Summer colour palette: best colours for a Summer colour season
A Summer colour season looks best in cool, soft and light-to-medium colours: powder blue, dusty rose, lavender, soft navy and blue-grey. Orange, mustard and hard black-and-white contrast tend to overpower it. Here is the whole Summer palette, how to wear it, and how to tell the three Summer types apart.
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Which colours suit a Summer?
Summer colours are cool and gently muted: powder blue, periwinkle, lavender, cool pink, dusty rose, raspberry, mauve, blue-grey, soft teal, sage, soft white, pearl grey and soft navy. The hardest colours near the face are orange, mustard, camel, rust and stark black next to optical white. Summer splits into Light Summer, Cool Summer and Soft Summer, which differ in how light, how blue and how muted the best colours are.
Light Summer
The lightest Summer: powder blue, cool pink, lavender and mint. Its neighbour is Light Spring.
Cool Summer
The coolest Summer: berry pink, blue-grey, raspberry and cool teal. Its neighbour is Cool Winter.
Soft Summer
The most muted Summer: dusty rose, sage, mauve and smoky blue. Its neighbour is Soft Autumn.
Three steps for a fair comparison
- 01
In daylight, hold soft white and then cream under your chin. If soft white makes the skin look calmer, that points cool.
- 02
Compare dusty rose with a bright fuchsia. If the softer colour looks more like part of you, you are closer to Summer than to Winter.
- 03
Try powder blue, raspberry and sage one after another. The one that looks most natural hints at Light, Cool or Soft Summer.
The Summer colour palette
Every Summer colour leans blue rather than yellow and has a slight softness, like colours seen through a light haze.
- Pinks and reds: cool pink, dusty rose, raspberry, watermelon, soft berry.
- Purples: lavender, lilac, mauve, soft plum.
- Greens and blues: powder blue, periwinkle, blue-grey, soft teal, sage, mint.
- Neutrals: soft white, pearl grey, taupe-grey, rose-beige, soft navy, charcoal-blue.
Colours that are harder for a Summer
Orange, mustard, camel and rust put a yellow cast near cool skin and can make it look red or grey. Very saturated neon colours and hard black-and-white contrast take attention away from the face.
You can still wear them away from the face: below the waist, on shoes or on a bag, or with a soft white or cool pink layer close to the face.
Clothes, make-up and hair colour for a Summer
Build basics in soft navy, blue-grey and soft white instead of black and optical white. Tops in powder blue, lavender or dusty rose do the most work near the face. Lip colours in rose, cool pink, raspberry and soft berry suit Summer; orange and brick reds tend to look separate from the skin.
Cool and soft blondes are the classic Summer hair colours: ash blonde, beige blonde, pearl blonde and cool light brown. Brassy golden or copper tones tend to fight a Summer complexion.
Clarity before your next purchase
Can a Summer wear black?
Yes, but it is the hardest basic. Keep it away from the face, or use soft navy, charcoal-blue or plum where you would normally choose black.
What is the difference between Summer and Winter?
Both are cool. Winter needs clear colours and strong contrast; Summer looks best with softer, more blended colours and gentler contrast.
How do I know which Summer type I am?
Compare the three Summer palettes against your face, or take a photo-based colour analysis in the app: it places you in one of the 12 colour seasons and gives you that palette for clothes, make-up and hair.
Do Summers suit silver or gold?
Silver, white gold and pewter usually look most natural. Soft rose gold can work; bright yellow gold is the hardest.
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.