True summer color palette

The palette

Cool grey, soft white and soft navy are the everyday neutrals and take the place of black and stark white. Raspberry, rose pink and cool watermelon work closest to the face; powder blue, periwinkle and cool blue are easy everyday colors, and spruce and cool teal add depth. Blue on blue, or pink with grey, suits the calm, blended quality of this palette.

What makes it true summer

Undertone

Cool, and this is the defining trait. Every color has a blue or pink base; golden, yellow-based colors are the ones that look off.

Depth

Light to medium. The palette sits around the middle of the value scale, with soft navy and plum as its deepest colors.

Clarity

Medium. Clearer than soft summer, softer than any winter. The colors look calm and blended rather than dusty or neon.

True summers often have ash blonde to ash brown hair without golden highlights, blue, grey or grey-green eyes, and skin with a pink or rosy cast, with medium contrast between hair and skin. These are tendencies, not rules.

Hair colors for true summer

These hair colors usually sit well with true summer: they keep a cool or neutral base. Ice beige, champagne and ash blonde are the light options; mushroom brown and mocha brown keep depth without warmth, and sunkissed bronde is the most neutral of the group. Each one opens the shade, so you can try it on your own photo.

For women

• Ice beige blonde
• Champagne blonde
• Ash blonde
• Mushroom brown
• Mocha brown
• Sunkissed bronde

For men

• Ice beige blonde
• Champagne blonde
• Ash blonde
• Mushroom brown
• Mocha brown
• Sunkissed bronde

Colors to go easy on

Warm, golden and stark colors are the usual mismatch: black, bright orange, mustard, rust and camel. Next to cool coloring they can make skin look yellow or tired. Near the face, soft navy can replace black and cool grey can replace camel; further from the face, they matter less.

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Questions