The goal of seasonal color analysis is to create visual harmony by selecting a color palette that relates to your natural coloring. When you utilize the colors that are inherent in you, people are focused on you and not your clothing. A personal color analysis is the tool that enables you to determine your season, and thereby, your best colors. The seasons, however, go beyond best colors. Not only does each season relate to particular color qualities, but also design style and even personality. So, let’s look at the season of Spring.
When I picture the Spring color palette, I think of a spring meadow filled with colorful flowers – bright, fresh and carefree. As winter turns to spring, the energy surrounding us changes. Everything somehow feels lighter as the world comes alive again. The clear greens in the trees and fields, flowers blooming on every corner, and wildflowers along the side of the road. The landscape seems to be painted in watercolors and everything is awash in sunlight. Hence, the people of the Spring season often have a refreshing energy about them and are sunny by nature.
Are you a Spring?
Spring Personality Traits
If you look at this picture of spring in full bloom, it’s energizing. There is freshness and vitality in the landscape and that is the same sense that you get from the people of the Spring season. In terms of celebrity examples, think of Oprah Winfrey, Kate Hudson, Rachel Ray and Christie Brinkley. What Springs tend to have in common is that they are effervescent – they are animated, active and full of life. They tend to be curious, witty, adventurous, confident and eternally optimistic. They are often naturally outgoing and seem get along with everyone. Their adventurous and carefree spirit, can sometimes lead to impulsiveness or an unfinished project; however, when a Spring sets her mind to something, there is no stopping her. Please note that not all Springs will fit all of these descriptions and adjectives as they are certainly generalizations.
Spring Coloring
Springs are lit by sunlight – the light as the sun is high in the sky on a clear day. Nature paints these people in watercolor – not the blended Monet watercolors, but more of the bright, tropical paintings. Springs are light, bright and warm. That doesn’t mean; however, that all Springs have light hair nor do they even have to have light skin. The key to having Spring coloring is clarity – there is a brightness to the skin and eyes that shines through regardless of hair or skin color. They are also most harmonious in colors that are warm or lean warm.
Examples of Spring coloring
Spring hair color ranges from pale blonde to dark brunette, but the tone tends to be warm. For blondes this means golden, caramel, or strawberry blonde. Although brunette hair often doesn’t read very warm, dark haired Springs will often have naturally warm highlights when they’ve been in the sun. As they gray, Springs tend to have gray or white hair with a yellow cast, which can read a brilliant blonde and look wonderful! Spring eyes are often blue or green (or a mixture of the two), but can absolutely be brown. If they are brown, they tend to be a golden brown. Regardless of eye color, many have a yellow starburst pattern near the pupil and they tend to be described as sparkling. Springs have a warm skin tone as there is often the presence of yellow in their skin. Their skin is often described as golden, peach, pinky-peach, or ivory.
Spring Color Palette
Spring colors, in general, have a fresh, bright, and neutral to warm quality. The key to Spring colors is clarity. When looking for Spring colors, look for bright, clear colors that have white or water added to lighten them. Nothing too muted, grayed out or Earthy. Think of the blue-greens of tropical water, warm sand, green palm trees, and the colorful houses that look right at home on a Caribbean island.
All the colors found in a spring garden are also a great inspiration for the palette. Beautiful flower examples of Spring colors include: tulip red, poppy red, daffodil yellow, hyacinth blue, lupine and violet. Another great inspiration is the colors of fruit – banana, lime, peach, green apple, apricot, and tangerine.
Types of Springs
Seasonal color analysis usually categorizes 3 or 4 Spring types. 12-season analysis has Bright, True, and Light Springs and then the 16-season analysis adds Warm Spring. If you’re not sure if you’re a Spring or need to know the type of Spring you are, consider having a personal color analysis done and discover how knowing your best colors can be life changing.
Bright Spring
Bright (also called Clear) Spring is midway between Winter and Spring – the palette is warmer than Winter yet cooler than Spring and more intense. Their hair most commonly ranges from a dark golden blonde all the way to brown-black. Those with lighter hair might be typed as a Bright Spring, but they tend to have especially brilliant eyes. Other than that, eyes are either bright blue, bright green, or dark brown. Skintone ranges from fair to dark, with either neutral or neutral-warm undertones.
Bright Springs look best in neutral to warm bright colors that range in depth from icy to deep. They look lovely in bright turquoise, clear violet, true green, and poppy red. Bright Springs are radiant, lively and cheeful. Celebrity examples include: Oprah Winfrey, Pippa Middleton, Gwen Stefani, and Rose McGowan.
True Spring
True Spring is the quintessential Spring. Their hair generally ranges from light blonde to light-medium brown. Hair, whether dark blonde or brown, looks lovely highlighted with caramel, gold or honey hues. Eyes are often blue-green, hazel, or golden brown. On occasion, you will see a True Spring with deep brown eyes, but they often have fairly light hair and give off an overal golden impression. Skintone ranges from fair to dark and is warm with yellow or golden undertones.
True Springs look best in warm-toned, clear colors in a light to medium value. They look lovely in coral, peach, apple green, and aqua blue. True Springs are radiant, lively and cheeful. They often have an almost ageless quality about them. Celebrity examples include: Blake Lively, Christie Brinkley, Melanie Griffith, and Goldie Hawn.
Warm Spring
Warm Spring is midway between Spring and Autumn – the palette is more toned or toasted than Spring yet less Earthy than Autumn. Their hair most commonly ranges from dark blonde to medium brown, or is in the red family. Eyes are often blue-green, green, hazel, or golden brown. Skintone ranges from fair to medium, is warm with yellow or golden undertones, and often with freckles.
Warm Springs look best in warm-toned, moderately clear colors in a predominantly medium value. They look lovely in paprika, marigold, chartreuse green, and tangerine. Warm Springs are radiant, lively and cheeful. They often have a bit more of a natural look to them versus other Springs. Celebrity examples include: Elle Macpherson, Amy Adams, Leslie Mann, and Marcia Cross.
Light Spring
Light Spring is midway between Spring and Summer – the palette is cooler than Spring yet warmer and brighter than Summer. Their hair most commonly ranges from flaxen blonde to light golden brown, or is strawberry blonde. Eyes are light – whether blue, green, hazel or brown – and are often quite bright. Skintone ranges from fair to medium and is either neutral or neutral-warm.
Light Springs look best in neutral to warm, moderately clear colors that are predominantly light in value. They look lovely in light aqua, light peach, mint, and periwinkle. Light Springs are radiant, lively and cheeful. They often have a bit more of a gentle nature versus other Springs. Celebrity examples include: Kate Hudson, Amanda Seyfried, Hayden Panettiere, and Brittany Snow.
Do any of these Spring types sound like you? I’d love to hear about your favorite Spring colors and qualities in the comments!
