colormatch

What colours look good on me?

The short answer: the ones that lean the same way your own colouring does. The seven questions below work out which way that is, and give you the list.

A colour near your face throws light back onto your skin. A shade that matches the warmth and depth already there evens your skin out and makes your eyes the thing people notice. A shade that fights it puts a cast on your face, and the face is what looks wrong rather than the jumper.

That is the whole mechanism, and it is why the answer is different for different people rather than being a list of flattering colours everyone should own. Answer the questions and you get your own list.

Question 1 of 7

Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in daylight. What colour are they?

Daylight near a window works better than a lamp.

Four answers, depending on who is asking

Every colouring lands in one of four groups. These are the palettes each one is asking for — click through for the full set with codes, or use the quiz above if you do not know yours yet.

If you are a spring

Warm and light. Spring colours are warm, fresh and full of light, like a garden in early morning sun. They have yellow or golden warmth in them and stay bright rather than dusty. Next to these colours your skin usually looks rested and even.

  • Coral#E8734A
  • Peach#F0A878
  • Golden Yellow#E8B33C
  • Apple Green#84B23C
  • Warm Turquoise#2F9E9E

The full spring palette

If you are a summer

Cool and soft. Summer colours are cool and gentle, as if a little grey has been mixed into them. Think of a garden after rain. They stay light to medium and never look harsh or neon.

  • Powder Blue#8FB3D1
  • Soft Rose#D4939F
  • Lavender#A294C4
  • Dusty Pink#C98F9C
  • Sage Green#8FA392

The full summer palette

If you are a autumn

Warm and deep. Autumn colours are warm, rich and a little earthy, like leaves and spices in October. They have golden warmth but more depth and less brightness than Spring colours.

  • Terracotta#A9552C
  • Rust#8F3D1E
  • Mustard#C8971F
  • Olive Green#6B6B2F
  • Forest Green#3B5C3B

The full autumn palette

If you are a winter

Cool and clear. Winter colours are cool and clear, with strong contrast, like a bright day with snow on the ground. They are either very deep or very icy, and they stay pure rather than dusty.

  • True Red#C5102C
  • Royal Blue#1F4FA3
  • Emerald#0F7A55
  • Fuchsia#C2247D
  • Sapphire#15487D

The full winter palette

Three checks you can do today

  • Hold gold and silver either side of your face by a window. Whichever looks like it belongs tells you which half of the palettes to shop from.
  • Hold an optical white shirt under your chin, then a cream one. One of them will make your skin look even and the other will make it look tired.
  • Photograph yourself in daylight and turn the picture black and white. A wide gap between your hair and your skin means clear, definite colours suit you; a narrow one means softer shades do.

Read it from a photo instead

Questions people ask about this

What colours look good on me?

The ones that share the direction of your own colouring. If your skin leans warm, warm shades let your face stay the strongest thing in the picture; if it leans cool, cool ones do. Work out which way you lean and the list of colours follows from it, which is what the seven questions below do.

Is there a rule I can remember in a shop?

One rule covers most of it: the colour only has to be right where light bounces up into your face. Tops, scarves, collars and glasses matter. Skirts, trousers, shoes and bags are free, whatever colour they are.

What if I like a colour that does not suit me?

Wear it further from your face, or put a shade that does suit you between it and your chin. Nothing here is a prohibition — it is a description of what happens to your face when a colour is right next to it.

Do the colours that suit me change as I get older?

Your undertone does not change, but contrast does. Hair that greys or lightens narrows the gap between hair and skin, which usually means softer, less stark versions of the same palette suit you better than they did at thirty.

Can I trust a quiz more than a photograph?

They fail in different ways, which is why both are here. A photograph depends on your camera and your lighting; a quiz depends on how well you can judge your own colouring. When the two agree, that is a good sign, and when they disagree it is usually the lighting.

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