Light Spring Color Palette

What Light Spring coloring looks like

Light Spring is the lightest of the warm seasons. Everything about the coloring is light, and there is a soft golden warmth running through it. Nothing is heavy, dark or very intense.

Typical Light Spring coloring includes the following.

• Skin that is fair to light, with a peachy, ivory or golden glow. It often flushes a warm pink rather than a cool rose, and may have light freckles.
• Hair that is light, such as golden blonde, honey, strawberry blonde or light golden brown. Many Light Springs were very blonde as children.
• Eyes that are light and clear, such as blue, aqua, green or a light hazel with golden flecks.
• Contrast that is low to medium. Hair, skin and eyes sit close together in lightness, so the overall look is gentle and fresh.

Picture a face that looks best on a bright spring morning, in light colors that seem to have sunlight in them. That is the feeling of the Light Spring palette.

How to tell if you are a Light Spring

Light Springs often notice the same things.

• Black, charcoal and burgundy make you look tired, or make your face seem to disappear above the clothes.
• Pastels look lovely, but icy cool pastels can drain a little color from your cheeks, while peachy and creamy ones bring it back.
• Gold jewelry looks warmer and softer than silver, though light rose gold also works.
• Your best white is soft white or ivory rather than stark optical white.

If you see yourself in most of these, compare Light Spring with its two neighbours. If cool pastels look just as good as warm ones, you may be a Light Summer. If stronger corals and golden yellows look even better than the pastels, you may be a Warm Spring. Our free color analysis checks all of this from one selfie.

How to wear the Light Spring palette

The Light Spring palette has 24 colors, from Shell pink and Melon to Pistachio, Robin egg and Lilac. They work together because they share the same light, warm and clear quality. Almost any two can be combined.

• Near your face, wear the clearest light colors, such as Peach, Apricot, Buttercup, Mint and Sky blue. A top or scarf in one of these makes skin look even and bright.
• For neutrals, choose Soft white, Linen, Oyster and Stone instead of black and stark white. Warm gray and Mink stand in for charcoal in suits and coats.
• For denim, pick light to medium washes with a slightly warm tone rather than very dark indigo.
• For prints, look for small to medium patterns in light colors, such as florals, fine stripes and soft checks. Large, high contrast prints can overpower you.
• For an evening look, try Turquoise, Salmon or Bubblegum instead of black. They feel dressy without the heaviness.

When you shop, hold the item under your chin in daylight. A good Light Spring color makes your skin look smoother and your eyes look brighter. A wrong one casts a shadow or makes your skin look sallow.

A simple Light Spring capsule wardrobe

A small wardrobe in your colors means almost everything goes with everything else. Start with these pieces and add color from your palette over time.

• A Soft white shirt and a Linen knit for everyday layers.
• Light warm denim and Stone chinos instead of black jeans.
• A Peach or Apricot top for days you want to look fresh.
• A Turquoise or Sky blue dress for summer and evenings.
• A light camel coat, with Mink as your darkest outer layer.
• Tan or soft gold sandals, light brown loafers and a cream bag.

Common Light Spring mistakes

• Wearing black near the face. Replace it with Warm gray or Mink.
• Picking icy pastels instead of warm ones. Choose Peach over icy pink, and Mint over icy blue.
• Very heavy makeup. Light Springs look best with sheer, glowing layers.

Light Spring at every skin depth

People of every skin depth can be a Light Spring. The season describes how your coloring fits together, not how light or deep your skin is. Within the palette, though, skin depth still guides which tones look best right next to your face.

• If your skin is on the lighter side, lean on the lighter tone of each color family, such as Shell pink, Straw, Robin egg and Thistle.
• If your skin is on the deeper side, the stronger tones carry more presence, such as Melon, Buttercup, Turquoise and Lilac.

Either way, the test is the same. Hold the color under your chin in daylight and keep it if your skin looks smoother and your eyes look brighter.

Makeup for Light Spring

Light Spring makeup should look fresh and luminous rather than heavy.

• Foundation with a warm, peachy or golden undertone, in a sheer or light coverage formula.
• Lips in peach, coral pink, warm pink and light warm red. Sheer balms and glosses suit you especially well.
• Blush in apricot, light coral or peachy pink, blended softly.
• Eyes in champagne, soft bronze, warm taupe and light aqua. Brown or soft bronze liner is kinder than black.
• Brows in a soft golden brown, a shade or two darker than your hair at most.

Hair colors for Light Spring

Golden blonde, honey, strawberry blonde and light caramel keep the natural warmth. Fine golden highlights add light around the face. Very dark brown, black and cool ash shades tend to look severe, and they raise your contrast more than your skin and eyes can carry. If you want to go darker, stop at a warm light brown.

Light Spring compared with its neighbours

Light Spring sits between Light Summer and Warm Spring on the season wheel.

• Light Spring and Light Summer are both light first. Light Spring is warm and a little clearer, Light Summer is cool and a little softer. If you look great in both peach and powder blue, you are close to the line between them.
• Light Spring and Warm Spring are both warm. Warm Spring can carry stronger, more saturated colors such as Tomato and Tangerine. Light Spring looks best when those same hues are lightened.

The colors that suit Light Spring least come from Deep Winter, the season furthest away on the wheel. They are dark, cool and intense, the opposite of light and warm. For more on finding your best shades, read what colors look good on me.

Light Spring at a glance