The Summer palette
Summer colouring is cool and gently blended. Contrast between hair, skin and eyes is low, so the colors that work are softened — a blue with grey in it rather than a blue straight from the tube.
Signs you might be a Summer
- Pink, rosy or neutral-cool undertone in the skin
- Ash-toned hair — mousy blonde, ash brown, soft cool brown
- Soft grey-blue, grey-green or cool hazel eyes
- Low contrast overall: hair, skin and eyes are close in depth
What to wear
Soft rose, dusty blue, sage, lavender, cool raspberry, powder mint. Neutrals are soft navy, cool taupe and dove grey.
What tends not to work
Orange, tomato red and anything neon — saturated warm colors overwhelm a low-contrast, cool face.
Metals
Silver, white gold and brushed finishes.
Commonly confused with
Summer and Winter are both cool, so they get swapped. Winter carries strong contrast and clarity; Summer carries softness.
The Summer palette in Color Curator
A glimpse of it. The working palette — 72 colors plus 24 neutrals, sortable by family, lightness or hue, and checkable against real-world colors with Smart Match — lives in the app.
65 more Summer colors and 24 neutrals are in Color Curator.
Summer questions
How do I know if I am a Summer?
Pink, rosy or neutral-cool undertone in the skin. Ash-toned hair — mousy blonde, ash brown, soft cool brown. Soft grey-blue, grey-green or cool hazel eyes. Low contrast overall: hair, skin and eyes are close in depth. If several of those describe you, Summer is likely — and Color Curator can confirm it from a photo in a couple of minutes.
What colors suit a Summer?
Soft rose, dusty blue, sage, lavender, cool raspberry, powder mint. Neutrals are soft navy, cool taupe and dove grey.
What should a Summer avoid?
Orange, tomato red and anything neon — saturated warm colors overwhelm a low-contrast, cool face.
Gold or silver for a Summer?
Silver, white gold and brushed finishes.