Warm Spring vs Warm Autumn

The one difference between them

Both palettes use warm colors with golden, yellow or orange undertones. Neither one goes very light or very dark, since both sit in the medium range for depth.

Clarity is what splits them. A color can run from clean and vivid all the way to soft and muted, and that's where these two part ways. Warm Spring calls for colors that are bright and clear. Warm Autumn calls for colors that feel soft and grounded.

Think of Warm Spring as fresh and sunny, with a clear golden yellow base running through every shade. Warm Autumn is rich and earthy, like a forest lit by low autumn sun.

The daylight mirror test

Selfies and indoor lighting both distort how skin reads, so you'll see yourself more honestly in a mirror by a window. The question you're answering is this: which green gives your face more life, the bright apple one or the earthy olive one?

1. Face a window during the day and set a mirror in front of you.
2. Put a bright top under your chin, apple green or clear coral for example.
3. Change to an earthy one, olive green or rust.
4. Repeat the swap several times, and pay attention to your face rather than the clothes.

The color that suits you makes your skin look even and fresh. The wrong one tends to deepen the shadows under your eyes or give your face a gray cast.

Apple green and clear coral waking you up, while olive and rust flatten your skin, means Warm Spring. Olive green and rust looking rich, while bright apple green looks fake and loud, means Warm Autumn.

Signs you're Warm Spring

These are the hints that lean bright:

• Apple green, coral, poppy, bright marigold and bright turquoise all give you a lively look.
• A warm coral or peach lipstick lifts your whole face on its own, no heavy eye makeup required.
• Icy pastel pink or cool lavender drains the color from your lips.
• Rich camel and warm cream do more for your eyes than stark white ever will.
• Yellow gold jewelry sits naturally against your skin and adds warmth, while silver feels chilly and out of place.

If this is your side, pass on black, rose, lilac, teal, dark rose and bright cobalt.

Signs you're Warm Autumn

These are the hints that lean soft and earthy:

• Rust, mustard, olive, terracotta and teal all look rich on you.
• Shades pulled from the earth, like rust, mustard and olive, light up the warmth in your eyes.
• Pure white drains you, but cream makes your skin look smooth and warm.
• Cool pinks and icy blues leave your lips pale and your whole face tired.
• Yellow gold and copper jewelry melt into your skin, while silver reads as cold and detached.

On this side, steer clear of black, rose, mint, light amethyst, bright cobalt and dark magenta.

Side by side

What do both palettes have in common?

Each shade in both palettes carries a golden, yellow or orange undertone, and cool tones don't appear anywhere. That shared warmth is why camel works as a neutral for both, and why yellow gold or brass flatter either face.

Their avoid lists overlap too. Black near the face turns skin sallow and plays up undereye shadows for both palettes, and both skip lists also name rose and bright cobalt.

What if you still can't decide?

Begin with the shades both palettes agree on, like camel, warm cream and yellow gold, since these look good no matter which side you land on. Then compare apple green with olive, or clear coral with rust, in daylight and watch which makes your face look more even and awake.

A quiz or a home test is only a first step. When your mirror sessions keep pointing in both directions, an in-person draping session can confirm your season.