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How to Use Color Theory to Look Your Best

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

Have you ever wondered why certain colors seem to make you glow, while others just don’t look right? Or maybe why red seems to suit brunettes so well, while blues look dreamy on blondes?  Well, look no further than color theory – it holds all the answers to which colors will pop based on your coloring and undertones, as well as shades to avoid if you want to look your best. It touches on contrast level as well, something that has recently come into awareness in makeup tutorials online. 

Color theory really takes it back to the elementary color wheel, especially considering the concept of complementary colors. Certain shades just work together and harmonize when put together, while others clash. Insight into your own colors and what works for you can help you to choose clothes that suit your complexion and appearance, helping you look your best while avoiding colors that will make you look washed-out and dull. 

Based on your skin tone (and whether you have cool, warm or neutral undertones), hair color and eye color, you can be sorted into one of four color seasons and within that season, one of three designations. This gives us 12 color sub seasons you can fall into: dark winter, true winter, bright winter, bright spring, true spring, light spring, light summer, true summer, soft summer, soft autumn, true autumn and dark autumn. Let’s break down what each of these sub-seasons looks like, and how to find yours!

Color Seasons

  • Winter: cool-neutral undertones with dark to medium hair and eyes
    • True Winter: this color season is typically seen in those with fully cool-toned features and high contrast
      • Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway and Ian Somerhalder are true winter celebrities.
    • Bright Winter: dark hair, bright eyes, with high contrast and cool undertones are hallmarks of the bright winter sub-season.
      • Megan Fox, Courtney Cox and Tom Cruise are bright winter celebrities.
    • Dark Winter: striking, dark features with high contrast and cool tones may mean you have a deep winter palette.
      • Nina Dobrev, Sandra Bullock and Robert Downey Jr. are dark winters.
  • Spring: warm-neutral undertones with medium to light hair and eyes
    • Bright Spring: bright features with high contrast are hallmarks of the bright spring season.
      • Emma Stone, Demi Lovato and Chris Hemsworth are bright spring celebrities.
    • True Spring: warm toned features with bright contrast and harmony tend to belong in the true spring sub-season.
      • Blake Lively, Cameron Diaz and Brad Pitt are true spring celebrities.
    • Light Spring: lighter features that tend to lean warmer in tone are seen in the light spring palette.
      • Amanda Seyfried, Scarlett Johannson and Matthew McConaughey are light spring celebrities.
  • Summer: cool-neutral undertones with medium to light hair and eyes
    • Light Summer: light, cooler features with a medium level of contrast are typical of the light summer color season.
      • Margot Robbie, Reese Witherspoon and Jude Law are light summer celebrities.
    • True Summer: cool undertones with medium contrast features are indicative of those who are true summers.
      • Margaret Qualley, Anna Kendrick and Matt Bomer are true summers.
    • Soft Summer: muted, light features with cooler tones are seen in people who fall into the soft summer palette.
      • Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Lima and Patrick Demsey are soft summer celebrities.
  • Autumn: warm-neutral undertones with dark to medium hair and eyes
    • Soft Autumn: low contrast features that tend to blend together and have warm undertones will fall into the soft autumn sub season.
      • Drew Barrymore, Meryl Streep and Matt Damon are all soft autumns.
    • True Autumn: warm undertone features with overall muted colors usually result in a warm autumn season.
      • Jennifer Lopez, Ana de Armas and Benedict Cumberbatch are true autumn celebrities.
    • Dark Autumn: dark, high contrast features combined with warm undertones produce the striking color season that is dark autumn.
      • Julia Roberts, Aubrey Plaza and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are dark autumns.

Finding Your Undertone

Finding your skin’s undertone is vital to determining your color season – here’s a quick guide on how to tell what undertones you have:

  • Warm
    • Those with warm undertones have skin with a golden or peachy hue. Veins may appear more greenish, and gold jewelry tends to be more flattering.
  • Cool
    • Those with cool undertones have skin with a pink or blue tint. Veins may appear more bluish, and silver jewelry tends to be more flattering.
  • Neutral
    • Those with neutral undertones will have a mix of warm and cool tones in their skin, with both silver and gold jewelry flattering on this undertone. This undertone has more versatility when it comes to choosing colors.

Still unsure what season you are? Visit this website to upload a photo of yourself to receive your color season and recommended color shades based on computerized color analysis! Once you find yours, dig into celebrities with the same color season as you to take note of how they dress to inspire your own wardrobe.

Hopefully, this helped you figure out which color season you may be and why certain colors look better on you than others. Nevertheless, confidence is the best color for everyone, so wear what makes you happy! Color theory should help enhance your style, not limit it.

Lauren is a third year at the University of Florida studying Media Production and Classical Studies. Originally from Chicago, she now calls South Florida home when she isn't attending school in Gainesville. She loves writing articles about life on campus, the newest trends taking over TikTok, different sports, and beauty/wellness. When she's not writing for Her Campus or listening to music (which is pretty much constantly), you can find her watching Formula One, reading all sorts of books, watching hockey, or talking about her most recent film obsession. She hopes to work in the film industry in the future; writing, producing, and directing her own films.