Are You a Spring?

A Beauty Post! Seasonal Color Analysis Part 1

(First a quick disclaimer: There are many different types of beauty, and all are legitimate. Take Marilyn Monroe for example: many admire and envy her extreme glamour. She was gorgeous, but no one for a moment thought anything about her was natural. Extreme glamour is one expression of beauty, and everyone is entitled to express herself how she wishes. Seasonal color analysis however concentrates on what looks most natural and most pretty or becoming, not necessarily what’s most glamorous or trendy.

The “wrong color” pictures I included are not meant to mock anyone. They’re meant to be an aid to you because at first, this may be a difficult thing to spot, but when you put two photos next to each other, it becomes glaringly obvious which color works and which one doesn’t. Celebrities look amazing, but then again they have an army of dietitians, stylists, personal trainers, makeup artists, photographers who control the light, etc, etc. Seasonal color analysis just gives you a leg up.)

Are You a Spring?

What is Seasonal Color Analysis? Seasonal color analysis is a system by which people can determine which colors of clothing, makeup, hair color, etc will look best on them because of their tone.

As someone for whom nature is a spiritual thing, I’ve found it fascinating to learn that we are all a reflection of the natural world. We might exhibit the bold buttery sunshine of morning (Spring), the blue light and shadowless heat of midday (Summer), the shadowed, nuanced complexity of dusk (Autumn), or the clear, crystalline depth and mystery of night (Winter). All are beautiful, just different.

There are a total of 4 major seasons and 12 different sub seasons, and everyone fits in somewhere. Sometimes it’s completely obvious and other times it’s tough to tell even with draping where someone fits.

There are two light seasons: Spring and Summer. Spring is warm while Summer is cool.

So are you a Spring? A spring is the physical representation of early morning sunlight. Picture a bright morning in May. The light is a brilliant buttery yellow that casts warmth on everything it touches. There is great clarity to spring. The trees, the clouds, everything is in sharp focus. There are no shadows here. Sunny and bright.

Springs are new beginnings, fresh ideas, newborn chicks, the spring green tendrils of early peas, daffodils, the beginning of life. Spring people are young, bright, adorable, invigorating, fun, and radiant, and will probably always look younger than they are. They wear highlighter better than any other season as they’re kind of like walking radiance. On the other hand, sexy smolder doesn’t work as well for them.

So, how do you know if you’re a Spring? There are 3 kinds of Springs, and if you’re new to seasonal color analysis you should start with Bright Spring because it’s the easiest to self-diagnose.

Bright Spring

Let’s take a look at Michelle Dockery in these two photos. I know she’s had her colors done because she’s almost always in a bright color.

Look at what this bright mango dress against a bright blue background does for her face. She’s radiant. Her face takes on its natural warm peach color and everything blends seamlessly. She looks young and vibrant.

Compare this picture. She looks tired and is being dragged down by this dull silver color that doesn’t suit her. Lines on her face are obvious and she looks older. The silver is unable to bring up the beautiful peachiness of her skin.

How can you tell if this is you? Unlike other seasons, there is no rhyme or reason to Bright Spring coloring. Many Asian women are Bright Springs, but so are Heather Graham, Emmy Rossum, Nicholas Hoult, and Chris Pine. They appear to have nothing in common—nothing but skin that looks amazing in bright colors.

Can you rock lemon yellow, parrot green, juicy mango, electric blue, and hot pink? If so, congratulations, you found your season. If they look terrible on you (as they do on me), that’s also a clue you might be a soft season.

Skin tone: Variable. Fair to ebony, warm or neutral-warm.

Eye color: Warm and bright rich brown and brilliant orangy hazel to bright emerald or sapphire blue.

Hair: Hair is bright. If you’re fair headed, don’t go too light as it will wash you out, keep that rich buttery golden color. Brunettes are fierce and warm. Reds and coppers are bright. Avoid any color with the words muted, dusty, soft, or lowlighted. Muted colors will make you disappear into the wallpaper.

Colors to wear: Bright, even neon colors. Bright Spring is one of five seasons that can rock black.

Makeup: A warm foundation with a radiant or dewy finish paired with a bright peach or pinky peach blush. Blue eyeshadow might look ridiculous on a lot of people, but the 80’s were made just for you. Try turquoise, buttercup yellow, and bold purple shadows.

Color palette:

Celebrity Examples:

Not quite you?

True Spring

Let’s take a look at the ultimate true spring, Blake Lively.

In this orange dress with plenty of gold in her hair, and a light tan, she’s never looked better. She looks young, exciting, and healthy. You’d swear she was just surfing, then ran inside, threw on a dress, and smiled for the camera.

Here she is in a stark, crisp, cool Summer white with cooler blonde hair. The color is completely drained out of her face. If you saw her on the street, you wouldn’t look at this women twice. She just seems like an ordinary person, not a superstar. Cream is always better on warm seasons than white.

Are you a True Spring? True Springs are a richer variety of Light Spring and can range anywhere from fair to cocoa, but medium tones are most common. True Springs include Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Tyra Banks, Seth Greene, and Prince Harry.

Skin tone: fair to cocoa, always warm or very warm.

Eye color: Bright warm blue or green, sometimes hazel. Bright, sharp, clear.

Hair color: strawberry blond or red, always warm copper. Golden blonde. Light to medium golden brown. Avoid colors described as ash, cool, platinum, or walnut that will drain your warm magic.

Makeup: warm to very warm foundation with a dewy or radiant finish. True spring should avoid any coolness at all, such as silver highlighter, cool berry lipstick, blue and grey eyeshadow. Coolness will always look disruptive on you. Try gold, bronze, and bright blue.

Colors to wear: evergreen, yellow, warm pink, cobalt blue, rose gold. Shiny yellow gold jewelry was made for you. Never white or black. No coolness.

Color Palette:

Celebrity Examples:

Not you either?

Light Spring

Take a look at these two pictures of Taylor Swift, an example of a beautiful Light Spring:

Here she’s wearing what becomes a Light Spring most: warm light pastels and a radiant smile

You can’t look away from her. She looks like youth in a bottle. Now look at this:

Wearing black (most seasons can’t wear black, most especially light springs), surrounded by a muted dull mauve more appropriate for a soft season, she looks tired and a decade older than she is. She even appears to have marionette lines around her mouth which I know she doesn’t actually have. I love Taylor and we all make missteps, especially if a stylist who may know nothing about this, dresses us, but this look isn’t doing her any favors.

Light Spring is the light pastel version of other Springs. Warm soft pastels look best on them. Examples are Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Taylor Swift, Amanda Seyfried, Owen Wilson, and Brad Pitt. To be a light season, all three characteristics must be light: light skin, light hair, light eyes. If you don’t have 3 light characteristics, you can eliminate Light Spring

Skin tone: fair to medium, warm or warm-neutral.

Eye color: light warm green or blue.

Hair color: palest warm blonde to light warm brown. Strawberry blonde. Avoid dark and cool colors. Dark colors will make you look like a ghoul.

Makeup: light warm or warm-neutral foundation. Soft pastel eyeshadow and peach blush. Rock the highlighter.

Colors to wear: yellow based baby blue, warm pink, peach, cantaloupe, jonquil yellow, spring yellow green, violet. Never white or black. Light Spring is the most delicate season and can go very very girly without looking ridiculous.

Palette:

Celebrity examples:

Most typical personality for Springs: the life of the party, exciting, bright, happy, joyful, and youthful. Goldie Hawn, a light spring, may be in her 70’s but you’d never know it. Pulls pranks, throws birthday parties, doesn’t take life too seriously

Preferred perfumes: Citrus, white, and yellow florals. Try Eau d’Hadrian by Annick Goutal, D&G Light Blue, or Bizzarria by Santa Maria Novella.

Did you find yourself in the youthful light warmth of a yellow-drenched Spring? If not, let’s keep looking. Summer is up next…