Colour Theory | A Guide to Finding the Best Colour Palette For Your Skin Tone
There are no rules to personal style; however, by focusing on wearing colours that complement your skin tone, you can make getting dressed a more intuitive process.
Besides being a simple yet effective way to instantly brighten the complexion, choosing colours that suit your skin tone can also help simplify the process of curating your wardrobe by focusing on shades that work beautifully season after season.
If you find yourself asking, ‘What are my colours?’, keep reading for the Aje Report’s detailed guide to finding the best colour palette for your skin tone, including the seasonal colour families and the Aje styles to wear now.
What Are My Colours: How To Find The Hues That Suit You
To find the correct colour palette, you should first determine your skin’s undertone. As the word itself suggests, the ‘undertone’ signifies the tone of your skin from below the surface that influences your overall complexion.
Classically, there are three types of undertone in colour theory: warm, cool and neutral. Finding your dominant undertone is one way to discover which colours complement your complexion. This is because the undertone can reveal which hues create contrast against your complexion, making your eyes and skin appear brighter.
Below, uncover four techniques to find out whether your undertone leans warm, cool or neutral.
The White Paper Test
The ‘white paper test’ is arguably the simplest method for finding your undertone. Commence with a makeup-free face in natural light to best examine your skin. Take a piece of pure white paper, place it near your face, and consider how your face looks in contrast.
If you notice subtle gold, yellow, green or light brown tones beneath the surface, you have a ‘warm’ undertone. Conversely, if you find pigments that veer more towards blue, rose or pink, your undertone is cool. If your skin seems ashen or grey, you may have a neutral undertone.
Note that certain skin conditions can make it more difficult to observe your natural undertone. In such scenarios, have someone hold the paper test near the crease behind your ear.
The Jewellery Test
The ‘jewellery test’ is another method to reveal your skin’s undertone. Begin by holding a piece of silver and then gold jewellery against your face, and observe which piece creates the strongest contrast with your complexion. If you have a warm undertone, gold jewellery may give your complexion added warmth, while silver jewellery can appear more striking against a cool undertone.
The Vein Test & The Hair And Eye Colour Test
The Vein Test
Unlike the paper and jewellery tests, you don’t require any additional items to do the ‘vein test’. Simply take note of the colour of the veins in your wrist and hand. If your veins appear more blue or purple, that can indicate a cool undertone, while a green hue can suggest a warm undertone. If it doesn’t seem to be quite either, you may have a neutral undertone.
The Hair And Eye Colour Test
Although it is not a perfect method, examining your hair and eye colour can assist in finding your skin’s undertone. Typically, people with cooler undertones tend to have blue, green or grey eyes, with hair ranging from blue-black and almost-black brown to very light blonde.
Those with warm undertones often have varying shades of brown and amber eyes, with black, dark brown or caramel blonde hair. While not always the case, those with neutral undertones can have hazel eyes and natural hair with a mix of warm and cool highlights.
The Best Colours For Warm Skin Tones
If you have determined that you have a warm undertone, you should look to colours that share the same ‘golden’ quality. To bring out the naturally aurous quality in your complexion, lean towards rich shades of yellow, orange, burgundy, chestnut, deep berry, caramel and warm red.
That is not to say traditionally perceived ‘cool’ colours such as blue and green are off limits by any means, but that blue shades with yellow undertones, such as turquoise and olive, are far more flattering for warmer skin tones. When opting for neutrals, consider creamy off-whites, camel and chocolate.
The Best Colours For Cool Skin Tones
If your undertone is on the cooler side, opt for traditionally cool shades such as sapphire, cobalt blue, emerald, lavender, and ice blue. When considering warm hues, including pink and red, select shades with blue-leaning undertones, like ice pink or ruby. With neutrals, favour colours like navy, crisp white and classic grey.
The Best Colours For Neutral Skin Tones
Those with neutral skin tones have the benefit of suiting a broad range of hues, but tend to work particularly well with colours that fall in the middle of the spectrum – neither too bright nor too bold.
Consider a palette of dusty pink, medium green, jade, light peach and lagoon blue when opting for colour. In terms of neutrals, off-white, medium greys, black and coffee can complement a neutral complexion.
The Best Colours For Summer Skin Tones
True or Cool Summer
Skin: Cool undertones, with overtones ranging from medium beige to dark brown.
Eyes: Grey or blue.
Hair: Medium to dark, ashy tones of brown.
Colours to wear: Classic navy, cobalt blue, traditional rose, mint, violet, raspberry, dark emerald and evergreen.
The Best Colours For Summer Skin Tones
Light Summer
Skin: Predominantly neutral undertone that might lean slightly pink.
Eyes: Blue or green.
Hair: Medium to dark, ashy tones of brown.
Colours to wear: Lavender, light warm coral, baby blue, cool pink, cornflower, wisteria, primrose yellow and pastel green.
The Best Colours For Summer Skin Tones
Soft Summer
Skin: Neutral undertone that leans slightly warm, with overtone colours ranging from medium beige to dark brown.
Eyes: Blue, hazel or grey.
Hair: Ashy brown, ranging from medium to dark.
Colours to wear: Chocolate brown, dusty rose, marsala, lilac, cassis, soft white, true red, peacock and periwinkle blue.
The Best Colours For Autumn Skin Tones
Warm Autumn
Skin: Warm undertone with overtones ranging across ivory, olive and medium brown.
Eyes: Dark and golden to chocolate brown eyes with gold flecks.
Hair: Medium to dark brown or auburn with golden tones.
Colours to wear: Burgundy, golden yellow, rust, deep olive green, saffron, wine red, coral, aquamarine and warm blue.
The Best Colours For Autumn Skin Tones
Soft Autumn
Skin: Neutral undertone that might lean slightly warm.
Eyes: Light brown, green or hazel.
Hair: Blonde, strawberry blonde or brown hair.
Colours to wear: Peach, light olive, soft lime, moss, French blue, sage green, oyster white, cream, light coral, aubergine, warm grey and old gold.
For Soft Autumn, Avocado is one of the season’s key shades. The Vionette Gown in Avocado brings a soft green note to occasion dressing, while the Bellara Mini Dress in Avocado offers an easier option for summer events and daytime dressing.
The Best Colours For Autumn Skin Tones
Deep Autumn
Skin: Warm undertone, with overtones ranging across ivory, olive and medium to dark brown.
Eyes: Dark brown, brown-black, dark blue and green.
Hair: Medium to dark brown and black hair with golden tones.
Colours to wear: True red, deep teal, dark olive green, topaz, citrine, warm ruby, forest green, dark chocolate and soft white.
The Best Colours For Spring Skin Tones
True or Warm Spring
Skin: Warm undertone, with overtones ranging from warm beige to slightly tan.
Eyes: Light brown, hazel, green or blue.
Hair: Golden blonde, strawberry blonde, and auburn to dark, warm brown.
Colours to wear: Lime, yellow ochre, dusky peach, coral, tangerine, soft teal, sea green, aqua, ivory, evergreen, ginger and biscuit.
True or Warm Spring comes into its own through vivid, sunlit colour. Zest is one of the standout shades for the season, and the Sorela Mini Dress in Zest is an easy way to wear it now while the weather suits brighter colour. For occasion dressing, the Esmerina Gown in Zest and Antonella Gown in Zest bring the same energetic hue into evening dressing.
For a softer take on the palette, the Elara Gown in Coastal Sunset works across the warm spectrum, with its sunset gradient sitting naturally alongside Spring’s coral and tangerine tones. It is an easy pick for the run of events this summer.
The Best Colours For Spring Skin Tones
Clear or Bright Spring
Skin: Cool undertone that leans slightly pink, with overtones ranging from ivory to golden brown.
Eyes: Light brown, blue or blue.
Hair: Warm, golden blonde or brown hair, copper and auburn.
Colours to wear: Bright blue, watermelon, true red, azure, light emerald, dove grey, cobalt blue, violet and red coral.
The Best Colours For Spring Skin Tones
Light Spring
Skin: Cool undertone that veers slightly pink or peach, with pale overtones.
Eyes: Hazel, green, blue or light brown.
Hair: Light to medium golden brown, golden blonde, strawberry blonde and light red.
Colours to wear: Light aqua, soft teal, ivory, bluebell, cornflower blue, blush, periwinkle, shell pink, peppermint, pale peach, and primrose yellow.
The Best Colours For Winter Skin Tones
Clear Winter
Skin: Cool undertone that veers blue.
Eyes: Bright blue or green.
Hair: Black or medium to dark brown.
Colours to wear: Hot pink, cobalt blue, true red, violet, sapphire, azure, ice pink, acid yellow, emerald and light grey marle.
Ice Pink is a natural fit for Clear Winter’s cool, vivid palette. The Esmerina Gown in Ice Pink brings the shade into occasion dressing, while the Arlo Lace Midi Dress in Ice Pink offers a more romantic take on the same colour story. For a summer wedding right now, the Canyon Gown in Ice Pink is the statement piece to wear.
For future occasion dressing, the Odetta Midi Dress in Ice Pink extends the palette into an elegant midi silhouette, while the Cosima Mini Dress in Ice Pink offers a shorter interpretation of the shade.
The Best Colours For Winter Skin Tones
Deep or Dark Winter
Skin: Neutral undertone that veers blue with overtones that appear olive or warm.
Eyes: Black or dark brown.
Hair: Black or medium to dark brown.
Colours to wear: Deep claret, forest green, oakmoss, true red, garnet, navy, turquoise, cool ruby, chestnut red, sapphire, amethyst and white.
Colour theory is a useful starting point for understanding the shades that work with your natural colouring, but personal style is never limited to a single palette. Use your seasonal colour family as a guide, then experiment with the colours, prints and silhouettes that feel right for your wardrobe.
From the vivid Zest of the Sorela Mini Dress in Zest to the cool Ice Pink of the Canyon Gown in Ice Pink, the season offers plenty of ways to translate your colour palette into occasion dressing, everyday pieces and everything in between.
