Understanding Color Season Differences
Color seasons are determined by three key characteristics. Understanding these will help you compare seasons accurately.
Undertone
The most important factor. Are you warm (golden, yellow, peachy) or cool (pink, blue, rosy)?
Contrast
The difference between your hair, skin, and eyes. High contrast is dramatic, low contrast is subtle.
Clarity
How bright or muted your natural coloring appears. Bright is vivid, muted is soft.
Most Common Season Comparisons
These are the comparisons people search for most often. Start here if you're choosing between two seasons.
Warm vs Cool Undertones
The most fundamental distinction in color analysis. Learn how to identify your undertone and why it matters.
Key Difference:
Undertone determines which colors harmonize with your natural coloring. Warm undertones have golden/peachy skin, cool undertones have pink/blue skin.
Warm Seasons
Cool Seasons
Spring vs Autumn
Both warm, but distinctly different. Spring is bright and fresh, Autumn is rich and earthy.
Key: Spring has light, clear warmth with high contrast. Autumn has deep, muted warmth with lower contrast.
Summer vs Winter
Both cool, but with different intensity. Summer is soft and muted, Winter is bold and clear.
Key: Summer has low contrast and soft coloring. Winter has high contrast and crisp coloring.
Adjacent Seasons
What if you fall between two seasons? Understand the borders and how to determine your primary season.
Key: If you share characteristics of adjacent seasons (like Spring/Summer), your undertone is the deciding factor.
12-Season System Comparisons
Need more nuanced comparison? The 12-season system provides detailed distinctions between similar color types.
Light Spring vs Light Summer
Light and delicate, but warm vs cool undertones make all the difference.
Clear Spring vs Clear Winter
Both high contrast and vibrant, distinguished primarily by undertone.
Warm Spring vs Warm Autumn
Classic warm seasons—Spring is lighter and brighter, Autumn is deeper and richer.
Deep Autumn vs Deep Winter
Both deep and dramatic, but Autumn has warm earthiness while Winter is cool and intense.
Soft Summer vs Soft Autumn
Low contrast and muted—the most subtle distinction in color analysis.
Cool Summer vs Cool Winter
Classic cool seasons—Summer is gentle and muted, Winter is bold and clear.
Compare Seasons by Key Features
By Undertone
Warm Undertones
Golden, peachy, or yellow undertones in skin
Warm colors with yellow base
Cool Undertones
Pink, blue, or red undertones in skin
Cool colors with blue base
By Contrast
High Contrast
Noticeable difference between hair, skin, and eyes
Bold, saturated colors
Low Contrast
Similar values between features
Muted, blended colors
By Clarity
Bright/Clear
Clear, vibrant natural coloring
Pure, saturated hues
Muted/Soft
Soft, subtle natural coloring
Toned-down, earthy hues
How to Compare Your Features
Manual Comparison
- 1Look at your features in natural light near a window
- 2Hold different colored fabrics next to your face to see which harmonize
- 3Compare warm colors (coral, orange) vs cool colors (pink, blue) on your skin
- 4Get a second opinion—it's hard to judge yourself objectively
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I'm warm or cool?
Look at your wrist veins in natural light. If they appear blue or purple, you're cool-toned. If they appear green or olive, you're warm-toned. You can also try the jewelry test: if silver looks better on you than gold, you're likely cool-toned. For the most accurate results, take ColorMine's AI analysis which objectively measures your undertone.
What if I'm between two seasons?
Being between two seasons is common, especially for adjacent seasons like Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter. Your primary season is determined by your undertone (warm or cool), which never changes. If you share characteristics of two adjacent seasons, you can borrow some colors from your neighboring season, but your undertone determines your main palette.
Can I be more than one season?
No, you have one primary season based on your undertone, contrast, and depth. However, adjacent seasons (like Light Spring and Light Summer) can share some qualities. What sometimes happens is that people are analyzed differently by different systems (4-season vs 12-season) or under different lighting conditions. ColorMine's AI uses standardized analysis to give you one accurate result.
Why do some analyses give different results?
Different results happen for several reasons: (1) questionnaire-based tests rely on self-assessment, which is subjective, (2) lighting affects how we see colors, (3) 4-season vs 12-season systems categorize differently, (4) some people fall on the border between adjacent seasons. Photo-based AI analysis like ColorMine is more consistent because it objectively measures your coloring in the photo.
Which season is most common?
Summer is the most common season globally, followed by Autumn. Winter and Spring are less common. However, distribution varies significantly by ethnicity and geography. The 12-season system provides more nuanced categorization, with Soft Summer and Soft Autumn being particularly common.
