RSSMakeup Model : Light Spring
May 16, 2009
Edit June 23/10 – Just a note to be sure everyone knows that this Makeup Model series of articles was posted before I became a Color Analyst. The articles have been very popular, so I leave them up, but the makeup recommendations are not necessarily those I’d make today. For anyone interested in more accurate Season and color advice, do look at 12blueprints.com or join the 12 Blueprints Fan Club on Facebook.
This is a big range of women. You’re Ellen and Kate Hudson (or at least, Kate looks like Light Spring. Have you seen Ellen’s pic from high school? Reddish hair. Although the blond hair she wears is beautifully done, sometimes I think it makes her eyes look bloodshot. Ellen, you need to don the gray showercap and draping cape of truth and uncover who you really are). You can be the fairest softest coloring and you can be the blond beach ideal.
In general, Spring looks better in peach than pink. If you think you like both, what you might be liking is the lightness of the two shades. The basis of color analysis is understanding what the colors that flatter you best have in common. So, we’ll have to push the extremes to decide if you’re Light Spring or Light Summer. Take the peach all the way to coral in clothing or makeup – only the Spring will pull it off, while the Summer will be more beautiful in a cooler rose pink color.
Or try the ultimately Springs Only color of yellow-green. Summer would probably refuse to even put the item on and negotiate hard for cool, light turquoise. Spring would be sneaking the yellow-green into her purse.
Light Spring represents that type of coloring that is most prominently Spring (warmed by clear yellow) but has some cool carryover from Summer. Your colors follow suit, with pink-peach instead of pure peach or yellow colors, and tan-brown instead of golden brown in your eyeshadow.
Colors to sample
Lips: Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine in Pink-a-boo; look at Poppy Love while you’re there. I love these lipsticks, so wearable and comfortable.
Eyeliner: Estee Lauder Softsmudge Brown.
Eyes: MAC BrownDown, Kid, Wedge; Stila Champara, Tolima.
Eye hilite : MAC Wisp, BlancType; Stila Chinois.
I am loving the blog The Next Best Thing To Going Shopping Yourself (TNBTTGSY) for the swatch posts. Follow the link to see the MAC eyeshadows. On the site, you’ll also find all the Stila eyeshadows swatched in a different post. Shop at home thanks to the wonderful woman who does all this work.
Look very attentively at the iris of your eye. Is there a soft yellow in it? Many Spring eyes have a yellow light in their eyes to correspond with the yellow light that their entire body coloring emanates. If you see that color there, emphasize it with a yellowish hilite. Have you looked at Paula’s Choice Chiffon? It is fantastically colored, fantastically matte, and fantastically priced.
Mascara : Dark Brown – be sure it’s darker than your eyeliner or the liner can look too harsh.
Bronzer : This is light skin. It can handle warmer tones but in a gentle dose. MAC Select Sheer Pressed powder goes on well and some of the lighter shades have some peachiness that could work as bronzer for this group. Go easy with the application so you don’t end up with an overly colorful face. That’s just practice.
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So glad to finally see your Spring color analysis. Been looking forward to it. Thank God you mention lipstick/eyeshadow that coordinate and use their names so we may shop.
I had a color analysis done in the late 70′s-early 80′s by a woman from Arkansas. I still have my colors in a clear vinyl wallet. Her business was called ColorOne. She was fabulous. No telling how many thousands of dollars I’ve saved because of her expertise. Her name for my coloring was Light and Bright.
I’m ready to do a new analysis just because it is so much fun and I like talking about it.
We Southern girls ( age 18 to 80) have been known to choose household paint colors and automobile colors using our Color Charts. I know a woman who got a long survey from Cadillac about why she bought her new fancy car. Her succinct response: because it’s on my color chart! (winter-she always buys frosty white cars) Why not look smashing whereever you are?
I should live in the South! I can easily imagine organizing my life around my colors. Why would I buy a dusty blue car and look bad in it??
You are so right about the savings. So it costs 200-300. So what? It’s a one-time expense. Buy 1 wrong suit and you’ve could have afforded an analysis.
Light and Bright, you’d be some kind of Spring. It would be worth having it done again to learn which of the 3 Springs and also to get a swatch book using today’s pigment technology. The reproducibility across fabric types, brilliance of the color, and durability have come a long way.
What would be a good blush shade for a light spring shade??? Thanks for thsi post it helps soo much!!!!
The color “Poppy Love” is discontinued, is there another lipstick or especially a gloss color that works great??
Sorry for all the questions but you seem to actually know and I have had such a hard time finding makeup shades that work!!!
Do you know of any pretty Salmon colored lipgloss or blush??
Hi, Arielle,
The biggest challenge with Spring is to find colours that are warm but not brownish. They must remain clear to be true to Spring’s colouring.
Would you say you fall on the cool side (do you look like a Summer with ash brown hair) or are you closer to Spring (yellow hair, very golden appearance).
I’ll keep you in mind when I shop. Clinique’s Precious Posy blush might work well. Look at Clinique Butter Shine in BabyBaby and PinkBeach while you’re there. L’Oreal True Match blushes in the lightest 1-2 levels are very good. They all appear warmish to me. The Cool 1-2 Baby Blossom looks very pretty but might work better on a Light Summer. You should look at Cover f/x Bronzer f/x in Gold too. Very nice, but still need a touch of rosiness on the front of the cheek.
I’ll work on the gloss issue and get back to you.
Light Spring’s lip gloss could be Clinique Extra Apricot (similar to Poppy Love) if you tend to be more golden, or Mimosa Blossom if you tend closer to Summer.
Precious Posy is nice for warm, Lancome Rose Fresque is good for cool, as is the L’Oreal colour above – but do use bronzer with it, or try it.
If you’re in Canada, Marcelle Nude Attitude makes nice eyeshadow, and I normally dislike palettes intensely. Marcelle also makes some nice, but very sheer, glosses called Rouge Reflex. Look at 30 (brighter), 52 (light), 40 (cooler).
THANKS for all the tips- I am LOVING the colors you have suggested!! I did find Poppy Love at Sephora (love it). You really know what colors work for Light Springs!!!!!
Do you have any tips for good night eye makeup colors for Light Springs???
Sorry I forgot to ask – what is a good haircolor to ahve if you are a light Spring? I have medium blonde hair lowlights (some gold in it) with some light golden blonde highlights (my eyes are blue with yellow around the middle)?? Thanks
” The Cool 1-2 Baby Blossom looks very pretty but might work better on a Light Summer. ”
I have this and it’s quite cool. The “N” one of the same value, I think it’s called “Precious Peach,” is much better for someone with warmth in her skin.
For Light Spring, you could consider Clinique in Butter Bronze. It adds some shine, which Spring and Winter do well if the skin is tight. For evening, the thing might be to look for the darker colours , but maybe it’s better to just wear more liner and mascara and a stronger lip. Do you have an opinion on this? I’m not sure going too dark will be flattering but you do need more impact.
For blush, Precious Posy is possible, maybe even Berry Delight if it’s evening. It will depend on how cool/warm and light/dark you are within the context of your season. Lancome Rose Fresque is pretty if you’re cool.
For lips, Clinique Peach Pop or Ambrosia if you’re warm. Extra Apricot and Mimosa Blossom are very pretty for day.
About the hair, you might look at http://12blueprints.com/louise-and-stevan-are-light-springs/
It depends on what colour you begin with and how cool or warm your colouring is within your Season.
Let me know if you have other questions. It helps if you send me a picture or a celebrity that has your hair colour/colouring.
So it is possible to be an ashy-haired Spring, then? Also, what about freckles? If they are a warm brown color, should I discount the coolness of the person’s hair and eyes?
If it helps to clarify, I’m trying to classify my little brother. I think he actually might be a Summer, rather than a Spring as I’ve thought; he’s developed an overall very-delicate coloring that appears to look better in soft colors. His coloring is yellower than our sister’s, which is why I thought he was a Spring; but in retrospect, it may have just been looking at a Light Summer next to a Cool Summer (which I believe she is). Proof of why we need 12-season theory. Anyway, his blonde hair has been darkening and turning ashy, and his eyes are muted turquoise with a brownish ring around the pupil but I believe his freckles (he both freckles and tans) are a warm color. Hence my question.
Ashley,
His colouring sounds very similar to my son’s, a True Summer.
Freckles are possible in any Season. You’ll soon meet Elisa at 12B, a True Summer with many freckles. Forget about them, they’re not instructive as to Season. Don’t get hung up on their colour. Look at the skin beyond them.
Any hair colour is possible in any Season. I see ash brown Light Springs a lot, though they tend to the cooler side.
It’s is all and only about skin. Forget the hair and eyes.
YOU ARE AWESOME!!!
I just got the Stila eye shadows you recommended, the Estee Lauder eyeliner, Lancomes Blush (Rose Fresque), and am using Clinique Mimosa Blossom or Extra Apricot lipgloss- it looks WONDERFUL!!! Thank you soo much, I have had the hardest time finding colors that work on me! THANKS!!!!
Hey! Glad to hear it. Great how all the colours work together, ay? Your clothes do the same thing. The idea is that your body, your clothes, your makeup, your hair….when the colours in all of them share the same properties of colour, magic happens.
I often hear “you have cool hair so we need to balance it with warm makeup” – a little crazy, it only sets up conflict, not harmony.
I just had to respond to MarySteele’s post – My Mom has been so into PCA for the past 25 -30 years that not only does she only buy cars in her colors (she’s a Winter so Black and Silver are her car colors of choice) but she makes my Dad buy cars in his colors (He’s a Spring and currently driving a Teal Green car with tan interior that he had to custom order in that combination)!
I think my Mom is a Cool Winter but she was draped before the 12 season system so we don’t know for sure. She looks ghastly in any earthtones and has very fair skin so she’s not a Deep, might be a Clear. My Dad is either what Sci/Art calls a True or possibly a Light Spring – he has very stereotypical Spring coloring: peachy skin, light blue eyes, golden blond that turned light brown and now gray hair.
I just had to let you know that I just had a PCA via sci/art here in my town and I am delighted to be a light spring. I have no problem in adjusting because I have been uncomfortable in cool colors since I was told I was a summer a decade ago. I even used your information to continue the wrong path but I started to have doubts when I read your postings about the yellow ring in the eye and the horrid appearing yellow -green which lights me up. So I kept my mouth shut during the draping about my previous analysis and let the drapes unfold. It also makes alot of sense regarding my personality; much like your partner I am fun but in the medical field where it does not always play well- I should have been a kindergarten teacher! But I am also an introvert so it is an interesting ying yang- I can be social but I have to recuperate for awhile! My stylist actually had her colors done by the sci/ART founder and they are quite upset still; and they cannot get the light spring color books due to a delay in the business. I have a spring in my step, my colors are in the stores now and the sun is shining for the first time in weeks! No one else cares what the correct colors do but I know this site does! Thanks
Hey, jaycee, it sounds like you learned a lot! The draping is an amazing process, ay? The number of ways to solve the question, the accuracy with which the drapes are coloured, the whole thing fascinates me more each day. I hope the Sci\ART company finds the strength they need to get through this ordeal. I’m having some delays getting Books too, but I think things are starting to flow again. You will indeed enjoy your shopping so much more. It takes a few months to fine tune your eye, but the day your PCA is done, you can already exclude the 90% worst choices.
More light sping mu color suggestions. ty
Looking for a salmon colored blush. TY
Would any of Bobbi Brown’s shimmer bricks work for light springs? TY
Kathleen,
Have you looked at Clinique’s Precious Posy?
The shimmer bricks are very sparkly. This complexion is delicate and light. This degree of frost looks really harsh on this complexion. Did you have a particular shade in mind?
TY Christine. I quess I should stop getting caught up with every idea on QVC! I will look @ the Clinique color.
Christine could you suggest a face powder color from Mac or Clinique that could be used by a light spring? TY
I forgot to add that the powder would be used as a bronzer.
Kathleen,
If you mean a pressed face powder, it depends entirely on the color of your skin. Any foundation or powder color could probably be used by 4 out of the 12 Seasons.
If you’re looking for the best quality and performance and colors for the money, without the QVC or gimmicks, the place to look is at http://www.beautypedia.com. There’s a sign-up fee that will pay for itself a thousand times over in the money you’ll save.
Healthy Tan is a possibility in a light application, though a brown-yellow color.
MAC’s Golden and Refined Golden look good. You just want something light and golden-peach, not muddy in the slightest.
I think Stila makes a 01 that’s nice too.
Christine would any of Bobbi Brown’s cream blushes work for light springs? TY
Christine do you have suggestions for any brand of mu for cream blushes for light springs? I am 65yrs old & powder does not look as good on my face.TY
I would also like suggestions for cream bronzers for light springs. Now I will leave you alone. I have bothered you enough. TY
Kathi,
Cream blush and bronzer are not my thing so I never look at them. I’ll put them on my list but I don’t see these in great color selections. If you have a sense of the colors that are working in lipsticks, your blushes are the same. Once you know your powder bronzers, look for the same in cream. I’ll keep it in my mind though.
TY Christine. Could you again describe the best colors for blush & bronzers for light springs?
Hi Christine. Ignore that last ? I can look back @ past posts & find the answers. My problem is since I have redness from Rosacea I guess I will have to stick with wearing bronzer instead of blush.
How about Merle Norman LUXIVA cream to powder blush in satin apricot. Also the Carmindy brand of Sally Hansen products might have a cream bronzer actually but I don’t know what shade is suitable for light spring.
PS I find Carmindy/ Sally Hansen brand at some but not all CVS pharmacies.
Satin Apricot is a possibility. I found it rather brown for a Spring, but not hopeless. They have to be careful with anything that could be called ‘earthy’ because it looks too heavy, but this is a possibility certainly. Stila 01 is a nice bronzer for the Light Springs. I looked for cream products at the Dept store yesterday but didn’t find anything. Less choice in Canada than the US.
Christine I know I am a pest but I want to find the right colors. I am a light spring,my natural hair color is “dirty blonde”,I have blue-green eyes & my lips are a pinky-brown color. I am 65yrs old. What are the best eye,lip & blush/bronzer colors? TY
I am a little bit confused about the concept of light springs. I often see women like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson or Avril Lavigne being labeled as light springs, or at least light seasons. But all these women clearly dye their hair blonde, and pictures from when they were younger show that they have natural medium to dark brown hair. I am not questioning that they are springs, or summers, but I don’t understand how they can be light seasons? Is it their skin tone that makes them light…?
Lois,
GOOD question!! GREAT question!! I use celebrity examples ONLY and ENTIRELY to illustrate a visual feeling of a coloring combination on a human being (as opposed to a clothing ensemble). I have not got a clue what Season these people are till they are systematically draped. Avril Lavigne could be a True Summer or Winter for all I know.
Another point … the hair color is irrelevant. Stop looking at it or thinking about it relative to Season. Many Light people have surprisingly dark hair, especially after it has darkened at maturity…but it not usually as dark as a Dark Season’s hair.
Skin tone is what makes them LIGHT. What PCA identifies is your common denominator color, the one that overlies every other color in your body or swatch palette, aka: undertone, the one that controls how every other color you wear reacts on your skin, the thing that every skin in a certain Season has in common.
Hi,
Since you have become an analyst what eye shadow colors would you recommend now for a light spring? What lipstick/ gloss?
Thanks a ton- Arielle
Arielle,
Benefit Badgal Brown is a nice mascara. Loreal True Match C1-2 if you’re on the cool side or N1-2 if you’re warmer are good blushes. Gosh Balm Sweetheart, Estee Lauder Honey Pink are nice lip colors. Look at 12blueprints.com for the article How Springs Intensify Eye Color.
Can a Light Spring wear Bobbi Brown bronzer in medium? TY
Christine do you think any of the mu for lt springs @ the Carol Thompson cosmetic site would work for light springs? TY
Any suggestions for a coral lip color for lt springs?
Kathleen,
You’re getting into territory I’m not familiar with (same with BB Bronzer in medium). I have to travel to see these products. But we’ve talked about a lot of Light Spring products – were you not pleased with them? Stila 01 Bronzer would be good.