Choosing the right colors for your wardrobe can be tricky, especially when deciding between Light Summer vs Light Spring. While both seasons share a soft, fresh vibe, finding the one that best suits your natural tones can transform your look. In this guide, we’ll help you discover the perfect palette to boost your confidence. Let’s dive in!
Light Spring vs Light Summer: A General Overview
When it comes to color analysis, Light Spring and Light Summer might seem similar at first glance, but they have key differences that make them unique. Both seasons are light, soft, and gentle, but their underlying tones create distinct looks. Here’s how to tell them apart:
Light Spring
Light Spring is all about warmth and brightness. With colors like peach, coral, and warm yellow, it brings a sunny, glowing energy. The overall look is light and vibrant, with a golden undertone that adds warmth to the skin.
- Undertones: Golden, warm glow that adds a sunny energy
- Hair: Light golden blonde, strawberry blonde, or light copper with golden undertones
- Eyes: Warm, often with a sunburst pattern or light golden flecks
- Best for: Those who shine in vibrant, warm hues
Light Summer
In contrast, Light Summer is considered cool, soft, and serene. This color season is characterized by cooler, more muted tones like soft blues, lavender, and cool pinks. The overall effect is calm and elegant, with an ashy undertone that gives a subtle, understated beauty.
- Undertones: Subtle, cooler, slightly ashy undertones
- Hair: Very light ash blonde, light ash brown, or soft medium ash blonde
- Eyes: Cool-toned, such as light gray, azure, or pale green, often with a crackled glass pattern
- Best for: Those who look best in softer, cooler shades
Comparing Light Summer vs Light Spring Key Aspects
The key differences between Light Summer and Light Spring lie in the warmth, energy, and subtle qualities that define each season. Let’s review the following 4 aspects to illustrate their differences:
1. Warmth vs. Coolness
This aspect ties into the wider Spring vs Summer distinction in color analysis, where Spring is typically associated with warmth and brightness, while Summer leans toward cooler, softer tones. Following the same logic, Light Spring exhibits warmth while its Summer counterpart exhibits coolness.
So, think of Light Spring as a sunny spring morning that brings warmth and radiance. The overall vibe is golden and glowing. In contrast, Light Summer has a cooler, more muted energy, much like a calm summer afternoon with a gentle breeze.
2. Color Palette
Light Spring thrives in bright, clear colors like peach, coral, and soft yellow. These hues have a fresh, vibrant feel. Light Summer, however, leans toward softer, cooler shades such as light blue, lavender, and cool pink. The colors are more muted and subtle, giving a calm and peaceful vibe.
3. Hair and Eyes
Light Spring celebrities radiate warmth, with stars like Amanda Seyfried, Evan Rachel Wood, and Candice Swanepoel exemplifying this sub-season. These stars tend to possess golden and warm hair, like light golden blonde or strawberry blonde, often with natural highlights. Their eyes have a bright, sunburst-like quality: to illustrate, notice Taylor Swift’s clear blue eyes, reflecting the freshness of the color season.
In contrast, Light Summer hair is ashy, with shades like light ash blonde or ash brown. Eyes are cool-toned, such as light gray, soft green, or pale blue, often reflecting a calm, serene tone.
4. Contrast
Light Spring works with bright, clear colors that create a higher contrast, making your features pop. Light Summer, on the other hand, embraces softer, low-contrast combinations that create a harmonious, serene look with subtle blending between skin, hair, and eyes.
How to Know If You’re Light & Cool (Light Summer)
In Color Me Beautiful, Veronique Henderson suggests the following steps to determine if you’re a Light Summer with cool undertones:
- Examine your hair color in bright light. Do you notice any ash or cool tints?
- Check your skin tone: does it have a pinkish, rather than a peachy, undertone?
- Do your eyes appear pale, serene, and misty in appearance?
Additionally, Light Summers tend to have an overall muted look, with cool secondary characteristics.
How to Know If You’re Light & Warm (Light Spring)
In Color Me Beautiful, Henderson lists the following recommendations to determine if you’re a Light Spring with warm undertones:
- Look at your hair color in natural or artificial light. Do you notice warm or strawberry-blonde tints?
- Does your skin have a subtle golden undertone?
- Are your eyes bright and clear?
Light Springs generally have warm secondary characteristics. Some of the colors in your palette can be bright and clear to complement your bright eyes.
Light Spring vs Light Summer Color Palette
On the left, you’re seeing the Light Spring palette, which features warm, fresh colors like soft peach, coral, light yellow, and minty greens. These colors are bright, lively, and have a sunny, vibrant feel.
On the right, the Light Summer palette includes cooler, more muted tones — think soft lavender, cool pinks, light blues, and minty blues. These colors are calm, gentle, and have a cooler, more serene vibe compared to the warmth of Light Spring.
Ultimately, the key difference between the Light Spring vs Light Summer color palette lies in warmth and brightness: Light Spring has warm, vibrant colors, while Light Summer has cooler, softer tones.
Final Thoughts
The magic of finding your true seasonal palette – whether it’s Light Spring’s golden warmth or Light Summer’s cool serenity – goes beyond just enhancing your natural features. When we dress in colors that truly resonate with our natural features, we stop filling our closets with “maybe” pieces and start building a wardrobe we actually love wearing. So, consider building your closet around your ideal season, so that it stands the test of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Light Spring is characterized by warm, vibrant colors, like peach and coral, which give off a golden, sunny vibe. Light Summer, on the other hand, is cooler, with more muted tones like soft blues and lavenders, creating a calm, serene energy.
Light Summers are best suited to cooler, softer shades like lavender, light blue, and cool pink. These hues are more muted, giving a serene and calm vibe that enhances the cool undertones in their skin, creating an elegant, understated look.
Hair color plays a big role in determining whether you’re Light Spring or Light Summer. Light Springs have golden or strawberry blonde hair with a warm undertone, while Light Summers have ashy tones, such as light ash blonde or soft ash brown, reflecting cooler undertones.
While there may be a bit of overlap, it’s important to stick to colors that match your undertones. Light Spring colors are warmer and brighter, while Light Summer colors are cooler and softer. Wearing the right shades will complement your natural look.
To determine if you’re a Light Spring or Light Summer, check your hair and skin under natural light. Light Springs typically have warm, golden hues in their hair and skin, while Light Summers will have cooler, ashy tones in both. Pay attention to how colors look on you!
Light Springs tend to have higher contrast in their features, with bright colors that make their features pop. In contrast, Light Summers have a more subtle, low-contrast appearance. Their softer, muted colors blend harmoniously with their skin, hair, and eyes for a peaceful look.
