Have you ever worn deep, saturated colors and felt they looked too harsh on you? Or tried on a soft pastel like icy pink or powder blue and noticed how it made your complexion look fresh and bright? If your natural coloring is cool, light, and delicate, you might be best suited to Light Summer!
Light Summer belongs to the 16-season color analysis system and is one of the coolest and lightest seasons, sitting between Light Spring and True Summer. This guide will help you determine if the Light Summer palette is your best, which colors enhance your features, and how to style them effortlessly.
How to Know If the Light Summer Palette is for You
A Light Summer has cool undertones, light overall coloring, and low contrast. If you resonate with the following characteristics, this may be your best season!
Key Characteristics
While characteristics don’t fully determine which of the 16-season color palettes may be your best, they can help narrow it down. If you have any of the following features (you don’t need all of them!), the Light Summer palette might be ideal:
Skin Tone
- Cool undertones with a rosy or neutral tint
- Skin is typically fair to light-medium, often with a translucent or porcelain quality
- Tends to burn easily and rarely tans
Hair Color
- Light ash blonde, soft beige blonde, or light ash brown
- Hair has cool or neutral undertones, with little to no golden warmth
Eye Color
- Generally light blue, soft green, gray-blue, or light hazel
- Eyes often have a soft, luminous appearance and may appear slightly translucent
✅ Quick Color Analysis Quiz: Is Light Summer Your Best Palette?
Answer YES if you…
✔ Look best in cool, light pastels like powder blue, lilac, or soft mint, but appear washed out in dark or warm shades
✔ Look better in silver jewelry than gold
✔ Have low contrast between your hair, skin, and eyes
Light Summer Palette Characteristics
With seasonal color analysis, there are generally 12 seasons, and some systems expand to 16 seasons for more nuance. Each season is defined by three main color dimensions: Hue (warm vs. cool), Value (light vs. dark), and Chroma (bright vs. soft).
Hue
The Light Summer palette is cool, though slightly softened by its connection to Light Spring. It contains no warm yellow undertones, but compared to True Summer, it’s more gentle and less blue-heavy.
- Includes cool pinks, light aquas, powder blues, soft lavenders, and cool greens
- Even neutral shades lean slightly cool or neutral-cool
Chroma
Light Summer colors are low-to-medium in saturation, meaning they are soft but not muddy. They have clarity without being bright or bold. Bordering with Light Spring gives this palette a bit more brightness than it’s sister palette True Summer.
- The palette avoids high saturation and favors subtly grayed pastels and cool neutrals
- Compared to Light Spring, Light Summer is less warm and a bit more refined and muted
Value
This palette is light in value, meaning the colors are pale to medium-light.
- It is one of the lightest palettes overall, with minimal dark tones
- Dark or overly saturated colors can overpower a Light Summer’s soft coloring
The Light Summer Color Palette
The Light Summer palette is soft, cool, and airy, inspired by clear skies, summer florals, and light-reflecting water. It gives a fresh and feminine feel, and its delicate colors are ideal for a gentle, refined wardrobe.
|
Best Shades |
How to Wear Them |
|
Powder Blue |
A soft blue blouse with light gray trousers |
|
Lavender |
A light purple dress with silver accessories |
|
Soft Aqua |
An aqua tank paired with ivory linen pants |
|
Cool Pink |
A pink cardigan over a white cotton dress |
|
Misty Gray |
A pale gray trench coat for a clean look |
These are just a few examples—Light Summer also includes soft lilac, pale mauve, icy mint, dove gray, and cool blush.
Colors to Avoid for Light Summers
These are colors with opposing color dimensions. Wearing shades that are too dark, too warm, or too intense can feel heavy or distracting on a Light Summer.
|
Avoid These Colors |
Choose These Instead |
|
True Black |
Charcoal or Deep Soft Navy |
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Warm Mustard |
Soft Butter Yellow or Cool Beige |
|
Tomato Red |
Icy Pink or Cool Rose |
|
Forest Green |
Light Aqua or Cool Mint |
Sister Palettes
For Light Summer, which is cool, light, and soft, the sister palettes are Light Spring and True Summer.
- Light Spring shares the same lightness but leans warm; it features more peach and yellow undertones and has a bit more brightness to it.
- True Summer shares the cool undertone but is deeper and more muted and smoky, with less brightness and lightness overall
If Light Summer is your best palette, you may be able to borrow some of the cooler or less intense shades from Light Spring and the lighter shades from True Summer.
Styling Your Light Summer Palette
A Light Summer wardrobe should feel fresh, soft, and effortless. Think linen shirts, breezy dresses, and pastel layering pieces that complement your coloring. Even though this palette screams summer wear, it can be adapted to other seasons and aesthetics. For example, pastel goth or light academia can be styled with these lighter colours while still staying true to the aesthetic and style.
✅ Best Outfit Combinations
🌸 Casual: A powder blue tee with white denim and silver sandals
💼 Workwear: A lavender blouse tucked into dove gray trousers with a misty gray blazer
🌙 Evening: A soft rose dress with pearl earrings and a cool pink lip
Hair & Makeup for Light Summers
For Light Summer, hair and makeup should reflect the season’s lightness and coolness. Avoid harsh contrasts and overly deep shades.
|
Feature |
Best Shades |
|
Lipstick |
Cool Pink, Soft Rose, Sheer Plum |
|
Blush |
Icy Pink, Cool Rose, Pale Mauve |
|
Eyeshadow |
Lavender, Dusty Blue, Dove Gray |
|
Jewelry/Metals |
Silver, White Gold, Rose Gold |
Hair for Light Summers should stay light and cool—ash blonde, light ash brown, or soft beige tones are ideal. If coloring, choose shades with no warmth or brassines as they will emphasize coolness in the skin or make the skin appear more sullen or grey. Super dark colours like dark brown or black can also be an issue with someone who suits the Light Summer palette as it may make you appear “washed out” or overwhelmed by the hair color - unless balanced with intense makeup and clothing colors as well.
FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About Light Summer
Q: How do I know if Light Summer is my best season or if I suit another summer season better? A: If you have light features, cool undertones, and low contrast, but find True Summer too deep or grey and Light Spring too warm or bright, you’re likely best suited to the Light Summer palette. Some will find themselves somewhere in between and can generally borrow from Light Spring and True Summer for more variety.
Q: Can Light Summers wear black? A: Black tends to overwhelm those that suit the Light Summer palette. Opt for misty gray, navy-gray, or soft charcoal instead. There are ways around this which can be found in this article on how to wear black for every season.
Q: What’s the difference between Light Summer and Light Spring? A: Light Summer is cool and soft, while Light Spring is warm and clear. Both palettes share the quality of lightness, which is a touch of white added to a pure color. Light Summer’s palette feels more muted and refined, while Light Spring is more golden and energetic.
Embrace Your Light Summer Beauty
Understanding your seasonal color palette allows you to build a wardrobe and beauty routine that works with your natural coloring, not against it. If the Light Summer palette resonates with you, embrace cool, soft hues and create a closet that feels cohesive, flattering, and effortless every day.
