Last updated: March 2026
What Is Color Season (Color Analysis)?
A system that categorizes people into seasonal types—Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter—based on their skin undertone, hair color, and eye color to determine the most flattering makeup and clothing shades.
Color-season analysis was popularized by Carole Jackson's 1980 book Color Me Beautiful and has experienced a massive revival on social media. Each season corresponds to a palette: Spring and Autumn are warm-toned, while Summer and Winter are cool-toned. Within each season there are subtypes (e.g., Deep Winter, Light Summer) for more precision. Understanding your color season can simplify shopping and help you pick blush, lip, and eyeshadow shades that genuinely complement your complexion.
Tips
- Drape gold and silver fabric near your face in natural light—if gold brightens you, you're likely warm (Spring/Autumn); if silver does, you're cool (Summer/Winter).
- Look at your veins on the inner wrist: green-ish leans warm, blue-purple leans cool, and a mix suggests neutral.
- Use your color season as a starting point, not a rulebook—if a shade makes you feel amazing, wear it regardless of your 'season.'
See it in action
Tutorials that use or demonstrate this technique: