Why “You Can Be Any Season” Matters
For decades, traditional Color Analysis grouped people into four neat categories — Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn — based largely on Western beauty standards. It was a good foundation, but far from complete.
Many clients with deeper or more complex undertones found themselves being automatically grouped into a deeper season, usually Winter or Autumn. Even worse, some analysts would use outdated rules like you “can’t” be a Spring or Summer with a deeper skin tone. This creates a very limiting service for women of color.
The truth is: any skin tone can be in any season. If we look at color theory which is the foundation of color analysis, this makes sense.
The deciding factor isn’t how light or dark your skin is — it’s the undertone, value contrast, and clarity of your overall coloring. Even factors like how bright or soft your skin texture is can play a part in which season suits you best.
This is a big reason I use the 16 Season Color Analysis system and tend to ignore the limiting “rules” that have been restrictive in the past. It expands the original framework into a far more nuanced, inclusive approach that celebrates individuality instead of generalizing it. That way, women of color can get an accurate color analysis without being boxed into one of two seasons.
The Evolution of Color Analysis
The 4-Season Beginning
In the 1980s, Color Analysis really blew up as a concept. Finally, someone connected clothing colors to complexion. But the model was based on mostly white skin tones.
“Warm” often meant peachy or golden. “Cool” meant pink or rosy. The range didn’t include olive, golden-brown, or deep ebony tones — even though those undertones exist in every race and ethnicity. Obviously this creates a problem.
The 12-Season Expansion
As color analysis advanced, professionals realized the 4 seasons were too limiting. The 12 Season Color Analysis model added transitional palettes (like Soft Autumn and Light Summer) to capture more subtle variations but representation was still lacking. Unfortunately, a lot of outdated rules and ways of thinking crept into “guidelines” attached to each of the subseasons, resulting in a lot of people of colour being told they suit Winter or Autumn and being boxed into these color palettes.
The 16-Season System
Finally, the 16 Season Color Analysis system added four “bridge” palettes that recognize the undertone and chroma variations that exist across all complexions. It’s not about dividing people further — it’s about offering both accuracy and variety that truly suits everyone’s skin tones and style needs.
My goal with this post is to show that color analysis can be inclusive and hopefully encourage more stylists and color analysts to adopt this way of thinking. Let’s take a look at some examples to show that there can be a range of skin tones in every season and subseason.
Something to note - most celebrity examples online are speculation (and a bit of educated guessing) as there is limited info out there on actual analysis results.
Winter Family
Cool | Deep | Clear
Winters shine in cool, high-contrast palettes from icy pastels to jewel tones. Contrary to old stereotypes, those who suit the Winter palettes aren’t always pale skinned or light-eyed.
Celebrity examples:
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Deep Winter: Naomi Campbell, Li Bingbing, Jenna Ortega, Demi Moore
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True Winter: Janelle Monae, Padma Lakshmi, Jameela Jamil, Jamie-Lee Curtis
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Bright Winter: Lupita Nyong'o, Jisoo (of Blackpink), Tamannaah Bhatia, Danai Gurira
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Soft Winter: Constance Wu, Naomie Harris, Gemma Chan, Rosario Dawson
Why it matters: The Winter family proves that “cool undertone” isn’t code for light skin — it’s about how your skin reflects cool hues without turning ashy.
Autumn Family
Warm | Rich | Earthy
Autumns thrive in golden warmth, spicy browns, and deep greens.
These tones show beautifully across a wide range of skin tones — from porcelain with golden undertones to rich espresso skin with warm depth.
Celebrity examples:
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True Autumn: Jennifer Lopez, Aishwarya Rai, Julianne Moore, Alicia Burke
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Deep Autumn: Viola Davis, Serena Williams, Angela Bassett, Julia Roberts
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Soft Autumn: Tyra Banks, Vanessa Williams, Rihanna, Catherine Li
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Light Autumn: Mindy Kaling, Brenda Song, Drew Barrymore, Rashida Jones
👉 Why it matters: Warmth shows up in every ethnicity — sometimes through a golden undertone, sometimes through that natural sun-lit glow.
Summer Family
Cool | Soft | Blended
Summers are defined by gentle coolness and lower contrast.
They glow in rose, lavender, periwinkle, and slate grey — colours that bring out calm harmony.
Celebrity examples:
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True Summer: Margaret Qualley, Lisa Bonet, Constance Wu, Beverly Johnson
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Soft Summer: Leona Lewis, Dakota Johnson, Kim Go Eun, Jasmine Sanders
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Light Summer: Nicki Minaj, Tessa Thompson, Lee Ji-eun (IU), Cate Blanchett
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Deep Summer: Freida Pinto, Lucy Liu, Kerry Washington, Gugu Mbatha
👉 Why it matters: Cool tones aren’t exclusive to fair skin — deeper complexions often reveal the same pink, red, or blue undertones that define Summer.
Spring Family
Warm | Bright | Fresh
Springs are radiant, warm, and light-filled — think sunrise tones and luminous clarity.
They shine in peach, coral, turquoise, and golden beige.
Celebrity examples:
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Light Spring: Jacqueline Fernand, Maya Jama, Sophie Turner, Taeyeon
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True Spring: Jennifer Hudson, Amy Adams, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Son Ye-Jin
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Bright Spring: Rebel Wilson, Solange Knowles, Jamie Chung, Anushka Sharma
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Soft Spring: Deepika Padukone, Alicia Keys, Priyanka Chopra, Yara Shahidi
👉 Why it matters: Warmth doesn’t always mean light — Spring warmth can exist in fair or deep skin, as long as there’s brightness and clarity.
How Inclusivity Changed the Industry
When we move from 4 to 16 seasons, we stop defining beauty by contrast level or skin depth. We start seeing undertone as universal.
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Olive skin can be cool, neutral, or warm.
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Dark skin can be icy (Winter), rosy (Summer), golden (Autumn), or clear and bright (Spring).
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Fair skin can be warm and golden or cool and porcelain.
That’s why no one can “look like” a season — you harmonize with one.
The 16 Season Color Analysis system finally gives language to that harmony, proving that diversity isn’t an exception — it’s the rule.
The Role of Virtual Color Analysis
Technology has made inclusivity even easier to access.
Through calibrated lighting, detailed questionnaires, and professional undertone testing, Virtual Color Analysis allows stylists to work with clients from all over the world.
No matter your geography, melanin level, or undertone complexity, your perfect palette can be identified accurately — without relying on in-person light or old assumptions.
Final Thoughts
From 4 to 16 seasons, Color Analysis has evolved from a one-size-fits-all model to a truly inclusive tool for everyone.
When you stop guessing and start understanding how undertone, value, and chroma play together, you’ll see that there’s no such thing as “too dark for Spring” or “too warm for Winter.”
Any skin tone can be any season.
What matters is how your features, undertone, and contrast work together in harmony.
Ready to find your real palette? Book a Virtual Color Analysis and see how the 16 Season system celebrates you — exactly as you are.
