True Summer Color Palette
Cool, calm and refined
True Summer is the coolest Summer. Coolness defines it: blue-based colors with a soft, elegant finish — never loud, always cool.
- Undertone
- Cool
- Depth
- Light to medium
- Contrast
- Medium
What makes a True Summer
True Summers look best in blue-based colors with a soft, elegant feel. Think ocean blues, raspberry and rose — never too loud, always cool.
In color analysis terms, True Summer combines a cool undertone, light to medium value (depth) and medium contrast. These traits describe how colors interact — they appear across all skin tones and ethnicities, and no season is better than another.
True Summer color palette 🎨
Signature shades to wear near your face, with HEX codes for shopping and makeup matching.
Ocean Blue
#4A7FB5
Raspberry
#C2386B
Soft Teal
#4E9A9A
Cool Rose
#E58FB0
Periwinkle
#8C9EDB
Plum
#7D4E7D
Slate Grey
#6E7B8B
Soft White
#F5F6FA
Who is a True Summer?
Cool and refined — a calm, blue-based look with moderate contrast.
- 💇 Hair
- Ash brown or cool medium brown, often with a smoky cast
- 👁️ Eyes
- Grey-blue, cool blue or soft cool brown
- ✨ Skin
- Light to medium with rosy or neutral-pink undertones
Colors to approach with care
Not forbidden — just harder to wear near the face. Try them in shoes, bags or trousers instead.
- Orange
- Camel
- Olive
- Golden Yellow
Neutrals & metals
- Best metals
- Silver, platinum, white gold
- Go-to neutrals
- Slate grey, navy, cool taupe, soft white
💄 Best makeup & lipstick for True Summer
- Rose or berry lipstick
- Cool pink blush
- Grey, navy or plum eyeliner
👗 Style tips
- Navy and slate are your go-to neutrals
- Blue denim in mid-washes looks great on you
- Pair soft cool colors together for a polished look
💇 Best hair colors for True Summer
Ash blonde, cool light-to-medium brown and soft rose-brown. Skip brassy copper and gold tones.
🕶️ Jewelry & sunglasses
Silver, rose gold and pearls; frames in grey, soft rose or translucent tones with grey lenses.
True Summer vs neighboring seasons
True Summer vs Soft Summer
Soft Summer is more muted and closer to neutral; True Summer is cooler and can take slightly clearer colors.
See the Soft Summer paletteTrue Summer vs Light Summer
Light Summer is lighter; True Summer handles mid-tones like ocean blue, raspberry and plum.
See the Light Summer paletteCommon misconceptions & limitations
- Cool doesn't mean icy — True Summer's blues and pinks have softness that pure Winter colors lack.
- True Summers aren't limited to pastels; medium-depth colors like raspberry and slate are core to the palette.
- Seasons are a guide, not a rule. Lighting, hair dye, a tan or makeup can shift how colors look on you, and an in-person draping session remains the most accurate way to confirm your season.
True Summer FAQ
True Summers shine in ocean blue, raspberry, soft teal, cool rose and periwinkle. Their best neutrals are slate grey, navy, cool taupe, soft white.
orange, camel, olive and golden yellow can overpower or dull True Summer coloring when worn near the face. Wear them lower on the body or as small accents instead.
Rose or berry lipstick.
Ash blonde, cool light-to-medium brown and soft rose-brown. Skip brassy copper and gold tones.
True Summers often have ash brown or cool medium brown, often with a smoky cast hair, grey-blue, cool blue or soft cool brown eyes and light to medium with rosy or neutral-pink undertones skin — but every season includes people of all skin depths. The quickest way to check is the free color analysis quiz.
Other Summer seasons
Or read the Summer season overview.
SummerLight Summer
Airy, cool and gentle
Characteristics:
- Neutral-cool undertone
- Light depth, low contrast
Best colors:
- Powder Blue
- Lavender
- Rose Pink
SummerSoft Summer
Muted, dreamy and sophisticated
Characteristics:
- Neutral-cool undertone
- Medium depth, low contrast
Best colors:
- Dusty Rose
- Sage
- Smoky Blue
Not sure you're a True Summer?
Take the free color analysis quiz to see which season matches your coloring.
Take the free quiz