How to find your color season, and choose the color that matches your skin tone?
We all have a color that suits us better than another. A shade that brightens the complexion and brings out our best features. To find the color that goes with your skin and will enhance your looks, there's a trick, and we're giving it to you in this quick guide. After this, you'll never make a fashion mistake again.
⭐️ The art of colorimetry, the basics
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Colorimetry is a technique that allows you to identify the colors that are most harmonious with your body's natural pigments: your hair, your skin, and your eyes.
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This helps you choose colors for clothing, accessories, jewelry, and makeup that will highlight your glow and bring out your natural beauty.
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Colorimetry is based on the "temperature" of your skin, your eyes, and your hair: cool, warm, or neutral.
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The right palette is the one that makes your complexion clearer, dark circles less visible, your face more harmonious, and your wardrobe easier to build.
How to determine your skin's "temperature"?
It is not about your surface skin tone (which can be fair, medium, or dark) and which changes with a tan. Here, we are talking about an underlying shade that never changes and shows through the skin.
This is actually called the "undertone."
It comes in 3 main categories: warm, cool, and neutral.
Your undertone is warm if you have mostly golden, yellow, peach, orange, or gold hues. "Olive" complexions also fall into the warm undertone category.
Your undertone is cool if your skin has pink, bluish, or pale hues.
If it seems like a mix of the two, then your undertone is mostly neutral.
Expert tip: Therefore, do not rely on your complexion after a day in the sun to establish your colorimetry.
4 foolproof tips for identifying your colorimetry
Before you start, make sure you have:
- 🌞 Natural light: position yourself near a window, for example, with no artificial light.
- 🧼 A makeup-free face: remove all cosmetic products.
- 💇 Hair tied back: pull your hair up to clearly expose your neck and face.
- 👕 A neutral top: wear a white or beige t-shirt to avoid any color interference.
Tip 1: The vein test
By looking at the inside of your wrist, you will be able to identify your undertone.
- Blue-purple veins = cool undertone
- Green veins = warm undertone
- Blue-green veins = neutral undertone
Tip 2: The jewelry test
By placing a silver bracelet on one wrist and a gold one on the other, you will identify which one best brightens your complexion.
- Silver = cool
- Gold = warm
- Both = neutral
Tip 3: The eye test
By observing your irises, which is the colored part of your eye, you can determine your undertone:
- Golden flecks: warm
- Blue or gray flecks: cool
Tip 4: The fabric test
By placing different colored fabrics near your face, you will notice the shade that makes your complexion clearer, your dark circles less visible, and your face more harmonious.
What colors to wear according to your undertone?
Now that you have identified your undertone, you will be able to discover the colors that suit you and will naturally bring out your best features.
☀ Warm Undertone: The colors that suit you
- Warm colors: orange, yellow, gold, terracotta
- Earth tones: browns, deep reds, khaki greens
- Rich greens: forest, olive, seaweed
- Vibrant warming tones: saffron, ochre, burgundy
Expert advice: very cool blues or pinks should be avoided, as they can wash out your complexion.
❄ Cool Undertone: The colors that suit you
- Blues: slate gray, cobalt, midnight blue, lavender
- Cool tones: pinks, mauves, purples, mint
- Jewel tones: emerald, sapphire, ruby, fuchsia
- Classics: pure white, black
Expert advice: very bright colors can accentuate paleness on very light, cool undertones.
🌿 Neutral Undertone: The colors that suit you
- Versatile neutrals: off-white, beige, taupe, camel
- Soft tones: light peach, dusty pink, peony
- Peaceful blues, jade greens, cameo green
Expert advice: you have the most freedom! Most colors will suit you with just a little adjustment.
The theory of the 4 color seasons
Each season corresponds to a specific color profile that is evaluated based on complexion, eye color, and hair color.
🌸 Spring
You are this season if you have:
- a warm undertone,
- a fair and radiant complexion,
- light or hazel eyes.
Your colors: Peach, Off White, Lax, Olive.
🌊 Summer
You are this season if you have:
- a cool undertone,
- a pinkish or rosy-beige complexion,
- low contrast between your features.
Your colors: Grigio, Grass, Cloud, Storm.
🍂 Autumn
You are this season if you have:
- a warm undertone,
- a golden or tanned complexion,
- dark or honey-colored eyes.
Your colors: Chocolat, Khaki, Bordeaux, Bronze.
❄ Winter
You are this season if you have:
- a cool undertone,
- high contrast between your skin, eyes, and hair.
Your colors: Crema, Black, Midnight Blue, Tomato.
3 frequently asked questions about colorimetry
How can I simply tell if I have a warm or cool undertone?
The vein test is the easiest, and it can be combined with the jewelry test. Blue-purple veins indicate a cool undertone; green veins indicate a warm undertone.
Can you wear colors that don't match your undertone or color season?
Yes! Color analysis is not an absolute rule; it simply helps you understand why certain colors brighten you up while others look more "dull" on you.
Does colorimetry change with age?
Yes. With age, hair often becomes lighter (gray, white), which can change your overall contrast and shift your "color season," particularly towards softer palettes.