Everyone knows that Irish green dresses suit redheads, and scarlet lipstick suits those with jet-black curls and porcelain skin. The same green outfit can turn a fair-haired girl with gray eyes into a standard gray mouse. A delicate blue-eyed blonde will also most likely get lost against the backdrop of bright red lip gloss.
Why is that? There is an opinion that it is a matter of color type. Note: this concept is very conditional and in many ways imperfect. Modern professional stylists do not use it because they dig deeper.
Still, it’s worth having an idea of your color type. At a minimum, this will help you understand why your friend’s scarf doesn’t suit you, make it easier to select a wardrobe and save you from frankly disastrous purchases.
How to determine the color type of appearance
It only takes three steps.
Find out if you are a cold or warm type
There are three ways to do this. Choose the one that is more convenient, or use all at once - for reliability. In any case, it will take a matter of seconds.
Method 1. Through the veins
Go to the window on a sunny day and look at the wreaths on your wrist. If they are distinctly blue, your type is cold. If you detect at least a hint of a greenish undertone in the color, your type is warm.
Method 2. Using a white napkin
Stand in front of a mirror in a well-lit room and place a white napkin on your face. Take a closer look at what shade your skin takes on against its background. Slightly pinkish - your type is cold. Yellowish - warm.
Method 3. For gold and silver
You will need two pieces of paper, fabric or foil - one gold, one silver. Apply them one by one to the skin around the wrist. Against the background of your color, the skin will have a uniform, healthy shade. Against the background of the second one it will seem gray, faded, spotted.
If silver suits you, your type is cold. Gold is warm.
By the way, gold bracelets, necklaces, and earrings look good on warm-type people. Cold-type people prefer silver.
Determine your contrast
It's quite simple. Look at your face in natural light.
If the color of your eyes, hair or skin stands out strongly from the rest, you are a contrasting type. A prime example of this type is the classic Disney Snow White with black hair, dark eyes and porcelain skin.
A little less bright, but still indicative - Cinderella with her white skin, piercing blue eyes and bright blonde hair.
Stills from the animated films “Snow White”, “Cinderella” / Lifehacker
If the colors of your eyes, hair and skin resonate with each other, you are a muted type. Disney examples are Rapunzel and Tinker Bell.
Stills from the animated films “Tangled,” “Fairies” / Lifehacker
Compare the results
The seasonal color type is determined based on temperature and contrast.
- Cold and contrasting - winter.
- Cold and muted - summer.
- Warm and contrasting - autumn.
- Warm and muted - spring.
Short preparatory stage
How to determine the shade of the facial epidermis - preparation for the test:
- Wash off makeup, dirt, dust from your face.
- After washing your face, wait 15 minutes for the color of the epidermis to normalize. Immediately after the hygiene procedure, the skin may be slightly pinkish or too pale due to drying with a towel or the temperature of the water. If you have recently returned from outside, especially from the cold, you also need to wait until the blush or extreme pallor goes away.
- Remove jewelry from your ears and neck, as they will distract attention and interfere with perception.
- The hair on your head should be secured with a bandage or hidden under a scarf so that it does not fall onto your face, making it difficult to determine its shade.
The test should be carried out near a window, since artificial lighting can distort the color of the skin, giving it a yellowish or greenish tint.
What if your color type is winter
Photo: anetta / Shutterstock
People with this color type are distinguished by dark hair - from chestnut to blue-black, bright dark brown, green or blue eyes, and white skin.
Avoid
Winter people are not suitable for desaturated colors with warm undertones - beige, orange, warm pink and blue.
Wear
Photo: Asos, Lamoda
This includes rich shades with a cold undertone - silver, emerald, deep gray, bright blue and cyan, red, purple, wine, black.
It is enough that one of the suitable colors dominates the image. The rest can be anything. The main thing is that they are combined.
Buy
- Emerald green top with buttons and voluminous sleeves from Girl In Mind, 1,690 rubles →
- Faux wine-colored fur coat from Ruxara, 17,600 rubles →
- Bright blue chunky knit jumper with pattern from I Saw It First, RUB 1,690 →
- Black shirt dress from Zarina, 2,699 rubles →
Warm and cool colors
It all starts with the color wheel, which in its classic form consists of 6 colors that repeat the color of the rainbow, only blue and blue in the color wheel are combined into one, since in fact they are variants of the same color with different saturation:
- red;
- orange;
- yellow;
- green;
- blue;
- violet.
Between the 6 cells of the color wheel there are intermediate colors - between red and orange - red-orange, between yellow and green - yellow-green. Each color of the circle has its own temperature.
Color temperature may vary:
- warm. These include colors in which yellow predominates in the undertone;
- cold. Here blue becomes the key in the undertone.
It’s like with lamps - there is cold light - it is light, it gives off blue, and there is warm light - it gives off yellow or even orange light.
But not everything is so simple. If you make the color circle a little wider and add intermediate shades to it, you will notice that different tones of the same color can have different temperatures.
For example, green. In the color wheel it is between yellow and blue, that is, it is borderline between heat and cold.
If we take a turquoise shade of green, we get a typical cold color, because the predominance of blue in it will be higher than yellow. And if you consider lime - a mixture of yellow and green, you get a great warm shade.
Same thing with red. Raspberry is cooler, while scarlet is much warmer.
This happens due to the already mentioned undertones. An undertone is an additional shade that is not immediately perceived by the eye. A subtone is formed after adding an additional color to the main color, for example, purple to red. It is the undertone that determines the temperature of the skin, cosmetics, and clothing.
The ability to distinguish warm colors from cold ones is useful in choosing cosmetics and clothes, so it’s better to figure it out once and always match the tone of an eyebrow pencil or any other cosmetic product.
About color combinations in manicure and more >>.
What if your color type is spring
Photo: Nick Starichenko / Shutterstock
Spring people are distinguished by thin, transparent, light skin. Their hair is warm in tone - from blond to light brown (wheat, honey, golden). The eyes are blue, brown, gray, green, but always light. There are often soft pink lips and a slight blush.
Avoid
Dark contrasting colors with a cold undertone are not suitable for spring - black, bright blue (electric blue), deep violet, scarlet, purple, and so on.
Wear
Photo: Nyxcosmetic, Lamoda, AliExpress
Light pastel colors - creamy, peach, warm beige, milk chocolate, salmon, apricot, light blue, light gray, light orange, as well as bright delicate shades of blue and pink.
Buy
- Peach knitted cardigan with voluminous sleeves from Only, 2,690 rubles →
- Light blue dress with a thin belt from Ummami, 8,500 rubles →
- Light gray suit with skirt and sweatshirt from AliExpress, 1,946 rubles →
- Light pink Soft Matte Lip Cream from NYX, 690 rubles →
Make-up
The beautiful half of humanity, belonging to the summer color type, should use colorless powder in their makeup. When shopping for blush, it's best to stick to pinkish tones, but avoid reddish and brick tones. Shades of light blue, purple, lilac, green or pink can emphasize the expressiveness of the look that such ladies have. When buying mascara, you can buy not only black, but also pay attention to dark blue or brown. For those who have a light olive complexion, the photos of these ladies show that the whole range of pink shades is suitable for their lips.
For representatives of the winter color type, it is best to use bright and cool shades in their makeup, focusing on the eyes or lips. Their makeup bag should always include smoky eye shadow, black mascara, eyeliner and a pencil that should be about two shades darker than lipstick. It is not advisable for these girls to use golden shades when applying blush.
From all of the above, it should be concluded that it is very important to know your color type of appearance, since an incorrectly selected palette of tones in things can nullify the work of even the best stylists and makeup artists. Therefore, you should remember that a harmonious image is made up of many details, and, knowing your “season,” you can easily put it together using a simple method developed for each type of woman.
What if your color type is summer?
Photo: Irina Bg / Shutterstock
People with this color type have hair of cool, ashy shades - from light brown to dark. Cool-toned skin ranges from light pink to grayish-olive, but tans easily, acquiring a golden hue. The eyes are light, steel-colored with a dazzling white white - due to this they seem very bright.
Avoid
Black, bright orange.
Wear
Photo: Asos, Lamoda
Cold pastel colors - blue, light blue, white, pearl, dusty shades of pink, berry, wine, lilac, lemon yellow.
Buy
- Lilac corduroy jumpsuit from Native Youth, RUB 3,390 →
- Yellow cardigan with large buttons from Pinkkarrot, 2,430 rubles →
- Dark blue slightly fitted dress from Raya, 3,590 rubles →
- White ribbed beanie hat from Free People, 2,290 rubles →
What shades are there?
There are three main skin undertones: warm, cool and neutral. Warm tones range from peach to yellow and gold. Cool tones include pinks and blues.
If you have a neutral undertone, it means your undertone is greyish, equal parts warm and cool. Approximately the same tone as your real skin color.
Olive skin tone is very specific, but not neutral as some people believe. It is a combination of a natural neutral, slightly yellow plus a greenish-ashy undertone unique to olive skin.
It's important to note that your undertone is not the same as your natural skin color. Even the fairest skin can have warm undertones, while darker skin can have cool undertones.
This is why foundation chosen to match your skin color can lie like a mask and be noticeable on your face. It doesn't blend with your natural undertone, which shows through just below the surface of your skin.
What if your color type is autumn?
Photo: stockfour / Shutterstock
These people have golden skin. Hair of the same tone - from golden blonde to copper, red, red. The eyes are distinct warm colors—sweet tea, hazel, amber.
Avoid
Pure light colors with a cold undertone - bright blue, lemon yellow, cold green and pink, lilac, purple.
Wear
Photo: Lamoda, Asos
Rich natural colors - emerald, chocolate, warm brown, tomato red, pumpkin orange, warm olive and gray, baked milk color, carmine (soft dark red), burgundy.
Buy
- Orange scarf with fringe from Befree, 599 rubles →
- Burgundy dress with a loose silhouette from AliExpress, 1,487 rubles →
- Olive blouse with long sleeves and ruffles from Asos Design, RUB 2,390 →
- Brown skirt with belt from Love Republic, 1,699 rubles →
What clothes suit you?
A combination of gray with a lilac tint, as well as khaki and cold burgundy, is ideal for these ladies. Women with dark skin color can highlight their tan with dresses in grape and anthracite tones; white, dark gray, blue, smoky, crimson, light brown and mint clothes will also look great on them.
“Summer” girls will look natural in steel, pistachio, light milky and burgundy shades. Also, a light olive skin tone can look harmonious in emerald and sea-colored outfits. Such clothes can also draw attention to their gray and green eyes, and also more delicately emphasize the beauty of “summer” ladies.
Phototypes: cheat sheet
| Skin type | Phototype | Ethnic scale |
| I | Prone to burns when tanning, does not acquire a bronze tint, and does not tan at all | Irish, Scots |
| II | Characterized by the occurrence of sunburn and the difficulty of obtaining a tan. Owners of this type of skin | central Europeans |
| III | It may succumb to the negative effects of the sun and become covered in blisters, but it is extremely rare. As a rule, the skin easily gets a golden tan, and after a while it becomes dark. | Italians, Portuguese |
| IV | Virtually no burns, quickly acquires an even, attractive tan | Natural olive or yellow skin tone (Hispanics, fair Hispanics) |
| V | It is distinguished by its natural dark complexion. Has a brown tint. Suitable for quick and easy tanning | Natural dark, brown skin (East Indian) |
| VI | Natural black leather | Naturally black leather |
Having correctly determined your phototype, you can more intelligently approach the choice of decorative cosmetics, as well as care products and protective products that protect the skin from burns. Also, having information about your phototype, you can avoid mistakes that arise when carrying out a number of procedures (laser rejuvenation, cosmetic procedures, etc.).
A professional cosmetologist at the Abrielle Aesthetic Surgery Clinic can choose the right skin care for your phototype. To schedule a consultation, call the clinic and 8(921)99-22-335.
Contraindications in outfits
It is also necessary for women with olive skin to know what shades they should avoid in their outfits, so as not to make the image look tired and dull. These girls are not advised to buy brick and pink-peach colored clothes as such colors give their complexion a brown and sallow appearance, making them look unhealthy.
Also, avoid purchasing outfits in blood-red tones, which can accentuate your olive skin tone. It is also better to avoid red colors in clothes, but they can be allowed in the image in the form of any accessories.
