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.
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.
Are You A Soft Summer?
If you’d like a second opinion on your seasonal color, I offer a virtual color analysis service which you can book here: Virtual Seasonal Color Analysis.
xx
Nona
