Color Analysis: How to Look and Feel Your Absolute Best Based on Your Color Season

Have you ever bought an outfit you liked on someone only to realize it didn’t look good on you? If you’re nodding along as you read this, you may want to try color analysis.

Introduced by fashion designer and color theorist Suzanne Caygill in the 1940s, the process involves assessing an individual’s coloration to identify the most flattering color palette for them.1

According to Caygill, people could be classified into four color seasons based on their characteristics like skin tone and eye and hair color. These are further broken down into numerous subcategories within each primary season (summer, winter, autumn, and spring) to accommodate an individual’s unique traits.

Years later, color consultant Carole Jackson proposed a simpler color analysis scheme in her book “Color Me Beautiful,” spurring the explosive popularity of the concept in the 1980s.

What Does Color Analysis Do?

Color analysis identifies the colors that complement and harmonize your natural palette, which includes skin, hair, and eye color, says fashion designer and stylist, Catherine Bibeau.

Choosing the right colors can enhance your overall appearance by making your natural features pop, adds Bibeau.

This can help you streamline your wardrobe and shop more consciously, says Yenia Hernández Fonseca, stylist and fashion contributor at Margo Paige.

How Does Color Analysis Work?

Color analysis has its roots in traditional color theory, which can be traced back to the 18th century when Isaac Newton discovered the color spectrum and subsequently developed the first color wheel.2

Color theory is the understanding of how colors interact with each other and how they can be combined to create different effects, says professional makeup artist, Brandy Allen.

“Color analysis and color theory are deeply intertwined. The difference is that color theory explores the relationship between colors and how they can be combined while color analysis applies these principles in practical scenarios,” explains Bree Steele, interior designer and trade manager at RJ Living.

Determining Your Undertone

Assessing skin undertone is the first step in color analysis. According to Fonseca, skin undertones can be categorized into warm (yellow or peach hues), cool (blue or pink hues), or neutral (a mix of both warm and cool undertones).

Understanding your skin undertone can help you choose the best color palettes that play up your complexion. “Without the knowledge of your undertone, you may look washed out or too warm,” says Steve Kassajikian, head of global artistry at Urban Decay.

Cool undertones look best in blush or ruby-hued tones, while warm undertones look great in earthy tones like amber or copper. Neutral tones like brown or gray and bold colors like blue or teal look best on neutral undertones, Kassajikian adds.

An easy way to figure out your undertone is to check how your skin reacts to sun exposure. If you tend to burn easily, you are most likely a cooler undertone. If you burn then tan, you likely have a neutral undertone. And if you just tan easily, you are most likely a warmer undertone, suggests Kassajikian.

Identifying Your Color Season

Seasonal color analysis is the most widely recognized among all color analysis techniques.

According to this method, people can be typed into four seasons—summer, spring, autumn, and winter—based on an individual’s coloration.

“These categories reflect cool and warm undertones, and high and low contrast, to identify which color zones may be washing you out and which colors create a more radiant look,” says Bibeau.

• Spring seasons typically have warm undertones and low contrast, perfect for highlighting lighter hair and eyes. “They may still work for those with dark features, but there isn’t a lot of contrast,” Bibeau points out.
• Summer seasons are best for those with cool undertones and lighter hair and eye colors. “Although they exhibit some contrast between their skin tone and hair and eyes, it is much more moderate compared to the winter seasons,” she says.
• Autumn seasons typically suit those with warm undertones and dark hair and eyes, creating a soft blend among these features.
• While winter seasons have cool undertones, dark hair, vibrant eyes, and high contrast between their skin, eyes, and hair, adds Bibeau.

Look for colors that remove redness from your skin, brighten your eyes, or create the perfect hair color contrast, recommends Bibeau.

Assessing Contrast Levels

Contrast can be a powerful tool to achieve balance. “Value contrast levels look at the difference between your lightest and darkest features, especially between your eyes, hair color, and skin tone,” Fonseca explains.

High contrast occurs when there’s a big difference between the lightest and darkest values, says Fonseca. For example, fair skin, deep blue eyes, and dark hair. Low contrast, on the other hand, shows little to no difference in your color values, adds Fonseca.

To know your contrast level, Fonseca suggests taking a selfie under natural light and changing the settings to grayscale. The monotone picture will help you determine the level of contrast between your hair, eyes, and skin, she explains.

The Benefits of Dressing in Your Color Season

Dressing in your color scheme can significantly spruce up your look. Research shows that “improving physical attractiveness” leads to better interpersonal interactions and a corresponding boost in self-esteem.3

One study suggests how you dress not only reflects but also affects your mood. Thus, wearing colors that make you look and feel good may positively impact your mood.4

Meanwhile, another study published in the Academy of Management Journal found that dressing your best (something color analysis can help you with) can improve productivity.5

Different Approaches to Color Analysis

There are various methods of color analysis, including:

• Seasonal color analysis: Also known as the 12-season color analysis, it involves categorizing an individual into one of the 12 distinct subgroups across the four main seasons, based on their coloring. In a professional consultation, a color analyst will drape fabric swatches over your shoulders to see how different colors interact with your features to determine your most flattering color palette. You can also analyze yourself at home using color swatches in front of a mirror in natural light.
• Tonal color analysis: This method classifies individuals into one of the six tonal color groups—warm, cool, light, clear, soft, and deep—based on their dominant, secondary, and tertiary color characteristics.
• Thematic color analysis: This technique looks at a theme or particular inspiration and picks colors based on that, says Steele.

Tips for Conducting Color Analysis at Home

Here are a few key things to keep in mind:

Applying Color Analysis in Fashion and Makeup

When you try an outfit, see how it affects your coloring. Does it make your complexion look vibrant or washed out? Does it make your eyes look bright or flat?

If a color creates shadows or reflections on your face, it likely doesn’t complement your complexion.6

People with high contrasts, like light skin and dark hair, can pull off strong contrasts, such as black and white. Those with little color contrast should avoid intense hues, strong contrasts, and neutral tones that closely match their contrast levels.6

When it comes to makeup, having a strong understanding of how colors interact with one another can enhance your features and bring the whole look together, says Kassajikian.

For accessorizing, those with warm undertones can’t go wrong with yellow gold or rose gold. Silver, platinum, and white gold complement cool undertones. Meanwhile, those with neutral undertones can experiment with both silver and gold accessories.