| Your coloring | Often flattering | Often harder |
|---|---|---|
| Warm, light | Peach, coral, warm ivory, camel | Icy pastels, pure black |
| Warm, deep | Rust, olive, mustard, chocolate | Cool pastels, grey |
| Cool, light | Powder blue, rose, lavender, soft grey | Orange, mustard |
| Cool, deep | Navy, emerald, berry, pure white | Beige, muted orange |
| Neutral | Teal, soft white, dusty rose, jade | Very neon or very muddy shades |
Step 1: Find your undertone
- Look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. Mostly green suggests warm, mostly blue or purple suggests cool, a mix suggests neutral.
- Compare gold and silver jewelry next to your face. The one that looks more natural points the same way.
- Hold pure white and soft cream near your face. Cool undertones usually suit crisp white; warm ones suit cream.
- If every test is a tie, you are probably neutral, which means you can wear softened versions of both sides.
Step 2: Check your depth and contrast
Depth is how light or dark your overall coloring is. Contrast is the difference between your hair, skin and eyes. Take a black-and-white photo of your face: if your hair and skin look very different shades, you are high contrast and can wear strong pairings like navy and white. If they blend, low-contrast pairings such as taupe with soft blue look more balanced.
Step 3: Do the drape test
- Stand facing a window, no makeup, hair pulled back.
- Hold one fabric or piece of paper under your chin at a time.
- Take a photo of each and compare them side by side later, not in the moment.
- Good colors: skin looks even, eyes stand out, under-eye shadows soften.
- Poor colors: skin looks grey, sallow or red, and the color is the first thing you notice.
Turn the result into a palette
Your undertone, depth and contrast together point to one of the 12 color seasons. A light, warm, low-contrast person often lands in a Spring palette; a deep, cool, high-contrast person often in Winter. Seasonal color analysis, explained walks through all 12, and the free color season quiz gives you a starting season in six questions.
Use it without buying a new wardrobe
- Wear your best colors near your face: tops, scarves, collars, earrings.
- Keep less flattering colors for trousers, skirts and shoes, further from your face.
- Add one flattering layer over a tricky color you love.
- When you next shop, check the color before the style.
Let an app do the analysis
Style BFF runs a seasonal color analysis from one selfie as part of its free Style Profile, then uses your palette in every outfit it suggests. Take the selfie in indirect daylight with no filter. How the color analysis works.
Sources
Related guides
What else should you know?
Is there an app that tells me what colors look good on me?
Yes. Color analysis apps, including Style BFF, estimate your season from a selfie. Good lighting matters more than the app: use daylight and no filters.
Can I wear colors outside my palette?
Yes. Palettes are guidance, not rules. Wear any color you love; place it away from your face or pair it with a flattering layer.
What colors suit neutral undertones?
Neutral undertones usually suit medium-intensity colors such as teal, jade, soft white and dusty rose, and can borrow from both warm and cool palettes.