What all Springs have in common
Spring colors are warm and clean. They lean yellow rather than blue, but they don’t have the earthy, smoky depth of Autumn colors. Think of a fresh apricot rather than a dried one. On a Spring, these colors make the skin look warm and glowing; heavy colors like charcoal or burgundy near the face tend to add shadows, and icy colors like snow white or icy pink make the skin look sallow by comparison.
Most Springs look good in gold jewelry, ivory instead of bright white, and camel or light beige instead of black. The differences between the three Springs are about how light, how warm and how clear your colors should be.
Light, Warm or Clear Spring: how to tell them apart
Dominant quality
- Light Spring
- value (light)
- Warm Spring
- temperature (warm)
- Clear Spring
- chroma (clear)
Typical coloring
- Light Spring
- light golden blonde hair, light skin, light eyes
- Warm Spring
- golden or strawberry hair, warm skin
- Clear Spring
- contrast between hair and skin, bright eyes
Best colors
- Light Spring
- peach, mint, ivory, light blue
- Warm Spring
- coral, sunny yellow, turquoise, camel
- Clear Spring
- coral, turquoise, emerald, cobalt
Neutrals
- Light Spring
- ivory, beige, camel
- Warm Spring
- cream, camel, beige
- Clear Spring
- ivory, navy, camel
Watch out for
- Light Spring
- black and deep colors near the face
- Warm Spring
- cool grays, icy pastels
- Clear Spring
- muted, dusty colors
| Light Spring | Warm Spring | Clear Spring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominant quality | value (light) | temperature (warm) | chroma (clear) |
| Typical coloring | light golden blonde hair, light skin, light eyes | golden or strawberry hair, warm skin | contrast between hair and skin, bright eyes |
| Best colors | peach, mint, ivory, light blue | coral, sunny yellow, turquoise, camel | coral, turquoise, emerald, cobalt |
| Neutrals | ivory, beige, camel | cream, camel, beige | ivory, navy, camel |
| Watch out for | black and deep colors near the face | cool grays, icy pastels | muted, dusty colors |
A quick test: hold a mint top and a cobalt top under your chin. If mint wins clearly, you’re likely Light Spring. If cobalt looks great and mint looks washed out, you’re likely Clear Spring. If both feel slightly off but a coral or camel top looks best, you’re likely Warm Spring.
Spring neutrals
- Instead of black: camel, warm beige or, for Clear Spring, navy.
- Instead of snow white: ivory or cream.
- Instead of charcoal: khaki or light taupe away from the face.
- Denim: medium and light washes work well; very dark indigo is better for Clear Spring.
Common Spring mistakes
- A black coat as the default. It sits right next to your face all winter. A camel or warm beige coat does the same job and flatters a Spring.
- Too much beige. Spring neutrals need a lively accent near the face, or the whole look goes flat.
- Confusing Spring with Autumn. Both are warm, but Autumn colors are earthier and deeper. If rust and olive make you look heavy while coral and turquoise light you up, you’re a Spring.
Not sure which Spring you are? Take the free color analysis quiz — it uses the same logic as the Closie app.
