Bright Spring vs Bright Winter

A daylight test you can do at home

Stand by a window in natural daylight, hair pulled away from your face, with no makeup on. A phone camera or indoor lighting changes how your skin reads, so trust your mirror and the window more than any photo.

Hold a bright coral top just below your chin, then switch to a bright fuchsia one. Each time, look at your jawline and cheeks.

Look for skin that appears even and clear. A less flattering color may bring out a gray cast or deeper shadows; coral may make a Bright Winter's skin look orange, while fuchsia may look too icy on a Bright Spring.

A couple more quick tests are useful. Compare gold jewelry with silver, then hold black up to your face next to dark brown or navy.

How to tell Bright Spring

Bright Spring shows up when warm coral and shiny gold bring color to your cheeks while fuchsia feels too icy against your skin. These signs tend to travel together:

• A shirt in bright coral or poppy red makes your eyes stand out instantly.
• A lot of black near your face creates dark shadows under your eyes, but navy looks crisp.
• Shiny yellow gold suits your skin, while dull silver falls flat.
• Muted beige and dusty rose leave your face looking gray and tired.
• Saturated shades at full strength, like bright lime or bright royal blue, clear up your skin without overwhelming it.

Your best colors are Bright Coral, Poppy, Turquoise, Bright Lime and Bright Royal Blue. Colors to skip: Teal, Soft Turquoise, Lilac, Dark Rose, Camel and Mahogany.

How to tell Bright Winter

You're likely a Bright Winter when polished silver and cool fuchsia make your eyes stand out, while coral turns your skin orange. You'll probably notice a few more things:

• Pure black and pure white sit crisp on you rather than washing your color out.
• A shirt in bright magenta or cobalt wakes your eyes up on the spot.
• Polished silver and white gold sit nicely against your skin, while yellow gold reads brassy.
• Muted earthy shades like olive or mustard leave your skin looking gray and tired.
• Soft pastel lipsticks leave your face pale and unfinished.

Your best colors are Bright Magenta, Bright Cobalt, Icy Aqua, Bright Emerald and Bright True Red. Colors to skip: Mahogany, Soft Coral, Denim, Dusty Apple Green, Soft Rose and Teal.

Other names for these seasons

You may also see these seasons called Clear Spring and Clear Winter. Both sit near the middle between warm and cool, with Spring leaning a little warm and Winter a little cool, which is why they're easy to mix up.

They have plenty in common. Both look great in saturated, high-contrast colors, and both look worn out in dusty, muted shades.

Still torn between the two?

If the coral and fuchsia test didn't settle it, look at the result that felt clearest, whether that was the metals or black next to navy, and let it break the tie.

If you're still unsure, compare shiny yellow gold with polished silver in daylight and notice which looks more natural against your skin.

Our home page quiz is a good place to start. A daylight mirror check or an in-person draping, where an expert places colors next to your face, can confirm the result.