Skin Undertone/Color Season - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Skin Undertone/Color Season

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have been thinking about and exploring some of the color season theories lately. I think that I finally have realized my undertone is neutral (which Angie commented on years ago- I should have paid more attention). My skin burns easily and doesn't tan like a coolcomexion, but my hair and eye color are warm. I wear both silver and gold jewelery with success, as long as they are not too shiny. I prefer, and think that I look best in earthy colors (olive green, browns, rusty colors etc), but can't do reds or oranges unless they are cooler tones- and even browns can't skew too warm. Cream looks much better than white on me, and black needs something to warm it up. I think this is also why I struggle with navy (and other greens/blues). I really need a warmer shades of green/blue- maybe this is why denims work for me but other blues don't? Or maybe it's because I mix denim with other, warmer colors? Anyway, I am finding that midtone earthy hues that don't skew too warm or too cool are my sweet spot. This also explains why I am fond of neutrals!
I think my skintone has changed slightly in the last few years (with aging, and leaving the true desert), and perming my hair (and aging) has lightened my hair. I guess my hair will continue to lighten as it grows gray, and things may change. But for now, I'm enjoying my revelations.
Tell me about what colors work or don't work for you, and why?

Dressing

16 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I am only just starting to understand this myself. My mom had thoroughly trained me into thinking that black is elegant, professional, and looks great. Somehow it took me ages to realize that’s because black looked great on HER, a very dark-haired cool complexion person. My complexion is really different, much more yellow, but somehow my IDEA of what looked good trumped what I actually saw in the mirror for years!

I’m so happy that we’re all breaking out of fashion rules these days- and that many many colors are available at retail. I guess that’s actually a little benefit of fast fashion— so many items out there, one can always find something in your color!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Hmm it's still something I'm trying to figure out myself - my 'Dark Autumn' diagnosis should mean I have a warm undertone, but I think I might actually skew warm to neutral olive instead (explains why most warm toned makeup looks yellow on me, but cool toned makeup can sometimes look ashy on me too).

I think emotions & other things also play a part in our perception of colour flattery too though - technically earth tones should suit me too, but I just feel drab in them for the most part (unless paired with deep enough accents, like a dark chocolate brown). On the other hand, I often borrow from the deep winter palette because I love those rich jewel tones (& hot pink! It was my pseudo neutral for a long time, before being told I don't suit it.)

Bijou

Veteran

My season (self diagnosed, so I could be wrong) is Light Summer and the two colour palettes are Classic Light Summer and Corporate Light Summer. I like to wear gold jewellery, with rose gold being my favourite. Whilst grey is supposed to be a good neutral for me, I rarely wear it. I still like black, white and navy for my neutrals but also mix in a cool beige, cream and blush. I mainly wear the colours recommended for Classic Light Summer although I wear tomato red and also a bright orange. I think my skin and hair is mainly cool, but has a slight warmth to it - which allows me to wear colours slightly warmer than these palettes suggest. All of the colours on the palette work for me especially the pinks, turquoise and lilac shades.

View Info

View Info

RobinF

Veteran

I think I may be neutral also. At least it isn't obvious which season I am and I wear warm and cool colors pretty equally. I know I'm not winter or summer though, the clearer colors are too strong for me. And now that my hair is gray my skin looks warmer than it used to.

Joy

Veteran

I think I must be neutral and have both warm and cool aspects. No color expert has ever been able to put me in a season. Through the years I have favored various colors, but warm tones work the best now.

I think there is some shade of color for everyone but it can be tricky. My best black is muted or faded.my best white is a very pale grey. In several cool colors I can get away with the palest or darkest shades, like blue…icy or some navies are most reliable. Same with greens…a yellow or mint green is best..or an olive.

I also wear both silver and gold, brass or pewter. Rose gold is also good but I have very little. Proceed with caution.

Helena

Veteran

I'm a cool toned person, and I find I can swing around on brightness/softness and darkness/lightness once I stay cool, with strange exception, such as that medium gray is pretty blah, which should be a slam dunk for a cool ... But this might be more about contrast than colour ... I wish I could narrow it down further but never have had success!

nuancedream

Veteran

I am not sure if someone can have a completely neutral skin tone, but I think there are lots of people who are not obviously warm or cool toned. The types of colors that you prefer are probably muted, softer and smokier since you are not extreme in your warmth or coolness. One of my beefs with seasonal color systems like CMB is a failure to consider skin tone and hair color changes (pigment loss) with age. I think some people stay warm with age while others move over to the cooler end of the spectrum.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

As in most things, older people and POC are not really considered. None of these theories is 100%. I find that mixing bits of info from different ones gives me new understanding and tools I can apy to myself.

slim cat

Veteran

Cool tones, low contrast and ashy undertones ( soft summer or something like that ). Baby blue, light green, aqua and white - best options. Silver mostly and some mixing works. Colored hair gives me a necessary boost to wear black ( that I do like but not suited ), dark navy, high contrast.
Happy that more rules went out the window and most of us would wear what we want anyway .

rachylou

Veteran

In the past, I always looked extremely sickly in ‘dusty’ shades of all colours. It is why I stopped buying things at Dress Barn, because that was their colour palette. (There was a Dress Barn next to the Petco, and I’d always stop in before going to buy dog food, lol.) But then I started dyeing my hair, which means bleaching it, which means I have a lot of yellow in it… all of a sudden dusty colours are ok. And now Dress Barn is out of business… drat!

I have cool undertones, but I tan deep. I have never understood what this means for my season. If it means anything. Or the theory of the way to put things together. And I also am confounded by the fact that when it comes to fabric… you can have a warm colour that’s not warm. Like there are indeed cool and warm olives…

Synne

Veteran

I learned about "sister seasons" on here, the seasons closest to your own in the 12-season system. That explains why I love (and look reasonable) in colors borrowed from the soft autumn palette, even though I am cool toned.
I really enjoy and find much sense in the colour season theory. It's like wearing make-up for clothes! My best shades adds oomph and sass, while my worst drains and fizzles me out.

Irina

Veteran

Synne, the “sister season “ is something I also only recently learned. I can borrow from Soft Summer palette and have done it for years. It explains my attraction to soft blues and lilacs.

bj1111

Veteran

i'm not familiar with the 12-season system. i have a yellow undertone and am warm. picking a new foundation shade brought that home.

one color that i have a hard time with is a true gray--gray gray, like most sweatshirts. washes me out as does colors with grey or pink undertones. pastel or dusty versions of colors also do not excite me...not sure if because i don't look good in them or just have an emotional aversion to colors that are neither here nor there. otoh, charcoal and bright/clear pinks are super.

@nuancedream's point and @chewy's reply about POC is on the money. i think i'm getting warmer over time, but the charts probably still make me a winter.

Sal

Veteran

Interesting, and I think being neutral gives you the most options!! And I agree that denim often skews a bit warmer and can be easier than navy if you have any warm undertones.

I was diagnosed as a spring as a teenager. I think that is right and I can wear the warmest of the spring colours (orange, bright yellow, hot warm pink, clear green and tomato red) but I can veer into some of the lighter tones such as blush, camel, ecru, light grey easily and also into some cool tones such as many blues. Black is not my best but also not unflattering, so I guess that is the Clear Spring coming through.

Muddy, murky and too subtle don't suit me though (charcoal, icy pastels, murky blues and greens, citron, chartreuse, taupe, optic white, cold browns are colours I avoid).

Anonymous

My mom looks warmer toned now that her hair went grey.
I'm wondering if my coloring has gotten more muted, or if I was just mistaking darkness for saturation. I'm definitely warm, definitely deep, and low-medium contrast.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I have always found this tricky although it is pretty clear that I am best in basic winter colors (white, black, blues). My skin is olive but apparently cool, my hair has always been cool and the warmer shades that hair dye brought to it were never good, but my hazel green eyes have a mix of colors and sometimes look olive green. Regardless, warm colors tend to make me look sickly.