True Summer at a glance
- Also called
- Cool Summer
- Family
- Summer: cool, soft and light to medium
- Strongest trait
- Cool
- Hue
- Cool
- Value
- Light to medium
- Chroma
- Soft to medium
- Best neutrals
- Soft white, cool grey, blue grey and slate
- Black?
- Not near the face
What makes True Summer different
True Summer is defined by coolness first. Every colour in it has a blue base, so golden, orange and earthy shades make the skin look sallow. As a Summer season it also shares the family traits: cool, soft and light to medium. Put together, the best colours for a True Summer are cool red, raspberry, berry and watermelon.
Are you a True Summer?
Often ash-blonde to ash-brown hair, grey-blue, blue, grey-green or soft hazel eyes, and pink, rosy or neutral-cool skin that burns before it tans.
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 True Summer if most of these are true:
- Silver flatters you more than gold.
- Orange, rust and golden yellow look harsh on you.
- Blue-based pink and raspberry look natural.
- Black is heavy on you, but navy and slate are excellent.
Not sure? Take the quiz, then compare this palette with your neighbours in the drape mirror.
The True 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 True Summer should avoid
These fight True Summer colouring most. They are not banned: keep them away from your face, in trousers, skirts, shoes and bags.
Can a True Summer wear black?
It tends to look harsh. Navy and slate are your blacks, and charcoal grey works too.
Best metals and jewelry
Silver, white gold, platinum and pewter. Rose gold is the closest warm option. 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.
True Summer makeup
- Lips: Raspberry, rose, cool pink, berry and blue-red.
- Cheeks: Cool rose and soft berry.
- Eyes: Slate, cool taupe and plum, with navy liner and grey-brown or navy 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.
True 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 True Summer
Ash blonde, ash brown and cool light brown, or natural silver as it grows in. Golden, copper and auburn usually clash.
Outfits, contrast and prints
Low to medium contrast; blended outfits such as raspberry with slate, or navy with rose. Soft florals and gentle stripes suit you.
Three outfit formulas in True Summer colours:
- Navy coat, soft white shirt, raspberry scarf, silver hoops.
- Slate knit, denim jeans, cool pink lipstick.
- Plum wrap dress, blue-grey cardigan, pewter flats.
True Summer vs similar seasons
- True Summer or Soft Summer? Soft Summer is more muted. If dusty mauve and eucalyptus beat raspberry and periwinkle, compare it.
- True Summer or Light Summer? Light Summer is paler. If powder blue and lavender look better than slate and plum, look there.
- True Summer or True Winter? True Winter is brighter and deeper. If pure white, black and fuchsia look striking rather than harsh, compare it.
Your True 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.
