Guide to the Soft Summer Seasonal Color Palette
The Soft Summer Palette
In the 12 Seasonal Color System, Soft Summer (also referred to as Summer-Autumn) is a season dominated by softness and coolness (Soft and Cool). Soft Summer falls between True Summer (Cool and Soft) and Soft Autumn (Soft and Warm). The palette focuses on colors with lower chroma (soft as opposed to very bright) with an emphasis on the cooler hues (blues, blue-greens, cool pinks, and various shades of grey and brown).
Overall, the palette is dreamy, soft, and gently mysterious. Think of dusky skies, light creeping through a foggy stained glass window, succulents thriving in the shade, and ethereal sunsets.
To help you decode ANY color system, check out my virtual guide on navigating the world of personal color: https://thealignedlover.com/product/virtual-guide-navigating-the-world-of-seasonal-color/
Soft Summer Skin and Hair
Soft Summer natives possess neutral, olive, and cool skin colors with cool pink and ashen/grey undertones. Their hair often also has an ashen tone to it, and can range from light blondes to grey-blacks. Overall, there is low to moderate contrast between their hair, eyes, and skin. These natives tend to look great with less saturation in photos as their beauty doesn’t require crispness. Rather, their coloring is more diffuse and restrained.
The Soft Summer Color Palette
Soft Summer Neutrals and the Worst Colors for Soft Summer
Soft Summer neutrals range from cool off-white to smoky deep charcoal. In between, there is also an emphasis on mushrooms, taupes, and dusty browns.
Soft Summer natives would do best to avoid very bright, warm, deep, and low or high value colors as these will overwhelm their delicate coolness.
Soft Summer Metals, Stones, and Materials
Soft Summers are neutral to slightly cool and can pull off both silvers and golds. The most important aspect of metal choice is the finish- burnished, hammered, antique, and overall textured finishes that soften the overall look of a metal are best suited for this season. Oppositely, very bright and shiny surfaces with very saturated colors will overwhelm the Soft Summer’s gentle beauty.
Raw or unpolished gemstones easily accommodate the muted coolness of the Soft Summer. Light citrines, amethysts, fluorite, blue calcite, rose quartz, and angelite are some of the more obvious choices. Deeper gemstones like tourmaline, emerald, and carnelian can still look beautiful if their raw nature is emphasized.
When considering materials, Soft Summers look best in light-absorbing and diffusing fabrics- the opposite of anything very prismatic or reflective. Soft suedes, raw leathers, moderately contrasted snakeskins, brushed velvets, and corduroys can offer great texture.
Soft Summer Makeup
The Soft Summer native looks the most stunning when they keep their approach to makeup on the more subtle side. A light hand and a bit of restraint can achieve far more in terms of elevating their features than a generous and heavy handed technique. Soft Summer colors apply for all makeup- search for names including dusty rose, tea rose, soft bronze, and taupe when searching for natural, everyday shades for lips, cheeks, brows, and eyes.
For more dramatic looks, Soft Summers can add a bit of depth and increase their contrast by darkening the definition around their brows, eyes, cheeks, and lips. Still, the edges of all of their features should remain soft with no harsh boundaries.
Soft Summer FAQ
Q: What is Soft Summer and what are its key characteristics?
Soft Summer is a season in the 12 Seasonal Color System defined by softness and coolness. People with this palette often have neutral, cool, or olive skin tones, ashen hair ranging from light blonde to grey-black, and low to moderate contrast between hair, eyes, and skin. Their coloring is soft, diffuse, and naturally muted, thriving in gentle, restrained colors.
Q: Which colors are included in the Soft Summer palette?
Soft Summer focuses on muted, cooler shades with low to medium saturation. Key colors include dusky blues, blue-greens, cool pinks, mushroom, taupe, dusty browns, soft off-whites, and smoky charcoals. Avoid bright, overly warm, or highly saturated colors, as they can overwhelm the Soft Summer’s subtle beauty.
Q: What makeup shades work best for Soft Summer?
Soft Summer makeup should be applied lightly and subtly. Ideal shades include dusty rose, tea rose, soft bronze, and taupe for lips, cheeks, eyes, and brows. For more dramatic looks, slightly darkening features can add contrast, but all edges should remain soft and blended.
Q: How can I start exploring my Soft Summer colors?
You can begin with my Virtual Guide to Navigating the World of Seasonal Color. This guide breaks down how to understand any seasonal color system and helps you identify which shades naturally harmonize with your Soft Summer coloring.
Q: Can I get a personalized Soft Summer color palette?
Absolutely! My Color Palette Creation service provides a tailored analysis for your unique coloring. You’ll receive guidance on wardrobe, accessories, and makeup shades that enhance your natural features and create a harmonious, effortless look.
Q: How do Soft Summer neutrals work in a wardrobe?
Neutrals are foundational for Soft Summer, ranging from cool off-whites to smoky charcoals, with emphasis on mushrooms, taupes, and dusty browns. These shades pair seamlessly with other muted colors, creating a cohesive, dreamy wardrobe.
Q: What metals, stones, and materials suit Soft Summer?
Soft Summers can wear both silver and gold, preferably in burnished, antique, or textured finishes that soften the look. Raw or unpolished gemstones, like citrine, amethyst, fluorite, blue calcite, rose quartz, and angelite, complement the muted palette. Light-absorbing fabrics such as suedes, raw leathers, brushed velvets, and corduroys enhance their gentle beauty.
Q: Can Soft Summer colors be mixed with more vibrant tones?
Yes, but subtlety is key. Soft Summer thrives on harmony rather than contrast, so mixing in vibrant shades should be done sparingly and in muted tones that maintain the softness of the palette.
xx
Nona
