Discover your color palette and your style type.

Are You a Bright Spring or a Dark Autumn?

9/18/2017

Having trouble making this decision? These two seasons are often confused -- probably because people in both seasons are flattered by warmer colors and can take a lot of saturation.

There are a few colors that will distinguish them, though.

If you're a Dark Autumn, you will look good in some light golden browns, while Bright Spring can't do any kind of brown. As a Dark Autumn, you'll also look good in dark rust red, while Bright Spring doesn't have anything close to that.

If you're a Bright Spring, you can wear a whole value range of fuchsias, from pretty deep to very light. (Dark Autumn has some coolish reds, but they're very dark -- more like wine.) As a Bright Spring, you can also wear a light, sunshiney yellow, while Dark Autumn's yellows are more like gold.

Still can't figure out your season? Try at-home draping.

41 Comments

Bertha Patterson

9/18/2017 12:19:08 pm

This makes a lot of sense since some of the neutrals overlap.

Melissa

9/18/2017 12:41:50 pm

I love this. I can usually narrow people down to two seasons, but sometimes I struggle after that. This really helps.

9/18/2017 12:57:54 pm

My daughter watched me trying to figure out my color season (LSu, it seems) & wanted to do the same. Conventional wisdom in "if you've got brown hair and blue eyes..." would have put her in summer, but instead, all signs point to bright spring for her. Some brownish khakis seem to smother her) but otherwise, nothing looks bad on her, just... meh. Grey-blue-greens look especially meh. But in any sort of fushia she comes alive. I'm increasingly convinced her natural impulse to wear bright, color blocked outfits is dead on right for her. In fact, I'm increasingly convinced that MOST people know what looks good on them long before the fashion industry got hold of us. As a kid, I wanted to wear nothing but pastel rainbows all the time, and I'm finding as an adult light summer, I'm going right back to pastel rainbow land.

Again, thanks for sharing these blog insights, Rachel!

Rosetta

9/28/2017 08:55:58 am

W - "In fact, I'm increasingly convinced that MOST people know what looks good on them" - I couldn't agree more, and happy to hear there's someone else who thinks the same way! :) As most of the comments here seem to say the opposite, i.e. people just don't know what looks good on them, as they can't be "objective" about themselves... (See comments in the "Is True Summer too warm for you" article below, for example.)

Kels

9/18/2017 10:39:07 pm

I literally wavered between these two all weekend and here you come with a post on it as though you've been reading my mind! Thanks so much!

Rosetta

9/19/2017 03:57:37 am

Again a post like it was made about me ;) I currently believe I'm DA, but have in the past considered myself as BSp, for quite a long while actually. Even sometimes now I waver, because there are things in both that seem to suit (e.g. a fairly brightish orange one of my favourite summer colours, and I also love pinks); but then again, most of the actual BSp is too bright. Dark rust red (terracotta) is indeed among my best colours, as is olive green, & both point to Autumn more than Spring :)

Amy

9/19/2017 09:37:56 pm

I've always thought of myself as a light spring but I look good in some warm browns and wine reds, so I'm a little unsure whether I'm a spring or an autumn after all. Those rich autumn reds flatter me much more than saturated tomato reds or clear reds I see for light springs which look way too bright on me. Are there any springs that look good in soft toned-down reds like an autumn would wear? This post has me thinking... Seems strange to think I may not be a spring.

Rachel

9/28/2017 03:17:05 pm

Faded or terra-cotta reds really wouldn't flatter any Spring. I'm sorry if this confuses things for you! :-S

2/26/2023 12:03:11 pm

Maybe you’re a soft autumn

Rosetta

9/20/2017 06:23:59 am

Amy, I really don't think a Spring can look better in Autumnal reds than Spring reds, so you probably have an answer to your question there :) You could maybe be a Soft Autumn, which is reportedly easily confused with Light Spring? There's a blog post on this site about how to tell between those two.

And just a small question - the article mentions light golden brown as something good for DA, but wouldn't darker browns be more DA territory? Like chocolate brown, etc. And wouldn't lighter golden brown be more TA?

Rachel

9/22/2017 11:22:29 am

Hi, Rosetta!

A Dark Autumn is usually going to prefer her darker browns to her lighter browns, because she sees how much dark colors flatter her. I just meant to communicate that light golden brown*is* in the DA palette, and is flattering to DA skin, while it doesn't flatter BSp skin at all. :-)

Rosetta

9/23/2017 05:17:35 am

Ok, thanks Rachel, I understand :-)

Amy

9/26/2017 09:30:26 pm

Thanks Rosetta, it makes sense what you are saying. I will definitely find that post and read it : ). Soft Autumn is probably my season after all.

Zandra

9/20/2017 06:31:24 am

Been there.. Lived as a BSp for a couple of years before I finally figured out that, unlikely or not, DA is home. I always assumed that since I have blonde hair, light skin and blue eyes, I had to be summer or maybe spring in colouring.. Good thing I stopped assuming and committed to finding out. I love my colours.

Alex

9/20/2017 02:11:29 pm

I've seen people I'm pretty sure are Clear Springs look stunning in clear, rich brown - not muted, not muddy, no grey at all in it - "bright brown" might be an oxymoron but the color I'm thinking of could almost be described that way. Am I wrong?

Rachel

9/22/2017 11:20:39 am

Gosh -- all I can say is, can you link a photo? I'd have to see it to believe it. :-)

Rosetta

9/23/2017 05:19:22 am

I'd also be curious to see it, as I'm having a hard time visualizing a "bright brown" :-) (Not saying it wouldn't exist, I just can't visualize it!))

10/25/2017 05:48:15 pm

Could this brown be described as "root beer bottle brown"? Because that's what BSP brown eyes always reminded me of.

Therese Godfrey

9/23/2017 12:12:06 pm

I sent in for the 48 color analysis card pack. 45 cards came. I'm missing 2006-20 Sangria, 2020-40 Yellow Raincoat, and 2029-30 Rosemary Green. I called the company it all shipped from and they had no idea what I was talking about. I qent to my local store and those cards are given on loan basis only. Can you send the missing cards? Thanks!

Amy link

9/26/2017 04:44:54 pm

I'm a Dark Autumn and sometimes bored by the darkness of my palette! The only bright color that got me a lot of compliments is orange, and that's the only bright one I like on me. Do you have any advice which colors I could try out? I dislike pastel colors because they make my skin look yellowish.

Katja

9/28/2017 07:59:22 am

How do you feel about peach and salmon?

Rosetta

9/28/2017 08:20:04 am

To me the Dark Autumn palette is full of vibrant colours! So I'm a bit taken aback by this. How about vibrant purple, golden olive, golden yellow, deep red? To name just a few examples :)

Rosetta

9/28/2017 08:45:36 am

And if none of the above flatters you, then I'm afraid you are unlikely to be a Dark Autumn! :)

Rachel

9/28/2017 03:25:58 pm

How about combining your darks with your super-light DA colors? That combo is often beautiful on Dark Autumns.

Amy

10/22/2017 05:15:44 pm

Hi Rachel! Thank you for your advice. I'm still not sure which season I am. What I meant with orange in my original post is actually a red-orange shade, not sure if that makes any difference. Dark blue also looks flattering on me an got me many compliments. I can't do white nor black so I think I can rule out all Winters. When it comes to make up I use the Chanel Coco Rouge lipsticks in the shade "Bonheur" and "Energy". Burt's Bee's "Rhubarb" and Dior's nail polish in the shade "Massai" , all of them got me the most compliments. When I googled them afterwards, I found out that they are described as Dark Winter shades. I still can't figure out my season. Peach and salmon shades don't flatter me either, unfortunately, and I have been told that olive makes me look older. I have received compliments with deep red.

Trisha

10/31/2017 07:07:34 am

I pondered this very question for a few years, having been diagnosed professionally as a Deep Autumn, but feeling those colours were no longer working for me as I aged. My eyes have gone lighter and my hair is dyed lighter too. Surprise, surprise I was redone by the same person as a Bright Spring, to both our surprises! The drapes do not lie, but I had already tried out the Truth is Beauty drapes bought online and come out Bright Spring, though not sure I believed it! So the one to one consult was really confirming this and wow, a whole new set of colours to get used to - clear instead of muted and less deep altogether. I think having the hair covered helped so much too, as my too golden brown hairdye was throwing out the results, looking very autumnal still. I have now redyed my hair a lighter shade of medium brown, not too gold, not ashy, in the middle and the new colours work better. The only problem at moment is trying to align the clarity with my age group, as too bright looks a bit aging and not always stylish - any tips at all?

10/31/2017 09:46:11 pm

Maybe wear more of your neutrals, with only one or two pieces per outfit in bright colors? Color choice might also be influenced by your Style Identity, if you know what you are--for instance, Classics are best in coordinated neutrals, Naturals in "earth tones" (Rachel did a post a few weeks ago on what earth tones look like in non-Autumn palettes), and Ethereals and Ingenues in the lighter colors of any given palette.

2/17/2019 05:44:51 am

I'm a dark autumn but I have a dress in a bright clear yellow or lemon yellow that's almost a neon yellow that I look great in because heads turn whenever I wear that dress in a good way.

I can also wear dark pinks or hot pinks if they're red based like cerise and hot cerise in my clothing and on my lips. Colors that look like the MAC lip pencil in Beet for instance.

Melina

5/4/2020 05:25:50 am

Would Revlon Cherries in the Snow lipstick be one of those, too? :) (From online swatches, it does look close to MAC Beet.) Just wondering, as I've long considered Cherries in the Snow as one of my best lip shades ever, and from that I kind of inferred I'm probably a Bright, but have now realized the brights are just, well, too bright for me in general, and now feel there's a great chance I may actually be a DA, for several reasons (like DIY drapings). :)

Kyoko

2/24/2019 11:53:59 am

I need help and advicr: I think I'm a dark autumn because most colors suit me (especially the dark red, I have a lot of compliments). But I also have a lot of compliments when I wear fuschia (even lipstick). Which season am I? (There is no dark red in the colors of bright spring)

3/2/2019 04:18:45 am

Maybe you are actually a Dark Winter, which can pull off both dark reds and fuchsias. On the other hand, you have to be careful judging colors by compliments. Sometimes compliments don't actually mean "that makes you look good" but instead mean "I notice that on you." In the second case, if people are noticing the color before they notice you, it's probably overpowering you or distracting from you, and therefore it's not actually a flattering color on you.

Your season's colors should make you look healthy, awake, and alive, and they should look like part of you, like your face and the colors you're wearing are one harmonious whole. Unflattering colors will make you look pale, discolored, or tired; they will compete with you and distract from you; or they will look completely separate from you, like your head has been stuck on top of a different body.

Melina

5/24/2019 11:12:44 am

Could teal also be such a distinguishing colour? i.e. a Dark Autumn would look good in teal, as all Autumns, and a Bright Spring not (but would in turquoise). I very much believe this, but it was not mentioned here. :)

Just one issue; I think it's a bit too categorical to say that a Bright Spring "can't do any kind of brown"; a dark brown is in the palette, and while browns may not be among BSp's best colours, I think most can still wear some shade. I'm pretty sure I'm a BSp (long process of trial & error), and can do a few browns, best is a dark coffee brown. After all, True Spring has plenty of browns, and BSp is very close to it, so I find it hard to believe that a difference between two neighboring seasons could be so drastic. :)

Trisha

10/25/2019 03:08:04 am

,I would honestly say, that as a diagnosed bright spring, I cannot imagine wearing any brown shade, there simply isn't the clarity which the skin needs; by definition, dark browns are quite muddy. Again, I would say teals often have the warmth of bright spring, but lack the clarity of more neutral/warm leaning turqoises.

Melina

1/20/2020 03:48:11 am

I've reached the conclusion the best way of distinguishing these two is left out here: lipsticks! :) The two seasons have very different lipstick ranges, and chances are you're flattered by one or the other, but not both. DA lippies will look too brown, muddy and generally too dark on a Bright Spring, while BSp lippies will most likely look too bright, candy-like and light on a DA.

In clothing colours, distinguishing may be tricky (even if the ones mentioned here may be helpful), but in lipsticks, the difference is so much clearer!

CiCi

9/30/2020 08:16:58 pm

That is so true. I was just telling my husband that burgundy and wine colored lipstick and gloss always end up looking like I painted Nutella directly onto my mouth. But insanely bright coral looks right at home.

Melina

10/12/2020 03:51:03 am

That's interesting, CiCi! :) As I also tend to turn many lipsticks browner - if there's any brown in them, it turn up on my lips, and looks a bit like Nutella, yes ;) But I still don't believe I'm a Bright though... May be that I'm one of the (other) Winters after all, and neither Da or BSp (as I'd thought).

Melina

10/12/2020 03:56:00 am

I'd just like to add here that if you think you may be DA or BSp, but all of these tests mentioned here don't really give a clear answer (brown vs no brown, wine vs fuchsia - both were like so-and-so for me), you may actually be another season entirely, like DW :) Something I learnt from my experiments, and will hopefully help others, too. :)

Melina

10/12/2020 04:25:44 am

Forgot to add that the 'lipsticks test' I myself described above was similarly inconclusive for me, too - DA lippies were generally too brown & muddy, while BSp lippies were better but a bit too bright, and some too light - goes to reason that the right answer is probably DW. ;) This has been brilliantly described in this article (hope it's ok to post that here?): http://www.bestdressed.us/blog/2014/12/29/the-brightness-of-dark-winter-or-how-dark-winter-can-appear-to-be-bright-spring

Ketutar

8/18/2021 11:27:28 am

Ok, so beige and ecru, unbleached linen especially, drain me of all color. So I can't possibly be an Autumn, could I?
Also, I can use bright violet, pink, black, red, green - so to me it's kind of obvious I'm Bright Spring...
but there's golden brown and coffee brown in my eyes, and this wonderful bronze color in my hair, so I should be able to use those colors.

Monna

1/22/2022 12:56:26 pm

I cannot decide between the two! I wear most browns really well. I cannot wear mustard - I look sick. I can wear sunshiny yellow. I can wear most fuschias. And rust red, but look better in bright red? And that brighter pumpkin orange. I’m so confused! Friends thought dark winter initially but I look terrible in black and white and white.

Kristin

9/8/2023 04:08:02 pm

I identify as clear spring, because I feel that clear colours make my skin bright and clear. "Dirty" colours makes me grey. But when I did a colour analysis, she told me that all my features were warm, and that I looked my best in true autumn colours. But could I be so wrong all this time, thinking that clear, bright colours made me pop?

Truth is Beauty

Are You a Bright Spring or a Dark Autumn?

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