Color season guide
Seasonal color analysis, explained.
Seasonal color analysis matches you to one of 12 color seasons based on your natural coloring. Once you know your season, you know which clothes, makeup and hair colors make you look healthy and bright, and which ones drain you.
How color analysis works
Every season is defined by three qualities of your skin, hair and eyes:
- Undertone: warm (golden, peachy) or cool (pink, blue). Springs and Autumns are warm; Summers and Winters are cool.
- Depth: how light or dark your overall coloring is. Light seasons suit light colors; deep seasons carry dark, rich shades.
- Chroma: whether you look best in clear, saturated colors (Bright seasons) or soft, muted ones (Soft seasons).
Contrast, the difference between your hair, skin and eyes, ties these together. High contrast usually points to Winter or Bright Spring; low contrast to Summer or Soft Autumn.
The four season families
Spring
Warm and clear: light, fresh and bright colors.
Summer
Cool and soft: gentle, muted and airy colors.
Autumn
Warm and muted: rich, earthy and golden colors.
Winter
Cool and clear: deep, crisp and high-contrast colors.
How to find your color season
- Check your undertone. Look at the veins on your wrist in daylight: greenish veins suggest warm, blue or purple suggest cool. Notice whether gold or silver jewelry looks better.
- Judge your depth and contrast. Compare your hair, eyes and skin. Are they all light, all deep, or strongly contrasting?
- Test clear vs soft colors. Hold a bright fuchsia and a dusty rose near your face. The one that makes your skin look even and your eyes brighter tells you your chroma.
- Confirm with a photo analysis. Our free quiz gives a quick estimate. ToneLily analyzes a natural-light selfie for a precise result and shows your full palette.
Questions about color analysis
What is seasonal color analysis?+
Seasonal color analysis groups people into color seasons based on the undertone, depth and contrast of their skin, hair and eyes. Each season has a palette of colors that harmonize with that natural coloring.
What is the difference between 4 and 12 seasons?+
The 4-season system only uses Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The 12-season system splits each one into three sub-seasons (for example Light, True and Bright Spring), which gives a much more accurate palette.
How do I find my color season?+
Look at your undertone (warm or cool), your depth (light or deep) and your chroma (clear or soft). A quiz gives a good first estimate; a photo analysis in natural daylight, like the one in the ToneLily app, is more precise.
Can my color season change?+
Your season is based on your natural coloring, so it usually stays the same. Big changes, such as dyeing your hair very differently or hair turning grey, can shift which colors look best.
Skip the guesswork
Get your season from one selfie.
Free color analysis in the ToneLily app, with your personal palette, makeup try-on and outfit color checks.
