This Is Exactly How to Do Your Color Analysis and Tell Which Season You Are

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Picture this: You’re in a store and spot a piece of clothing that you love. You take it to the dressing room to try it on but are disappointed in how it looks on you. Something about it seems off, and you don’t know why. It looked so good on the rack, why not on you? Welcome to color analysis and color seasons, the logic behind the dressing room phenomenon.

The idea behind color analysis is that everyone has a palette of colors that best enhances their natural beauty and makes them glow, seemingly from the inside out. Those colors harmonize with their eyes, skin, and hair. Palettes are categorized into four main color seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Within each of those seasons are three distinct palettes, or 12 color seasons in total. By pinpointing the distinctions between those color seasons, a person can narrow down their best (and worst) colors.

This can be helpful information to know, especially when it comes to shopping, hair coloring, or nail appointments. Let’s say, you’re shopping for summer clothing — perhaps, a summer wedding guest dress. You can turn to your season and pick a dress that matches a hue from your palette without worrying if the dress will suit you or not. Easy as that!

Uncovering your seasonal palette takes the guesswork out of shopping. Of course, it's important to remember that color analysis is merely a tool, not an absolute as to what you should and should not wear. First and foremost, you should always wear what makes you happy. Confidence is the ultimate secret weapon!

Ready to find out which color season you are? Get started below:

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History of Color Analysis

Despite being everywhere on social media right now, color analysis isn’t a new concept. In fact, you may have heard of it back in the 1970s when it was first introduced to the public by way of Carole Jackson’s book Color Me Beautiful. The best-selling book was the first of its kind to draw a connection between the natural coloring of one’s features and the four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Decades later, color analysis has reentered the public consciousness thanks to a slew of filters on the popular social media app TikTok, claiming to help you identify your personal color season, and thus the colors that make you look your best. Filters range from close-up color immersions to virtual fabric swatches of the four seasons, with some filters going even more in-depth by seeking to uncover your season through your vein color or appearance in metallics.

What Are Color Seasons?

Color seasons are used to narrow down the hues that will best enhance your natural features. These hues are often called “wow colors” because their purpose is to highlight your beauty, not dull or overpower it. Each of the four color seasons — spring, summer, fall, and winter — can be broken down into three categories: bright/soft, light/dark, and true.

According to Hannah Rashad, color analyst and co-founder of Curate Your Style, “All [of] the colors in each season represent what you would find in nature at that time. The beginning of the autumn season is what we'd call a soft autumn, where it's that first breath of autumn in nature when the leaves are just starting to turn. And then, a true autumn [is] bang in the middle of that season, like Halloween. A dark autumn is when it's probably Thanksgiving.”

A person’s color season can be identified by looking at three aspects: temperature, value, and chroma.

Temperature (Cool vs. Warm)

Out of the three aspects, temperature is what you’re most likely familiar with, especially if you wear makeup. It’s the debate of undertones — warm versus cool. Do you look best in colors with a yellowish hue or grayish hue? Spring and fall are known as warm seasons while summer and winter are cool. Those who are strongly warm or cool are what’s known as "true seasons." They embody nature’s colors at the height of their season: fresh floral blooms, lush greenery, vibrant falling leaves, and crisp mounds of snow. Those who are more on the fence when it comes to undertones — neutral or those with olive-toned skin — will fall toward the beginning or end of a season depending on their value.

Value (Light vs. Dark)

In short, value means light or dark. For this, you would look at your hair and eyes — not your skin. Bright blue eyes and blonde hair would be light whereas brown eyes and black hair would be dark. “If you've got dark hair and eyes, you're going to be in harmony with darker colors,” says Rashad. “If you've got lighter hair and eyes, you're going to be in harmony with muted colors.” This will help to determine if you fall into the lighter seasons (spring and summer) or the darker seasons (fall and winter.)

Chroma (Muted vs. Bright)

Lastly, there’s chroma, otherwise known as saturation, which determines how bright or muted your features are. Someone with bright features would be described as piercing or striking. They can handle highly saturated colors, such as neons, without being overtaken by the strong hue. Someone with muted features would be described as soft or enchanting. They look best in less-saturated colors that draw the eye to their face before their clothes.

Where to Get Your Colors Analyzed

To uncover your color season, we recommend seeing an expert color analyst. Finding your true color season is HARD, especially when you’re doing it on your own. A color analysis consultation will range in price based on what's included and if it takes place virtually or in person. If it's in your budget, we highly recommend using one of these two methods to uncover your color season.

• In-Person ($150-$350): Set up an in-person consultation with a color analysis expert who will set aside an hour or more of time to drape you in color swatches in order to identify your season out of twelve possibilities. This is a great option for those who want a one-on-one experience because the analyst can walk you through the analysis process and answer questions as they may arise. Although it’s important to note, this service is likely only available in big cities.

• Virtual ($40-$150): If you live somewhere where color analysts are hard to find, or prefer to send in the necessary materials and read about your results instead of sitting down for a one-on-one session, virtual color analysis is the way to go.

Personally, I opted for Curate Your Style’s virtual gold package, their most extensive, which required me to submit 3-5 photos of myself in natural lighting and without makeup on for analysis by three color experts. After 72 hours, I received a 100-page PDF outlining 80 colors in my seasonal palette, recommendations for my best metal, denim, leather, and nail shades, celebrity examples with my same palette, a breakdown of my color season’s personality traits, and more for $120. That said, Curate Your Style also offers less-expensive packages — silver for $76 and bronze for $42 — that still provide you with plenty of insights about your color season.

How to Find Your Color Season At Home

If you cannot have your color season analyzed by an expert, fret not — you can still uncover it at home. There are a few things to watch out for when conducting your DIY analysis.

DO:

• Reference images of yourself

• Go makeup-free

• Use natural lighting

• Look at your natural hair color

• Look beyond your skin tone

• Try to be as objective as possible

DON’T:

• Reference a mirror or filters

• Wear makeup

• Use shadowy, fluorescent, or colored lighting

• Analyze yourself with dyed hair

• Make judgments based on skin tone

• Allow your color preferences to impact your analysis

Rashad suggests using images instead of live filters or a mirror. “In a photo, you can see yourself from a different perspective,” she says. “Whereas in the mirror, you're in the moment, and you have that kind of emotional connection to a piece. You think, 'I feel so good in it,' or 'I love the way this style feels on me. I like the memory.' But when you see a photograph, you can see it from a slightly different perspective.”

For a DIY color analysis, this is how you can take into account the three aspects — temperature, value, and chroma — at home:

✔ Temperature: When looking at images of yourself, pay attention to how you look in various tones. If beige, chocolate, and gold jewelry makes you look jubilant and healthy, you likely have a warm undertone. If white, gray, and silver make your complexion look clear and bright, you likely have a cool undertone. If neither seems to do anything, look at yourself in taupe, mushroom, and rose gold. That may indicate that you have a neutral or olive undertone.

✔ Value: This will likely be the easiest to uncover. Are your eyes and natural hair color light or dark? Remember: skin tone is not a factor in value.

✔ Chroma: Look at images of yourself in bright colors and muted colors, and then ask yourself what your eye is drawn to first. Is it the outfit or your face? If it’s the outfit, perhaps it’s too overpowering, which may signify that you’re better suited for muted hues. If the muted hues wash you out, you may be better suited for brighter colors.

With all that information gathered, apply it to the provided color wheel above. I’ll use myself as an example: I have a neutral undertone that skews warm, a light value, and muted features. Therefore, I am a Light Spring.

FAQs & Misconceptions About Color Analysis

Because of all the buzz color analysis has garnered on the internet, especially on TikTok, it’s important to address some frequently asked questions and misconceptions about color analysis and color seasons.

Q: Can I still wear colors outside of my color season?

A: Yes! Your color season is there to provide you with a list of hues that bring out your natural beauty, but that doesn’t mean colors outside of your season make you look bad. Clothing preferences and what looks “good” are subjective. For example, if black is outside of your color season but you like the way it looks on you, wear it! Above all, it’s important to wear what makes you feel confident.

Q: Does color analysis work on all skin tones?

A: Yes! Color analysis focuses on your undertone, not your overtone. “If you're looking at the surface of your skin, we call that an overtone,” says Rashad. “Your overtones change. They can change [when] you have a tan, they can change when you're sun-deprived, they can change when you're ill, aged, embarrassed, working out. Whereas, your undertones do not change, and they're the origin of your coloring.” No matter what your skin color is, you have a warm, cool, neutral, or olive undertone.

Q: Will my results vary if I have a virtual consultation over an in-person appointment?

A: They shouldn’t. While we can’t guarantee that you’ll receive the same results from both types of consultations, we can say with certainty that your season shouldn’t change.

Q: Can I still wear prints and patterns?

A: Yes! Patterns predominantly made up of one or more colors in your palette will look best. If you’re struggling to come to terms with your palette or incorporate the hues into your wardrobe, prints can be a great middle ground. They can bridge the gap between your favorite colors and best colors. When shopping, try to find a print or pattern that contains both.

Q: Are TikTok filters accurate in uncovering a person’s color season?

A: Not exactly. Color analysis is a discipline that requires training and a background in color theory. Without the proper qualifications, it’s easy to fall into stereotypes and misconceptions. Because the filters on TikTok and other social media apps are not typically created by trained color analysts, it’s best not to put too much stock into their results. For an accurate color breakdown, it’s best to see a color analysis professional.

Shop Your Color Season

Now comes the fun part! If you’ve had your colors analyzed or uncovered them on your own, it’s time to see what clothing may suit you best.

Chambray Blazer in Medium Light Wash

Button-Up Linen Shirt in Green

Carola Tie Waist Long Sleeve Wrap Dress in Bright Pink

The spring palette is known for its warm, bright, and welcoming colors. Reflective of nature's dewy mornings and first blooms. Prominent colors in this palette include almond, peach, lilac, and eucalyptus.

Brushed Bomber Jacket in Grey

Stripe Cotton Gauze Button-Up Shirt in Pink/White Stripe

Sky Rise Wide Leg Pants in Horizon Blue

The summer palette is known for its cool, delicate, and relaxed colors. Emblematic of nature's sunny afternoons and rhythmic ocean waves. Prominent colors in this palette include eggshell, ash, sea green, and crystal blue.

Cotton Gauze Utility Jacket in Olive Burnt

Kieran Tie Waist Wide Leg Pants in Tan

Vacation Tie Front Gauze Shirtdress in Brown Raisin

The fall palette is known for its warm, burnt, and earthy colors. Indicative of nature's changing leaves and golden sunsets. Prominent colors in this palette include cream, rust, teal, and burgundy.

Fitted Suit Blazer in Dark Navy

Stripe Bateau Neck Top in Indigo Multi

Teresa Ankle Wide Leg Jeans in Optic White

Teresa Ankle Wide Leg Jeans in Optic White

Ruffle Long Sleeve Midi Dress in Black Floral

The winter palette is known for its cool, bold, and rich colors. Characteristic of nature's stark white snow and ruby holly berries. Prominent colors in this palette include white, black, steel blue, and indigo.

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