A How-To Guide to Makeup Based on Color Seasons

Have you ever tried to replicate a makeup look and it did not turn out quite right? The same makeup look can look completely different on you than on someone else This is because your face shape and color season are major contributors to how your face looks. Everyone is beautiful, and you can learn how to do makeup that complements your unique appearance!

If the term “color season” is unfamiliar to you, it refers to which color palettes look best with your skin tone, eyes and hair color. 

There are a couple of easy, at-home tests you can do to determine your color season. One way to do this is by first analyzing the color of your veins. If your veins appear more blue or purple, you are cool-toned and are either a summer or a winter. If they appear green, then you are warm-toned and will be either a spring or an autumn. 

Another test you can do is take a black-and-white picture of yourself to determine if your face is high contrast or low contrast. If your hair, skin and eyes are a similar shade in the black-and-white image, you are likely a summer or an autumn. If your features contain a distinct shade difference between your hair, eyes and skin, you are likely a spring or a winter. 

To narrow it down further, test if you look better in gold or silver jewelry – gold jewelry is best on warm-toned springs and autumns, and silver is better on cool-toned summers and winters.  

If none of those work for you, you can take a fun online quiz to help you determine your season! Colorwise.me allows you to take a photo of yourself in natural lighting, and it will determine your color season for you.

Once you have figured out your color season, you can discover what makeup styles will best fit you!   

PC: Unsplash

Spring: 

The best eyeshadow colors on you will be rosy browns, warm pinks, coral and champagne, which will make you glow. If you prefer colorful eyeshadow looks, colors you can opt for are light green, vivid oranges, yellow and turquoise. Additionally, you can replace your regular black eyeliner and mascara with a more natural-looking ash brown that will highlight your features better!

The right blush shade will give you that perfect, glowy look – pick colors like peach, salmon, bright red and warm-toned brown to accent your face! Also, your spring features look great with golden or peach bronzer to give you that lively look. 

For lipstick, try a nice coral, orange or bright red lipstick to complement your warm undertones!

Summer:

For summers, eyeshadow that is in soft grays, nude pinks, mauves, beiges and silvers would look best on you. You can also spice up your eye makeup with more vivid colors. Since you look best with cool colors, you will pair well with shades of blue, green and purple!

Instead of the typical bright blush colors, your skin tone looks best in delicate, cool shades of blush. You can give yourself a flushed look with lavender, dusty rose, soft pink or even plum! Summer’s features can be quite soft, so bronzer does not always look the best, but you can still add glow to your skin with highlighter. 

Similar to blush, lipstick will look best on you in plum, bubblegum or soft pink. That way, it stays within your cool undertones and gives you a fresh look!

Autumn:

Eyeshadow looks for autumn tend to fall toward neutrals and browns, such as bronze, gold and beige. However, more colorful options include sage green, purple and deep red. Additionally, you can add brown eyeliner and mascara to your golden brown look!

For blush, try to steer more toward earthy tones. Terracotta, warm rose, peach and nudes capture your natural glow, and this can be further accentuated by warm bronzer and highlighter!

Autumns are the best for brown and nude lipsticks, so soft browns, oranges, and muted corals are the way to go. If you want a bolder lipstick, you can opt for a deep red that perfectly matches your warm complexion!

Winter:

Winters are the best at pulling off icy, metallic eyeshadow looks – shades like silver, deep blues and purples, vivid green and cool pink make you sparkle! Your cool undertones make you look elegant in black eyeliner and mascara, but you can even spice up your look with shades of navy or purple.

As for blush, stick to berry or cool pink shades. Bronzer is not typically recommended because it tends to be too warm for your complexion, but if you still want some shimmer, you can glow with pink, blue or silver highlighter!

You stand out nicely in bold lipstick shades like berry, fuchsia, magenta and even purple! If you’re worried about drawing too much attention, these shades will look natural on your winter features and bring out your complexion. 

In 2026, now is the time you can reinvent your look. With prom and school dances in the back of your mind, you can make sure that you're making looks as stunning as you are and match your unique features!