What is a color palette?
In recent years, finding your color palette has been trending on social media. But what does this mean? A color palette is a collection of colors that look best on you by bringing out your best features. You don’t want to be wearing colors that wash you out or make you look sick. Finding your color palette can change your fashion game because you’ll never be confused about what looks best on you again.
Some background information and the first steps.
When you are searching for your color palette, you’re going to want to look at your two most dominant features. You may find that many of the features below apply to you. But when you take a look in the mirror, which two stand out the most? That’s how you will find which colors are best suited to you. To identify your two most dominant features, you’ll have to take a look at your skin undertones, eye color, and hair color.
The easiest feature to find is your undertones, so we’ll start there. Look at the veins on your wrists. If they appear more blue, you have cool undertones. If they appear more green, you have warm undertones. Still confused about your undertones? Grab some gold and silver jewelry and hold them up next to your face. Which one looks better alongside your skin? If the answer is gold, you probably have warm undertones. If the answer is silver, you probably have cool undertones. If you have cool undertones, you will most likely either be a summer or winter. If you have warm undertones, you will most likely be a spring or a fall. It’s important to note that getting a spray tan does not change your color palette, since the undertones of your skin will always be the same. Getting your hair dyed may change your color palette, but only if your new hair color is harmonious with the rest of your features.
Another aspect of color palettes to keep in mind is knowing if you are more on the muted or bright side of the color wheel. If you are bright, your features will contrast each other in an extreme way. The whites of your eyes will stand out in comparison to your hair color or skin tone, and softer colors will wash you out. If you are muted, your features will softly blend together. The whites of your eyes will have a grayish hue to them, and brightness will drown your best features.
Remember while picking out your color palette that your best colors are meant to make you stand out. When people look at you, they are not supposed to notice what you are wearing first. What you are wearing is also not supposed to drain you of color. When you are wearing your best colors, your clothing helps you to shine.
Refer to the color wheel above throughout this article, if needed.
Spring
Anyone who is a Spring will have warm tones to their look and will be on the lighter side of the color wheel. There are three subtypes of the Spring color palette: light, true and bright.
A Light Spring’s two most dominant features are light and warm. This means they have low to medium contrast between their features, warm tones and a lighter complexion. This might be your palette if you have skin that’s on the lighter side and hair that is a similar tone. Notice how Alicia Keys has golden undertones and a light complexion, while her hair is only a few shades off from matching. The colors that work best with Light Springs are flamingo pink, daffodil, arctic blue and lime.
A True Spring’s two most dominant features are warm and bright. This means they have warm tones and medium to high contrast between their features. This might be your palette if you have light and/or warm skin paired with drastically different colored hair. Notice how Emma Stone has bright red hair, while her other features soften her up a bit. On Tyra Banks, notice how her warm complexion shines through, while her dirty blonde creates a more contrasted look. Colors that work best with True Springs are warm red, salmon, orchid and turquoise.
A Bright Spring’s two most dominant features are bright and warm. Notice how this is similar to True Spring, but with a slight difference — the contrast is high. The number one most dominating feature on Bright Spring’s is the brightness (instead of the warmth) of the individual. This might be your palette if the whites of your eyes sharply contrast your skin, your eye color is extremely bright and you have warm hair and/or skin. Notice how Brittany Snow’s piercing blue eyes sharply contrast her ginger hair or how Kerry Washington’s fuchsia lipstick compliments her bronze skin. Colors that work best with Bright Springs are watermelon, orange, canary yellow, peacock blue and jade.
Summer
Anyone who is a Summer will have cool tones to their look and be on the lighter side of the color wheel. There are three subtypes to the Summer color palette: light, true and soft.
A Light Summer’s two most dominant features are light and cool. While Light Summers typically have light skin, eyes and hair, there are exceptions. It is possible to be a Light Summer even if one of the aforementioned features doesn’t match you completely. As long as your most dominant feature is your lightness, it is likely you’ll match this palette. Colors that work best with Light Summers are blush, navy, chiffon and lavender.
A True Summer’s two most dominant features are cool and muted. This means that they have cool tones and low to medium contrast between their features. This might be your palette if you have cool undertones to your skin and your features all seem to blend together well. The first thing you’ll notice is how well both Deepika Padukone and Emma Watson are suited to cool toned clothing. Colors that work best with True Summers are soft red, baby blue, carnation and periwinkle.
A Soft Summer’s two most dominant features are muted and cool. They are very similar to True Summers, but there is a slight difference. The most dominant feature of a True Summer is their cool tones, while the most dominant feature of a Soft Summer is their muteness. Notice how on Rihanna and Emily Blunt, there is no feature of theirs that stands out and there is a grayish hue to their complexion. Soft Summers have very delicate-looking features and need muted clothing to match. Colors that work best with Soft Summers are pale pink, chiffon, soft plum and cornflower blue.
Autumn
Anyone who is an Autumn will have warm tones to their look and be on the darker side of the color wheel. There are three subtypes to the Autumn color palette: soft, true and dark.
A Soft Autumn’s two most dominant features are muted and warm. This might be your palette if all your features seem to blend together and you have warm undertones to your skin, hair, and eyes. Notice how on both Gigi Hadid and Kat Graham, there is no single feature of theirs that stands out more than another, and the warm tones in their hair look harmonious with their skin tone. Colors that work best with Soft Autumns are burgundy, pastel pink, fern and gray violet.
A True Autumn’s two most dominant features are warm and muted. You may notice how similar in appearance they are to a Soft Autumn, but there is a difference. The most noticeable feature of a Soft Autumn is their muteness, while the most noticeable feature of a True Autumn is their warmth. Notice how on both Julianne Moore and Jennifer Lopez, their warmth shines through the rest of their physical characteristics. Their sister palette is True Spring, only True Autumns have overall darker and more muted looks. Colors that work best with True Autumns are crimson, salmon, emerald and honey.
A Dark Autumn’s two most dominant features are dark and warm. They are similar to Dark Winters, only there is more warmth to Dark Autumns. You’ll notice how Brenda Song’s pomegranate lipstick color matches her warmth and depth. The color is dark enough that it matches her hair and eyes, and warm enough that it matches her complexion. Colors that work best on Dark Autumns are rust, eggplant, forest green and gold.
Winter
Anyone who is a Winter will have cool tones to their look and be on the darker side of the color wheel. There are three subtypes to the Winter color palette: dark, true and bright..
A Dark Winter’s two most dominant features are dark and cool. Their sister palette is Dark Autumn, only they are on the cooler side. To classify as a Dark Winter, at least two of your three features (hair, skin, eyes) must be dark. You’ll notice how Gemma Chan’s rose pink lipstick matches her so well because it is slightly darker than her natural lip color. Colors that work best on Dark Winters are lemonade, mediterranean blue, lush meadow and black.
A True Winter’s two most dominant features are cool and bright. This means that all three of a True Winter’s features (hair, skin, eyes) are a different color from one another. But at the same time, no feature stands out more than another. The sister palette is True Summer, only True Winters have more contrast in their look. You’ll notice how Jamie Lee Curtis’s eyeliner brings out her eyes but doesn’t outshine her. Colors that work best on True Winters are brilliant white, violet, navy blue and strawberry pink.
A Bright Winter’s two most dominant features are bright and cool. They are very similar to True Winters, only Bright Winters have a higher level of contrast between their features. A Bright Winter will most likely have bright eyes that stand out in contrast to their hair and skin. Take a look at how Alexandra Daddario’s eyes are highlighted by winged liner, bringing out their piercing blue color. People belonging to this color season need highly saturated colors to keep in tone with their faces. Colors that work best on Bright Winters are true red, hot pink, grape and electric blue.
Finding your color palette is a process of trial and error.
The most important thing to remember when picking out the color palette for your wardrobe is that every person is different. Just because somebody looks like you doesn’t mean you share the exact same color palette as them, and vice versa. The only way to truly determine what your color palette is is to try on a bunch of different clothes, take pictures and determine which ones make you shine. Finding your color palette is often a trial and error process. You have to have some bad fashion moments to figure out what doesn’t work. But once you figure out what does work, you’ll look and feel your best.
Let us know if this helped you to find your color palette by tweeting us @VALLEYmag.
