Cool Summer vs Cool Winter: how to tell them apart
Cool Summer and Cool Winter are the two coolest seasons, and both look tired in orange, camel and mustard. The difference is clarity and contrast: Cool Summer suits softened, slightly greyed cool colours, Cool Winter clear, saturated ones with strong contrast. Here is how to see which side you are on.
Free entry · English result · iOS and Android
Am I a Cool Summer or a Cool Winter?
If soft white, blue-grey, raspberry and charcoal make your face look calm and refined, and pure black looks heavy on you, you are closer to Cool Summer. If pure white, black, sapphire and fuchsia make your face look sharp and awake, and softened colours look dull, you are closer to Cool Winter. If both work, you sit between the two: cool colours that are neither greyed nor vivid, worn with silver, are safe either way.
What they share: coolness
Both seasons suit blue-based colours and silver. Orange, camel, mustard and yellow-based beige look out of place on both.
Cool Summer: cool and soft
Berry pink, raspberry, blue-grey, cool teal, soft white and charcoal, colours with a little grey in them.
Cool Winter: cool and clear
Pure white, black, sapphire, fuchsia, blue-red and emerald: clear colours and strong contrast.
Compare the two palettes
The colours both types share are safe either way. The ones only one palette has are what to hold up to your face.
Cool Summer
Only in this palette- Grey · medium
- Green · medium
- White · light
- Pink · light
- Pink · light
- Grey · medium
- Pink · light
- Pink · light
- Purple · medium
Cool Winter
Only in this palette- Black · deep
- Green · medium
- Yellow · light
- Yellow · light
- Pink · medium
- Red · deep
- Purple · deep
- Red · deep
- Red · deep
- Pink · medium
Which of the two are you closer to?
Four quick questions to answer in daylight. They point you toward one of the two; a photo settles it.
The app reads your season from a selfie and shows hair and lipstick shades on your own face.
Find out from a photo in the app which of the two you are →Three steps for a fair comparison
- 01
In daylight, hold soft white and then pure white under your chin. If pure white looks harsh and soft white looks calm, that points to Cool Summer; if pure white makes your face look brighter, to Cool Winter.
- 02
Compare charcoal with black. Black that looks like a heavy frame points to Cool Summer; black that looks clean and natural points to Cool Winter.
- 03
Compare raspberry with fuchsia. If two of the three tests point the same way, that is your season of the pair.
Why these two are easy to confuse
Cool Summer and Cool Winter are the two seasons where coolness is the strongest quality. Both look best in silver and blue-based colours, and both struggle with warm, golden shades. What separates them is how much clarity and contrast the face can carry.
Cool Summer is softer and more blended; Cool Winter is crisp and high-contrast. In the mirror, that shows as a clear colour either lighting up the face or sitting on top of it.
Three colour pairs to compare
Hold each pair under your chin in daylight and choose the colour that makes your skin look even and your eyes clear.
- Soft white or pure white: soft white points to Cool Summer, pure white to Cool Winter.
- Charcoal or black: charcoal points to Cool Summer, black to Cool Winter.
- Raspberry or fuchsia: raspberry points to Cool Summer, fuchsia to Cool Winter.
When you sit between the two
Then the easiest colours near your face are the cool shades in the middle: clearer than a greyed Summer colour, softer than a vivid Winter one, with silver jewellery. Keep the softest and the brightest shades for accents.
A photo-based analysis compares your colouring with both palettes. When a photo cannot decide, the app shows both seasons so you can compare their palettes on the same photo.
Clarity before your next purchase
What is the difference between Cool Summer and Cool Winter?
Clarity and contrast. Both are cool; Cool Summer suits soft, slightly greyed colours (raspberry, blue-grey, charcoal), Cool Winter clear, saturated ones (fuchsia, sapphire, black).
Can a Cool Summer wear black?
Black is a Cool Winter colour. Cool Summers usually look better in charcoal or blue-grey near the face.
Which metals suit Cool Summer and Cool Winter?
Both suit cool metals: silver, white gold and platinum. Yellow gold, copper and bronze are the harder choices for both.
Can I be between Cool Summer and Cool Winter?
Yes. Wear cool shades that are neither greyed nor vivid near your face and test the soft and clear accents separately.
From an initial clue to personal colour analysis
Analyse your photo, receive a practical palette and use it when choosing clothes, hair colour and make-up.