True Summer
vs. True Winter
Two palettes. A clearer way to tell them apart.
True Summer
Cool color, softly spoken.
Baby Blue
#94C9FC
Pale Teal 2
#7FC6B6
Greeny Blue 2
#4BB698
Carolina Blue
#8496D8
Faded Blue
#818DBE
Dusty Lavender 5
#AE7397
True Winter
Cool, crisp color.
Pink
#F687B9
Carolina Blue
#6E9BE1
Periwinkle
#8577EA
Dark Periwinkle
#7C64D2
Red Purple
#953563
Blueberry 2
#5D3DA0
The three color qualities
| Quality | True Summer | True Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Cool | Cool |
| Depth | Medium-light | Medium-deep |
| Clarity | Soft | Clear |
| Makeup direction | Rose, mauve, cool berry | Blue-red, raspberry, cool magenta |
| Hair families | Ash blonde, cool medium brown, soft charcoal brown | Cool dark brown, blue-black, silver gray |
Start with clarity
Compare a dusty color with a clear version of similar depth and temperature. The clarity difference is the largest in these two palette profiles.
True Summer is soft; True Winter is clear. Notice the effect of that change, then test the other qualities separately.
Set up a consistent fabric testKeep the comparison fair
- Use indirect daylight and similar fabric finishes.
- Hold the same amount of each color below your face.
- Repeat the pair and look for a consistent preference.
Neighboring palettes overlap. A preference between two colors is a clue, not a confirmed season.
Use the quiz to collect more cluesDescriptions referenced from True Summer and True Winter guides. The swatches and comparison here are original.