The Truth About Seasonal Color Analysis – Perspective Of A Hairstylist

Seasonal color analysis has been a popular topic in the world of beauty and style for decades. As a hairstylist, I’ve seen firsthand how this concept can be both helpful and frustrating. So while color analysis can guide people toward the colors that are most flattering to their skin tone, eye color, and hair color, it’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution. In this post, I’ll share my perspective on seasonal color analysis, the variables you need to consider, and what you can do instead to find the colors that truly suit you.

When I attempted to find my season, I spent an incredible amount of time researching and testing to only become more confused. I could technically fit into 5 different categories. And this is coming from a hairstylist who has a pretty solid grasp of color theory and complimentary colors. Each resource I read had conflicting information for each season. So it became clear that there is no solid consensus on the topic and it’s understandable why so many people find it confusing.

If you’re interested in a quick and easy way to determine what hair colors will look best with your skin tone, see my post here.

What is seasonal color analysis?

Seasonal color analysis initially started in the 1940s and 1950s, but it really gained popularity in the 1980s.

It is the concept of determining what color pallet will suit you best based on your skin tone, eye color, and hair color.

Initially, people were grouped into one of the four seasons; spring is light and warm, summer is light and cool, autumn is darker and warm, and winter is darker and cool.

But over time, this system has been divided up into sub-categories with some systems using 12 seasons, and others using up to 16 seasons.

And while this concept seems to come and go over the years, it’s definitely gained popularity once again through the rise of social media.

Is color analysis legit?

The question of whether seasonal color analysis is legit or not is subjective and up for debate. Some people swear by it, while others claim it’s a scam.

And while there are most definitely colors that look better on some people and not on others, grouping people into these categories doesn’t always work as well as expected.

I have heard of instances where people have paid to have their color analysis done 4 separate times and gotten different results each time. In my opinion, this is crazy. It shouldn’t take this much effort and confusion to determine what colors you look better in.

Now if you have discovered your season and find that this works well for you and you feel confident in your colors, then this is wonderful and I’m so happy for you.

But for many, this entire concept is confusing and complicated. If this is the case for you, keep reading.

Why seasonal color analysis doesn’t always work

One of the main reasons why seasonal color analysis doesn’t always work is because it’s an entirely subjective concept. Some people may not like contrast or certain color combinations, while others love it.

Not everyone looks good in all of the colors from their season, nor do they look bad in all the colors that are recommended to avoid.

One thing that drives me nuts about the before and after color analysis photos is that the first picture is just a bad picture where the lighting was off, they didn’t have any make-up on, and their hair was a mess. It wasn’t that their colors were wrong.

There really are so many variables to this concept, and we’ll discuss each of those now.

Lighting

The first thing to consider is the lighting of the room you’re in. When it comes to hair color, lighting is always something I discuss with my clients. You have to take the light of the room into consideration where you’re viewing the color, before making any solid assumptions on if it’s too warm or too cool.

I find that my blonde hair color doesn’t always look good on me in warm lighting, yet it looks phenomenal on me in cool lighting. But at the same time, a certain color shirt will look better on me in warm lighting, yet bad in cool lighting.

Can you the discrepancy here? This is because some colors will compliment you in warm light, while others compliment you in cool light. You can’t always control the lighting of the room you’re in. And it’s nearly impossible to find colors that will look good on you in ALL lighting.

Do you have a tan?

Okay next up is whether you have a tan or not. Let’s take myself as an example. I have neutral-toned skin. And in the winter when I don’t have a tan, my skin appears paler and cooler-toned. But in the summer when I do have a tan, my skin becomes much warmer.

This means that colors will look different on me based on the actual season of the year. There’s not one color pallet that I need to stick to all year long.

And as a hairstylist, there are definitely times where I would inform a client that the color they’re asking for would look better on them if they had a tan. This doesn’t mean they can’t pull it off at all, but tanning the skin does make a difference in how good the color will look or not.

How you do your makeup

Alright next is how you do your makeup. Just like a tan will affect how a color looks on you, your makeup will as well.

And if you’ve seen the crazy power of makeup and how it can literally change how your facial structure appears, this is another big factor.

I know from being a hairstylist that people often need to do their makeup differently based on their hair color. You may need to either soften or intensify your makeup to create more or less contrast between your hair, skin, and eyes.

Again, this doesn’t mean that they can’t necessarily wear certain hair colors, it just means that they need to make some other adjustments to find the right balance.

How your personality impacts color analysis

Now this one is pretty big. Your personality will hugely impact your color analysis.

I honestly hate wearing colors in general. It doesn’t really matter what the color is. I feel the most comfortable and confident when I wear black. Others, may have a much softer personality, and hate wearing the color black.

This has nothing to do with what season you are, it has to do with your preference which is subjective. While some may love a high contrast and bold look, others may hate it. It doesn’t really matter if contrast is supposed to be flattering for you or not based on your “season”. It has to do with your preference and what you prefer.

Hair color and color analysis

So on top of all the other variables we mentioned, you should know that your current hair color will affect the colors that will look good against your skin.

And I’m not taking natural hair color, I’m talking about whatever color your hair currently is.

This means that if you change your hair color, along with your makeup, you’ll likely need to adjust the colors you wear on a regular basis. This would mean you’d need to perform another color analysis with the change of your hair color.

It’s also important to consider that when you’re deciding on a hair color that will look good on you, some colors aren’t ideal all over your whole head, yet will look phenomenal in highlights, balayage, or peek-a-boos.

And ultimately while a stylist can help you determine what will work and be complimentary, you have to be the one to decide what you prefer and don’t prefer. I’ve had many clients that LOVED hair colors or cuts that I personally didn’t feel looked flattering, but it didn’t matter what I thought. What mattered was that they loved it and felt good in it.

What you should do instead

Rather than paying someone to perform your color analysis for you, I highly recommend just doing one yourself. Especially considering that many people that do pay for this service oftentimes end up more confused and miscategorized. As well as needing to do it again when they change their hair color.

The best way to do this is to try on different colored shirts or use colored fabric against your chest to see how your face lights up with different colors. You shouldn’t need a professional to tell you what you like and what you don’t like against your skin.

The best thing to do is choose colors that you feel super comfortable and confident in. And avoid colors that make you feel not like yourself or uncomfortable. Do this with a friend who knows you well and can point out what colors also suit your personality just as much as your skin tone.

Finding pictures of people with a style that you like, with similar skin and eye colors will help you determine the hair color and style as well as wardrobe that you should go for.

Conclusion

Ultimately, color analysis shouldn’t feel like a strict rulebook that you have to follow, nor should it be a confusing guessing game.

There are so many variables—from lighting, tanning, makeup, and personality—that can affect how a color looks on you, and these factors are often overlooked in a traditional seasonal color analysis. And while it can be useful in guiding some decisions, the most important factor is how you feel in a color.

Ultimately, the best approach is to experiment, trust your instincts, and choose colors that make you feel confident and comfortable. After all, style should be about expressing your true self, not fitting into a specific category.

Let me know in the comments if you have used color analysis and found it helpful, or if it’s just been a confusing process for you! And be sure to subscribe if you want to make everyday a good hair day!