Makeup Model : Clear Spring

96 Responses to “Makeup Model : Clear Spring”

1. Taji on June 29th, 2009 3:03 pm

   Christine—when do we get to see your photos? As another reddish-light brown haired person—i’m anxious to see your transformation. Then maybe I’ll be able to see some of the changes you talk about. The descriptions are good but i need to see how your color palette shifted.
2. Christine Scaman on June 29th, 2009 6:09 pm

   Taji,

   It is going to happen, I promise it is. June is almost over. My heartbeat should dip back below 100 sometime this week. The photography takes a lot of time that I (or my 3 photographers, all under the age of 16) haven’t had. It can’t be too sunny or you can’t see any colours well. If it’s windy, it doesn’t work. Blah-di-blah. I’ll put up a picture of how the makeup palette has changed.
   I will soon be gone for 3 weeks to Prince Edward Island where my family is. Sometime this summer, there will be pictures!!
   Best,
   C.
3. Bianca on September 13th, 2009 11:18 pm

   Christine, this description of Clear Spring has been so helpful! I have been so frustrated for so long trying to find the right ‘fit.’ Many other sites state that Clear Springs can’t have dark hair! I have porcelain skin, dark brown hair and grey-green eyes with a golden ring around the iris. My eyes are striking, but not especially ‘jewel-like.’ I look good in black and white (especially winter white), but can also pull of the right shade of orange! I certainly didn’t fit into one of the four original seasons… I think I flow from Clear Spring to Clear Winter.
4. Christine Scaman on September 14th, 2009 5:28 pm

   Hi, Bianca,
   You certainly sound like you could be Clear Spring, especially with a golden ring in the iris. Remember that any season can have any hair and eye colour. If I’ve learned one thing as I drape people, this would be it. It is all over the map. Clear Spring and Clear Winter have a great deal in common. And in both cases, the colour palette is so astounding and so uncommon that hopefully you’re playing up the full spectrum of possibility!
5. Bianca on September 26th, 2009 2:59 pm

   Christine,

   I think Revlon’s Softshell Pink (#410) would be great for Clear Spring. It’s clear and bright and beautifully balanced between pink and coral.
6. Christine Scaman on September 26th, 2009 7:04 pm

   Bianca,

   Your description does indeed sound right. You know, I’ve not yet analyzed a Clear (Bright) Spring or Winter so I don’t have an image of this colouring in my head. I’ve learned that the pictures used in the books are either strange and not representative at all, or just depict an average but not nearly all the variations. I’m slowly collecting a catalog.
   It’s been great for me to see how many women are interested in colour, but also understand it very well.
   Thanks for taking the time to comment.
7. Jennifer on October 21st, 2009 9:11 pm

   Hello! Thanks for the great info, it is so helpful to have brand and color names of makeup because my color perception is easily thrown off while shopping or make-up. I am surprised, though, so see dusty blue and grey eyeshadows, because thought those were not flattering spring clothing colors.

   I’m very curious about the Sci/ART color analysis system. Unfortunately I live in MN, nowhere near an analyst! 25 years ago I was told by a CMB consultant that I am a spring. A week ago I was told by another one that I am a winter. Confused, I did some research online and found out about the expanded 12 seasons, and this helps, but I am still unsure about where I fit!

   There is no doubt in my mind that I need to wear clear bright colors as there is a startling difference in the way I look in clear vs muted colors, but I seem to be neutral in warmth. My skin is medium to pale, my hair is medium to light mousy brown which gets the most compliments when it I color it a dark brown neutral base with high-contrast light blond streaks in it. I think there is no flat haircolor that looks good on me, I need the contrast to make me sparkle. My eyes are dark, dark brown. It seems like the warmest, brightest winter colors work well for me, as do the coolest, brightest spring colors. But if I go to extremes in the warm or the cool range, even if they are bright, it looks wrong.

   Is there a Sci/ART category that fits this? Is it possible that contrast is just more important to my look than warm/cool? Where can I get more information about this since I don’t have access to an analyst?
8. Christine Scaman on October 22nd, 2009 5:36 pm

   Hello, Jennifer,

   You do sound like either a Bright Spring or Winter. Without drapes, it’s anyone’s guess. The distinctions can be very subtle and require precisely coloured drapes to interpret the effect properly. If ever you travel, look ahead for a nearby analyst. Maybe Florida in Winter? Too far?

   Contrast is vital to any season with a Winter component, and as you know, there are 3 of them.
   But, you probably know too, that it’s not about what you look like. Your season is determined by the reaction of your skin to colour. It is an active process. It happens before your eyes. Someone who knows what to look for has to watch the change happen. It is the coolest, most amazing thing.

   Lora at http://www.prettyyourworld.com uses the Color Me Beautiful system but she has some great explanations and examples. Have a look.
9. Kathy on October 31st, 2009 6:30 pm

   This is a huge help. Having brown hair and eyes, I never thought I could be anything but a deep winter or a deep autumn, but neither of those feels right. My pale, peachy-pink skin lacks the richness I see in the examples of those two seasons, so a lot of the deeper or muted shades wash me out. (And while I’m definitely contrasty, I don’t have the porcelain skin, blue eyes and dark hair of a typical clear winter, though vibrant cool colors work on me as well as some warmer shades.) I could possibly be a clear spring, or at least a winter bordering on spring, but it’s hard to imagine my brunette (well, currently auburn) self as something other than a winter or autumn.
10. Christine Scaman on November 1st, 2009 4:35 pm

    Kathy,
    Forget the hair and eye colour. Forget it. Really. Colour analysis is all and only about what colour causes to happen in your skin. I see True Summers with very dark ash brown hair. Tons of redheads are not Autumn. Hair and eye colour have no rules. There might be averages, but what good does that do you if you fall outside?
    If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t…or at least, not 100% right. Most women can find a general category of colour they feel good in. To nail the shade you need exactly, colour after colour, needs a formal analysis. NOBODY can do it any other way. Nobody can know the precise degrees of light/dark, warm/cool, bright/soft that flatter them.
11. Kathy on November 5th, 2009 8:45 pm

    Thanks. I can’t afford to be professionally draped, so I’ve been using my best instincts and sort of doing it myself with scarves and tee shirts. Color Me Confident helped with getting the palettes straight, and I pretty much figured out their system. (Clear and cool = clear winter, clear and warm = clear spring, deep and warm = deep autumn, etc.) I know I look good in bright pinks and corals, most reds, lime green and aqua. Darker greens and turquoise throw weird shadows on my face (and probably why I own few things in those colors), and anything muted or muddy is a definite no. Looking at pictures of myself as child helped. I definitely have some warmth in my hair and skin, so that probably leaves out most cool seasons. I’m finding it easier to eliminate what doesn’t work and see what’s left.

    Oh, on another post you asked for a red blush? (For a cool or clear winter maybe?) MAC has one called Frankly Scarlet. I think it’s only sold in their freestanding stores or online but it’s definitely red.
12. Jo on November 6th, 2009 7:27 pm

    Hi,

    I posted a while back wondering if a Deep Autumn could have blue eyes, and you reassured me that any season could have any colour hair and eyes.

    Anyway, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went to a cmb analyst and was found to be a Warm (dominant) Clear (sub-dominant). I think this makes me what you are calling a Cear Spring…?

    Well, after years of drifting around in a Warm vagueness, the clarity of the palette was a bit daunting. Warm pink was frankly scary, and I had never thought those yellows and corals would work.

    2 months later, the learning curve is still rising.

    The nice thing is that when I dress in the Warm Clear palette I get compliments. Grin. That keeps me exploring the colours.

    For your info, I have very fair yellow toned skin (Estee Lauder Bone), light-medium brown hair with a bit of natural red in it (I add henna for more impact), and blue eyes with yellow flecks. My eyebrows are medium brown but look darker against my fair skin, and my eyelashes are light brown.

    What is particularly exciting is that I get to play in two palettes.

    If I play up the very pale skin and contrast it with clear colours, I can go bright coral even into coral-pink – the Clear Spring shades. I can even flirt with black, so long as I wear clear warm jewellery. However, if I deepen down by just a shade or two, use bronzer, mellow the lipstick, I get to go into the gentler Autumnal shades of moss green, tawny, warmer softer harvest colours.

    I love it.
13. Christine Scaman on November 9th, 2009 6:35 pm

    Wow, Jo, you have gained a great understanding of how to use colour. It’s very empowering, I agree. It is true that any season can have any eye colour, I would agree that blue eyes are not common among Deep Autumns.
    CMB has a whole different way of analyzing people. Clear Spring and Soft Autumn are very different palettes, as you say. In the Sci\ART system that I use, the two seasons are opposite one another. In that system you just stay within your season.
    CMB has the Dominant and Secondary system, but I’m not familiar with how they advise people to use it. Also, if I remember correctly, CMB has a crossover season between Autumn and Spring called Warm Spring.
    It sure changes the shopping/wardrobe/makeup landscape when you know how to charge your look with colour, doesn’t it? And it is very fun because you always succeed.
14. Jo on November 10th, 2009 4:37 pm

    Well, you are certainly right – the insights into colour just keep coming…

    I set out on Saturday determined to get the perfect Clear Spring lipstick – I took my palette with me. It took about an hour, 20+ dabs on the back of my hand, several trips out into daylight, and I found it. a perfect match for a warm clear red with hint of orange on my palette.

    Flushed with enthusiasm, I wore it on Sunday to a friend’s house. This friend is someone who has heard me burble about colour for months, and who intends to be analysed herself in a few weeks.

    I enthused about the lipstick, and she looked at me and said ‘I’m sorry, but it is wrong on you.’ I could tell she hated bursting my bubble. Suddenly worried, I had a good hard look in the mirror, full face and torso, in daylight, and SHE IS RIGHT – the colour is too bright, too harsh, too… blue (even though it has a hint of orange, it is STILL too blue).

    Of course, this sent me into a spin. Those clear bright reds are a cornerstone of the Clear Spring palette. So what does that make me? The only Clear Spring who can’t wear red? Or a mis-diagnosed Clear Spring?

    I have just spent a few hours scouring the internet for photo examples of Clear Springs and all three Autumns, and have downloaded the ebook palettes from Pretty Your World.

    None of the examples of Clear Spring or Soft Autumn look ANYTHING like me. Warm Autumn is closer, and Deep Autumn is closer. The person with the nearest colouring to mine who is cited as a Deep Autumn is actually Latherine Hepburn (very pale skin, deepish red-brown hair and blue eyes). Unfortunately, I don’t have her bone structure.

    And… this morning I plucked up my courage and put on the colours of a Deep Autumn, my deepest brownish bronze lipstick, ivory and bronze eyeshadow, my deepest tawny blusher (subtly applied), and my usual pale pale pale yellow toned foundation.

    I got 3 compliments before 10am, and someone asked me ‘what is that lovely lipstick?’

    I think I have to go back to my analyst and ask her if she may have possibly confused Clear Spring (can wear cooler toned warms, can wear black and bright clear colours) with Deep Autumn that seems to haunt me (can wear cooler toned dark warms, can wear black and clearer, deeper colours).

    I think the decider, may well be if I go and try a deep rich tomato/terracotta lipstick.

    I must say, your sites are really helping with this process!

    Thank you.
15. Kathy on November 10th, 2009 7:01 pm

    Jo –

    I love clear, bright lip colors, but find them a bit garish sometimes. (Especially during the day.) Plus a lot of traditional lipsticks area bit pasty, so usually go with glosses or stains that are bright, but still let a bit of my natural lip color bleed through.

    And I’m with you on still being color confused. I don’t look like a lot of the examples I’ve seen either. The closest I’ve found to my actual coloring is Donna Fujiis model for “high-contrast spring.” (It’s on her site.) I’m guessing that’s similar to clear spring, but her system is different.
16. Christine Scaman on November 11th, 2009 7:08 pm

    Kathy and Jo,

    I haven’t much I can contribute. Sci\ART and CMB diverge right about at the point that you both have reached in your musings.
    From the Deep Winter comment, Kathy, I could be considered the Sci\ART equivalent of Deep Winter (so, Dark Winter) and ghastly would be the word if I dyed my hair black. The same goes for many Dark Winters I know. The red-violet lips could work, but would be a stretch.
    Donna Fujii’s name is new to me. Thank you for the intro. My evening reading is now decided.
17. Jo on November 12th, 2009 3:20 pm

    Hi Kathy and Christine,

    Thanks for the Donna Fujii site info. Very interesting. According to her system, I would be either a High Contrast Summer or a High Contrast Autumn – but I know that the summer colours would be a disaster. I found the HC Spring after playing for a while, and… maybe… I could fit the description, but I know the colours wouldn’t work. I need deeper than that – as I am learning.

    My little social experiment continues:

    Clear Spring red lipstick is WRONG according to my friend, and I wholly agree.
    Soft Autumn beige/caramel lipstick is a very soft natural look, but it fades me into blandness. So says the same friend who thinks that beige is not good on me.
    Warm Autumn copper lipstick gets me no compliments, but nobody recoils in horror, either (wore it yesterday).
    Deep Autumn bronze/brown lipstick got me 4 compliments.

    Hmm. anyone spot a pattern?

    Care to try an experiment of your own, Kathy?
18. Kathy on November 12th, 2009 8:47 pm

    The online quiz pegged me as a high contrast summer, too. Changing the hair from medium brown to blonde with some brown made me a high contrast spring. (I left everything else the same.)

    Maybe it just my monitor, but both models had fairly dark hair to me. It would be a stretch to call myself a blonde though my hair as a child was lighter than it is now.

    Jo – my makeup look is an ongoing experiment. I bought a couple (cheap) coral/peachy lipsticks. warmer than anything I own (I usually wear a sheer red or just balm — my lips are highly pigmented to begin with). Neither was terrible, but no “wow” factor.
19. Jo on November 13th, 2009 2:37 pm

    Kathy,

    Snap! My hair was much lighter as a child too – in fact I was surprised to see it was strawberry blonde in a photo taken when I was about 8.

    Come to think of it, my colour analyst asked me what colour my hair was as a child, I told her, and from that point on she may have had me pegged as a Spring.

    I read somewhere that the best vision we have of our ‘True’ season is our colouring when we are about 4 years old. Before sun damage, hair dye and hormones take their toll. But that is a rather limiting comment, I think. I mean, if I colour my hair and sport a tan, then I may be the epitome of a season that isn’t my ‘true’ 4 year old self – but the colours of my ‘true’ self would still look wrong.
20. Kristina Sundstrom on November 14th, 2009 3:02 pm

    Kathy and Jo,
    It’s so interesting to read your comments! I’ve been classified as Deep Winter, Deep Autumn, Warm Autumn and when doing the Donna Fuji quiz I turned out to be a High Contrast Summer too! Christine has been a great help – thank you, Christine! – as I’m trying to work out my season.
    I don’t feel totally comfortable in Winter’s palettes, too cool colors make me look very tired. I don’t look healthy in Autumn’s colors, they mostly make me look jaundiced.
    Light blue and aqua were my favorite colors as a child. I look good in black, too. My favorite lipsticks, the ones I always turn to because a) they’re “safe” and b) they always make me look happy, are: Clinique’s Long Last Soft Shine in Beauty, and as of late Dr. Hauschka’s No. 1 Amoroso, a red-coral that just makes me want to smile.
    Reading your description, Christine, of the Clear Spring as “Sometimes, the hair is so dark with very brown eyes that the person is mistakenly classifyied with the high contrast of Winters” just rings a huge alarm bell for me. I have really dark hair, as you know, and you’ve seen my eyes. I ALWAYS get compliments when I wear my favorite sweater, which is a light, bright and warm pink. The same goes for my husband’s clear medium blue shirt (yes, I do borrow it sometimes). I’m going to wear some Clear Spring colors for a few days, see what it does to my appearance.
    Color is so much fun…
21. Jo on November 15th, 2009 2:26 pm

    Hi Everyone.

    How are your colour experiments going?

    I have spent the last 2 days in deep coloured lipsticks. One day in a coolish brown (the depth of colour seemed OK, the coolness was NOT).
    Yesterday I wore ‘Shiny Conker’ an old Boots No 7 colour that I have had kicking around for years. Do you have conkers on your side of the Atlantic? Chestnut tree seeds – shiny, glossy rich warm brown. That got a very good reception.
    Then this afternoon I splurged on another red-lipstick-hunt. One of the sales assistants even gave me a tissue and some cleanser to clear the back of my hand. Ended up going for Clarins’ Terra Red, which sounds a lot more scary than it is. A deep earthy red which can be controlled by layering. I like it. It suits me. I think the jury just came out on the side of Deep Autumn, but nearer Warm than Cool.

    My cmb colour analyst has agreed for me to go back for an hour for some additional draping, and I will take my various lipsticks, to show her my thinking. Can’t get an appointment for a couple of weeks, so I will have to contain my enthusiasm and stop buying lipsticks in the meantime!!!
22. Christine Scaman on November 16th, 2009 5:49 pm

    Jo – I feel your pain about the lipstick buying! You do sound Dark Autumn-ish to me. Let us know what your analyst says, we’d love to hear.
23. JM on November 16th, 2009 11:54 pm

    Thanks also from me Christine. It’s great to learn more about Clear Springs! Like Bianca I’m also one of those dark-haired clear springs. Have figured it out mostly on my own and by reading (I’m a clear/warm in Color Me Confident).

    Have very dark brown hair with a few copper highlights and blue eyes with a very faint gold ring. I’m Irish and very pale so the contrast between my skin and hair is high. People always told me I was a winter, but winter colours made me look terrible. They were too harsh. Unfortunately I wore them for a long time.

    I also can’t wear clear red lipstick. But I look really great in a pink lip gloss from clinique called Sugar Plump. It’s a great shade that looks a lot like the pink that’s in the clear spring palette.

    Sometimes I can borrow just a few colours from the autumns and one of my best colours is a lime green/yellow green. Every time I wear it, people comment on how much they like it.

    Hope this helps other dark-haired clear springs! We’re out here.
24. JM on November 16th, 2009 11:56 pm

    By the way – I was very blonde as a child until age 5.
25. Christine Scaman on November 17th, 2009 6:47 pm

    JM,

    I have to say you do sound like a Bright Spring. I wasn’t sure till your comments about the greens. Without draping, it seems that all the evidence points to it. I’m glad to hear you’re out there. The only Seasons I have yet to analyze are Bright Winter, Bright Spring, and True Spring. Zooey Deschanel looks like Bright Winter, or what I would expect it to be. Bright Spring will be new to me but I’m certainly looking forward to it.
26. Kathy on November 18th, 2009 12:35 pm

    JM –

    Yellow-green/lime-green is a good color on me too, unfortunately, I don’t see it in stores too often. I also think orange or orange-red looks good on me, but I don’t wear it that often for fear of looking like an inmate or a crossing guard.

    I would love to see more examples of brunette springs (like the one on the 12 Blueprints site). I haven’t given up that I’m something else (most likely one of the autumns), but I wear a lot of colors in the spring palette already, and usually get complimented on them.

    Oh, and thanks for mentioning Fleur Power. I’ve worn that shade off and on for years now. It’s scary pigmented, though, and requires a light hand.
27. luana on November 19th, 2009 4:27 am

    Kathy,
    I’ve read somewhere, but I don’t remember which colour analysis web site, that Daniel Redcliffe is a Clear Spring. I hope it can help.
28. JM on November 19th, 2009 1:59 pm

    Thanks Christine – I’d love to actually get draped sometime, just to confirm it. Right now I’m a student and can’t afford it…but someday!
29. Christine Scaman on November 20th, 2009 6:56 pm

    Kathy,
    I hope to find many more Springs. I don’t analyze as often as the other Seasons. I’ll post when I do.:)
30. Nae on November 22nd, 2009 8:26 pm

    Hi, I need help to find if I’m a clear spring o warm spring, my hair is medium golden brown and i have light brown eyes with gold and green fleckes, my skyn is light peach – light cream but in summer I get tan… not so much and always burns before tan.
    Can you tell me what season I am and what would be the best colors for me? Thank you!!!!!
31. Christine Scaman on November 23rd, 2009 7:04 am

    Hi, Nae,

    Since I need to physically drape people to know their Season with certainty, I couldn’t help from a photograph, let alone a verbal description. Human colouring and reaction to colour, which is what it’s REALLY all about, is too complex.
    Have you visited Lora at http://www.prettyyourworld.com? She’s is very good at knowing your colours and guiding you from the information you have – though I’m pretty sure she prefers photos, at least.
32. JAnet on November 23rd, 2009 7:51 pm

    Argh – I’ve been re-reading the site, and although it’s really excellent Christine, now I’m not so positive about Bright Spring (I’m not as contrasty as Zooey Deschanel. Maybe I’ve been looking at this all too long.

    Christine, It’s too bad you have to be draped in person, but I see why. I live in Vancouver at the moment, and from what I understand, there’s no one here that does Sci-art.
33. Kathy on November 24th, 2009 7:14 pm

    I know eye color isn’t as important as what your correct colors do to your skin, but I’m still curious: what is a “clear” eye? And are they always blue or green?

    My eyes sort of look like the reddish-brown one in clear section on this site:

    http://ireneeonline.com/eye_color_test.htm

    Maybe a bit darker, but not as dark as the black-brown one and not as muddy as the dark one.
34. Christine Scaman on November 24th, 2009 7:20 pm

    The only other Sci\ART analyst in Canada is Shirley Borrelli in Edmonton. Have you looked at the Sci\ART site for someone in Seattle?

    My sister lives near Vancouver. One of my dearest friends lives in Vancouver. As I practice taking this show on the road, Vancouver seems a good place to begin. I’m thinking about it for 2010. I keep a list of people who want a PCA. I’ve added your name (don’t go changing your email address). Anything can happen.
35. VE on November 24th, 2009 8:18 pm

    Christine,
    I enjoy all of the color info on your site. Here are some colors that seem to work for me and few questions.

    lips recommended: Korres mango butter lipstick (sheer to medium coverage) in #52 Orange Red, #45 Coral (haven’t tried this one); Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Mandarin; L’Oreal Colour Riche in Sea Fleur; MAC Dazzleglass in Utterly Posh

    lips ???: Korres mango butter lipstick in #18 Peach (reads more pink than peach), #14 Pink is a cool mid-tone w/o being extremely blue (possibly better for winters/summers?); Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Summer Melon #07 (found this to be more warm pink than coral and slightly too/not enough something)

    blush recommended: Aromaleigh Cherry Bomb is a slightly warm red; Meow Centerfold and Twisted

    eyes recommended: NARS Single Eye Shadow in Thunderball (used mainly as a liner)
    eyeliner recommend: Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Gris Noir, Black Ebony

    Do you think Amanda Peet is a Clear Spring? She looks definitely clear, and also warm. It’s hard to tell with most celebs after they’ve “gone Hollywood” – hair color change and made up. Elizabeth Taylor always seems to be considered as a Clear Winter, but is it possible that she could be a Clear Spring? In so many pictures, she wears an orange red lipstick and her hair looks very dark, but golden brown. Earlier in her career, she seemed to prefer golden yellows, tomato reds, and warmer greens even though she is associated with jewel tones, which seemed to need more make-up, or looked more contrived on her. Also, do you have an idea of which season Diana Rigg may be? Thanks.
36. Kathy on November 24th, 2009 9:53 pm

    Oops. Sorry. I just realized you answered my question on the Clear Winter post.
37. Christine Scaman on November 25th, 2009 7:35 pm

    Clear just means transparent. Could be any colour. An Autumn eye is often hazy, opaque, not see-through. There is too much variation among eyes to go by that picture, or any picture. It’s not the colour, it’s the transparency quality.
38. Christine Scaman on November 25th, 2009 7:42 pm

    Hi, VE,

    Amanda Peet could be I say that not from her skin, because the only way to understand skin is to run the drapes across it and watch what happens, and that is 100% unpredictable. I say it because of one of her images that showed her eye. There is a yellow sunburst in the iris that suggests some Spring. A Bright Winter might be Amanda Peet at the next level of darkness, so Demi Moore or Jennifer Connelly. They’re not Snow White like Anne Hathaway and they don’t seem brownish like Keira Knightley.
    Diana Rigg is also possible. But, you know, there is no way to know from photos. I would love to do this for women from look-alikes, but I couldn’t. Very few people have their Season right except the True Autumns. A True Winter usually knows too, but don’t know how to select colours accurately except black and white.
39. JAnet on November 25th, 2009 8:53 pm

    Thanks for the suggestions Christine. I may actually be back east in about a year (London, ON). If so, I’ll be looking you up!
40. Ellis on December 6th, 2009 8:22 pm

    Hi Christine! I just love your blog, it’s so helpful to me. I have this great doubt ’cause I can’t figure if I’m a clear spring or a clear winter or maybe autumm (i don’t think so but…), my skin is pale like cream very neutral but my mom says that when I was a baby I was like a peach, and I do have some redness spots near to my nose. My eyes are like olive and light golden brown mix whit a charcoal right around the iris, they are not jewel like but definitdly pop out and my hair is light golden brown with golden highlights (is my natural hair color I never dyed ’cause I love it). Until now it’s all good.. the confusing part is I do look great in black (the 60% of my clothes are black) and dark colors like charcoal, navy, purple, royal blue and brown but I look great too in bright color like true red, golden yellow (not pastel), baby pink, turqouise, light teal, white, fuchsia, light green and even orange (more coral than yellow of course)… so what I’m? In winter my sister says that I look like a cadaver ’cause my lack of color in the face but I get tan in summer (always burns before tan). I live in latin america so is practicaly imposible find a Sci\ART analyst here. Can you help me?
41. Christine Scaman on December 7th, 2009 6:52 pm

    Hi, Ellis,

    I’d so love to be able to do this from photos and verbal descriptions. I’ll never guess at a Season, I’ll never tell you your Season unless I’m 110% certain…and it cannot happen without draping. Colour is understood visually, not verbally. It’s understood by comparison (this red or that red), not by description. People often tell me what colours they look good in, but it turns out to be what colours they THINK they look good in for all the wrong reasons. You need to know what to look for. Eye colour and hair colour… ANY season can be ANY eye and hair colour, so that’s not any guidance.
    I do wish I could help. Have you visited Lora at http://www.prettyyourworld.com ?
    She has some very helpful material there.
42. Jeannie on December 8th, 2009 1:33 am

    It seems Rebecca Gayheart may be a Clear Spring. Her coloring really seems to match.
43. Kathy on December 9th, 2009 3:39 pm

    I read your post about Orlando Bloom on the 12 Blueprints Facebook page. Thanks for bringing up the possibility of his being a bright spring, though I agree he’s more autumn-y. I’ve been trying to find examples of that elusive dark-eyed spring. Could you buy Geena Davis as a bright spring? She’s definitely contrasty and warm. (Her coloring is quite close to mine, so I have a bit of an ulterior motive in asking.) I googled a few images of her, and she wears lots of black, white and red, which look good on her, but I’d love to see her in some bright, warm colors.
44. Christine Scaman on December 13th, 2009 9:24 am

    Kathy,
    I could accept any warm season. Her hair is coloured a metallic brown with a lot of red tones, so you’re swayed towards Autumn but I agree that she has a certain clarity. Autumn skin really has a powerful brown-gold tone, but you have to take off all the makeup to see it.
45. Jo on December 13th, 2009 12:30 pm

    Hi again Everyone!

    Just thought I would pop back in to give you my latest – following the whole am-I-clear-spring-or-deep-autumn crisis, I finally got to revisit my cmb analyst today.

    She’s a lovely woman, and we get on really well, but I don’t think she liked my questioning her previous analysis very much.

    I explained my thinking, and showed her my various lipstick successes and failures. She agreed that clear spring red lipstick was not a good look and agreed to re-drape me (which took all of 2 minutes and used only 4 drapes – 2 greens, 2 orangy shades) to distinguish between lighter and deeper warm clears. We both agreed that I am definitely warm and clear, just needed to clarify the deep/light aspect. Having done so, she stood by her previous analysis of clear warm not deep warm.

    HOWEVER, she also agreed that I looked better in deep warm lipstick (think the colour of pecan skins) rather than the warm clear watermelon shades of the clear spring palette.

    She also refused to take any payment from me for the time she spent with me, and pressed a freebie deep warm lipstick onto me. She also swapped some of my clear warm palette for the deep warm.

    We parted amicably.

    Now, I figure 1 of 2 things happened:

    She agreed with me just to get rid of me
    Or
    She realised that the deep warm (deep Autumn shades) suited me better but couldn’t quite admit it…

    Not the definitive answer I was looking for, but I have decided not to phaff any longer.

    I hereby declare myself a Deep Autumn with Pecan lips!
46. Rebecca Wofford on December 13th, 2009 10:42 pm

    Hi Christine! =)

    So I am pretty much obsessed with hair, make up, skin tone, the season, pretty much the works! I am having a difficult time pin pointing my exact season tho (probably because of my annoying tendancy to brain hump things lol. . Anywho, I leaning towards Spring, but I’m not sure if I am clear or warm. Somtimes I think I could possibly be a warm autumn, but I doubt it. The website I provided should link to my modeling page (just started a couple months ago). I think my headshot is the best depiction of what season I may be, my other pics are with a tan w/ tanning lotion and so forth. I lean towards thinking I am a clear spring because when the sun hits my eyes they are so, so light and clear, as in the headshot pic (i was facing towards the sun and wearing a sort of lime green shirt that really enhanced my eyes).

    As a little girl I had strawberry blond hair. My natural color of hair as darkened to brown, with gold in it and my veil hair (baby hair) is red. I think I have a sort of peaches and cream complexion or ivory when not tan. If I have no tan at all, my skin seems pretty transluctant. Tanning gives me a sort of natural golden glow, and when I get really deep almost copperish.

    Lol can you see how I brain hump things to death. =) Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much!!
47. Christine Scaman on December 14th, 2009 4:51 pm

    Jo,
    Glad to hear it’s resolved! I understand well. “Phaff” is an excellent word. I may add it to my repertoire. :0
48. Christine Scaman on December 14th, 2009 5:01 pm

    Hi, Rebecca,

    Remarkable photograph. I can see why you’re on a modeling site. Your hair colour is terrific. Is it natural? Although I NEVER guess from photos because I am ALWAYS wrong, what I would say is
    - you look more yellow (Spring) than brown (Autumn)
    - you look more clear (S) than muted (A) and more vivid (S) than dull (A)
    - you look more light (S) than dark (A)
    - I dont’ get the feeling of the sharp edge of Winter in Bright Spring; these folks often have brown eyes and darker hair

    I could go with True Spring. But remember, guessing is usually wrong!
49. Kathy on December 14th, 2009 6:57 pm

    Jo –

    I wish there were such a thing as a “bright autumn,” but that doesn’t make sense as autumns can be deep and warm, or soft and warm, but not clear and warm.

    The idea of a clear skintone is one of the hardest things for me to grasp. When I hear clear I automatically think pale and delicate, but clear means little or no beige tones (right?). I have an old picture of my cousin and me sitting under a christmas tree. To look at us, you’d say we have basically the same coloring — warm brown hair and eyes, light skin — but I look brighter with obvious peachy undertones where she looks soft and muted. I could still see myself as a deep or maybe even a warm autumn — I wear a lot of earth tones and consider them “safe” colors, but I also look good in corals, yellows and light lime green.
50. Jo on December 15th, 2009 5:49 pm

    Hi Kathy,

    I think you could be a warm bright autumn just as I seem to be a warm clear deep.

    I was fascinated to discover that the deluxe swatches on Pretty Your World are warm deep and muted, not clear, for deep autumn. I have placed the order, but when using the swatches I am going to have to remember to choose clearer colours than are on the swatches – effectively creating a whole new mini-season for myself.

    Apparently this was why my cmb analyst classified me as clear spring, because the clarity outweighed the deepness. So with warm as my primary and clear as my secondary I came out clear spring because there isn’t room in the system for a third factor.

    Interesting, eh?

    But I think that deep is a good match for me.
    I have been testing it – of course, grin – and wore deep clear moss green over medium clear moss green today, with a bitter chocolate skirt and shoes, pecan lipstick and golden brown jewellery. A woman that I have only spoken to a few times before stopped me in the corridor and told me that I looked ‘even lovelier than usual’. this blew me away, because I am over 40, rotund, and have never been a beauty.

    I guess I got my colours right, eh?

    Have I mentioned how grateful I am to Christine for providing this site for us – it is so valuable. I would never have continued with my colour experiments to reach this point without this wonderful resource.
51. Kathy on December 16th, 2009 6:59 pm

    Jo-

    I seem to be able to pull colors from deep autumn, warm autumn and clear spring, but note one entire palette. The deepest dark autumn colors are too rich, the warmest warm autumn shades are to warm or muted, and the coolest spring colors make me look ill. However, the clear spring makeup does work for me. I’ve found that Revlon, of all lines, makes a number of lipsticks that are bright and clear with little to no brown.
52. Kathy on December 23rd, 2009 4:29 pm

    I hate to drag this thread out any longer than I already have (sorry Christine), but this whole process has been enlightening and maddening. Not having the cash for a formal analysis, I’m calling myself clear spring until someone tells me differently.

    I changed my haircolor from red to a more natural brownish color (though still quite warm) closer to my own. The red, I think, made me look more like a true warm season where my natural coloring is more neutral than that.

    When I first read Color Me Confident, I went straight to the “clear and contrasty” chapter thinking, “Okay, those are my colors,” then doubted myself as other sites stated that clears have to have blue or green eyes, and springs cannot be brunettes. Arrgh.

    Trying to analyze your own colors without professional training probably isn’t advisable, but logically I’m bright, contrasty but without the depth and richness I see in dark winters and autumns, and lean more warm than cool. Clear Spring. I think the makeup colors sealed it.
53. Suzanne on February 1st, 2010 2:18 pm

    Can someone please lead me to some less expensive Clear Spring lipsticks. All colors–red, warm pink, apricot, peach, spicy peach.
54. VE on February 2nd, 2010 7:16 pm

    I would look at online swatches and go by Christine’s recommendations. Then check out ebay–many of her choices can be had for around $10US (only a bit more than the retail price of drugstore brands). Both Revlon and L’Oreal seem to have fair selections of corals and peaches. There is also NYX Cosmetics (online), but I am not familiar with them.
55. Ksenija on February 13th, 2010 11:46 am

    I agree, it is the skin colour that determines the season, not the hair or eye colour. Some misconception about spring pallette, every one thinks that they are a spring just because they think they are pale. But anyone can be pale but not have that light fair translucent look which is the mark of a clear spring. Think of Julie Andrews who is a clear spring! Then there is that translucent look with peachy tones which is a warm spring.
56. Ksenija on February 13th, 2010 11:56 am

    Jo, when I first saw your picture I thought you’d be a summer season. I don’t think you are an autumn or winter! You are a brunette with pale eyes and I definitely see you with the summer shades – I can see you with muted shades of pink, purple, blue.
57. Jo on February 14th, 2010 3:20 pm

    Hi Ksenija

    Thanks for the comment, but I can tell you with certainty that I am most definitely warm – cool colours, particularly pinks (and even the pinks in the Clear Spring palette) make me look dreadful. They make me look like a corpse and the shadows under my eyes intensify.

    Purple works, and some blues, but now that I am using the Deep Autumn palette I am getting compliments (for the first time ever) when wearing blue. The Deep Autumn blues are deepish, mutedish. Think of the sea in the late afternoon, and blue-grey slate colours. I used to wear the brighter blues, cobalt, true royal blue and ultramarine, but they swamped me.

    I ought to try and get a better picture to use as my avatar, since the colours are a wee bit bluer (my hair is warmer in real life). I do have to adapt the Deep Autumn palette a bit – I am warmer and clearer than a typical DA.

    And I was very interested to receive my copy of Laura Alexanders book and compare the palettes of the Clear Spring and Deep Autumn – there are huge similarities. I just seem to come down on the deeper side.

    Nevertheless, thank you for the suggestion!
58. Suzanne on February 15th, 2010 5:11 pm

    Jo,
    In your November 2009 comment you said your analysis result was “warm” dominant and “clear” secondary. That’s “warm spring” not “clear spring.” Warm, spicy, and clear, but much less bright than clear spring.
59. Jo on February 15th, 2010 7:19 pm

    Suzanne

    I probably did. Grin. However, I am not really sure which of the 3 is really dominant – warm or clear (or even deep, because just because my hair isn’t all that dark doesn’t mean that deep isn’t a big factor). I think it is impossible to for me to judge such things about myself. Can we ever truly judge our own undertones? Overtones?. My CMB analyst didn’t go into detail on this, and I’m not bothering the poor woman again for a third session.

    What I can say for certain is that I am some blend of the following 3: deep, clear and warm. I realise that the Colour Me Beautiful system only takes into account a dominant and a secondary, but we are ALL somewhere on the scale for all three aspects. I think I am one of those where 3 factors come into play rather than just 2. There must be many other people in a similar situation.

    The peaches and apricots of Warm Spring are good on me – but only if I contrast them with deeper colours. On their own they are bland and wash me out. Pale warm grey does exactly the same. Pinkish corals are not good.

    Thank you all for contributing so helpfully, but I can assure you that in the 3 months since I made the mental shift into Deep Autumn I, and my wardrobe, have been very happy. It is utterly delightful to see my face snap into focus each morning when I put on tomato red or pecan brown lipstick after trying for Spring colours for so long. I have posted a few times in the Deep Autumn makeup thread to record my colour explorations and really do feel that DA is me. Best wishes to you all on your colour identity hunts!
60. Kathy W. on February 15th, 2010 7:35 pm

    This is all so interesting to me. I was analyzed by CMB and several “independent” color analysts, all years ago (before the popularity of the 12 season system), and they all pegged me as Spring. While I do love and wear well many of the darker/brighter Spring colors I have never been completely happy with my palette as I have always been drawn to and look good in some of the Winter colors. Now that I have discovered Clear or Bright Spring I feel like this is really where I should have been all along, though I have yet to have a professional analysis done to confirm my suspicions.

    My skin tone is a light peachy/gold beige that tans easily (no freckles), my “natural” hair color is golden brown (though I was very light blond as a child and have continued to color/highlight my hair to what I feel is my real color all my adult life) and my eyes are very bright “topaz” brown with a prominent dark ring and bright whites, and they are my most prominent feature. The Donna Fujii test puts me in High Contrast Spring. Her site also says my best neutral is dark royal blue which certainly is true.

    Please keep us update should you analyze a Bright Spring and let us know your thoughts!
61. Trisha on February 16th, 2010 6:12 am

    Christine, you asked about CMB catergories a while back (sorry only just seen this) about how they work the dominant and secondary characteristics. I am writing this after just checking with my CMB advisor friend (yes, she has become a friend I see regualarly now away from the colour thing!). The dominant charactertic is first and obvious, so I am deep first and foremost as I have dark hair and eyes and my overall look is dark and rich. Sorry, I can best describe using own colouring, hope doesn’t sound too vain. She didn’t even need to use the drapes to establish this far, it is pretty obvious on me, even though I have pale skin that my looks overall are dark and deep. If you were obviously light, pale hair and eyes as in my mother for instance, you would be Light first. The CMB friend is herself Warm dominant, as has an obvious warm glow about her. Your dominant group contains certain colours which are pretty safe bets. The drapes are then used to establish secondary characteristics. She didn’t know if I was warm or cool before this and its the area I always had problems over.Many times in the past I had been told I was cool (think of your fathers own initial looks, often misjudged as you said elsewhere). I definately looked best in warm, we could both see this in GOOD light next to skin, all other colours, including hair colour covered over. Being warm or cool in secondary group gives extra choices of colour, but and this is important, you can’t wear them ALL. Some are just too warm gold for me, even as a deep and warm or deep autumn as we used to be called. Thirdly I am muted as my colouring is dense and matt, as in eyes, no clarity, they look opaque and solid. So not much clarity in colours to wear either, I need density, a greyed quality even in the browns. I’ve heard a lot of ladies say “I can’t be autumn, for instance, because I can’t wear bright gold, or a certain colour in the palette supposed to belong to. Well, no one can wear all those colours in the actual group, within it there is always individuality. I do repeat though, sorry to sound so dogmatic here, but the only, only way to know for certain is to get a professional to do your colours for you. Jo, I would not be satisfied until I had a definitive answer from CMB, can you ask her to refer you to someone else, I don’t think you should pay, she must have a boss or someone higher up the food chain. I don’t think I would leave it at that, you do need to know for certain and not have to be guessing or have any uncertainty yourself. Take care all!
62. Jo on February 16th, 2010 5:23 pm

    Thanks Trisha,

    That is a very informative comment. My CMB analyst told me that ALL the colours in the Clear Warm palette would suit me. Absolutely all. Including the makeup shades (I am shuddering at the memory of my face wearing Hot Pink lipstick which is a Clear Warm shade).

    I am aware that while I can ‘get away’ with black, it is never going to be a great shade on me, while most browns are wonderful.

    Thanks for your comment!
63. Kathy W. on March 5th, 2010 11:40 pm

    Hi Christine,

    I just wanted to thank you for the recommendation of MAC Fleur Power blush – I was at the MAC counter today and this color is perfect for me! I also picked up the Mystery eye shadow.

    Do you have a MAC recommendation for a Coral blush for Clear Spring? I don’t have easy access to NARS (other than online, but I hate to buy cosmetics without seeing them first).

    Thanks!
    Kathy W.
64. Christine Scaman on March 8th, 2010 2:29 pm

    Kathy,

    I dont’ know any that compare to Cactus Flower. Bobbi Brown makes Apricot and Coral Shimmer but I see them more for True Spring. MAC makes Dollymix and Salsa Rose you could look at. I’d wait on the NARS too, it’s too $$ to buy without trying, though I think Sephora allows returns, no?
65. Kathy W. on March 8th, 2010 5:54 pm

    Thanks for the additional recommendations, much appreciated! I’ll take a look at those suggestions next time I’m at the makeup counter. I’m really liking the other two MAC products – I’ve been wearing Mystery eye shadow everyday since i picked it up!
66. Rachel R. on March 31st, 2010 10:47 am

    Jo, just judging from your avatar photo, I would say that “warm” is the least dominant of those three characteristics for you. My first guess (having, of course, not seen you in anything else but that photo!) would be Deep Autumn or possibly Deep Winter (which is a surprisingly warm palette). I think your overall coloring is not nearly “delicate” enough to be a Spring.
67. Suzy on April 4th, 2010 3:02 am

    Jo —

    I just have to say your coloring is gorgeous!

    I think you ,or anyone, is doing yourself a disservice by color analyzing yourself from your make-up colors. Your skin and lips are not a white piece of paper or a blank canvas. They have existing color — yellow, red, pink, blue, cream, brown, etc. When you put lipstick on your lips, it is like putting paint on a colored wall — the color underneath is going to affect the color on top. To better illustrate, think of a piece of cream paper — when you paint water colors on it, the color that results is different than the beginning color. (blue might turn green; red might turn orange or brown or coral or pink — it depends on what colors and shades are making that piece of paper, creamy) The resulting color is a blend of both colors. Very different than painting it on white. I’m a Light Summer and if I followed and believed every lipstick color recommendation I’ve been given, I’d often look like I have blue lips (when I try many “pink” recommendations) or lips that match my skin (when given “nude” recommendations, too light, too washed out). HOWEVER, if I stopped wearing “pink” all-together (as in your clear red) I would have never found one of my favorites! “Clear Red” can be pure red, coral-ish, pinkish, blue-ish, orange-ish, yellow-ish, even brown-ish. The one you tried that your friend said was a disaster is just one Clear Red — In my experience, the “clearer” the color, the less forgiving when it the wrong shade on your canvas (your lips). It sounds to me like you may just have had the wrong shade…for you.

    For anyone, because the color of your clothing doesn’t change when you put it on, and it is in much larger color blocks, you need to figure out what color clothing looks best, first, and then use make-up to enhance that look, in my opinion. I also believe this is why there are some relatively “universal” make-up colors that work for more than one season — especially the neutrals (warms, lights, clears, and darks) because the “make-up” — especially lips or blush — blends with the color of the canvas to create a unique color that works on that particular canvas. Yes, there are a few that don’t, but many, actually, do, contrary to the beliefs of many color analysts.

    Also, try to ignore the names of make-up colors as they can be misleading — “Watermelon”, for example, has as many possibilities out there — warm, cool, bright, muted, milky, orangey, pinkish, red — as there are brands and then some!

    Also, listen very closely to compliments — are they complimenting YOU — “You look…” pretty or well-rested or happy or fresh or something nice like that about YOU — OR are they complimenting your outfit — nice dress, nice blazer, nice blouse, etc… If someone says, “Great color!” they probably noticed the color before they noticed YOU. (Although, most folks don’t know how to say, “You look great!” and resort to describing a detail, such as color or piece of jewelry, instead of giving a personal compliment.) You say you got compliments when you dressed in your warm clear palette… Hmmm??? And that was before you “found” the right lipstick shades? Hmmm??? THAT is very intriguing!

    Lastly, when you find out what your best “white” is, that is the color top you should be wearing when choosing make-up colors so as not to influence your choices. Also, choose your colors in “open shade”, not direct sunlight, if possible. Sunlight color actually changes throughout the day and seasonally.

    I also have to say, based on your avatar, I don’t see you as warm or deep — In that black blouse, my first reaction is to your skin — which appears wonderfully “Clear” …
68. Jo on April 11th, 2010 12:00 pm

    Hi Rachael and Suzy,

    First of all, thanks for all the time and effort you put into your replies. Both of you make some great points, and Suzy I totally agree with what you say about makeup going onto a non-blank canvas.

    I have now been dressing and making myself up as a Deep Autumn for about 4 months now, and am extremely pleased with the result. If you want to check out the results of my musings, pop over to the Deep Autumn makeup thread on this wonderful site, and you will see how and why I feel I fit in there so much better than Clear Spring.

    The reality is almost certain that I occupy some no-man’s-land between Clear Spring and Deep Autumn (but closer to DA), with the pinks, brighter corals and deepest of blackish shades outside my range.

    A Very Happy Deep Autumn
69. Marianne on May 3rd, 2010 3:58 pm

    Hi!
    I found this site a few weeks back, and have gotten very interested in the different colours. I guess I am a Clear Spring. Until recently I believed I was one of the cold seasons, as the Spring in the four season system never seemed right. I never thought of Spring colours so bright, to me it was all peach and salmon and camel. However my eyes are turquoise and hair medium brown with rosy cheeks. Now I found that warm turquoise and aqua are better for me than fuchsia.
    Today I bought a new lipstick from L’Oreal, Colour Riche Shine Gelee in Pretty Peach. Perfect!
70. Christine Scaman on May 13th, 2010 6:14 am

    Hi, Marianne,

    Glad you’re narrowing it down. Bright Spring (since becoming a Sci\ART analyst, I use their designations) is a very different palette from True and Light Spring. It brings in Winter’s signature red, which cools the colors appreciably, and sharpens them. I think of them as hard-candy-colors.
    A lot more about (more accurate) color analysis at 12blueprints.com
    The integration of red makes this group rather a bright golden pink in their undertone (see the Skin Undertones article at 12blueprints.com), often a great lipstick on them. Mercier’s Hibiscus Lip Stain pot is very nice.
71. Marianne on May 18th, 2010 4:00 am

    Hi again!
    This weekend I went to the mall to check out some of your recommendations from Mac. I ended up buying Orb, Copperplate and Mystery, and I really love them. The Mystery is a bit dark for my everyday toned down makeup, but for special occasions it’s great. Saturday evening I experimented in front of the mirror, one eye with my old pinkish colours and one with my new Mac. And the newcomers won a solid victory and have now replaced the old ones in my make up purse.
    Now I just cannot wait to try on some of the other recommendations. Thank you very much for investing time in inding options for us all.
72. Elena on May 19th, 2010 7:22 pm

    Hi Christine, I just read your post and is great! It make me realize what colours I should be wearing. I have a doubt: my best friend is getting married in November (we’re from South America) and I want a peacok color dress, but I’m not sure if this color is right for me, I’m a clear spring but in winter my colors fade a little so I’m like between clear spring and clear winter, I would love any help from you in this subject.
    Thanks a lot!!!!
73. Christine Scaman on May 24th, 2010 2:36 pm

    The color that comes into my head with ‘peacock’ is gorgeous for Clear Spring. I see a darkish color though, so be sure your choice is not blackened, because Dark Winter could have a version of peacock, but darker.
74. Kristina on June 17th, 2010 9:41 am

    Hi Christine, hi all,
    I wonder if you have any lipstick or Butter Shine suggestions for a Clear Spring with dark hair and eyes? I’m asking this because I’m still searching for my season and I find that lip colors seem to help a lot when it comes to judging what looks good and what doesn’t. Although a Clear (Spring or Winter) does need clear colors, are there any lip colors that are on the softer side for them? I mean, a Clear ought to be able to find a Your Lips But Better-shade that doesn’t scream “lipstick!” yet that stays well within the “Clear” boundaries, no? A color that would suit when picking up the kids from school or just running errands in jeans and a casual shirt, one that makes the difference between “no makeup” and “made an effort but not too made up”. Clinique is a brand that’s readily available where I live. Any tips would be highly appreciated!
75. Kristina on June 17th, 2010 9:55 am

    Hi again,
    I forgot to tick the box below. It seems I had to write a comment for the site to accept it, so now I’ve done it!
76. Christine Scaman on June 17th, 2010 5:27 pm

    Kristina,
    Clinique All Heart is very good, too gentle for Bright Winter. Also Laura Mercier pot lip color in Hibiscus is very good.
77. Kathy on June 18th, 2010 7:33 pm

    What about See Sheer from MAC? I wear it sometimes as an everyday lipstick because it’s sheer, almost a gloss, but still bright enough that it doesn’t erase my natural lip color, which is quite red to begin with.
78. Fil on June 18th, 2010 9:05 pm

    Hi Kristina, long time! I do understand your doubts. I have come to the conclusion (or better, am more certaing that) personal characteristics are very important. Even when we have found our season or seasonal type in a 4-season or 12-seasonal type system (and many people still are only able to wear [well] a subset of their seasonal palette colors), individual characteristics can override the seasonal palette in one way or another.

    I was (and am) pretty sure my closest type was Clear Winter, but my black hair being softer than it used to be and a mauvish pink undertone always made me feel I needed some of the softness of Summers. Makeup-wise, I also seem to do better with a deeper and slightly more saturated version of Soft Summer blush and lipstick (but can also wear hot pink blush), and prefer medium to high contrast. The brighter Clear Winter colors work best as an accent to contrast dark colors. I don’t think I am a Soft Summer though, I need the very darkest shades of almost every hue. I don’t think I am a Deep Winter either, but won’t go into that now.

    So I ended up creating my own palette based on my Winter homebase (according to Irenee’s system), with a strong balanced tendency (cool/neutral is much better than cool), by paying attention to my personal coloring. Now, when I saw the TAIC (from Lora Alexander) Soft Summer palette I was really sure I had this Soft Summer element in me (it’s the mauve!). You would be surprised at the colors — not at all overly muted or bland, but beautiful and sophisticated. It is only when you place them near, say, Clear Winter, that you see they have a different quality (softness), but they are not dead colors. And although my dark neutrals are definitely Winter (Soft Summer also has great dark neutrals), and Clear Winter brights are great accents, I find that if I want to wear color, Soft Summer gives me great choices (and I certainly cannot wear pale, muted, washed-out colors).

    I know it sounds crazy that a Clear Winter should need “softness”, but that’s it. Likewise, I try to stay clear of pure white and jet black, but can wear soft white, soft black, and the darkest hues.

    Light Spring is a seasonal type that to me seems to have both a clear and bright, and a soft and creamy (like sorbet or ice cream) quality. Interestingly, the TAIC system seems to make a distinction between “Soft” and “Muted”, not sure how they would describe this difference, but it makes sense to me based on my personal experience.

    There are a number of systems that are based on finding what your personal colors are, from which a (truly) personal palette is created. For someone like me, a seasonal type palette offers some guidance, but it is not the full story.

    Your sweet daughters may be right, although I have difficulty picturing you as a warm season. Going back to the old discussion and you finding Soft Summer too muted, perhaps–I think you would be amazed at the TAIC swatches, they are soft but not in a overly muted way, and for me they have wonderful saturation, in that special Soft Summer way.
79. Jeannie on June 18th, 2010 9:34 pm

    What would be a good one for Bright Winter if the ‘All Heart’ is to gentle? I like the way Kristina worded her question. I look good in the Bright Winter colors but the lip colors seem so bold.
    Thanks
80. Fil on June 18th, 2010 10:38 pm

    Hi Kristina, I have just commented on the above, but something must have happened after I pressed “submit”, and I think it is now lost. I’ll try to summarize with a few(…) points:

    - Something to the effect that seasonal palettes (either 4-season or 12 [or 16] seasonal types) offer great wisdom and guidance but in my personal experience they are not enough–and sometimes they are too much as only a subset of colors will truly become any given individual. Individual characteristics should be part of the equation and at times will override the seasonal palette one is closest to.
    - In my case, the softer black hair (compared to what it used to be) and a mauvish pink undertone create a need for Summer-like softness and medium contrast, with stark white and jet black best avoided. Strange, perhaps, for a Clear Winter.
    - For me: the darkest hues of Winter and soft black, plus Clear Winter brights (best as accents) and balanced medium/clear colors, plus Soft Summer’s more “saturated” colors–this seems to be what works. Also, in addition to hot pink blush, a slightly deeper and more saturated version of Soft Summer’s lipstick and blush colors (e.g. a deep rosewood, a soft wine, a soft/neutral red) will be better suited to my coloring.
    - The TAIC (from Lora Alexander) Soft Summer palette is sophisticated and beautiful, not bland or overly muted. Soft quality can be seen by comparing to Clear Winter palette, otherwise the colors seem nicely saturated in a special Soft Summer way.
    - The TAIC system seems to make a distinction between “Soft” and “Muted”. In my personal experience, these are also somewhat different concepts. Some Soft Summers will suit the more muted colors, but others won’t.
    - For example, I find that Light Spring can have both a Clear and Bright, and a Soft and Creamy (like fruit sorbet or ice cream) quality, but not at all muted.
    - In the end, I had to create my own palette, based on Winter being my homebase, balanced (i.e., neutral/cool) colors being better than cool colors, and the particulars of my personal characteristics that call for some softness and Mauvish tones for make-up and also clothing.
    - There are personal color analysis systems that do just that, and create a truly personal palette. You may even use software that is available on the Internet to do this yourself.

    Apologies for the bullet points, it helped me recall what I had said in the comment that was lost. I had also said your sweet daughters may be right, but I have difficulty seeing you as a Warm season. The TAIC Soft Summer palette is screaming KRISTINA at me. You would be surprised at how the colors are not faded or muted or bland, just softer than Clear Winter.
81. Fil on June 19th, 2010 12:40 am

    Hi Kristina, I have just commented on the above, but something must have happened after I pressed “submit”, and I think it is now lost. I’ll try to summarize with a few(…) points:

    - Something to the effect that seasonal palettes (either 4-season or 12 [or 16] seasonal types) offer great wisdom and guidance but in my personal experience they are not enough–and sometimes they are too much as only a subset of colors will truly become any given individual. Individual characteristics should be part of the equation and at times will override the seasonal palette one is closest to.
    - In my case, the softer black hair (compared to what it used to be) and a mauvish pink undertone create a need for Summer-like softness and medium contrast, with stark white and jet black best avoided. Strange, perhaps, for a Clear Winter.
    - For me: the darkest hues of Winter and soft black, plus Clear Winter brights (best as accents) and balanced medium/clear colors, plus Soft Summer’s more “saturated” colors–this seems to be what works. Also, in addition to hot pink blush, a slightly deeper and more saturated version of Soft Summer’s lipstick and blush colors (e.g.. a deep rosewood, a soft wine, a soft/neutral red) will be better suited to my coloring.
    - The TAIC (from Lora Alexander) Soft Summer palette is sophisticated and beautiful, not bland or overly muted. Soft quality can be seen by comparing to Clear Winter palette, otherwise the colors seem nicely saturated in a special Soft Summer way.
82. Christine Scaman on June 19th, 2010 6:05 am

    If the lip colors feel bold, stay true to the color but pick a sheer formulation. Gosh Passion Pink, Clinique Ginger Flower or Fresh Watermelon?

    My memory of See Sheer is beige-ness, but I may be wrong. It is very sheer, yes. Lancome Suggestive and EL Fresh Berry glosses are nice.
83. Jeannie on June 19th, 2010 3:15 pm

    Thanks! I did find out I like sheer or bit glossy better than matte. I don’t like the feeling of alot of makeup but I do wear makeup everyday. I am still leaning towards being a Bright Winter…since clear colors are my best and I get told I am not that ‘cool’.
84. Jeannie on June 19th, 2010 3:28 pm

    The Clinque Ginger Flower and Fresh watermelon look like colors a makeup person wanted to put on me recently!
85. Jo on June 20th, 2010 1:29 pm

    Hi Fil,

    I have lost a comment or two when posting here, and have discovered that if yI hit the back button my comment is still there. I then cut and paste into a Word doc, save on my computer, then copy and paste it into a new comment box on this site.

    Less hassle than retyping!

    Jo
86. Fil on June 20th, 2010 4:26 pm

    Thanks, Jo–I thought it was the new anti-viral software I installed, but it “got there” eventually!

    Given my propensity for lengthy comments (just can’t help myself…), I will definitely be saving before submitting .

    All the best–Fil.
87. Kristina on June 22nd, 2010 9:41 am

    Hi again,
    Fil: Hi, so good to hear from you again! Thank you so much for your thorough comment, you are extraordinary!
    You say that Lora’s Soft Summer palette is anything but pale and washed-out. Is it more like CMB’s original Summer palette then? Because in my Color Me Confident book, the Soft palette is really pale and grayed. I just cannot do those colors, they make me look very tired, although not sharp and old like some other wrong colors can. Just tired, faded.
    I’ve been thinking about Christine’s article about making things more complicated than they actually are. I tried that approach on myself and color analysis. It ought to be so easy to figure me out: I look like the women on Color Me Beautiful’s Autumn page, and like the woman on the Deep Autumn page in the 1991 version. So why don’t those colors fit at all?
    I find makeup to be a great help. The Winter lipsticks certainly create contrast, but I don’t like the effect. It’s like you said about taking personality into account – I just don’t feel comfortable in those colors. The softness of Soft Summer’s Violet Berry, which Christine suggested in another article is truly appealing. However, on me it’s very blue, on my Winter daughter it looks almost too warm. I suppose that might mean it’s too warm for her, too cool for me. But the minute I blend something more brown into the equation it’s all wrong, it flattens me.
    It’s really interesting to read about the distinction between “soft” and “muted” which TAIC makes. That sounds logical to me. Winter is sharp, Summer is softer but not muted in the CMB book (1980).
    The idea of making your own palette sounds really good! That would be the ideal choice to me. It’s basically the same idea that Beauty for all Seasons used to have (don’t know if they still exist).
    I think my dilemma is the fact that I have both warm and cool colors in me and I just need to figure out which is my dominant trait. At this stage of confusion I just wish somebody would come and rescue me!
    Christine: Thank you for the tip about All Heart! I actually have a tube of that color which I got in a GWP a while back. I tried it on, and although I’m absolutely not used to that much color on my lips nowadays, the shade isn’t bad, just a bit scary. If you have the time, would you take a look at Clinique’s lipstick Beauty for me? I’d love to hear your opinion as to which season it would belong to.
    Laura Mercier’s Hibiscus is one of those colors I commented on in another post last year. I like it a lot, although I haven’t tried it on. Wasn’t that i limited edition lip stain?
88. Kristina on June 22nd, 2010 10:16 am

    I just remembered something else when it comes to lipsticks: Christine suggested Ripe Raisin (Clinique) for Warm Spring. I actually wore that color for quite some time. My dear and patient husband helped me pick it up at the Clinique counter. He’s the one who keeps saying: “You need color!” He doesn’t like me in anything that is muted or too soft. Maybe I’ll try Ripe Raisin on again in the store, to see if it still looks good now that my hair color has changed. If I’m anything like cool, it ought to look awfully orange on me now.
89. Fil on June 23rd, 2010 10:26 am

    Kristina, yes, I think the Soft Summer swatches from TAIC are a lot closer to CJ’s Summer palette than is the CMC Soft Summer palette. There are 60 colors in total and the overall feel and image is very much that of CJ’s Summer palette.

    I have come to think of 4-, 12-, 16-color analysis systems as both containing the essence of a season or seasonal type, and expressing the limits of the same season or type in terms of color saturation, depth or value, and temperature, i.e., how bright/clear or soft/muted can you go, how dark or light, how cool or warm). I believe there is still considerable individual variation within-seasons, which explains why different individuals belonging to the same seasonal type may have slightly different or quite different personal color palettes.

    The link below is for a website on the subject of individual color analysis:

    https://www.sevenconnections.com/MAXIMIZE%20YOUR%20SIGNATURE%20COLORPRINT.pdf

    and there are several that provide software that you can use online.

    If you are able to extract 10 colors or so from your personal coloring, that is a great start. For additional colors, think about complementary, analogous, and other standard color combinations. Tonal variations of the same hue can also add to the personal palette. Personally, I don’t feel the need to have more than about 20 in total, 30 at the very most.

    An interesting tidbit: I was browsing through David Zyla’s book, and noticed 3 (4?) of his 6 Summer sub-types are exemplified by dark-haired persons: Jeweltone Summer “The Glamorous Career Girl”: Tina Fey, Andie MacDowell, Jaclyn Smith; Sunset Summer “The Elegant Bohemian”: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Juliana Margulies; Dusky Summer “The Earth Mother”: Maggie Gyllenhaal. This is quite an interesting book, considering it does not contain any pictures or color palettes!

    Kristina, another thing to consider: Springs often have a lot of red/pink in their skin, and Summers can have pinky/rosy cheeks that can look very similar. I think a big difference is that when you place coral or salmon blush on a Spring, it somehow gels with their (golden) tones and looks great, whereas for a Summer, it would look out of place and wrong, and rose or soft plum would be a better choice.
90. Kristina on June 23rd, 2010 11:39 am

    Hi Fil,
    I’m trying to get some help from DH regarding the pdf from the Seven Connections, since I can’t open it. I’ll comment on it as soon as I can get it to work, thanks!
    I looked up the women you mentioned. None of them feel like “me” in terms of color. I guess the one that comes closest is Andie MacDowell, although she often has a soft, almost grayish cast to her skin in many photos and that’s not at all me. I’m very pale and I need foundation with yellow tones or yellow-peachy (as in Bare Minerals Fairly Light).
    About blush: I can’t do orange blush, it sits on top of me. However, I can’t do cool pink very well either, it has to be a warmish pink in order to look credible. I found a great blush in Alima’s Mimosa, which is a very pale, peachy pink color that is pink enough to not be orange, yet warm enough to approach peach. It has the same color as that of my earlobes and looks like my own color, not makeup.
    I just read through CJ’s description of the different seasons’ eyes. She says Spring has “spokes on a wheel”, something which many others say belongs to Winter. Interesting to see that there seems to be more than one truth out there…
    I’ll get back to you on the pdf later. Thank you so much for bearing with me in this!
91. Kristina on June 23rd, 2010 2:34 pm

    Hi again, Fil!
    I finally got the pdf to work for me (in Safari, as my Firefox wouldn’t open it up). Great reading, thank you so much! I’m going to print it out and read it again tonight before bed, which is usually the best time for me as there is less disturbance…
92. Fil on June 24th, 2010 8:58 am

    Kristina,

    I decided to check the Winters in David Zyla’s book (I’ve had this book for over a month, but haven’t read it yet, need to finish the 5 or 6 I’m currently reading!). Anyway, also 6 sub-types, one of them being Soft Winter–yes, Soft Winter! (The Romantic Poetess). The funny thing is that one of the other subtypes is Vivid Winter (The Earthy Philosopher), and I (almost) fully identify with both of them! (He doesn’t so much have a color palette for each of these, but discusses the Archetype, Celebrities that exemplify the subtype, Motto, Secret Superpower, Kryptonite (things one absolutely hates…), Nature Image, Artist, Charming Contrasts, Fabulous Fabrics, Signatute Scents, Must-Haves, Must-Avoids, Personality and Spirit.).
    Looking forward to reading it now…
93. Kristina on June 24th, 2010 1:41 pm

    Hi Fil,
    That sounds like a book I HAVE to get!!! The Soft Winter intrigues me. Does he mention any celebrity examples of that one?
    (And sorry for this, but what is Kryptonite?)
94. Fil on June 24th, 2010 3:16 pm

    The celebrities he has to exemplify Soft Winter are Joan Collins, Jennifer Connelly, Christina Ricci, Elizabeth Taylor.

    Kryptonite–I wouldn’t have a clue myself if my husband didn’t watch a Superman TV series :

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite
95. Kristina on June 27th, 2010 8:19 am

    Fil,
    Thank you for listing them! If those people have anything to do with the season Winter, then I’m not a Winter.
    I’m currently experimenting with the Clear Spring, just to see how it compares to the Summer colors I’ve been wearing for a while. I think the most dramatic change for me is salmon vs. pink. In salmon I look rested and don’t need as much foundation in order to tone down my ruddiness. I looked at the color palette for Clear Spring in Color Me Confident and noticed that the colors yellow-green, clear salmon and peach (page 86) are the colors of my hand (the green being my veins). That doesn’t mean it’s automatically the right colors for me I guess, as Christine have pointed out several times the Sci/Art is all about how skin reacts to colors applied, and maybe not so much the colors found within the skin. So the experiment goes on…
96. Fil on June 27th, 2010 5:39 pm

    Kristina, Springs are definitely known to have some rudiness, so you never know…

    If you decide CJ’s Summer colors are right for you, then go with TAIC Soft Summer (not so much the other two Summers). I still love the idea of seasonal color analysis and of the seasonal palettes, that link us with nature and the changing of the seasons.

    I was also going to suggest that you take another look at Christine’s and the CMB-UK website suggestions for makeup colors, and compare Soft Summer and Clear Spring.

    All the best with the experiment–Fil.

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