What is Skin Tone?
The key to dividing skin tones is the undertone.
The surface color of your skin can change.
It might look pale, tanned, or darker depending on the season, sunlight, or makeup.
But the undertone, which is the natural base color under your skin, almost never changes throughout your life.
This undertone is what decides whether you are cool toned or warm toned.
For example,
two people can both have fair skin, but one may have a bluish undertone which is cool,
while the other has a yellowish undertone which is warm.
That is why the same plain white T-shirt can make one person look bright and fresh, while it makes another look dull or sallow.
Warm Tone
A warm undertone usually has hints of yellow, golden, or olive. In sunlight, the skin often looks healthy, glowing, and slightly golden.
Warm toned people usually tan more easily, and warm shades flatter them best.
Colors that suit: browns, olives, oranges, golds
Metals: gold jewelry looks natural and bright
Cool Tone
A cool undertone usually has hints of blue or pink. In sunlight, the skin may look rosy, flushed, or even slightly translucent.
Many people with cool undertones blush easily or have skin that looks clear but sensitive.
Warm colors tend to make them look washed out,
while cool colors make their skin look radiant.
Colors that suit: blues, purples, emerald, silver
Metals: silver, white gold, platinum
Easy way to remember:
Cool tones look best in blue and silver. Yellow or golden tones can make the skin look dull or grayish.
Warm tones look best in orange and gold. Blue next to the skin can make the face look lifeless.
At first, personal color was explained with the four seasons: Spring and Autumn for warm tones, Summer and Winter for cool tones.
This helped people see why certain colors made them glow while others made them look tired.
But four groups were often not enough.
Many people seemed to sit between categories.
To make the system more accurate, each season was divided into three, creating twelve types.
This added brightness (light vs dark) and clarity (soft vs vivid) as new guides.
For online quizzes and self tests, twelve types are the most practical.
They are clear enough to show real differences without being overwhelming.
Systems with sixteen types or more require tiny distinctions that usually need a professional using fabric drapes in person.
That is why twelve types are the best choice for exploring your colors online.
Once you know your type, it becomes much easier to choose clothes, makeup, and hair colors
that bring out your best.
Cool Summer Tone
Cool Summer skin usually looks soft, calm, and refined.
The undertone shows hints of blue or rosy pink, so the face looks clear rather than golden.
In daylight it tends to blush easily, and very warm colors can make the skin look yellowish or dull.
Because of this cool base, gentle, powdery colors come to life on you,
while harsh, vivid shades can overpower your features.
Cool Summer vs Cool Winter
Both are cool.
Cool Summer: lighter, softer, slightly gray tinted colors such as lilac, lavender, powder blue, misty teal, and rose.
Cool Winter: clearer, higher contrast colors like icy white, cobalt, emerald, and true black.
If a color feels icy and bold with sharp contrast, think Winter.
If it feels soft, airy, and a bit muted, think Summer.
The three Cool Summer subtypes
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Light Summer
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Soft Summer
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True Summer
These differ by brightness (how light or dark a color is) and clarity (how clear or how muted it looks).
We use those two ideas to pinpoint your best Summer palette.
No color is forbidden.
Even outside your best palette, you can wear a shade by balancing it with the right partners makeup, accessories, or layers.
Personal color is a guide to highlight you, not a rulebook that limits you.
A gentle morning mist or a quiet, dewy garden, a Light Summer has a delicate and ethereal charm.
This guide is for you, a person who shines brightest in soft, light colors.
Core Concept
The most important characteristic of a Light Summer is lightness.
As a cool tone, you look your best in the palest, gently muted shades of your palette.
You have a cool undertone, and your natural luminosity lets you wear airy,
delicate colors without looking washed out.
Best Color Palette
A Light Summer should avoid anything dark or heavy.
Your best colors are soft and light, as if they were tinted with white.
- Foundation Colors
These are your go to basics: soft white, cool mushroom greige, haze blue gray, and powder blue.
Tip: Choose very light, cool neutrals that feel subtle and refined. If you need contrast, try a misty navy rather than true black. - Accent Colors
These are the colors that add a touch of gentle life: Pastel Pink, Soft Lavender, Misty Teal, and Lemon Sorbet.
Tip: Cool pastels with a soft, airy quality will beautifully enhance your natural delicacy.
Styling Tips
Tone-on-Tone Styling: Light Summers excel at tone-on-tone looks.
Create outfits with different light, cool shades, like a lavender top with light gray pants, for a harmonious, ethereal effect.
Materials
Soft, flowing fabrics with a light, natural drape highlight a Light Summer’s delicate charm.
Consider chiffon, lace, silk, fine georgette, and soft cotton. Avoid very shiny patent finishes or heavy, rough textures.
Makeup
Focus on soft and sheer colors.
A sheer lip in soft rose or baby pink and a light, cool pink blush will enhance your glow without looking heavy.
Try cool taupe or soft gray for liner and shadow. Skip strong bronzers.
Colors to Avoid
Avoid any color that looks too heavy or strong.
Dark and Heavy Colors: Very dark shades like true black, deep maroon, and dark charcoal can overpower your lightness.
Strong, Saturated Colors: Fire-engine red or vivid orange can look jarring and unnatural.
Warm, Earthy Tones: Mustard, rust, and deep olive clash with a cool undertone and can make skin look sallow.
As a Light Summer, your best asset is natural luminosity. Use soft, airy colors to express your unique, gentle elegance.
A gentle mist over a quiet lake or the soft hues of an overcast sky, a Soft Summer has a subtle and harmonious charm.
This guide is for you, a person who shines brightest in gentle, blended colors.
Core Concept
The most important characteristic of a Soft Summer is softness.
You have a cool undertone, but your dominant feature is the delicate, muted quality of your coloring.
You look your best in colors that are soft and gently grayed, as if a veil of mist has been laid over them.
Best Color Palette
A Soft Summer should avoid anything that is too bright, too dark, or overly vivid.
Your best colors are soft, cool, and blended.
- Foundation Colors
These are your go to basics: Mushroom Taupe, Warm Greige, Muted Dove Gray, Dusty Steel Blue, Misty Sage, Soft Olive Gray
Tip: Choose neutrals with a hazy, diffused quality rather than stark or pure finishes. - Accent Colors
These are the colors that add a touch of gentle life: Dusty Rose, Smoky Lavender, Powder Lilac, Blush Pink, Pale Mist Blue, Bluebell Mist
Tip: Shades from a cool, misty palette will enhance your natural sophistication without overpowering you.
Styling Tips
Monochromatic Styling: Soft Summers look excellent in monochromatic outfits.
Building a look with related shades of dusty rose or cool gray creates a refined, elegant effect.
Materials
Soft, natural fabrics with a slightly brushed or textured hand highlight a Soft Summer’s charm.
Consider cashmere, flannel, tweed, brushed cotton, fine jersey, and crepe.
Makeup
Focus on soft, blended colors.
A sheer lip in soft berry or mauve and a touch of dusty rose blush enhance your natural beauty without looking overdone.
Cool taupe or slate for eyes keeps the look cohesive.
Colors to Avoid
Avoid any color that looks too strong or energetic, since it will overpower your subtle beauty.
Harsh, Vivid Colors: Very strong primaries, electric blues, or neons clash with your soft tone.
Warm, Earthy Tones: Mustard, rust, and orange fight a cool undertone and can make skin look tired.
Strong, High-Contrast Colors: Bold black and white combinations are usually too stark.
As a Soft Summer, your best asset is natural refinement. Use soft, gentle colors to express your unique, understated elegance.
A calm ocean under soft twilight or the cool glow of moonlight on water,
a True Summer has a serene and refined charm.
This guide is for you, a person who shines brightest in soft, cool, and balanced colors.
Core Concept
The most important characteristic of a True Summer is balance and coolness.
As a classic cool tone, you look your best in colors that are gentle yet clear, with a sense of softness.
You have a cool undertone, and your natural chroma is moderate,
giving you harmony without extremes of brightness or darkness.
Best Color Palette
A True Summer should avoid overly warm or earthy tones and instead choose shades
that are cool, blended, and medium in intensity.
- Foundation Colors
These are your go to basics: Charcoal Gray, Slate Gray, Navy Blue, Royal Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue
Tip: Cool neutrals and muted pastels make the perfect base, while pure white or jet black are too stark for your harmony. - Accent Colors
These are the colors that truly make you shine: Hot Pink, Fuchsia, Teal Blue, Aqua Blue, Sky Teal, Violet Blue
Tip: Stay within the cool spectrum soft to medium brights with a calm clarity work best.
Styling Tips
Monochrome & Gentle Contrast Styling: True Summers look elegant in layered cool tones.
For example, pair a dusty lavender blouse with soft gray trousers, or aqua with cool navy for a polished look.
Materials
Matte or lightly sheened fabrics support your refined clarity.
Think cotton blends, matte silk, soft crepe, brushed wool, and linen with a smooth finish.
Avoid high-shine or overly heavy textures that overpower your softness.
Makeup
Focus on cool, balanced shades. A rose or raspberry lip, cool pink blush,
and gray or taupe liner will enhance your features.
Skip bronzers your beauty is defined by cool tones, not warmth.
Colors to Avoid
Avoid colors that feel too warm, harsh, or extreme.
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Warm Earth Tones: Rust, mustard, camel, and tomato reds clash with your undertone.
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Harsh Colors: Neon brights or jet black overwhelm your calm harmony.
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Too Warm Pastels: Peach, apricot, or golden beige looks out of place.
As a True Summer, your best asset is cool, gentle elegance.
Use calm, medium intensity cool tones with refined textures to express your natural harmony and timeless charm.
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Undertone – The natural base color under the skin that doesn’t change.
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Cool Tone – Skin with blue or pink undertones; looks best in cool shades.
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Warm Tone – Skin with yellow or golden undertones; looks best in warm shades.
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Cool Summer – A Summer subtype with soft, calm coloring; best in gentle, powdery cool shades.
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Cool Winter – A Winter subtype with sharper, higher contrast colors; best in icy brights and deep jewel tones.
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Light Summer – A Summer subtype defined by lightness; best in airy pastels and pale cool shades.
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Soft Summer – A Summer subtype defined by softness; best in muted, blended, misty cool shades.
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True Summer (Cool Summer) – The classic Summer subtype; balanced coolness, medium clarity, and gentle harmony.
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Brightness (Value) – How light or dark a color appears.
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Clarity (Chroma) – How sharp and vivid or soft and muted a color looks.
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Foundation Colors – Neutral basics for daily styling (soft white, mushroom taupe, slate gray, navy).
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Accent Colors – Highlight shades that add personality and freshness (pastel pink, dusty rose, aqua blue, fuchsia).
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Tone-on-Tone Styling – Outfits created with different shades of the same light color family for harmony.
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Monochromatic Styling – Using related muted or soft colors in one outfit for a refined effect.
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Gentle Contrast Styling – Layering cool tones with soft differences in depth for balance.
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Materials (Fabric Choice) – Textures that enhance each type’s natural traits (chiffon, lace, cotton for Light Summer; cashmere, tweed for Soft Summer).
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Makeup Palette – Recommended lip, blush, and eye shades to match undertones (rose, raspberry, dusty mauve, cool taupe).
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Colors to Avoid (Light Summer) – Dark, heavy, or overly vivid colors that overwhelm lightness.
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Colors to Avoid (Soft Summer) – Harsh primaries, neons, and earthy warm tones that clash with softness.
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Colors to Avoid (True Summer) – Rust, mustard, black, or warm pastels that overpower cool harmony.
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Natural Luminosity – The soft glow that makes lighter cool tones look radiant without heaviness.
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Muted Colors – Soft, grayish shades with reduced intensity (dusty rose, smoky lavender).
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Icy Cool Tones – Frosty, high-contrast cool shades (icy blue, icy violet) typical of Winter but too harsh for Summer.
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