“Am I warm or cool?”
It’s the question almost everyone asks first with color analysis — and for good reason. Temperature is one of the core dimensions of colour. But it’s also the most misunderstood.
If you’ve ever tried the vein test, held jewellery up to your face, or stared at your skin under different lights trying to find an answer… you’re not alone.
And if none of those tests ever felt definitive? You’re also not alone.
Let’s break down what warm vs. cool actually means when it comes to 16 season color analysis. How it shows up across different palettes, the myths to stop believing, and how to tell the difference when you’re shopping.
What “Warm” vs. “Cool” Actually Means
At its simplest:
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Warm colours have a yellow, golden, or peachy undertone
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Cool colours have a blue, pink, or icy undertone
But here’s the key: Temperature is not about what you see on a colour swatch — it’s about the undertone beneath the colour.
For example:
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Red can be warm (tomato) or cool (cherry).
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Green can be warm (olive) or cool (emerald).
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Even purple can shift warm or cool depending on whether it leans toward red or blue.
This is why simply looking at your skin tone isn't enough. Colour analysis isn’t about your surface colouring — it’s about how colours interact with your undertone.
Warm vs. Cool Comparisons in the 16-Season Color Analysis System
The beautiful part of the 16 season colour analysis system is the nuance. Temperature isn’t all-or-nothing — it shifts gently between seasons, allowing room for in-between types that traditional 4- or 12-season systems miss.
Here’s how warm and cool show up across palettes:
Cool Palettes (Winters + Summers)
What you’ll find with the cool palettes is that they are overall cool, however they do have some warm-leaning colours in them. When it comes to super warm colours, generally you’ll find cooler versions of yellow in the Winter and Summer palettes, however you won’t see oranges or beiges.
Common features:
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Blue-based undertones
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Icy, muted, or jewel-tone depth
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Colours that create clarity, brightness in the eyes, and evenness in the skin
Examples:
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Cool Red: raspberry, wine
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Cool Green: emerald, pine
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Cool Yellow: very pale lemon (true warm yellows don’t live in these palettes)
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Cool Pink: fuchsia, mauve
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Cool Neutral: charcoal, navy, icy grey
Cool Seasons in the 16 season color analysis system: True Winter, Deep Winter, Soft Winter, Bright Winter, Light Summer, True Summer, Soft Summer, Deep Summer
Warm Palettes (Autumns + Springs)
What you’ll find with the warm palettes is that they are overall warml, however they do have some cool-leaning colours in them. Here’s where the warm palettes are a bit different - you’ll usually see a representation of every colour in them, even blue which is usually considered a “cool” colour. The colour you usually don’t see in any of the warm palettes is black.
Common features:
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Golden or peachy undertones
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Earthy, lively, or glowing colours
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Shades that bring warmth to the skin rather than contrast
Examples:
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Warm Red: brick, coral
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Warm Green: olive, chartreuse
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Warm Yellow: mustard, marigold
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Warm Pink: salmon, peach
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Warm Neutral: camel, warm taupe, soft brown
Warm Seasons in the 16 season color analysis system: True Autumn, Soft Autumn, Deep Autumn, Light Autumn, Light Spring, True Spring, Bright Spring, Soft Spring
Why Warm vs. Cool Isn’t Enough
A lot of DIY colour analysis stops at “warm vs. cool.” That’s like trying to plan your entire wardrobe using only your shoe size — helpful, but wildly incomplete.
Colour analysis also depends on:
1. Value
How light or deep the colour is. Two people can both be warm, but one needs soft, light colours and the other thrives in deep, saturated tones.
2. Chroma
How bright or muted a colour is.Some warm seasons sparkle in bright spring colours, while others look best in soft, autumn earth tones.
3. Contrast
How much difference exists between your colouring features (skin, hair, eyes). This affects how bold or subtle your palette should be.
Temperature can be the starting point, never the final answer.
Warm vs. Cool Myths
These myths cause more confusion than clarity — so let’s break them down.
Myth 1: The Vein Test
This is the number one “trick” I see online that is super inaccurate and not helpful. We all have different shades of vein colours under our skin - anywhere from blue, to purple to green. If you have a lighter skin tone or more translucent skin, you tend to see your veins a bit more. Regardless of your vein colour, this won’t necessarily tell you if you suit wearing cool or warm colours.
Myth 2: The Gold vs. Silver Test
Another test I’ve seen a lot of online is holding gold or silver jewellery up to your wrist and seeing if that shows warmth or coolness. Here’s the deal - while silver and gold fabric drapes can be eye opening in terms of undertone, using a small piece of jewellery is not going to help determine coolness or warmth.
The real secret? Each season actually has a range of different metals that suit them from most flattering to least cohesive. For example, the “warm” season of Deep Autumn can usually get away with wearing antique silver.
Myth 3: The Quick Look Test
The surface coloring of our skin doesn’t tell the whole story. Redness, tanning, makeup, rosacea, and lighting all interfere. Quick look tests can be inaccurate because we’re making a quick assumption based on a few clues, but not how the person actually looks in different colours. For example, I’ve seen those with a tan automatically be labelled as warm, and those with pale skin automatically labelled as cool.
This is why draping with different colors is so powerful — it reveals how your skin looks when compared to different colours.
How to Tell Warm vs. Cool When You’re Shopping
Even if you don’t know your exact season yet, you can still get better at spotting warm vs. cool while browsing.
Here’s what to look for:
1. Check the undertone, not the colour name.
Brands will label colours “mauve,” “wine,” “sage,” etc. — all of which mean nothing. It’s really just marketing. To start developing an eye for warm and cool colours, try to imagine what the color is mixed with. More yellow = warm and more blue = cool. So for any color other than yellow and blue, consider what you think is added to it. This is where grade school color theory comes in! Or better yet, if you’ve ever mixed paints, you’ve likely got a bit of an eye for this.
2. Compare two similar colours side-by-side.
It’s easier to see undertone when you look at pairs. Comparing a warm red and a cool red will bring out the differences in both. The same goes for any shade of green, purple, blue, you name it. Here are some examples below:
3. Notice what it does to your face.
Hold the item up under your chin in natural light. Ask:
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Does my skin look smoother or blotchier?
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Do my eyes look brighter or duller?
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Does my face look shadowed or lifted?
Temperature Is Step One, Not the Destination
Warm vs. cool is foundational — but it’s not the whole picture. Your best colours come from the full combination of:
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undertone
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depth
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chroma
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contrast
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your personal style
That’s why the 16-season colour analysis system is so helpful. It captures the nuance that binary warm vs. cool simply can’t.
If you’ve been trying to figure out your undertone on your own and nothing feels definitive, that’s incredibly normal. Colour behaves differently on every face — this is why I always approach draping collaboratively, not rigidly.
If you’re curious to explore your palette more deeply (whether virtually or in person), I’d love to help you find the colours that truly light you up.
Book your virtual color analysis
