Color analysis: what it is, the 12 seasons and how to find yours
Personal color analysis tells you which colors light you up and which ones wash you out. Here it is explained without jargon, with a test you can do at home today.
Updated: October 2026 · By the It Girl Concept team
What is color analysis?
Personal color analysis looks at your skin, your eyes and your natural hair to find out which colors light you up and which ones wash you out. It measures your undertone (warm, cool or neutral), your value (light or dark), your chroma and your contrast, and uses them to place you in one of 12 seasons, each with its own palette.
Want to know yours, with the why behind every color? Check out our online color analysis.
Undertone, value, chroma and contrast
- Undertone: the base of your skin, which doesn't change with the sun. Warm (golden, peach), cool (pink, bluish) or neutral.
- Value: how light or dark your coloring is overall: skin, eyes and hair.
- Chroma: whether clear, vivid colors or soft, muted ones flatter you more.
- Contrast: the difference between your skin, your hair and your eyes. High contrast calls for bold colors; low contrast, for tone-on-tone combinations.
How do I know if I'm warm, cool or neutral?
Do three tests in daylight with no makeup:
- Next to your face, compare a pure white fabric and an ivory one.
- Compare a gold earring and a silver one.
- See which foundation shade “disappears” on your jawline.
If ivory and gold win, you're warm; if white and silver win, you're cool; if there's no clear winner, your undertone is neutral or somewhere in between. Want us to guide you? Take the free undertone quiz or confirm your season with your color analysis with simulations.
4, 12 or 16 seasons: what's the difference?
The 4-season system only tells you whether you're a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. The 12-season system splits each season into three based on its dominant trait (for example, Soft Autumn, Warm Autumn and Deep Autumn), because two people in the same season can need very different palettes. The 16-season system adds in-between nuances. At It Girl Concept we use 12 seasons and also tell you your lean toward the neighboring season.
The 12 seasons at a glance
| Season | Sub-season | Dominant trait | Colors that tend to flatter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Light | Warm and light | Peach, soft coral, aqua |
| Spring | Warm | Warm | Coral, warm yellow, apple green |
| Spring | Bright | Warm, clear and high-contrast | Bright coral, turquoise, yellow |
| Summer | Light | Cool and light | Dusty pink, lavender, sky blue |
| Summer | Cool | Cool | Soft raspberry, slate blue, rosy gray |
| Summer | Soft | Cool and soft | Mauve, dusty blue, sage |
| Autumn | Soft | Warm and soft | Camel, sage, earthy pink |
| Autumn | Warm | Warm | Terracotta, mustard, olive |
| Autumn | Deep | Warm and dark | Chocolate, teal, brick |
| Winter | Deep | Cool and dark | Black, emerald, plum |
| Winter | Cool | Cool | Royal blue, fuchsia, optic white |
| Winter | Bright | Cool, clear and high-contrast | True red, cobalt, emerald |
Can it be done from a photo?
Yes, with conditions: the light in a single selfie changes the result. That's why our method compares several photos taken in window light, with no filters and no makeup, plus a photo of your wrist. If the light isn't enough, we ask for another photo before we start.
Is a free quiz enough?
For a first clue, yes. With a single selfie the result shifts with the light, and a quiz doesn't tell you why or what to do with your closet, your hair color or your makeup. A full analysis cross-checks several photos, explains the why behind every color, shows you simulations on your photo, and goes through a quality check before delivery.
When a full analysis is worth it
- When you buy clothes or makeup and almost never get it right.
- Before a hair color change you don't want to risk.
- When the quiz says “neutral” or your season changes depending on the photo.
- Before a big date: wedding, quinceañera, graduation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a color analysis cost?
An in-person color analysis usually means booking a session of a couple of hours with a consultant. At It Girl Concept, the online Color Analysis costs $29 USD and includes your season out of 12, your palette with HEX codes and makeup with exact shade names.
Can women with brown skin be Winters or Summers?
Yes. All 12 seasons exist across every skin tone: there are brown-skinned Autumns, but also Winters and Summers. What matters is your undertone, your contrast and your chroma, not how light or dark you are.
Does my season change if I dye my hair?
No. Your season depends on your skin, your eyes and your natural color. What changes with dye is how well that color works with you: that's why an analysis asks for your natural color.