colormatch

The four seasonal colour palettes

Seasonal colour analysis sorts people by three qualities: whether their colouring leans golden or blue, whether it is light or deep, and whether it is crisp or dusty. Below is every shade in all four palettes, named, with the codes to take shopping.

Nothing here needs a tool. If you already know your season, read its entry and skip the rest. If you do not, the step-by-step guide works out which of the four fits you.

Spring

Warm and light

Spring colours are warm, fresh and full of light, like a garden in early morning sun. They have yellow or golden warmth in them and stay bright rather than dusty. Next to these colours your skin usually looks rested and even.

Undertone: Warm (golden)

Spring colours to wear

The shades that earn their place next to your face — tops, scarves, collars and frames.

  • Coral#E8734A
  • Peach#F0A878
  • Golden Yellow#E8B33C
  • Apple Green#84B23C
  • Warm Turquoise#2F9E9E
  • Aqua Blue#4AA6C8
  • Salmon Pink#E58B7B
  • Periwinkle#7D8FD6
  • Bright Poppy#D8452F
  • Light Moss#A3B56B

Spring neutrals

The quiet shades to build around: coats, trousers, bags and anything you buy once.

  • Ivory#F4EAD6
  • Camel#B98B4F
  • Warm Beige#CDB08A
  • Soft Navy#3C4D7A

Shades Spring finds difficult

Very dark and dusty colours can look heavy next to a light, warm colouring and can make the face look tired.

  • Black#111111
  • Burgundy#5D1A2B
  • Dusty Mauve#9B8290
  • Charcoal Grey#3A3D42
  • Icy Grey Blue#B9C6D2

Wearing Spring day to day

  • Choose warm white or ivory instead of pure white.
  • If you like dark colours, use soft navy or warm brown instead of black.
  • Gold jewellery usually suits this palette better than silver.

Summer

Cool and soft

Summer colours are cool and gentle, as if a little grey has been mixed into them. Think of a garden after rain. They stay light to medium and never look harsh or neon.

Undertone: Cool (pink or blue)

Summer colours to wear

The shades that earn their place next to your face — tops, scarves, collars and frames.

  • Powder Blue#8FB3D1
  • Soft Rose#D4939F
  • Lavender#A294C4
  • Dusty Pink#C98F9C
  • Sage Green#8FA392
  • Slate Blue#6F8FB5
  • Mauve#9B7F96
  • Seafoam#8AB8AD
  • Soft Plum#7A5A73
  • Periwinkle Blue#7E8CC4

Summer neutrals

The quiet shades to build around: coats, trousers, bags and anything you buy once.

  • Soft White#F1F1EE
  • Cool Grey#9AA0A6
  • Taupe#9B8F87
  • Navy#2F4260

Shades Summer finds difficult

Strong warm and very bright colours tend to overpower a soft, cool colouring and can pull attention away from the face.

  • Orange#E2601B
  • Tomato Red#D63426
  • Mustard#C8971F
  • Camel#B98B4F
  • Pure Black#000000

Wearing Summer day to day

  • Choose soft white instead of bright white.
  • Navy and charcoal work better than pure black near the face.
  • Silver jewellery usually suits this palette better than gold.

Autumn

Warm and deep

Autumn colours are warm, rich and a little earthy, like leaves and spices in October. They have golden warmth but more depth and less brightness than Spring colours.

Undertone: Warm (golden)

Autumn colours to wear

The shades that earn their place next to your face — tops, scarves, collars and frames.

  • Terracotta#A9552C
  • Rust#8F3D1E
  • Mustard#C8971F
  • Olive Green#6B6B2F
  • Forest Green#3B5C3B
  • Deep Teal#255F60
  • Pumpkin#C2662A
  • Moss#7C8A43
  • Brick Red#93342C
  • Warm Aubergine#5A3540

Autumn neutrals

The quiet shades to build around: coats, trousers, bags and anything you buy once.

  • Cream#F0E4CC
  • Chocolate Brown#4E3424
  • Khaki#A08E63
  • Bronze#8A6A3A

Shades Autumn finds difficult

Cold, icy colours can clash with golden warmth in the skin and often make the face look washed out.

  • Icy Pink#F0CDD8
  • Fuchsia#C2247D
  • Pure White#FFFFFF
  • Cool Grey#9AA0A6
  • Black#000000

Wearing Autumn day to day

  • Cream and off-white are kinder to your face than pure white.
  • Chocolate brown or deep olive can replace black in an outfit.
  • Gold, copper and bronze jewellery suit this palette well.

Winter

Cool and clear

Winter colours are cool and clear, with strong contrast, like a bright day with snow on the ground. They are either very deep or very icy, and they stay pure rather than dusty.

Undertone: Cool (pink or blue)

Winter colours to wear

The shades that earn their place next to your face — tops, scarves, collars and frames.

  • True Red#C5102C
  • Royal Blue#1F4FA3
  • Emerald#0F7A55
  • Fuchsia#C2247D
  • Sapphire#15487D
  • Icy Pink#F0CDD8
  • Icy Blue#CFE0EF
  • Deep Violet#4A2A7A
  • Pine Green#14483C
  • Magenta#A51A6D

Winter neutrals

The quiet shades to build around: coats, trousers, bags and anything you buy once.

  • Pure White#FFFFFF
  • Black#000000
  • Charcoal#33363B
  • Cool Navy#1C2A45

Shades Winter finds difficult

Muted, golden and earthy colours tend to flatten a cool, high-contrast colouring and can make the skin look sallow.

  • Mustard#C8971F
  • Terracotta#A9552C
  • Olive Green#6B6B2F
  • Warm Beige#CDB08A
  • Salmon#E58B7B

Wearing Winter day to day

  • Pure white and true black both work well right next to your face.
  • One strong colour with a neutral is usually enough — you do not need many colours at once.
  • Silver and platinum jewellery suit this palette well.

Reading a palette properly

A palette is not a uniform. Nobody wears ten colours at once, and the lists above are a shortlist rather than a shopping order. Most people end up living in two neutrals and three of the wear shades, and that is the palette working as intended.

The further a garment sits from your chin, the less any of this matters. Shoes and handbags are free. The rule earns its keep in the six inches under your face, where light bounces off fabric and straight back onto your skin.

Everything here is a styling suggestion. It is not a professional consultation, not a measurement and not any kind of health assessment — if a shade makes you feel like yourself, that outranks any list.

Find out which one is yours

Two free routes, both finished in a couple of minutes, both landing on one of the four palettes above.

Take the quizUse a photo

Questions about the seasons

Why four seasons and not twelve?

Twelve-season systems split each of these into sub-groups, which is useful for a stylist working in person. For choosing a jumper on a Saturday, four is plenty, and the shades in the sub-groups all sit inside the four palettes listed here anyway.

What do warm and cool actually mean?

Warm shades carry yellow or gold inside them; cool shades carry blue or pink. Almost every colour exists in both versions — there is a warm red and a cool red, a warm green and a cool green — which is why two reds on the same rail can suit two different people.

Can I belong to two seasons at once?

Plenty of people sit on a border. Spring and Autumn share warmth, Summer and Winter share coolness, Spring and Summer are both light, Autumn and Winter are both deep. If two palettes appeal to you, wear the shades they have in common and treat the rest as optional.

Does skin tone decide my season?

No. Depth of skin and undertone are separate things, and every season here occurs across the full range of skin tones. What matters is the direction your skin leans, together with your hair and eyes, not how light or dark you are.

What are the hex codes for?

They are the exact colour recipes used on this page, so you can paste one into a paint chart, a knitting-yarn search or a shop filter and get the same shade rather than an approximation of it.

Are the colours to avoid forbidden?

Not at all — they are simply the shades that tend to work hardest against a given colouring when worn right under the chin. The same shade in a skirt, a bag or a coat below the waist causes no trouble whatsoever.