Why These Myths Won’t Go Away
If you’ve ever tried to figure out your season using an online quiz, TikTok video, or Facebook thread, you’ve probably seen a few of these claims:
“Look at your veins to see if you’re warm or cool.”
“If gold jewelry suits you, you’re warm — if silver suits you, you’re cool.”
“Freckles mean you’re definitely an Autumn.”
“Your hair color determines your season.”
“You can only wear colors from your palette.”
It’s no wonder people feel confused or misdiagnosed.
As a stylist offering both Virtual Color Analysis sessions and in-person Colour Analysis in Niagara Falls, I hear these myths from almost every client before we even start. Many arrive frustrated, saying they’ve tried to figure it out on their own — but the answers never feel consistent or right.
Let’s clear the air and talk about what actually determines your color season, especially within the 16 Season Color Analysis system.
Myth #1: Your Hair Color Determines Your Season
This is the most common misconception. People assume blonde = Spring, redhead = Autumn, brunette = Winter. But it’s rarely that simple.
Your hair can change dramatically throughout your life — you might lighten it, darken it, or see natural greying — yet your undertone remains the same. That’s why two people with identical hair shades can belong to completely different seasons.
For example:
-
A deep brunette with a cool undertone may belong to the Deep Winter palette.
-
Another brunette with a warm golden undertone may be a Deep Autumn instead.
I’ve even heard two very common (and limiting) myths: that blondes can’t be Winters and redheads can’t be a cool season. The idea is that those with blonde hair don’t have enough contrast for Winter colours - but I’ve seen clients that suit the Winter shades best, even with blonde hair (especially if it’s a high contrast or icy blonde). It’s also very possible to have warm hair (red, golden brown) but cool toned skin. Humans are very unique and so is our colouring. The beauty of the 16 season color analysis system is that there is room for these unique combinations of colouring - and a perfect palette for everyone!
Hair can enhance or soften your overall look, but it’s not the foundation of your palette. Your skin’s undertone — the hue beneath the surface — is.
Myth #2: The Vein Test Reveals Your Undertone
If you’ve ever heard, “Look at your wrist veins — green means warm, blue means cool,” you’re not alone. It’s one of the internet’s favorite “color hacks.”
Here’s why it doesn’t work:
-
Lighting changes everything. Indoor vs. outdoor light, shadows, and even phone camera settings can alter what you see.
-
Veins aren’t consistent indicators. They’re influenced by blood oxygenation, depth in the skin, and other biological factors that have nothing to do with undertone.
-
Mixed undertones exist. Many people see both green and blue and even purple, or can’t tell at all which leads to even more confusion.
The only reliable way to determine undertone is through direct comparison - how your skin interacts with different colors in real time. That’s exactly what we test during a 16 Season Color Analysis session.
Myth #3: The Gold vs. Silver Jewelry Test
This one is classic advice from old beauty magazines: if you look better in gold, you’re warm; if you look better in silver, you’re cool.
The truth? Metals can flatter you for different reasons that have nothing to do with undertone:
-
The finish (matte vs. shiny) can make a bigger difference than the color.
-
Some people have neutral undertones that look equally harmonious in both.
-
And many modern palettes — especially in the 16 Season Color Analysis system — include flexibility in metals. For instance, a Soft Summer might look best in brushed gold, while a Soft Autumn could wear muted silver beautifully.
Relying on one piece of jewelry under bathroom lighting is not enough to define your season. Check out this blog post to see the range of metals that work for each season.
Myth #4: Freckles Automatically Mean You’re a Warm Season
Freckles are pigmentation — not undertone. They can appear on both warm and cool complexions. What matters is the base tone of your skin, not whether you have freckles or not.
For example:
-
A Cool Summer with freckles will still glow in soft blues and cool pinks.
-
A Warm Autumn with freckles will look radiant in earthy oranges and olive greens.
Freckles add character and charm, but they don’t automatically push you into the warm category.
Myth #5: Your Palette Limits What You Can Wear
This one might be the biggest mindset shift.
Some people shy away from color analysis because they think it’s a set of rigid rules — a list of approved shades that restrict creativity. But the truth is, your palette is a framework, not a rulebook.
Knowing your color palette doesn’t mean you can never wear black if you’re a Spring or that a Winter can’t enjoy ivory. It simply gives you a starting point for harmony. Once you understand your undertone and contrast level, you can adjust and make both your in palette and out of palette colours work for you:
-
A Spring might balance black by pairing it with a bright coral lipstick.
-
A Winter might wear a warmer neutral by keeping the rest of the look high-contrast.
Your 16 Season Color Analysis palette helps you understand why certain shades work, so you can bend the “rules” intentionally instead of randomly guessing.
What Actually Determines Your Season
Here’s what we actually look for during a professional Color Analysis — whether it’s a Virtual Color Analysis session or an in-person draping at my Niagara Falls studio:
-
Undertone — Warm vs. cool. The consistent hue beneath your skin.
-
Value — Light vs. deep. The contrast between your features (skin, hair, eyes).
-
Chroma — Muted vs. bright. How vibrant or soft your natural coloring is.
During a 16 Season Color Analysis, we assess how your skin reacts to different drapes — does it brighten, dull, or even out? Does your face come alive or fade away? These subtle shifts tell us far more than any vein test or jewelry trick ever could.
Why Modern Color Analysis Is So Much More Precise
Older 4 season systems categorized everyone into Winter, Spring, Summer, or Autumn. It was a great starting point — but far too broad.
The 16 Season Color Analysis system adds nuance by including four subcategories within each main season:
-
Winter: True, Deep, Bright, Soft
-
Spring: True, Light, Bright, Soft
-
Summer: True, Light, Soft, Deep
-
Autumn: True, Deep, Soft, Light
This allows us to find the exact intersection of undertone, contrast, and chroma — not just a rough estimate. It’s the difference between guessing and seeing your harmony.
A Real Example From My Studio in Niagara Falls
One client came in convinced she was an Autumn because of her strawberry blonde hair and freckles. But as we worked through her color analysis, she lit up in cool, berry-based tones — not warm golds. Her freckles were neutral, her undertone cool, and her overall contrast soft. She turned out to be a Soft Summer — proof that the old “rules” don’t hold up.
Another client from Toronto believed she was a Spring because she “looked good in gold.” Yet under our test drapes, her skin came alive in icy tones. She was actually a Bright Winter — cool, clear, and radiant. She was able to get away with both bright gold and silver jewellery.
Both walked away saying the same thing: “I finally get why some colors work and others don’t.”
The Takeaway: Color Analysis Is About Harmony, Not Rules
Forget about the vein test, jewelry trick, or hair color assumption. These myths reduce a nuanced, exploratory process to a guessing game.
A professional 16 Season Color Analysis is about seeing your harmony in action — how your skin responds, how your features balance, and which shades truly make you light up.
Whether you book a Virtual Color Analysis from home or an in person colour analysis in Niagara Falls with me, you’ll walk away with a personalized palette that simplifies shopping, styling, and even packing for travel.
No rules. Just clarity.
Ready to Discover Your Real Season?
If you’ve been trying to guess your palette using internet tricks, it’s time to get real answers. A Virtual Color Analysis or in-person Color Analysis Niagara Falls session will show you exactly where you fall within the 16 seasons — and how to use that insight to make every color in your wardrobe work harder for you.
Book your session today and experience what happens when color finally clicks.
