, bold, and high contrast
Winter types are known for their dramatic and striking appearance. Their colouring tends to be cool, vivid, and highly contrasted.
Typical Winter traits include:
- Cool undertones
- Dark hair (black, dark brown)
- Light, striking eyes (blue, grey, sometimes dark brown)
- High contrast between skin, eyes, and hair
Best colours for Winters are bold and clear: true black, pure white, cobalt blue, emerald green, icy pink, and cherry red.
Winters look radiant in crisp, intense shades and should avoid muted or warm tones, which can drain their natural vibrancy.
Spring: Warm, light, and fresh
Spring individuals have an uplifting, sun-kissed quality to their appearance. Their colouring feels lively, warm, and full of youthful brightness.
Typical Spring traits include:
- Warm undertones
- Light to medium hair (golden blonde, strawberry blonde, light auburn)
- Clear, bright eyes (light blue, green, aqua)
- Low contrast between features
Spring’s best colours are fresh, light, and warm: peach, coral, light turquoise, golden yellow, and warm ivory.
Heavy or cool colours tend to overpower Springs, muting their naturally radiant glow.
Summer: Cool, soft, and muted
Summer types embody a soft elegance, with cool undertones and a delicate, blended appearance. Their overall impression is gentle and calming.
Typical Summer traits include:
- Cool undertones
- Light to medium ash-blonde or brown hair
- Soft blue, grey, or muted green eyes
- Low contrast between features
Ideal colours for Summers are muted and cool: soft rose, dusty blue, lavender, powder grey, and sage green.
Strong, vivid colours can look too harsh against Summer’s gentle colouring, making soft, blended shades the ideal choice.
Autumn: Warm, deep, and earthy
Autumn individuals are rich and vibrant, mirroring the deep, golden tones of the autumn landscape. Their colouring feels substantial and glowing.
Typical Autumn traits include:
- Warm undertones
- Dark golden blonde to deep auburn or rich brown hair
- Warm brown, hazel, or green eyes
- Medium to deep contrast between features
Autumns shine in earthy, rich tones: olive, rust, mustard, deep teal, chocolate brown, and warm camel.
Cool, icy shades tend to wash out Autumns, while warm, muted hues enhance their natural richness.
Simple at-home tests for finding your season
While professional analysis provides the most accurate results, there are simple at-home tests you can use to get closer to your season:
The Silver vs. Gold Test
Hold both silver and gold jewellery near your face. If silver looks better, you are likely cool-toned (Winter or Summer). If gold flatters you more, you are probably warm-toned (Spring or Autumn).
The Black Test
Try wearing pure black near your face. If it makes you look vibrant and polished, you could be a Winter. If it drains you, you may belong to a lighter or warmer season.
The White vs. Ivory Test
Pure white flatters Winters and Summers, while ivory complements Springs and Autumns better.
The Bright vs. Muted Test
Bright, clear colours point to Winter or Spring. If soft, dusty shades make you glow, you may be a Summer or Autumn.
Taking photos in natural light during these tests often makes it easier to spot what works and what does not.
The importance of undertones and contrast
Identifying your undertone is crucial: are you warm (yellow, peach, golden) or cool (pink, blue, red)? Undertone influences which colours will naturally harmonise with your skin.
Contrast is equally important. High contrast individuals suit bolder, more vivid combinations, while low contrast individuals look better in softer blends of colour.
A person with porcelain skin, dark brown hair, and bright blue eyes likely has high contrast, suggesting a Winter palette. Someone with light brown hair, hazel eyes, and warm beige skin may have low contrast, pointing toward Autumn or Spring.
Recognising these key elements makes your journey towards finding the perfect palette far smoother.
Using curate your style’s online colour analysis
While DIY testing can offer clues, it can also lead to confusion, especially for those with neutral undertones or delicate features. That’s where professional help becomes invaluable.
Curate Your Style offers an online colour analysis that considers not just single traits but the interplay of your skin, hair, and eyes. This holistic view provides a refined, personalised palette that you can use as the foundation for your wardrobe and beauty choices.
Their expertise ensures you discover your season with confidence, unlocking your full style potential.
Celebrating your true colours
Finding your colour season is about more than clothing it’s a celebration of your unique beauty. When you align yourself with the shades that echo your natural tones, you step into a space of effortless self-expression and confidence.
Your colours are already within you, waiting to be highlighted and celebrated. Choosing to honour them is not about following rigid rules but about enhancing the brilliance that is uniquely yours.
Every time you wear a colour that lights you up, you tell the world a story one of authenticity, vibrancy, and timeless style.
