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.

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite

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…

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.

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

All the best–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

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.

- 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.

- 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.

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.