Discover your color palette and your style type.

How to Bring Your COLOR SEASON into Your Perfume

1/28/2019

If you're into perfume, chances are you have checked out my fragrance guides. Each guide describes the best fragrances for your style type.

You may have wondered, though, whether you should be even more selective about your fragrance, coordinating it not just with your style type but with your color season.

Now, I do believe the interaction between color season and style ID is somewhat variable: for example, an Ethereal Gamine who is a Bright Winter might choose to manifest more Gamine (vivid primaries!) in her palette, while an Ethereal Gamine who is a Soft Summer might reflect more Ethereal (sunrise and sunset hues!) in her palette.

But I believe that, in general, your perfume profile is more useful if you keep it consistent with your style type, not your color season. My reasoning for this is as follows: your seasonal palette is already being strongly communicated to the eye of the viewer; color's the first thing we notice, right? So I feel an appropriate role for your fragrance is to reinforce the secondary message of the style type that's being communicated through your lines.

Having said that... If you own your style type's fragrance guide, and you really want to bring your color season into your fragrances, I'll list some specific fragrance notes you may consider looking for. Perhaps start with a fragrance family recommended for your style type, and search within that family for fragrances containing these notes.

To bring Bright Spring into a fragrance, try adding:

Lemon
Black currant
Grapefruit
Pineapple
Linden blossom

To bring True/Warm Spring into a fragrance, try adding:

Peach
Plum
Honey

To bring Light Spring into a fragrance, try adding:

Tangerine
Apricot
Cherry
Hibiscus

To bring Light Summer into a fragrance, try adding:

Snowdrops
Apple blossom
Cherry blossom
Lotus

To bring True/Cool Summer into a fragrance, try adding:

Calone
Water hyacinth
Water lily

To bring Soft Summer into a fragrance, try adding:

Mimosa
Ivy
Aloe
Saltwater

To bring Soft Autumn into a fragrance, try adding:

Sandalwood
Rosewood
Poppy
Tobacco blossom

To bring True/Warm Autumn into a fragrance, try adding:

Marigold
Sage
Fenugreek
Praline

To bring Dark Autumn into a fragrance, try adding:

Pepper
Saffron
Black tea
Tannins
Guaiac wood

To bring Dark Winter into a fragrance, try adding:

Incense
Black elder
Chili
Cypress

To bring True Winter into a fragrance, try adding:

Metallic notes
Sour cherry
Cassis
Mineral
Slate

To bring Bright Winter into a fragrance, try adding:

Caraway
Ginger
Pomegranate
Gin

For the essential fragrance notes and fragrance families recommended for your style type, check out your Fragrance Guide.

To search for fragrances by specific notes, try these sites:

The Perfumed Court
Fragrantica

If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style ID Calculator, or consider a virtual style analysis. If you're not sure of your color season, try At-Home Draping Cards.

28 Comments

1/28/2019 04:18:16 pm

A fascinating concept!

Melina

1/30/2019 04:59:18 am

Hmm, I don't think this would work for me, I seem to be drawn to scent notes quite different or opposite from my likely season - e.g. honey, praline, cherry & cherry blossom ;D OTOH, I love incense but I wouldn't like to smell like it myself (i.e. plain incense), or chili, which are recommended for the season I believe I am! ;)

1/31/2019 02:11:42 am

Ooh, did you settle on Dark Winter as your season? I seem to recall you going between True and Dark Autumn for a long time.

1/31/2019 11:32:46 am

KC, well, I've been going back & forth between nearly all seasons (believe it or not) - right now I'm going between DW and BW. ;) The reason I keep going back to DW is that in Rachel's draping cards, it's undeniably the best season, has always been... I just keep discounting that result for various reasons (the lipsticks seem too dark, for one, etc.). But never mind me ;) I was just intrigued by how my likely season(s) seem to differ a lot from the scent notes recommended, and how I'm attracted to those of totally opposite seasons ;) Though I'm not even sure if one can really attach a definite season to a scent note, as we all have our likes & dislikes...

Victoria

1/31/2019 08:10:44 pm

My analyst recently reclassified me as a DW after living in BW for 3 years. The BW lipstick never worked for me and it was one of the reasons I eventually realized I was in the wrong season.
***I should have trusted Rachel's draping cards, as DW was CLEARLY best, darn it. Live and learn.*** Anyway, most of the DW lippies are SO much better. BUT- don't put too much emphasis on lipstick, because in all honesty...I still don't wear DW lipstick very often. Almost never. I just don't really like myself in lipstick! Maybe you are similar?
I'm a RNG and unless I'm going for a very romantic/glam look, lipstick is too "done" on me. I most often wear lipgloss. I can't verify that it's perfectly DW, but Buxom's French Martini (cool fig) is a perfect MLBB on me. Maybe give something like that a whirl? It's enough color to look flushed and shiny, without looking heavy or formal. I don't think opaque lipstick works for my 60-70% masculine/casual essences, unless I am dressed somewhat formally.
If lipstick isn't your thing, maybe just try experimenting with other DW makeup techniques? I also don't wear very dark eyeshadows for myriad reasons, but I can handle a good amount of dark eyeliner and mascara without any problem (much like DW Penelope Cruz who has a similar eye shape to me).
One more tip might be that if you put on a real BW color and it looks a bit too saturated on you, or you think, "I need makeup to pull off this shirt," you're not a BW. That was also my issue. Only DW always looks balanced for me, barefaced or no.
I don't know if any of this was helpful or I just wanted to ramble, lol, but good luck to you! :)

2/1/2019 04:05:30 am

Victoria, that's interesting - I'm kind of the opposite of you there, in that while DW is best in the cards, it's the BW lipsticks that are the best for me! :) (Or generally Bright season lippies.) One of my all-time best lip colours is Revlon Cherries In The Snow, a BW staple. (It may be just a tiny bit bright, but not much, although it's of course a bit strong for daytime use, at least where I live, where quite a 'natural', no-makeup look is preferred.) And I *love* lipstick, so it's not that ;) I'm REI, so maybe it's that lipstick works, only not too dark? I don't know.

2/1/2019 09:31:19 am

Can I actually ask, Victoria, if you can wear any of the lipsticks recommended for DW here by Rachel? (In the "lipstick draping list" in the "What season are you" area.) Because I can't, they are all too dark, or too brownish (like Rimmel Sloane's Plum)! Not sure how *anyone* can wear something like NYX Bruised, which is near black... None of those is actually recommended by most colour analysts, who instead use & recommend the likes of MAC All Out Gorgeous etc. (which looks ok to me, though haven't got to try it), and I can actually wear some wine lippies which are not included here, and a dupe of MAC Rebel, which is fairly dark, just for an for example.

Alex

2/2/2019 02:29:06 pm

Melina, you sound a lot like me! I have light brown hair, dark green/hazel eyes, and pale skin. Dark Winter is the best of the twelve seasons for me. It's the only palette that I can wear without makeup. I look like I should be a Soft Summer (my sister and I look a lot alike, and she is a Soft Summer) - but Soft colors completely wash me out. But I've often gotten confused by the descriptions of Dark Winter, which don't sound like me at all - dramatic, regal, imposing - not me at all! - I'm quiet and gentle and reserved and soft-spoken. Whenever people talk about the feel or archetype of a season, Soft Summer sounds like me (and the Soft Summer fragrances that Rachel lists above are the ones I'm drawn to). But the Soft Summer palette is terrible on me - makes me look like a sickly ghost. I spent years questioning my eyes (and everyone else's - everyone I've asked agrees that the DW palette is best on me, black is great on me, etc.) - and finally realized that DW is the best fit palette for me. DW lipstick doesn't work on me at all, but I don't wear lipstick anyway so it doesn't matter. DW colors are the best colors for clothing for me, and that's the information that I need.

2/1/2019 10:32:56 am

Melina,
I can absolutely wear Rachel's DW lippie recs. The darker ones actually look better on me than the more muted or lightly browned ones. Deep wines and bordeaux are tops, even if I prefer a more natural look. Sloane's Plum looks to be a match for one of my favorites, so I could wear it.
Honestly I can wear NYX Transylvania or a basically near-black lippie and it looks perfectly balanced, if a bit dramatic. I can't really look goth. The color on Megan Fox in the photo that Rachel uses as an example of "goth" would look fine on me. However, I do have near-black hair/lashes/brows, fair olive skin, and brown eyes, so I am extremely high contrast. You may feel more comfortable in lighter lippies depending on your level of contrast. But if, as a trend, you can appear goth, or if things are consistently too dark, maybe look deeper into BW?
I can also wear Cherries in the Snow pretty well, and some of the BW clear reds. But bright pinks are where BW falls apart.

2/1/2019 10:53:10 am

Ok, thanks for answering that, Victoria :) I definitely have a lower level of contrast than you, I have cool dark blonde/light brown hair, and much lighter lashes & brows (eyebrow pencil is a must)... Yet in eye makeup I can go as dark as it goes, while in lipsticks no. I know there are DWs with a lighter colouring like me, but anyway, what you said has now made me doubt the DW diagnosis, despite what the cards say (and many other things)...
I have looked deep into BW, in fact lived in it at times ;), but several colours (in clothes) just seem a bit too saturated / bright, though I can pull most off. The lipsticks I mostly love, like I said ;) Oh well. All this is quite enough to make one say "screw color analysis" and just live in black for the rest of my life! ;) (I could even happily do that, except maybe in the summer.)

2/1/2019 11:10:36 am

I say just take what works for you, claim it, and make it you own! Maybe dark lips are wrong on REI, and some BW clothing colors are too bright. Go with it. If you can draw from both, all the better. Just by wearing all winter colors, you're probably 90% there, and that's all any of us can really hope for, no? :)
I also wear mostly black on any given day; it's certainly my best neutral, and it's easy to find.

Nicole

2/1/2019 01:54:39 pm

Hi Melina! I love and agree with Victoria’s statement about taking your favorite aspects of yourself and running with it! If you still find yourself curious, I wonder if you have considered Deep Winter Soft? You sound like you may be slightly more neutral toned and less intense. I am a Soft category but I def don’t look it, you wouldn’t know it until someone placed the colors next to my skin. I believe Lora Alexander and a few others have this category (if you choose to research it further). And as many commenters here know, I’m a really big fan of Idealist Style Blog’s color system because it REALLY helped me after YEARS of color analysis confusion. It’s undoubtedly the most accurate and inclusive one I’ve seen.

Here’s the overview page for Deep Winter Soft (the category called Deep Cool Soft): https://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/deep-cool-the-rules-of-wearing-colors

And the personal Deep Winter Soft color page- these personal pages are really helpful in matching super specific shades you may have in your closet or already know look good on you: https://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/best-deep-cool-soft-looks

On that overview page (the first link), I would even suggest taking a look at the Deep Cool Neutral category (with Kim K on it) in case you’re not a soft but still not a traditional Deep Winter!

2/2/2019 05:20:39 am

Victoria, thanks, that's exactly what I do! :) i.e. take what works for me, discard what doesn't, and roll with it :D Only at times I do get the itch to be able to place myself firmly in a season, to have a "label" I can call myself, so to speak, to "fit in" somehow; but seeing as I know what works for me & what doesn't, maybe I shouldn't care about the category & label. ;)

Nicole, thank you, but I'm a bit the opposite - I may *look* like a Soft on the outside, but soft colours wash me out, next to or on my face, I do need bolder ones... (Needless to say, I've discarded Soft Summer for this reason, though I may look like a textbook SSu.) Also, I have briefly looked into the seasonal category you mention, but as far seasonal colour goes, I'm all 12 season system - echoing Christine Scaman, the extra soft seasons seem a bit unnecessary for me; or if there *was* a need for an extra season, for me that would be one between DW and BW, not a softer one! ;D
(I know TW is the season supposed to be "between" DW and BW, but I'm definitely not all-cool, I can actually take quite a lot of warmth, so that wouldn't work, plus stark white is too harsh.)

2/2/2019 05:31:59 am

Although, having said that, Nicole, the "Deep cool neutral" category there is quite interesting :) Even if not sure if I would actually fit in it.

2/2/2019 06:41:57 am

Ah, just realized I wouldn't fit any of the "deep" categories on that system anyway, as you have to have dark hair & eyes for that. (Anyway, it seems just a system developed by this one blogger alone...?) Never mind. ;)

2/2/2019 01:40:02 pm

Hey Melina :) Yes, I think the system was created one person (like most systems). Also, as you mentioned earlier, you can have blonde hair and nonblue eyes and be Deep Winter (the descriptions on that blog are just general overview of classic Deep Winters, the detailed categories below it are where the specifics are). I’m intrigued now :) If I may ask- would you say your coloring is similar to Amanda Peete, Brook Shields, Shalom Harlow, Marion Cotillard, and/or Jaime Lee Curtis?

2/3/2019 05:45:05 am

Nicole, yes, most system are *initially* started by one person, but what I meant was that this sole blogger making her own system that is not used anywhere else is just like me starting my own system (which I even might, seeing as I don't really seem to fit into the categories of most existing ones...) ;D

As to my colouring being similar to those celebrities, may I ask what has that to do with my (likely ) season...? As comparing your colouring to celebrities (which you are often asked to do in online tests for seasons) is usually not very helpful, and can even lead totally astray, as celebrities don't often have their natural hair colour, they are usually wearing tons of makeup in pics, and so on... And also, I don't think most of those you mention (if any) are DW..? So I'm a bit puzzled by your question, but anyway, FWIW, no, I wouldn't say my colouring is very similar to any of those; like I wrote earlier, my hair's a slightly ashy dark blonde / light brown, and my eyes are green with brown flecks. Not sure if there is a celebrity that has my my colouring, all the more as I don't really follow celebrities much at all :)

2/3/2019 12:10:14 pm

I know. Since I cannot visually see colors on you, and written hair/eye description aren’t definitive of season, when I said “is your coloring similar to these celebs” I meant to look at the actual colors they’re wearing, their general contrast relative to the colors, etc... not if their exact color combination matched yours. I suppose I could’ve been more specific there. For example, you can “eye” the theme of the colors someone suits and compare those to your best colors in order to determine if it’s in the same general ballpark or not. You might have to keep at color analysis until you get the hang of it (or you can have a professional do it, if you haven’t already). Again, written prerequisites and celeb seasonal categories are just general guidelines, but it’s going to take a little work to eye your best colors.

There are various systems that have this “in-between DW and BW but too soft for True Winter’s harsh white” category you were describing. The women I listed were a few celebs in that category. None of them are Deep Winters. That was just kind of a Hail Mary suggestion before I logged off- I hope you do eventually find your season if you seek to!

I must’ve misread, but your comments on this post and previous posts made it seem as if you felt like your coloring was an isolated incident (most people don’t enjoy feeling like that). Even though it’s just color analysis, I’ve seen a lot people on this blog get really emotional or it’s a really personal/painful experience for them. And it appeared it was for you upon reading your comment, so I was hoping I could help a bit. But I guess I shouldn’t have assumed and/or I misread that. That’s my bad. If you so choose to, I’m sure you’ll eventually find your season since you have been going at it for a while. Or it could be that you’re in a new undiscovered kind of season like you mentioned! :) That’s basically what I was until systems came out with soft spring- before then I just had to go with my gut like you girl! I do believe we all intuitively know our own personal color & style ID better than anyone else can ;)

2/4/2019 03:43:06 am

Nicole, yes, I totally agree that we all intuitively do know our personal color & style ID better than anyone else can! :) And I'm not at all upset that I don't "directly" seem to fit clearly into any one season, I could happily live that way, like I said, combining what works and using that; only, like I wrote earlier, I sometimes do get the urge to "fit in", it could be nice to know my season 100% sure, but I don't really mind if I don't ;) nd also, even with a professional analyst it seems to be a bit of a matter of their personal eye, as many people have had wildly (or not-so-wildly) conflicting PCA results, or ones that are clearly not spot on! So that's no "holy grail" way, either. I've actually been into seasonal color for about 5 years now, so I do feel I've got the hang of it by now, more or less ;) I just don't seem to fit into any one season clearly, like I described, that's why I can sometimes feel like giving up on it & and be free to do whatever I want. ;) (Which in fact I already do, more or less, I just still keep toying with the idea of this or that season, and whether I could fit in it or not.)

2/4/2019 04:02:09 am

Just to add, I would be interested to know of any system that has an in-between DW and BW category (though softer is not really the answer for me, I think), for toying-with-the-idea purposes if nothing else ;) Although I do hold Sci/art 12 season system as the "gold standard" of seasonal color, but I'm to hear about other ideas, too.

2/4/2019 04:07:56 am

I meant "I'm open to hear about other ideas", above ;)

2/6/2019 01:09:19 am

Hey Melina! Yes the first time I heard an inbetween group like this was on the “Clear Cool Soft” category from Idealist Style (tinyurl.com/ydd8kymk), which is where I got the celeb name references from. But from your reply, it’s sounds like that category was not a good fit for you- too summery & muted. I might have slight bias b/c I’m a soft type LOL... but I thought it was intriguing that crisp white was too harsh on you (I’ve only heard of Soft category people having that problem). But then again, I have seen a few analysts state that white rarely provides a high enough contrast for fair-er skinned winters (because it’s so close to their own skintone). So it’s probably just that!

I heard of the other two new non-soft Winters a few months ago from Lora Alexander’s “Pretty Your World”. It’s a relatively reputable system run by 2 ladies, I believe. (Though I agree with you- the wrong analyst can make it all even more confusing LOL🙈). One category is the “Cold Clear Winter”- a BW who has that Bright energy but is leaning towards True Winter coolness/intensity. I hope this one is a match for you because it sounds very similar to what you were describing! The other category is the “Cold Deep Winter”- a cooler Deep Winter who doesn’t flow into Autumn whatsoever. This might be a possible match as well, since you’re steadfastly a Winter type and haven’t mentioned Autumn at all. It seems at warmest you can handle BW- which at its warmest flows into Bright Spring (BS is the coolest Spring of them all and still a relatively cool season compared to Autumn). With “Cold Deep Winter“, it could be that you look best in the coolest DW shades that are the farthest away from earthy Autumn (which could also explain why you have a brown tinge in hair & flecks in eyes yet it’s a very minimal amount).

Lora Alexander hasn’t added the new categories to her color seasons webpage yet but there’s a small write-up here (tinyurl.com/y8em7ko2) and they’re selling the color swatchhbooks now (tinyurl.com/y77d9rhh)!! I should mention that while the swatchbooks have handpicked shades specifically for each color category- the models on the covers are chosen less diligently. I think they choose the closest stock photo (to save money) but it’s often misleading and rarely a good match. So I wouldn’t be too deterred by that. Lastly, when they announced the new categories on FB, Lora stated she’d start posting more about them and she posts pretty often (tinyurl.com/y7l3fo7k)!

I can’t vouch for the legitimacy of any of these new categories but a small part of me hopes they are the real deal haha..! Wishing you good travels for your color journey :)

2/6/2019 03:23:49 am

Thank you, Nicole! :) (I now feel my color journey may even end up in discarding the whole idea - I've began to think people cannot generally be neatly fitted into a few defined categories, be it 12 or 16. But as I said, I mainly just keep toying with those ideas, as it's fun ;))

I'm familiar with Lora Alexander's Color Breeze system (and needless to say, don't feel I really fit into it ;)), but I'll look into the other system you mentioned. Actually, not suiting pure white is common for other Winters besides True, i.e. DW and BW, at least in Sci/Art - they do need a slightly tinged or softer white. Even on this site, the "What season are you" quiz can lead to either of the other Winters, even when choosing "not flattered by pure white" in the first question (I think it was), so it seems Rachel agrees. :)

And as for Autun, don't laugh but I have actually considered myself an Autumn in the past - there is no season I wouldn't have considered, except maybe the Lights;) I can tolerate plenty of warmth, though I do feel Winter colors are my best; usually I keep going back & forth between Winters, BSp and DA, though I have now more or less discarded the latter, even if olive & golden yellows seem to flatter me a lot. I must be very neutral, I guess! :)

2/1/2019 01:29:30 pm

Hey Victoria! Seeing your comment here about makeup reminded me- I just came across this tutorial which struck me as a great RNG-type makeup look. The finish/textures are nice, the color pallete is refreshing yet neutral, and it’s all natural looking. (I think the colors could be adjusted to match DW shades as well!) Love how this look works for both day and night! https://youtu.be/JILyTBj06mU

2/1/2019 06:21:36 pm

Oh my goodness, this is basically my exact date night makeup routine, minus the foundation (because I don't wear foundation). Haha, I just use my favorite DW colors in lipgloss and blush. Good call Nicole! And thank you for posting this, it was very sweet, and quite affirming. :)

Donna

2/2/2019 01:25:23 am

I'm a Romantic Natural and some kind of Winter. (Which one, who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). I have a suspicion that my favorite scents--vanilla, coconut, ginger, citrus or fruity--would work with my style identity much better than my season. I know I'm disinclined to change my signature scents. After all, it's not just the other people who have to smell me. ;-)

2/2/2019 05:45:19 am

Hi Rachel--I got all seven of the basic style essences' fragrance guides, partially out of curiosity and partially because my sense of smell is quite poor and I wanted a better idea of what everyone else is sensing. For the most part, I found your guides very helpful, but some of your floral categories confused me. White florals and aquatic florals are well defined, but I can't find any good definitions or note lists for yellow florals (besides mimosa), green florals (lily of the valley?), or spring-like florals. Could you expand on these categories in a comment or maybe a future post?

Larisa

2/5/2024 09:54:15 am

Rachel, you are a genius.
I started my color analysis journey with your site more than five years ago. I quicky became obsessed so I viewed many sites on color analysis.
But nowhere have I seen such no-nonsense FRAGRANCE guide.
Feeling connection between different senses (visual like color and olfactory as smells) is a unique talent called synesthesia.
My information about Colors as of now occupies 1.55 GB and the folder is called... RACHEL.

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How to Bring Your COLOR SEASON into Your Perfume

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