Light Summer
Light Summer, the lightest of the Summer types, calls for airy, cool, soft colors suited to fair, low-contrast coloring, which heavy or dark shades overwhelm.
- Temperature
- Neutral, leaning cool
- Depth
- Light
- Clarity
- Soft
- Best metal
- Silver, white gold
- Best neutral
- Dove Grey
Not sure this is you? Take the three-question season quiz or check your undertone.
Light Summer signature colors
- Light Rose Pink
- Powder Blue
- Soft Mint
- Light Lavender
- Pale Watermelon
Best neutrals
- Soft White
- Pale Stone
- Dusty Powder Blue
- Pale Mushroom
- Dove Grey
Accents
- Soft Rose
- Rose
- Dusty Turquoise
- Turquoise
- Deep Turquoise
All 60 Light Summer colors with HEX codes, plus free swatch files
Of all the Summer seasons, Light Summer sits at the lightest end: colors that are cool, soft and airy, built for fair skin with little contrast, which strong, dark shades easily overpower.
There are four color families in total, and Summer is one of them. Every family breaks into three seasons, each named for its defining trait. For you, that trait is lightness, with coolness close behind. Pale, soft shades are what make you look your freshest, while dark and heavy colors tend to steal attention from your face.
Light Summer color analysis: how to tell
- Black worn near your face leaves your skin washed out and makes dark circles stand out
- Heavy warm shades such as mustard or rust give your skin a yellow cast
- Baby blues and soft cool pinks will brighten your face in an instant
- Silver jewelry settles in smoothly against your skin, but yellow gold reads brassy
- Dark lipstick takes charge of your whole face, so all people see is your mouth
Light Summer characteristics: skin, hair and eyes
Light summer skin tone
Your undertone, that faint color just under your skin, runs cool, either a pink or a neutral-cool. Contrast is low for you too, meaning your skin, hair and eyes sit close together in lightness, with no hard dark lines anywhere.
Skin tones that often belong to this season:
- Fair alabaster with a pinkish cool tint
- Light beige skin, neutral and cool underneath
- Soft ivory with a whisper of rose in the cheeks
- Light tan, or a cool olive that silver really flatters
Wearing black near your face can drain your skin and bring out dark circles. Warm, heavy colors such as rust or mustard can turn your skin yellow.
Eye color and hair
Your eyes tend toward the light, cool end of things, and the iris has a misty, soft look instead of sharp dark spokes. Common shades are clear sky blue, soft seafoam green, grey blue, light cool hazel, and light grey with a soft rim.
Hair for this season is typically light with a cool, ashy cast. That might show up as ash blonde in a light shade, brown hair from light to medium ash, sandy blonde with cool highlights, or a cool strawberry blonde that fades to an ashy shade.
- grey blue or a clear sky blue
- a soft shade of seafoam green
- light grey framed by a soft rim
- light hazel that leans cool
Light summer colors
Airy, cool pastels flatter you without ever shouting. Five signature shades define this season: a delicate rose pink, a powdery blue, soft mint, a gentle lavender and a pale watermelon tone. A baby blue or a soft cool pink will brighten your complexion instantly.
Stark white and harsh black are usually too much for you. Better options are Soft White, Pale Mushroom, Dusty Powder Blue and Dove Grey, since they let your face stay the focus. For day-to-day wear, Dove Grey is the neutral that works hardest for you.
For a little more color, reach for your signature shades in a slightly stronger version, but keep them light and soft rather than deep.
White gold and silver sit quietly against your skin. Yellow gold often reads brassy.
Deep True Red, Dark Emerald, Moss, Dark Magenta, Bright Terracotta and Dark Cognac are all worth skipping.
Warm, earthy colors such as moss, cognac and terracotta can pull yellow into your skin. Jewel tones in dark versions feel heavy on you. And a deep red lipstick dominates your look, so all anyone notices is your mouth.
The complete palette contains 60 named colors with HEX codes, the short codes phones and design apps use to display an exact shade. Free swatch files for it are available to download.
Telling Light Summer from nearby seasons
Draping just means holding a color under your chin in daylight and watching what it does for your face. Two seasons get mixed up with this one the most.
Light Spring. Both seasons want light, airy colors and both get dragged down by heavy black or dark brown. Hold warm peach up against cool powder blue. Peach and light gold lifting your skin, with powder blue leaving you pale and chilly, points to Light Spring. But if powder blue and silver soothe any redness in your face while peach turns your skin yellow, Light Summer is your season.
Cool Summer. Both share cool undertones that pair well with silver jewelry and soft rose or blue shades. Hold pale baby pink up against deeper raspberry. If baby pink and sky blue light up your face while raspberry feels too heavy, you're Light Summer. If raspberry and ocean blue give your face a healthy glow while pale pink drains it, Cool Summer is the better fit.
Light Summer worst colors to skip
- Moss#647C36
- Dark Magenta#690053
- Bright Terracotta#D35725
- Dark Cognac#4A2100
- Deep True Red#990015
- Dark Emerald#004729
Light Summer for men
- Suits, coats and trousers
- Soft White
- Pale Stone
- Dusty Powder Blue
- Pale Mushroom
- Shirts and knitwear
- Light Rose Pink
- Powder Blue
- Soft Mint
- Light Lavender
- Ties, socks and pocket squares
- Soft Rose
- Rose
- Dusty Turquoise
- Turquoise
Often confused with Light Summer
Common questions
Can a quiz alone tell me my season?
A quiz gives you a place to start. A mirror check in daylight, or an in-person draping session, can confirm the result.
Why doesn't the site use a selfie?
Indoor bulbs and phone cameras both shift how skin color appears, so photos can lead you astray. So instead, the quiz poses three questions: silver or gold, whether your features are light, medium or deep, and whether bright or soft colors work best against your skin. Nothing you answer ever leaves your browser.
What other tests are out there?
You can try free tests covering undertone, skin tone, which colors suit you, hair color, and silver versus gold.