Colour analysis: finding your colour type
How to find your colour type in just a few simple steps
Outfits that match your colour type will not only emphasise your individual style, but also make you look stunning. How do you work out what colour type you are? Are you a spring, summer, autumn or winter type? In this guide you will find a practical step-by-step guide on how to find your colour type.
The advantages of knowing your colour type
Individual style and preferences come down to what you feel comfortable in. However, it can be very helpful to know your own colour type. Below we have listed some of the advantages of knowing your colour type:
Look fresh and stylish: by wearing colours from your colour palette, you can make your complexion glow.
Save time whilst shopping.: to help you avoid buying items of clothing that may not suit you, it is helpful to know what colours suit your colour type the best. This applies not only to clothing, but also to make-up. If you know your colour type, you will know which make-up products best emphasise your look and make you glow.
The perfect wardrobe: if you combine colours from your colour palette, you can create an amazing look that really suits you. This will also come in handy if you would like to create a capsule wardrobe, which will be full of clothes that can easily be combined to make wonderful outfits.
Be even more stylish: by choosing the right colours you can make a fashion statement, which will also help you to take your personal style to the next level.
Colour analysis test
Colour theory categorises the four main colour types into seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Their colours and typical characteristics all differ from one another.
Within the four colour types, there are also mixed types, as people are unique and have different characteristics, which is why lots of people cannot always be clearly assigned to one of the four main colour types. In addition, factors such as how quickly people tan in the summer, hair colour and even age-related changes in hair and skin colour can change the perception of a person's colour type over time.
Below we will show you two ways how you can find your individual colour type:
Method 1: which season type are you?
According to colour type theory, you can easily find out what colour type you are, by looking at your eye colour, your hair colour and your skin tone. Below you will find a step-by-step guide on how to do this:
→ Step 1: work out what colour your undertone is
Start off by having a look to see whether your skin tone has a warm or cool undertone:
Do you have a yellowish, golden to brown undertone? Then you have a warm skin tone, which means you will most probably be a spring or autumn type.
Do you recognise a bluish, pink or grey undertone? If so, you have a cool skin tone, which means you are most probably a summer or winter type.
Tip: If you find it difficult to identify a warm or cool undertone, you most likely have a neutral undertone. Step 2 will give your more information to help you to determine what your colour type is.
→ Step 2: what colour eyes and hair do you have?
The next step is to take a closer look at your hair and eyes. Are they light or dark-coloured? What tone do they have?
If you have light-coloured hair, for example, red, light brown or blonde with a golden shimmer and your eyes are also light and have a warm tone, for example, blue or light brown then you may be a spring type.
If your hair has a warmer and darker tone, for example, red or brown with a golden shimmer and you have a warm eye colour in olive green or brown, you could be an autumn type.
If you have light-coloured hair and a cool undertone, for example, platinum blonde or brown and your eyes have a light shade such as blue, green or grey, then you are most probably a summer type.
Do you have dark hair with a cool undertone, for example dark brown or black and an intense eye colour such as blue, brown or black? Then you are most probably a winter type.
Method 2: which seasonal sub-type are you?
Looking at your characteristics is another way to find out what your colour type is. This helpful test will also help you to find out what your mixed colour type is. Start off again by looking at your eye and hair colour as well as your skin tone.
→ Step 1: have a look at your appearance in the mirror
Stand in front of a mirror and look at your eye colour, hair colour and your skin tone. What is your most striking feature? Below we have listed some helpful tips:
Light: skin tone, hair and eyes are light-coloured
Dark: skin tone, hair and eyes are dark-coloured
Cold: skin tone, hair and eyes have a cool, bluish undertone
Warm: skin tone, hair and eyes have a warm, golden undertone
Soft: skin tone is muted, low contrast between eye colour, hair colour and skin tone
Bright: skin tone and eyes are radiant, a stronger contrast between eye and hair colour and skin tone
Tip: It is recommended to do this test during the daytime or somewhere that is well lit. In addition, you shouldn’t wear any make-up so that you can get a more exact result.
→ Step 2: which colours suit you the best: warm, cold, bright or soft colours
Once you have determined what shade your appearance has, you can now find out whether warm, cold, bright or soft colours suit you.
Warm or cold?
Check the colour of your veins: do you have bluish purple veins? Then you are probably a cool colour type. If you are a warm colour type, your veins will appear greenish. If you cannot tell what colour your veins are, you most probably have a neutral undertone.
Another way to find out whether you have a warmer or cooler colour is to put silver and gold jewellery on your face. If silver jewellery makes you stand out, you are a cool colour type. If gold jewellery really suits you, then you are a warm colour type.
Bright or soft?
If you have already checked whether your appearance is more warm or cool, you can now find out whether bright or soft colours suit you better. You probably have items of clothing in both colours in your wardrobe, for example in bright red or blue and in muted taupe or green. Do bold colours suit you better? You are most probably a clear colour type if they suit you. If muted tones flatter you more, you are a soft colour type.
→ Step 3: combining colours and characteristics
Once you know what your characteristics are and which colours suit you best, you can combine them to find out which mixed type you are.
If you are a spring type, you will have one of the following colour combinations:
Light + warm: light spring type
Warm + bright: warm spring type
Bright + warm: clear spring type
If you are a summer type, you will have one of the following colour combinations:
Cool + muted: cool summer type
Muted + cool: soft summer type
Light + cool: light summer type
If you are an autumn type, you will have one of the following colour combinations:
Warm + muted: warm autumn type
Muted + warm: soft autumn type
Dark + warm: deep autumn type
If you are a winter type, you will have one of the following colour combinations:
Cool + bright: cool winter type
Dark + cool: deep winter type
Bright + cool: bright winter type
Are you still not sure about what colour type you are? It’s not always easy to find the exact result, especially with mixed colour types that have similarities to other seasons. If this is the case, we recommend booking a professional colour consultation, which will help you to find out what colour type you are.
The different colour types
After taking our colour test, you probably now have an idea of which colour type you are. Below you can find out more about the different colour types.
Spring type
A spring type falls into a warm colour category. Their eye colour is usually blue, green or amber and their hair colour can vary from blonde to red to brown with a golden shimmer. Spring types usually have a light skin tone with a warm undertone. Below we have listed the different spring types:
In the following guide: Spring type: a colour guide, you can find out more about the different spring types. We will also show you which colours suit the different spring types and give you some fantastic outfit ideas.
Summer type
Summer types are known for their cool colours and can be recognised by their relatively pale skin, light-coloured eyes such as blue, green or grey and cool hair colours. These include cold blonde and brown tones with an ashy undertone. Below we have listed the different summer types:
In the following guide: Summer type: summer colours & outfit ideas, you can find out more about the different summer types, including the ideal colour palettes. The guide also contains essential styling tips for the different summer types, which will help you to stand out and look fabulous.
Autumn type
Autumn types fall into the warmer colour category, and they usually have warm undertones in their skin tone, hair and eye colour. Their hair shimmers in shades of brown, red and gold, while their eye colour can vary from green to brown. Their skin tone can range from light to dark. Below we have listed the different autumn types:
In the following guide: Autumn type: autumn colour palette guide, we will show you what makes an autumn type stand out and which colours suit this season type the best. You'll also be able to find out more about the different autumn types. In addition, there are fantastic tips and outfit ideas for autumn types.
If you have a darker skin tone, this does not automatically mean that you have to be a deep autumn or deep winter type. Depending on your appearance, for example, if you have warm, bronze undertones in your skin and hair colour, you may also be a different colour type.
Winter type
Winter types also have cool undertones and stand out due to their dark, high-contrast appearance. Their eyes can range from grey blue to green to black. Their hair tends to be dark brown and black, although occasionally there are some winter types with blonde hair. Their skin tone usually varies from light to dark. Below we have listed the different winter types:
In the following guide: Winter types: winter colours & outfit ideas, you can find out more about what typical characteristics winter types have, plus the best colours for the different winter types. We will also give you some fantastic outfit ideas and colour combinations that will make you stand out and look amazing.
______________________________________________
The image sources in this text are in chronological order:
Cover photo: Rawpixel.com – stock.adobe.com
1. Image in text: Gerhard Seybert – stock.adobe.com
All other images are from C&A