Light Spring Color Palette

Light Spring is led by value. Your coloring is light overall, so colors from the upper half of the lightness scale look like they belong to you. Warmth comes second: you lean golden, but only gently, so the palette borrows a few clean blues and periwinkles from Light Summer. Chroma is medium to high. The colors are clear and never dusty, though they stay softer than the other two springs.

Skin is usually fair to medium, often with a peachy, ivory or light golden cast, and some Light Springs have freckles. Eyes are often light blue, aqua, light green or light hazel, sometimes with a golden sunburst pattern around the pupil.

Hair is often light golden blonde, strawberry blonde or light golden brown, and most people in this season were fair-haired as children. Contrast between hair, skin and eyes is usually low. When you wear black or burgundy, the dark color arrives before your face does.

• Ivory #FFF8E8
• Peach #FDD3AE
• Butter yellow #FAE8A0
• Mint #C2EBCF
• Light aqua #A9E3DC
• Coral #F7907A
• Golden yellow #F4CF63
• Cornflower blue #86A3E6
• Warm teal #2E8F8C
• Light camel #D1AD88
• Soft navy #566C92
• Clear turquoise #00C4B4

Light Spring or Light Summer?

Light Summer shares your lightness but leans cool and slightly softer. Hold a Peach scarf next to a cool powder pink one, in daylight with your hair pulled back. On a Light Spring, peach makes the cheeks look warm and awake while powder pink looks chalky. On a Light Summer, peach turns the skin sallow and slightly yellow around the mouth, and the powder pink clears it. Light yellow gold against bright silver jewelry gives the same answer: gold looks easy on you and silver looks a little gray.

See the Light Summer palette

Light Spring or Warm Spring?

Warm Spring shares your warmth but carries it at full strength and a step deeper. Hold Butter yellow against a saturated marigold or orange. On you, butter yellow looks fresh and the marigold takes over: people see the scarf first and your face looks smaller. On a Warm Spring, the marigold looks natural and the butter yellow fades into the skin. Light camel against a deep golden brown works as a second test, since Warm Spring carries the brown easily and you look heavier in it.

See the Warm Spring palette

Your basics should be light to medium and warm-leaning. Ivory, Cream and Warm beige replace stark white and gray for tops and knits. Light camel and Taupe do the job of a classic trench or chino. For trousers, skirts and outer layers that need to be darker, use Soft navy or Milk chocolate. Light warm gray works as a quiet base under colored tops.

Your best white and what to wear instead of black.

Five outfit formulas

• Spring office

  • Blazer: light camel
  • Silk shell: peach
  • Trousers: ivory

• Weekend denim swap

  • Cardigan: light aqua
  • T-shirt: cream
  • Chinos: soft navy

• Garden party

  • Wrap dress: coral
  • Light jacket: warm beige
  • Sandals: light camel

• Clean contrast

  • Knit: cornflower blue
  • Collared shirt: ivory
  • Skirt: milk chocolate

• Bright day out

  • Top: clear turquoise
  • Shorts: cream
  • Bag: light camel
  • Scarf: butter yellow

Prints and fabrics

Pick small to medium prints with light grounds and open spacing: ditsy florals on Cream, fine stripes in Light aqua and Ivory, watercolor botanicals, gingham in Peach or Mint. Keep pattern contrast low to medium, so a print in Coral on Ivory works better than Coral on navy. Fabrics with a soft sheen suit you, such as cotton poplin, silk, fine-gauge cotton knits, linen and light chambray. Heavy tweeds, dark florals and large geometric blocks in strong contrast tend to sit on top of you.

Colors to avoid

• Black #000000
• Charcoal #36454F
• Burgundy #7A1F3D
• Magenta #C2185B
• Dark olive #4B5320

These colors are too dark or too heavy for light coloring, and magenta is too cool and loud. Near your face they cast shadows under the eyes and make the skin look flat. Keep them for shoes, a belt or trousers worn well below the face, or swap in Soft navy, Milk chocolate and Coral red.

Look for a light shade with a peach, golden or neutral-warm undertone. A shade that is too pink makes ruddy areas louder, and a deep golden one looks orange on light skin. Match at the jaw in daylight and choose a dewy or satin finish over a heavy matte one.

Lips

• Peach nude #E9A086
• Warm coral #EF7D6A
• Clear salmon pink #F08A8A
• Light watermelon #E6646E

Blush

• Soft peach #F6B090
• Apricot pink #F2A08A

Eyes

• Champagne #E8D3B0
• Soft bronze #B88A5A
• Warm taupe #9C8670
• Light aqua #6FC7C0
• Periwinkle #8E9AE0

Liner and brows

• Soft brown #7A5A44
• Soft navy #566C92

Light Spring makeup works best sheer and luminous. A peach or coral cheek with a matching lip looks finished in minutes. Swap black mascara and liner for brown or soft navy, which define the eyes without a hard line. A full red or plum lip will usually look heavy; reach for Light watermelon when you want more color.

Stay light and golden. Light golden blonde, honey blonde and strawberry blonde keep the low, warm contrast this season depends on. If you prefer brown, choose a light golden brown with face-framing honey pieces rather than a solid deep shade. Ash tones read gray against your skin, and very dark colors add contrast your features cannot balance.

Move toward

• Golden blonde #E2C27F
• Honey blonde #C99A5B
• Strawberry blonde #D79B6E
• Light golden brown #A57A4C

Move away from

• Ash platinum #D8D8D8
• Jet black #0A0A0A
• Burgundy red #7A1F3D
• Cool ash brown #6E655E

Gray hair and highlights

As gray comes in, fine babylights in honey or butter blonde soften the line of regrowth, and a golden gloss stops the gray from looking yellow or flat. If you go fully gray, an ivory-toned silver will usually suit you better than a stark white or a blue-toned toner.

Light, warm metals are your easiest choice. Light yellow gold and champagne gold sit softly on the skin, and rose gold works well because it carries the peach in your coloring. Polished silver is wearable but can look slightly gray; if you love it, choose a brushed finish or mix it with gold.

• Light yellow gold
• Champagne gold
• Rose gold
• Brushed brass

Glasses frames

Choose light frames: honey or blonde tortoiseshell, clear peach or champagne acetate, thin light-gold wire, or a soft navy. Heavy black frames are the one style to skip, since they become the darkest thing on your face.

People often typed as Light Spring. Typing a famous face from photos is guesswork (lighting, makeup and hair dye all change it), so use it as a reference for coloring and check your own season with the drape tests above.

• Elle Fanning: Often wears light blonde hair, with fair warm skin and light blue eyes. Source for Elle Fanning, opens in a new tab
• Taylor Swift: Often wears light blonde hair, with warm undertones and bright blue eyes. Source for Taylor Swift, opens in a new tab
• Sophie Turner: Often wears blonde hair, with fair skin that has a hint of warmth and pale blue eyes. Source for Sophie Turner, opens in a new tab
• Lili Reinhart: Often wears light blonde hair, with fair skin, warm undertones and green eyes. Source for Lili Reinhart, opens in a new tab
• Saoirse Ronan: Often wears soft blonde hair, with fair warm-toned skin and light blue eyes. Source for Saoirse Ronan, opens in a new tab
• Sadie Sink: Often wears light red hair, with fair warm skin and bright blue eyes. Source for Sadie Sink, opens in a new tab
• Amanda Seyfried: Often wears light golden blonde hair, with light eyes and fair skin. Source for Amanda Seyfried, opens in a new tab
• Reese Witherspoon: Often wears light golden blonde hair, with blue eyes and light skin. Source for Reese Witherspoon, opens in a new tab