Light Summer neutrals
The base of your wardrobe: coats, pants, bags and shoes.
- Soft White
#F7F5F2 - Pearl Gray
#C9CCD3 - Rosy Taupe
#A89A9E - Soft Navy
#3D4B73
Summer sub-season
Light Summer Color Palette: Colors, Outfits, Makeup & Hair
The lightest of the cool seasons: fresh, airy, powdery colors.
What is Light Summer?
Light Summer is a light touch.
Your defining trait is lightness. Coolness comes second.
You need light, cool colors, as if faded by the sun: powder pink, lavender, sky blue, seafoam green. Dark colors make you look older, warm colors turn you yellow.
Light Summer sits on the border with Light Spring. They share lightness. What separates them is temperature. On you, colors have a pink or bluish base.
Your colors are the light, fresh versions of the Summer palette. Think of the seashore early in the morning: pale sky, light sand, hydrangeas.
Signs you may be Light Summer (and the traps)
- Cool pastels give you a fresh, rested complexion.
- Black and dark brown look harsh on you.
- Orange and mustard make you look drained.
- Silver and white gold suit you better than yellow gold.
The palette
Light Summer color palette
Twenty colors, with their hex codes, to show you the spirit of your sub-season.
- Powder Pink
#F4C2D0 - Sugar Pink
#F29CB8 - Light Raspberry
#D9577E - Lavender
#C3B3E6 - Mauve
#B48CC8 - Sky Blue
#A9CFEF - Periwinkle
#8FA6E0 - Light Denim Blue
#7F9CC9 - Pale Aqua
#A6DCD9 - Seafoam Green
#8FCFBF - Cool Mint
#B5E2CF - Pale Lemon
#F6EFA6 - Light Peony
#EFA7C0 - Pale Strawberry
#E77A96 - Baby Blue
#BCD9F2 - Lavender Blue
#A9B6EA - Lilac
#CDB6E6 - Icy Mint
#BFE8D8 - Pale Turquoise
#9ADBD6 - Light Blue Gray
#B8C4D4
Light Summer colors to avoid
Too dark or too warm: they emphasize dark circles and turn your skin yellow.
- Black
#0A0A0A - Orange
#F26B1D - Mustard
#C99A1C - Warm Brown
#6B3F1D
Outfits and wardrobe
Light Summer outfits and capsule wardrobe
At the office
Soft navy blazer, soft white shirt, pearl gray pants, lavender scarf
On the weekend
Powder pink sweater, light jeans, white sneakers
For an evening out
Light raspberry or periwinkle dress, silver jewelry
Light Summer capsule wardrobe
Eight pieces to start with, all of them mix and match.
- Pearl gray trench coat
- Soft navy blazer
- Soft white shirt
- Powder pink sweater
- Sky blue T-shirt
- Light jeans
- Periwinkle dress
- Rosy taupe pants
Prints and fabrics
Fine, blended prints: watercolor, tiny florals, tone-on-tone stripes. Light, matte fabrics: cotton, washed linen, chiffon, fine cashmere.
Three pairings that work
- Soft WhitePowder PinkPearl Gray
- Sky BlueSoft Navy
- LavenderSeafoam Green
Makeup, hair, jewelry
Light Summer makeup, hair color and jewelry
Light Summer makeup: lips, eyes, blush
- Lips
- Fresh pink, light raspberry, rosewood. Sheer formulas.
- Eyes
- Light gray, rosy taupe, lavender, soft blue. Gray-brown or navy mascara.
- Blush
- Fresh pink.
Light Summer hair color
Light ash blonde, beige blonde, cool light brown. Avoid strong golden or coppery tones.
Light Summer jewelry and metals
Silver, white gold, very pale rose gold. Pearls, moonstone.
The three most common mistakes
- Wearing golden beige to look “natural”: it turns you yellow. Your beige is a rosy taupe or a pearl gray.
- Choosing a golden or honey blonde. Keep cool, beige or ash tones.
- Darkening your makeup to get more presence. Freshness is what gives you radiance.
Head to head
Light Summer or Light Spring? How to tell them apart
Both seasons are light. Light Spring is warmer and fresher, Light Summer cooler and more powdery.
The two-color test. In daylight, with no makeup, hold a piece of fabric in each of these two colors up to your face. The one that evens out your complexion and brings out your eyes is your answer. The one that deepens your dark circles or makes you look tired is not yours.
Light Summer next to the other Summers and its neighboring season
| Sub-season | Temperature | Lightness | Intensity | Contrast | Signature color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Summer | Slightly cool | Very light | Soft | Low | Powder Pink |
| Cool Summer | Very cool | Medium | Soft to medium | Moderate | Raspberry |
| Soft Summer | Neutral to cool | Medium | Very soft, grayed | Low | Dusty Rose |
| Light Spring | Slightly warm | Very light | Medium, fresh | Low | Peach |
Neighboring season
Light Spring
The lightest of the warm seasons: all light and freshness, never heavy.
For everyone
Light Summer on every skin tone, and for men
Any skin tone can be a Light Summer. Deep, medium or fair, with a warm, cool or olive undertone: what decides is how your skin reacts when colors are held up to your face.
For a Light Summer man: sky blue, soft white or pale pink shirts, a light gray or soft navy suit. No black, no warm brown.
The method is the same for everyone: the pieces change, not the colors.
Go further
The Light Summer guide: join the waitlist
The complete Light Summer guide
Your full palette, capsule wardrobe, makeup, hair and a shopping list.
- Your sub-season, explained
- Your complete palette
- Your neutrals and basics
- Your capsule wardrobe
- Pairings that work
- Makeup
- Hair
- Jewelry, glasses, prints
Planned price: $29.99. The guide is not on sale yet: join the waitlist to be told when it opens.
Join the waitlistNot sure you’re a Summer?
The quiz shows you your likely season and a sub-season hint, with no sign-up. A first hint, not a verdict.
How the method works
Twelve sub-seasons instead of sixteen, the three things we look at, and why a quiz is only a first hint.
Questions
Light Summer: your questions
Light Summer or Light Spring?
Hold a powder pink and a peach up to your face. If the powder pink makes your skin look rested, you lean Light Summer. If it’s the peach, you lean Light Spring.
What dark color should a Light Summer wear?
A soft navy or a medium bluish gray. They give you polish without weighing you down.
What colors should a Light Summer avoid?
Keep Black, Orange, Mustard and Warm Brown away from your face. Too dark or too warm: they emphasize dark circles and turn your skin yellow.
Which jewelry metals suit a Light Summer?
Silver, white gold, very pale rose gold. Pearls, moonstone.
What hair color suits a Light Summer?
Light ash blonde, beige blonde, cool light brown. Avoid strong golden or coppery tones.
What lipstick colors suit a Light Summer?
Fresh pink, light raspberry, rosewood. Sheer formulas.
How can I be sure I’m a Light Summer?
On your own, it’s hard: we all see through our own taste, and neighboring sub-seasons look alike. Start with the free quiz to check your likely Summer season, then run the two-color test on this page against Light Spring. Treat the result as a hint, not a verdict.
What’s the difference between Light Summer and Light Spring?
Both seasons are light. Light Spring is warmer and fresher, Light Summer cooler and more powdery.
Think you’re a Light Summer?
Check it. The free quiz shows you your likely season in two minutes, and the two-color test on this page helps you tell it from its neighbor.