Light Summer at a glance
- Family
- Summer: cool, soft and light to medium
- Strongest trait
- Light
- Hue
- Cool-leaning neutral
- Value
- Light
- Chroma
- Soft
- Best neutrals
- Soft white, light grey, rose beige and light cocoa
- Black?
- Not near the face
What makes Light Summer different
Light Summer is defined by lightness first. Its colours are pale to medium, with very little darkness in them, so heavy shades such as black, burgundy and dark brown sit on top of the face instead of blending in. As a Summer season it also shares the family traits: cool, soft and light to medium. Put together, the best colours for a Light Summer are powder blue, sky blue, periwinkle and cornflower.
Are you a Light Summer?
Often ash or light cool blonde, or light ash-brown hair, light blue, grey or soft green eyes, and pink-toned or neutral-cool light skin. Low contrast overall.
Colouring alone does not decide your season, because many people share the same hair and eye colour. What you see when colours sit next to your face matters more. You are likely a Light Summer if most of these are true:
- Black and dark brown look heavy and harsh on you.
- Peach and orange make your skin look sallow.
- Powder blue and soft pink make your skin look clear.
- Silver and white gold look more natural on you than yellow gold.
Not sure? Take the quiz, then compare this palette with your neighbours in the drape mirror.
The Light Summer color palette
Neutrals first: these are the base of a wardrobe, for coats, trousers, knits and bags.
Then the colours, for tops, dresses, scarves and anything near your face.
Tap a colour to copy its hex code. Screens show colour differently, so treat these as a guide and compare real fabric in daylight.
Colors a Light Summer should avoid
These fight Light Summer colouring most. They are not banned: keep them away from your face, in trousers, skirts, shoes and bags.
Can a Light Summer wear black?
No; it overwhelms light, soft colouring. Soft navy, grey-blue and light cocoa do the job of black for you.
Best metals and jewelry
Silver, white gold, platinum and soft rose gold, brushed rather than very shiny. Your metal is the easiest colour decision you will make, because jewellery sits right at your face. If you are choosing gold, our guide to 14k vs 18k gold explains which one to buy for every day.
Light Summer makeup
- Lips: Rose pink, soft raspberry, sheer berry and cool pink nudes.
- Cheeks: Soft pink and cool rose.
- Eyes: Soft grey, taupe, lavender and soft navy, with grey-brown mascara.
Your season guides the colour of lipstick, blush and eyeshadow. Foundation is different: it should match your skin's depth and undertone exactly, whatever your season. See how to match your foundation shade.
Light Summer nail colors
Nails are the easiest place to wear your palette, since they sit near your face whenever you talk with your hands.
Hair color for a Light Summer
Light ash blonde, beige blonde, champagne or light cool brown. Golden, copper and very dark shades fight your colouring.
Outfits, contrast and prints
Low contrast: tone-on-tone looks such as lavender with soft grey, or powder blue with soft white. Small, soft-edged prints and watercolour florals.
Three outfit formulas in Light Summer colours:
- Soft navy coat, powder blue knit, light grey trousers, silver studs.
- Lavender blouse, soft white jeans, rose-beige flats.
- Rose pink dress, light grey cardigan, white gold necklace.
Light Summer vs similar seasons
- Light Summer or Light Spring? Light Spring is the warm twin. If peach and light gold look better than powder pink and silver, compare it.
- Light Summer or True Summer? True Summer is cooler and a little deeper. If raspberry and slate blue still look light on you, look there.
Your Light Summer palette card
Save the palette as an image for your camera roll, to check colours while you shop.
A 1080 by 1350 image, the size of a portrait phone post. It is drawn on your screen; nothing is uploaded.
