Colors to keep away from your face
Orange, mustard, warm browns and solid black near your face. They bring out redness and dark circles.
Nothing is off-limits. If you love one of these, wear it away from your face: pants, a skirt, shoes or a bag.
Cool season · 3 sub-seasons
Summer Color Palette: The 3 Summer Sub-Seasons
Cool, soft and elegant: the season of powdery colors and softly blended harmonies.
What it means to be a Summer
Summer is the most misunderstood season.
People think it’s bland. It’s subtle.
If you’re a Summer, loud colors swallow you. Orange turns you yellow. Black makes you look severe. But a powder pink, a gray-blue or a lavender gives you that rested complexion right away, the one you keep looking for in your makeup bag.
The Summer season is for people who look best in colors that are cool, soft and fairly light. Colors that look as if you’re seeing them through a light haze.
Signs you may be a Summer
- A cool or neutral-cool undertone: silver looks better on you than gold.
- An overall impression of softness: nothing is sharply defined between your skin, eyes and hair.
- Low to moderate natural contrast.
- Very bright or very warm colors take over your face.
The palette
Summer color palette
Cool, muted, pastel and light colors. Low to moderate contrast.
- Powder Pink
#F4C2D0 - Raspberry
#C73866 - Lavender
#C3B3E6 - Sky Blue
#A9CFEF - Denim Blue
#4F6FA8 - Seafoam Green
#8FCFBF - Pearl Gray
#C9CCD3 - Soft Navy
#3D4B73
Colors Summers should avoid (and how to wear them anyway)
Summer jewelry and metals
Silver, white gold, very pale rose gold. Satin finishes rather than shiny ones. Pearls, moonstone, rose quartz.
The 3 sub-seasons
The 3 Summer sub-seasons side by side
They all share the base of the season. What changes is what leads in your coloring, and that is where precision comes from.
Light Summer
The lightest of the cool seasons: fresh, airy, powdery colors.
Cool Summer
Cool made gentle: blues, pinks and raspberries without any harshness.
Soft Summer
The most blended season: grayed, hushed colors with a quiet elegance.
How to tell the three Summers apart
| 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 |
Makeup and hair
Summer makeup, hair and jewelry in short
The broad lines change from one sub-season to the next. Here are the basics for each.
- Lips
- Fresh pink, light raspberry, rosewood. Sheer formulas.
- Hair
- Light ash blonde, beige blonde, cool light brown. Avoid strong golden or coppery tones.
- Jewelry
- Silver, white gold, very pale rose gold. Pearls, moonstone.
- Lips
- Raspberry, blue-toned pink, soft cherry. Your red is a cool red.
- Hair
- Ash tones: ash blonde, ash brown, cool brown. Gray or white hair looks naturally good on you.
- Jewelry
- Silver, white gold, platinum. Gray pearls, amethyst, aquamarine.
- Lips
- Rosewood, dusty rose, muted raspberry. Satin finishes.
- Hair
- Ash brown, ash dark blonde, soft brown. Very blended highlights rather than strong contrasts.
- Jewelry
- Brushed silver, rose gold, white gold. Matte or satin finishes.
Head to head
Which Summer are you? Three checks
Settle the season first
Summer and Winter are both cool seasons. The two-color test below tells them apart.
Find the trait that leads
Each Summer sub-season leads with a different trait.
- Light Summerlightness
- Cool Summercoolness
- Soft Summersoftness
Take the quiz for a first hint
The quiz can’t see your skin react to colors, so read its answer as a hint, not a verdict. Take the free quiz
Summer or Winter: the two-color test
The two-color test. In daylight, with no makeup, hold a piece of fabric in each of these two colors up to your face. If the powder pink makes your skin look rested and the fuchsia overwhelms you, you lean Summer.
Can’t see the difference? That’s common: we all see through our own taste. Read the Winter page too, or let the quiz give you a first hint.
Go further
Not 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.
One guide per sub-season
Full palette, capsule wardrobe, makeup, hair and a shopping list for each sub-season. Not on sale yet: join the waitlist.
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
Summer color season: your questions
How do I know if I’m a Summer or a Winter?
Both seasons are cool. Winter looks best in crisp, saturated, high-contrast colors. Summer looks best in softened, blended ones. Hold a bright fuchsia and a powder pink up to your face: if the fuchsia overwhelms you and the pink makes you look rested, you’re most likely a Summer.
Does being a Summer mean I have to wear pastels?
No. Cool pastels suit you, but your palette also includes medium and deep colors: raspberry, denim blue, soft plum, grayed navy. What matters is that they stay cool and slightly softened.
What do I wear instead of black as a Summer?
A soft navy, a bluish charcoal gray or a cool taupe. You keep the polish and the professional look, without the harshness.
What are the main Summer colors?
Powder Pink, Raspberry, Lavender, Sky Blue, Denim Blue, Seafoam Green, Pearl Gray and Soft Navy. Each of the three sub-seasons has its own version of this palette.
What colors should a Summer avoid?
Orange, mustard, warm browns and solid black near your face. They bring out redness and dark circles. Nothing is off-limits: if you love one of them, wear it away from your face.
Gold or silver: which metals suit a Summer?
Silver, white gold, very pale rose gold. Satin finishes rather than shiny ones. Pearls, moonstone, rose quartz.
What lipstick colors suit a Summer?
Light Summer: Fresh pink, light raspberry, rosewood. Sheer formulas. Cool Summer: Raspberry, blue-toned pink, soft cherry. Your red is a cool red. Soft Summer: Rosewood, dusty rose, muted raspberry. Satin finishes.
Think you’re a Summer?
Start with the free quiz. It shows you your likely season and a sub-season hint in two minutes: a first hint, not a verdict.