The True Summer Seasonal Color Palette

In the 12 Seasonal Color System, True Summer (also known as Cool Summer) is a season dominated by coolness, and softness or muted-ness. (Cool and Soft). True Summer falls between Light Summer (Light and Cool) and Soft Summer (Soft and Cool). The palette focuses on colors with lower chroma (more muted), a range of moderate to lighter values, with an emphasis on the cooler hues (blues, purple, cool red and pinks).

Overall, the palette is elegant, tranquil, and refined, . The colors bring to mind grey river rocks and cool blue waters, raw multi-colored druzy stones, and soft clouds tinged with pink and purple as they drift through the sky just before dusk.

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True Summer Skin Tones and Hair Colors

True Summer natives possess cool skin with undertones of blue, beige, rose and grey. True Summer hair ranges from ash blonde, bronze, cool brown, ash brown-black, and silver. Overall, True Summer contrast is low and the most prominent aspect to their overall coloring is the coolness and softness of their overall coloring.

Compared to Light Summer, True Summer is cooler and softer or more muted. Compared to Soft Summers, True Summers are also cooler but not quite as soft.

True Summer Celebrities

Possibe True Summer celebrities include Caitriona Balfe, Emily Blunt, Emily Deschanel, Jessy Mendiola, Paulina Porizkova, Constance Wu, Emily DiDonato, and Kaya Scodelario. Note that these are just possibilities; confirmation requires a more formal draping process. Please note that changes in hair color, brow color, and lighting can have a profound effect on color harmony and perception.

True Summer Seasonal Color Palette

True Summer Neutrals and Colors to Avoid

True Summer neutrals are delicate and cool- think soft white, light grey, and soft taupes. Deeper neutrals include charcoals, steely blues, and grey green. True Summers can enjoy a wide variety of blues to use as neutrals (such as jeans, chambray shirts or dresses, or trousers and outerwear). Cool blues in light to mostly moderate values work very harmoniously with their accent colors.

True Summers can preserve their moonstone glow by avoiding colors that are dark and rich or overly warm and bright.

True Summer Metals, Stones, and Materials

True Summers look best in semi-polished soft white golds, platinums, and gentle silvers. A slight bit of texture (light hammering) can work, and a satin finish is equally harmonious. Overly polished and shiny metals can read as too bright and severe next to their gentle coloring.

Matte to semi-polished gemstones like white jade, moonstone, opal, sea glass, angelite and calcite can match the colors of their palette almost exactly. Overly prismatic and polished gemstones can look a bit severe and high contrast.

When considering materials, True Summers can lean into their soft definition and pearly glow with softly metallic mesh or fishnets, light cashmeres, soft mohairs, and cream satins.

Natural and Dramatic Makeup Looks for True Summers

True Summers look the most natural with a subtle approach to color and definition. Due to the softness of their season, color is best dispersed in a very gradual way with no hard borders or extreme concentrations. Brows and eyes can be slightly shaded for definition, and the cheeks and lips looks lovely with the slightest dab of sheer color. An overall slightly dewy to slightly matte look maintains that homogenous look. Very powdery or very dewy finishes tend to overwhelm their features.

For a more dramatic makeup look, True Summers look beautiful in a smoky eye with a relatively nude face. The smoked out eyeshadow should be well blended and restrained- a little goes a long way. Alternatively, a more intensified lip and cheek color can be paired with a slightly shimmery eye for their version of “bright and fresh.”

Are You a True 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