Does that colour you are wearing make you pop or does it pop? A colour that makes you pop is enhancing your natural tones. If the colour pops and outshines you, it may not be your best colour choice.
When it comes to selecting colours that make you look your best, understanding your colour season can be a game-changer. Seasonal colour analysis categorizes your natural colouring based on a mix of your skin tone, eye colour, and natural hair colour. Determining your colour season isn’t just about identifying whether you're a "Spring" or an "Autumn," but understanding the depth and intensity of colours that harmonize with your natural palette. Here’s our guide to help you identify your colour season and embrace your best colours with confidence.
Step 1: Understand the Basics of Seasonal Colour Analysis
The seasonal colour analysis system divides personal colour palettes into four general seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter – each with three variations: Light, Soft, and Deep. These are based on your undertone, the value (lightness or darkness), and the chroma (intensity or softness) of your colouring:
- Spring and Autumn are warm seasons with yellow undertones.
- Summer and Winter are cool seasons with blue undertones.
Step 2: Examine Your Skin’s Undertone
Your undertone is perhaps the most crucial element when determining your season. Here are some methods to ascertain yours:
- The Vein Test: Look at the veins on your wrist under natural light. If they appear green, you likely have warm undertones. Blue or purple veins suggest cool undertones.
- The Jewellery Test: Do you look better in gold or silver jewellery? Gold typically enhances warm undertones, while silver flatters cool undertones.
- The White Fabric Test: Hold a pure white fabric and an off-white fabric up to your face. If you look better against pure white, you likely have cool undertones; if off-white is more flattering, you have warm undertones.
Step 3: Analyse Your Natural Hair and Eye Colour
Your natural hair and eye colours can provide additional clues:
- Warm seasons (Spring, Autumn) usually have creamy white or peachy skin, golden or amber eyes, and hair with golden, red, or auburn highlights.
- Cool seasons (Summer, Winter) often feature rosy or porcelain skin, blue, grey, or cool brown eyes, and hair that has ash blonde, brown, or black tones.
Step 4: Determine Your Contrast Level
The contrast between your hair, eyes, and skin tone can also suggest your season:
- High contrast (e.g., dark hair with light skin or vice versa) might indicate a Winter.
- Low contrast (e.g., blonde hair with light skin) might suggest Summer.
- Medium contrast often points towards Spring or Autumn.
Step 5: Conduct a Colour Test
The best way to confirm your season is by comparing how different colours affect your appearance:
- Gather Colour Swatches: Include a variety of colours from each season.
- Observe in Natural Light: How do the colours reflect on your face? Which make you look vibrant, and which wash you out?
- Seek Feedback: Sometimes, it’s hard to be objective about ourselves. It can be helpful to get a second opinion.
Step 6: Evaluate Your Season’s Variations
Once you've narrowed down your season, consider whether you are a Light, Deep, or soft version of that season:
- Light: You look best in softer, lighter shades.
- Deep: You are more flattered by intense, deeper shades.
- Soft: Muted, less saturated colours enhance your look.
Determining your colour season is not just about fitting yourself into a box but about enhancing your natural beauty by choosing colours that naturally complement you. This process can be both fun and enlightening, offering a new perspective on your wardrobe and style choices. Remember, the goal of colour analysis is to find colours that make you look healthy, vibrant, and true to yourself.
