Let seasonal hair color analysis decide your new shade for a perfect makeover!
There are many ways to choose the most flattering shade for your hair, with seasonal color analysis being one of the most popular ones. This method helps you effectively find your ideal palette based on your unique characteristics.
When it comes to hair styling advice and color transformations, this color-matching tool uses color theory to show which hair shades and undertones suit your eyes and complexion the most. Here are some dos and don’ts for Summer and its subtypes to give you a season-friendly hair color upgrade.
With Autumn, Winter, and Spring, Summer is one of the four main seasonal palettes. It’s characterized by low to medium contrast features, light eyes (blue, gray, hazel green), and is best off with soft and muted shades.
Depending on your subtype – Light Summer, True Summer, or Soft Summer – your hair will look beautiful in ashy blonde or cool-toned brown. As personal stylist @juliiannalee explains, these shades will naturally enhance your complexion and eye color.
Eyes: light blue, soft green, gray-blue
Skin: porcelain, cool, neutral undertones
Best hair tones: light ash blonde, white blonde, platinum blonde, sandy blonde, old money blonde, pastel-toned highlights
Shades to avoid: dark brown, warm golden blonde, honey blonde, vibrant tones
As the name suggests, Light Summer types have the lightest features that pair well with light shades of blonde. While this color type is predominantly cool, it can still tolerate a small amount of warmth, as in highlights or face-framing color accents.
Think of Reese Witherspoon with her fair skin, light blue eyes, and creamy blonde hair. Or look at Naomi Watt’s with her light blonde locks that enhance her cool skin undertones. These are some of the most prominent examples of Light Summer.
Eyes: muted gray, gray-blue, soft hazel
Skin: beige, soft olive, dusty pink, cool-neutral undertones
Best hair tones: medium blonde to dark brown, mushroom brown, soft ash brown, smoky mauve tones, subtle cool balayage
Shades to avoid: bright blonde, stark highlights, black or pure white tones
Commonly known as muted Summer, this subtype takes the Summer palette a bit further in terms of a cool, understated look. If you’re a Soft Summer, you’re likely to have predominantly cool skin tone and low to medium contrast features with muted eye color like pale green, blue, or light gray (but never bright or intense).
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s ‘brownie batter’ hair shade offers this muted effect, mixing vanilla blonde, pale honey tint, and light oak brown tones in one look. This hair color makes her dusty pink skin and pale blue eyes really stand out. The same goes for Michelle Pfeiffer’s ashy blonde hair and cool-toned skin which are made for the Summer color palette.
Eyes: cool blue, grey, grey-green
Skin: cool pink, light, medium
Best hair tones: cool medium blonde, light ash brown, cool taupe or pearl highlights, smoky pastel tones
Shades to avoid: warm, golden, caramel, copper, jet black
Often called Cool Summer, this subtype belongs to the coolest category. If you belong to this group, your features have more contrast, which allows you to go a bit darker than the two previous Summer subsets. Shades like medium blonde and ashy brown will elevate your cool skin undertones and eyes.
Barbara Palvin’s medium brown locks with cool, ashy undertones along with soft blue eyes, and cool-toned skin make her a classic True Summer girlie. Likewise, Anna Kendrick embodies a True Summer color palette with cool brown locks and soft, muted features.
These hair color recommendations are your best bet in choosing the most flattering shade for your next coloring session. Don’t want to rely on pure luck and pick a new hair color by trying it on first? Upload your selfie to our free online hair color changer and visualize yourself with a new shade before committing!
Featured images via @rosiehw and @realbarbarapalvin
