How to Determine Your Seasonal Color Palette

Pick out the perfect coordinated looks every season with these easy steps

Co-authored by Kathi Burns, CPO® and Amber Crain

Last Updated: October 3, 2022 References

Trying to figure out what colors look best on you isn’t easy! All humans are unique, but everyone tends to fall into one of the four seasonal categories – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.^{[1]
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Research source} Which category you fit into is based on your skin’s undertones, your natural hair color, and your eye color.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.} All you need to do is make a few quick determinations to figure out your season and the specific color palette that’s perfect for you!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Figuring out Your Undertones

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Use the veins on your wrist to tell if you have cool or warm undertones.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.} Lift your wrist to eye-level in natural light and inspect your veins on the inside of your wrist. If your veins look green or greenish-blue, your skin has warm undertones. If the veins look blue or purple, you have cool undertones.^{[4]
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- If you can't tell what your predominant vein color is, you may have neutral undertones, which means you can pull off warm and cool colors!^{[5]
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2
Hold a sheet of white paper next to your skin to confirm undertone. If you want to double-check the vein test, try this trick. If your undertones look yellow, greenish, or golden next to the white paper, you have a warm complexion. If your undertones look pink, red, or blue, you have a cool complexion.^{[6]
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Check your eye color to determine if your complexion is warm or cool.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.} If your eyes are grey, bright green, or clear blue, you have a cool complexion. If your eyes are hazel, brown, or amber, you have a warm complexion.^{[8]
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Look at your natural hair color for more clues about your complexion.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.} If your hair is black, ashy brown, grey, or ashy blonde, you have a cool complexion. If your hair color is chestnut, dark brown, red, strawberry blonde, or auburn, you have a warm complexion.^{[10]
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- Be sure to use your natural hair color to determine warm or cool undertones!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Determining Your Season

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Categorize yourself as a Winter if you have dark hair and cool tones. Winters usually have a lot of contrast in their complexion, hair, and eye colors. For example, a Winter might have dark brown hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes.^{[11]
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Research source} Winter types usually have:
- Hair color: medium brown, dark brown, or black
- Eye color: medium or dark brown, clear blue, grey-blue, or cool green
- Keep in mind that olive types follow the same rules as cool.
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Put yourself in the Summer type if you have light hair and cool tones. Summers usually don’t have a lot of contrast in hair color, eye color, and complexion. For example, a Summer might have blonde hair and cool green eyes.^{[12]
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Research source} Summer types typically have:
- Hair color: light blond or medium brown, sometimes in muted colors
- Eye color: blue, cool green, slate, grey-brown, grey-blue
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Consider yourself an Autumn if you have warm tones and dark hair. Autumn types have low contrast in the skin, hair, and eye color department. Hair, skin, and eyes tend to have rich, golden undertones. For example, an Autumn could have dark brown hair and green eyes.^{[13]
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Research source} Autumn types usually have:
- Hair color: medium or dark brown, black, medium red, deep auburn
- Eye color: hazel, medium to dark brown, olive, warm green
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Count yourself as a Spring if you have warm tones and light hair. Spring types usually hair fair skin, light eyes, and light hair. For example, a Spring might have strawberry blonde hair and green eyes.^{[14]
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Research source} In general, Springs have:
- Hair color: light blonde, light to medium brown, strawberry blonde
- Eye color: clear blue, green, turquoise, hazel, light brown

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Choosing Flattering Colors

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Wear medium shades of green, blue, and purple if you’re a Winter. Winters look best in cool, fresh colors in medium tones. Some darker shades work great, too. Avoid pastels, which tend to wash out a Winter’s natural coloring and look less flattering.^{[15]
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Research source} Winters look great in colors like:
- Cool mint green, medium green, and dark forest green
- Medium and dark shades of blue
- Medium and dark purple
- Cool pink, classic red, and cranberry
- Neutrals: dark brown, white, black, cool grey
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Stick with cool, muted shades of green, blue, and purple if you’re a Summer. Springs look great in cool colors in muted or pastel tones. Avoid most darker colors, which can create an unflattering contrast with your light hair, eyes, and skin.^{[16]
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Research source} Summers look best in colors like:
- Cool shades of light and medium green
- Medium and light shades of blue
- Periwinkle, light, medium, and deep purple
- Cool shades of light and medium pink
- Light and medium yellow
- Neutrals: white, grey, tan, light brown^{[17]
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3
Try warm, medium shades of berry, green, and orange if you’re a Spring. Medium and clear shades of warmer colors are the most flattering on Springs. Various shades of brown also look great! Avoid dark colors, for the most part. Softer colors and pastels are your best bet.^{[18]
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Research source} Springs tend to look great in colors like:
- Medium and bright green
- Medium and muted pink, berry, cranberry
- Medium and bright shades of yellow and orange
- Muted blue-green
- Neutrals: all shades of brown, medium or slate gray, white^{[19]
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4
Wear medium and dark jewel tones if you're an Autumn. Autumn types look wonderful in bright jewel tones. Stick with bright, medium, and darker shades and avoid pastels.^{[20]
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Research source} Autumns look the best in colors such as:
- Medium and dark green
- Rich shades of pumpkin and deep yellow
- Deep berry and rust
- Neutrals: all shades of brown^{[21]
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Expert Q&A

Question

What if my favorite color isn't in season?

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Board Certified Professional Organizer
Kathi Burns is a board certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and Founder of Organized and Energized!, her consulting business with a mission to empower people to master their environment and personal image by assisting them in taking control, making change and organizing their lives. Kathi has over 17 years of organizing experience and her work has been featured on Better Homes and Gardens, NBC News, Good Morning America, and Entrepreneur. She has a BS in Communication from Ohio University.

Kathi Burns, CPO®

Board Certified Professional Organizer

Expert Answer

If you love a certain color but it's not in your season, you don't have to give it up! Try to incorporate the color in low-key ways, like in a scarf or bag.

Warnings

Always determine your skin's undertone in natural lighting. Artificial lighting can change the way colors appear on your skin.

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