The Universal Color Palette: A Guide to Colors That Work for Almost Everyone
When it comes to personal color analysis, one of the most exciting discoveries is finding the colors that are perfect for you. While most people have a perfect palette in the extensive 16 season color analysis system, some may find that they fall a bit “in between”. Maybe you’re someone who seems to pull off both gold and silver. Or you have a hard time fitting squarely into the categories of warm or cool, light or dark.
That’s where the Universal Palette comes in—a curated set of colors that flatter a wide range of skin tones by striking a perfect balance across the major dimensions of color: temperature, depth, and saturation. You may have heard of this concept of a universal palette before and there’s several interpretations of it. Let’s dive a bit deeper to understand why there is such a thing as a universal palette - and when it makes sense to use. And keep reading because later I’ll reveal the real universal color that you can’t go wrong with!
Why Create a Universal Palette?
Most color analysis systems divide people into distinct seasonal categories based on their natural coloring. While this can be incredibly helpful, some individuals live at the intersection of two or more seasons. These people can wear:
- Both warm and cool tones
- Medium contrast or medium saturated colors.
- Colors that are not too bright, but also not too soft. Not too light but also not too dark.
A universal palette bridges these gaps. It’s especially useful for:
- Stylists creating versatile wardrobes for clients
- Makeup artists choosing shades that work across many faces
- Anyone feeling overwhelmed by color theory who just wants some easy and safe colors to add to their wardrobe
The 3 Dimensions of Color
To understand why the universal palette works, it helps to briefly explore the core dimensions of color analysis:
1. Temperature (Warm vs. Cool)
Temperature refers to the underlying bias of a color. Warm tones have a yellow, peach, or golden undertone, while cool tones lean toward blue, pink, or violet.
Universal colors are either:
- True neutrals (balanced between warm and cool)
- Warm-cool blends (e.g., a pink-beige, teal, or soft plum)
2. Depth (Light vs. Dark)
Depth describes how light or dark a color is. Light colors flatter those with delicate coloring, while deeper shades suit higher contrast.
Universal colors tend to sit in the medium range—not too pastel, not too deep—making them adaptable.
3. Saturation (Muted vs. Bright)
Saturation refers to how bright or dull a color appears. Muted tones are soft and powdery, while saturated tones are vibrant.
The Universal Palette favors medium saturation—colors are clear enough to feel alive but softened just enough to avoid overpowering.
Other Color Analysis Factors
In addition to the three core dimensions, advanced color analysis also considers:
- Contrast level (difference between features like skin, eyes, and hair)
- Surface tone (olive, neutral, peachy, etc.)
- Overtone vs. undertone (the visible surface tone vs. the undertone beneath)
The universal palette simplifies this by staying centered. Most of its colors have:
- Medium contrast
- Neutral to balanced undertones
- Adaptability to multiple surface tones
What’s In the Universal Palette?
This carefully selected palette includes 20 shades that straddle the middle ground:
- Neutrals like soft charcoal, greige, warm stone, and creamy beige
- Balanced brights like teal, dusty coral, and vibrant lavender
- Muted midtones like dusty rose, amethyst smoke, and soft denim blue
These colors work in clothing, makeup, accessories, and branding. They suit professional settings, casual outfits, and everything in between.
Want the full digital palette for shopping? Get it here:
Who Is This For?
This palette is ideal for:
- People who straddle seasons like Soft Summer/Soft Autumn or True Summer/True Autumn
- Those who tan easily but don’t burn (neutral skin tones)
- Anyone who looks equally good in gold and silver
- People with medium contrast features (e.g., medium brown hair and eyes with beige or olive skin)
Even those who fall into specific seasons can use this palette as a base for building cohesive wardrobes or finding universally flattering "safe" shades.
The Ultimate Universal Color
If you made it this far, I want to let you in on a little secret… what if I told you there’s a color that you pretty much can’t go wrong with? That color is green. Why? Green is a mix between blue (a cool color) and yellow (a warm color). Because of this mix in temperature, many shades of green are actually neutral. You’ll notice that toned down shades of green are in the universal palette. A general rule is as long as you don’t go too bright (think: neon) or too light (think: easter pastel green) - you should be good to try many shades of green.
Color analysis is a powerful tool, but it’s not always black and white. The Universal Palette offers flexibility, approachability, and harmony for those who want to look their best without the guesswork. Whether you're a stylist, creator, or someone on a personal style journey, these 20 shades provide a reliable starting point for color confidence.
Need help customizing your own palette? Curious which colors might be your personal best? Reach out for a virtual color analysis or explore more styling resources on the blog!
