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The 12 Color Seasons Explained

Color seasons sort human coloring into four families: spring, summer, autumn and winter, based on skin undertone (warm or cool), lightness and the contrast between skin, hair and eyes. Each season divides into three subtypes, giving 12 color seasons, and each comes with its own palette for clothes, makeup and hair.

What season am I? Take the free quiz →11 questions, instant result, no email required.

The four color seasons

Woman with spring coloring wearing colors from her seasonal palette
SpringSpring color season →
Woman with summer coloring wearing colors from her seasonal palette
SummerSummer color season →
Woman with autumn coloring: copper chestnut hair, warm golden skin undertone and hazel eyes
AutumnAutumn color season →
Woman with winter coloring: dark hair with a cool sheen and striking contrast
WinterWinter color season →

All 12 color seasons

Each season has three subtypes, and the subtype is what actually gives you a shoppable palette. Full subtype guides with 30-color palettes are coming soon; until then, each card leads to its season and a photo analysis pins down your exact subtype.

Light SpringThe lightest and most delicate of the warm types: sunlit pastels with a warm glow.Warm SpringThe sunniest subtype: golden, honeyed colors and a clearly warm undertone.Bright SpringThe most vivid spring subtype: clear, saturated colors on a warm, fresh coloring.Light SummerThe lightest of the cool types: icy pastels and pearly, soft colors.Cool SummerThe coldest summer subtype: blues, raspberry roses and ash navy without a trace of warmth.Soft SummerThe most muted subtype: soft, dusty colors that look as if seen through a mist.Soft AutumnThe gentlest autumn subtype: warm, muted shades of sage, caramel and terracotta.Warm AutumnThe most golden subtype: spice-rack shades of pumpkin, mustard and copper.Deep AutumnThe deepest of the warm types: rich, dark shades of rust, chocolate and forest green.Bright WinterThe most intense subtype: clear, electric colors on a high contrast coloring.Cool WinterThe coldest subtype: icy blues and cool pinks on a vivid coloring.Deep WinterThe deepest of all 12 types: black, deep navy and royal purple with striking contrast.

12 vs 16 season color analysis

The original analysis from the 1980s used just 4 seasons. The problem: two "summers" can look completely different, one light and delicate, the other deep and smoky. Modern color analysis fixes this by splitting each season into three subtypes by its dominant trait: lightness, depth, warmth, coolness, brightness or softness. That gives the 12 season system used by most analysts today.

Some tools go further and market 16 seasons, adding a fourth subtype to each season. In practice the extra four are blends of the neutral subtypes: the labels multiply, but the recommended colors barely change. We stay with 12 because it is the sweet spot between precision and usefulness: every one of the 12 palettes is distinct enough to shop from, and the result is stable rather than an arbitrary borderline call.

Personal color: the K-beauty version of the same idea

If you have seen "personal color analysis" all over TikTok, that is the Korean take on seasonal color analysis. In Seoul, studios charge serious money to drape fabrics next to your face and announce whether you are a "warm tone" or "cool tone", then a season. The system underneath is the same 12 seasons described on this page. An AI photo analysis does the Korean personal color test from a selfie: it measures your undertone and contrast instead of eyeballing drapes, and shows your palette on your own photo, no flight to Seoul required.

How to find your color season

1
Self-check
Look at the veins on your wrist, compare gold and silver next to your face, judge your natural contrast. Free, but the least reliable: neutral coloring fools the mirror easily.
2
Free online quiz
11 questions walk you through the criteria of a real analysis and point to your season and likely subtype. A solid first answer in 2 minutes.
Take the free color season quiz →
3
AI photo analysis
AI measures undertone, contrast and color depth from your selfie, assigns 1 of the 12 seasons and builds your report: a 30-color palette, makeup, hair colors and 12 visualizations on your own photo.
See how AI color analysis works →

Frequently asked questions

What are the color seasons?
The color seasons are a system that sorts human coloring into four families named after the seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter, based on the skin's undertone (warm or cool), lightness and contrast. Each season splits into three subtypes, giving 12 color seasons in total, each with its own palette of best colors.
What color season am I?
There are three ways to find out: a self-check (vein color, gold vs silver jewelry, natural contrast), a free online quiz that walks you through those criteria question by question, and an AI photo analysis that measures your undertone, contrast and color depth and assigns your exact season out of 12.
How many color seasons are there?
The classic system from the 1980s used 4 seasons. Modern color analysis works with 12: each season divided into three subtypes by its dominant trait. Some brands market 16 seasons, but the extra four are blends of the neutral subtypes rather than genuinely new categories.
What is seasonal color analysis?
It is a method of matching clothing, makeup and hair colors to your natural coloring: your skin undertone, eye and hair color, and contrast level. Well-matched colors make the face look brighter and rested; badly matched ones deepen shadows and make you look tired.
Is 12 or 16 season color analysis better?
12 seasons hit the sweet spot: precise enough that every palette is safe to shop from, simple enough to actually use. The 16 season variant adds finer splits of the neutral types, but in practice the extra labels change almost nothing in the recommended colors.
Which color season is the most common?
It depends on the population. Among people of European descent, soft and cool subtypes (soft summer, cool summer, soft autumn) are the most common, while bright spring and bright winter are rare. Your own season is a matter of measurement, not statistics.
Find your season: free quiz →Want the exact answer? See the AI color analysis →