Discover your color palette and your style type.

OK, I'm saying it: I think Angelina Jolie is a Soft Autumn.

12/1/2010

It makes sense that the woman many consider the most beautiful in the world would have the most hotly debated season.

She's most frequently typed as a Summer or Autumn. The majority of observers, including the knowledgeable Lora Alexander, believe she's a Soft Summer. This website shows Jolie's picture under the heading "Notable Soft Autumns." Another site also includes Jolie under Autumns, with the subtype unspecified.

Most people agree that Jolie is Soft, not Bright - hence the general consensus around Summer and Autumn. I also think that's true. I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I've come to a conclusion: I think Jolie is a Soft Autumn.

(Yes, I am a Soft Autumn too. But I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with my conclusion.)

Lora Alexander's recent blog post made my mind up. In it, she identifies colors unique to Soft Summer and Soft Autumn. She calls Soft Summer's defining color "antique rose," a sort of dusty purplish-pink. It looks something like this:

Alexander describes Soft Autumn's defining color as "somewhere between soft peach to topaz to honey," and her examples look like this color:

Imagine Jolie in each of these colors, and it's obvious that the second one flatters her much more than the first.

It's very difficult to find pictures of Jolie in that dusty purplish-pink. But I tracked down a few.

Here, Jolie's appearance is somewhat unnatural. The photo looks overexposed. I suspect this was done deliberately to obscure the effects of the cool color on her skin.

Same photo shoot? Again, the effect is not natural. Her skin is shown unusually bright and pale.

Here's a well-lit picture. The lip is antique rose-ish, and it seems to to emphasize pale and unhealthy-seeming colors in her face.

By contrast, Jolie's skin looks alive in this dusty peach. Yes, the lipstick is silly, but cover it with your finger and see how completely right the dress is for this coloring.

And in this well-lit pic, her very skin seems to match the dusty peach-topaz-honey color.

Google images of Jolie, and notice how beautiful she looks in greens, browns and warm greys that are typical of Soft Autumn. Also notice how seldom she appears in Soft Summer's purples, pinks, or blues, and how pale these colors make her appear.

So I'll say it again: Angelina Jolie is a Soft Autumn. Do you agree?

43 Comments

Arlene

1/12/2011 09:00:47 am

I have to admit... you've convinced me. :)

Shirley

1/30/2011 05:21:06 pm

I posted a comment on Lora's site agreeing that AJ is a SS, but you've totally convinced me she's a Soft Autumn. I'm a Soft Summer and could never wear that gold necklace and earrings.

Maragie

3/13/2011 07:39:36 am

YES!!!

Chelsea Smith

3/18/2011 02:41:49 pm

I'm curious. I've always heard her described as a Deep Autumn. She seems to look well in black. Is that because ,as you said, she doesn't look "BAD" in anything; or is it because she is a Deep Autumn? I am opnly a twsenty year old amateur but I would have to say that I couldn't disagree more with the idea of her being any kind of summer; it doesn't seem to fit at all.

3/18/2011 03:04:51 pm

I'm also curious because I've been told by lora Alexander that I'm a warm Autumn, though I don't feel that I'm dark enough to be a warm Autumn

Natalie Lange

4/14/2012 08:27:50 am

I was analysed by Lora too, as a SS. But my skin is way too yellow for SS foundations, even though most of the colors in the swatch book look great. Maybe the only way to double check a virtual analysis is to get a couple of swatch books and see what fits.

Maureen

3/19/2011 09:42:56 am

AJ often wears warm beiges and IMO looks best when she's wearing warm greens, both of which look great with her warm brunette hair. I would agree then that this would make her a soft autumn as you've stated.

Rachel

3/19/2011 12:49:54 pm

Hi, Chelsea.

I'm the first to say that virtual analysis is not foolproof, though I do it myself. I advise you, though, not to rule out Warm (True) Autumn based only on the dark-light dimension. Warm Autumns can be as fair as porcelain-skinned Julianne Moore. The colors of the palette are medium in depth as well, comparable to the depth of some other seasons' palettes, and lighter than some.

Is it possible there's something else about the season that doesn't sit right with you?

These two excellent articles on Warm (True) Autumn are well worth reading:

http://12blueprints.com/best-makeup-colours-true-autumn/

http://12blueprints.com/true-autumns-best-hair-colour/

Of course, you may not be a Warm Autumn. But know that it is normal for the season to feel like a poor fit until one adjusts to it.

3/19/2011 01:20:31 pm

Thank you, Rachel. That was helpful.It's not that I dislike the true autumn colors I just think that they might be too rich on me.

Emily

8/31/2012 12:51:28 pm

I think AJ is a soft summer. The pink in the photos above is not really SS, and I think the lighting is also very high, and the phot likely airbrushed, so it doesn't look real in many ways. She does look good in many colors, some SA included, but I think she is subtly more cool than warm. Have you seen Christine's SSu post which uses AJ as an example: http://12blueprints.com/soft-summer-landscapes/
It is a tough call, by my vote is for SSu.

Alexandra

2/21/2014 10:15:45 am

Completely agree.

Anahi

7/9/2013 09:29:54 pm

Im totally convinced that Angelina is a Bright Spring. Her natural hair is dark brown (not medium brown like in those pictures) and the contrast with her light eyes and her warm ivory skin is evident in my perception. I have been studying the seasonal color of people for some years and I am totally convinced of that. Sorry if my emglish is not good enough (I am fromArgentina). Congratulations for your blog I really liked it.

Victoria

1/2/2015 06:41:49 am

Angelina Jolie has said many times that blonde is her natural hair color. Her mother started dying darker when she was little and she stuck with it.
Check out her young pictures here, before she started dying it.
http://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/112/20140114/50-interesting-facts-about-angelina-jolie.htm

Trisha

7/27/2018 06:28:04 am

I just fail to see anything bright about her! I think you have to go beyond the study of individual features, eye colour etc and look at the bigger picture - she is soft and muted however you look at her, in a blending sort of way!

Carol

9/5/2013 01:35:35 pm

Great article - as a Soft Summer myself, I never bought the conclusion that Jolie was a SS - I just couldn't imagine her looking ideal in the colors that flatter me. But since SS and SA are both soft, and softness defines those season-tones more than any other attributes, I can see why people get confused - yes, above all her coloring is soft. PS: I love Soft Autumn. Sometimes I wish I had that coloring :)

2/21/2014 10:14:58 am

Not quite sure, if she is a soft summer, but your analysis goes completely wrong.

First, background colors in picture 3 and 4, are NOT soft summer pink as picture 1. These are pastel pink and lylac from Winter palette. She's looking weird in that, for sure.

Second, her nude dress is soft milky mauve, not peach. It reflects red carpet glow, so it seems kinda peachy, but it's not. See true color here: http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/full_wenn2425988-705x1024.jpg

5/11/2014 01:20:35 am

I looked at the link above and the dress still looks like a soft peach, I agree that Angelina looks good in the soft autumn colors.

Nikolie

5/13/2014 07:40:19 am

Agree. I have always thought she was a soft Autumn and it is good to see someone else post it.

Anna Ciompała

7/29/2014 11:50:42 pm

I think you're right. No summer ever looks so scary in cool pink: http://beautyeditor.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Angelina-Jolie-Tribeca-Film-Festival-2003.jpg

Warmer tones fit her much better: http://beautyeditor.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Angelina-Jolie-Mr.-and-Mrs.-Smith-premiere-2005.jpg

Maia

9/22/2014 05:54:30 am

Are there two colors that would be good for distinguishing between soft autumn and light spring?

Jurgita

10/11/2014 10:38:57 am

Totally agree Angelina being an SA! Only look at how she wears this golden dress: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2099856/Angelina-Jolies-golden-girl-premiere-directorial-debut-In-The-Land-Of-Blood-And-Honey.html
I understand people being confused by SS and SA as the difference can be very slight, however with cold colours Angelina always looks tired and sallow. So my vote goes for SA.

Sandra link

10/20/2014 03:36:26 pm

I agree. Angelina is a Soft Autumn. She is able to wear muted warm and cool colors. I am the same way. I have very light golden skin with pink undertones, neutral as I am told. I can wear either warm peach or warm pink blush and lip colors. I have muted red hair and green/gray eyes.

Bright Spring. Try it.

10/31/2014 01:21:53 pm

Mary

12/14/2014 09:20:22 pm

I've looked at sooo many people now, and I feel like she is a soft summer after all I've learned... I feel like she can wear cooler colored clothing than soft autumn can, and that cooler makeup harmonizes with her skin better than warmer... She really can't go too cool, but both the soft seasons are a balance of cool and warm. I think this looks beautiful... http://www.anaemraa.com/sites/default/files/images/2014/10/15/beautiful_angelina_jolie_2014_new_style.jpg Soft and cool with a touch of warmth.

Also, for whatever it's worth, her energy just feels more summer than autumn, I think... She's tended to take on playful roles and to take risks in life in general... She does have an earth mothery energy but she has fun with it, travelling and adopting lots of kids and the like. I think Lady Gaga might be a soft summer underneath all that. Soft autumn likes their home and comfort to be too playful and risky, based on what I've observed at least.

Rachel Arnt-Schemmel

1/2/2015 10:06:46 am

A lot of celebrities have said that blonde is their natural hair color. It's not hard to imagine why; yellow is a higher-status hair color than brown.

But is it really accurate to call anyone who was blonde in childhood a "natural blonde" as an adult? I don't think it is. Many, many people have blonde hair as children but grow into brunettes. Human hair naturally darkens as we age, with a big change often occurring during puberty.. Our childhood hair color is not our "true" color if we're no longer children.

Jolie's natural hair color now is brown. This is easy to see by looking at her roots.

Soft Summer

10/14/2015 09:57:40 pm

She's a soft summer. I know because I am too, and we have the exact same coloring, right down to the eye color. Above you've used photos in which Jolie has spray tanned, but she's naturally very pale. It's the faux tan that is throwing you off (I get these too and it's the only time I can wear the colors tan or cream which usually wash me out).

10/19/2015 10:43:09 am

I would love to see pics of her looking good in Soft Summer makeup and clothes, if you can find them.

1/4/2016 03:24:06 am

She was a stunner when her hair was a neutral to cool brown, the orangey warm browns completely murder her beauty, so I think that rules out autumn. (Google around for pics from the first Tomb Raider premier and compare to now with her reddish hair - it's not just age taking its toll. Her soft, barely there, cool toned makeup in the movie was also gorgeous) Like many people with neutral complexions, a tan can push things one direction or another, but she hasn't tanned in years and is very cool leaning now. She looks good in dark colors because she has extremely defined bone structure and large features, this amps up the impact of her face overall.

Something that doesn't seem to be discussed in these communities much is how dose-dependent color is. The yellow gold accent looks great on her in the context of primarily softer cool colors, and the contrast it provides gives a much needed anchor to the wishy washy SS type colors. I have very classic SS type coloring but would never forgo black, gold, red, white etc as accent colors. The weird/complex SS colors could also greatly enliven the wardrobe of a bright complected person and keep it from being too simple. It's all about proportion

Anna

3/12/2016 09:21:51 pm

The creator of this website looks just like Angelina! :,D

Cath

6/3/2016 10:17:53 pm

Actually you are wrong about that. The peachy rose colour you used is not the right way to go. Both types will look good in it, though summer will look better (autumn is too warm for it). So no, Jolie is a Soft Summer, not Soft Autumn. Best to understand when you look at the warm tones (see pics here at the end: http://expressingyourtruth.blogspot.com/2014/11/soft-summer-vs-soft-autumn-how-do-you.html) - Angelina will not look good in those. She looks much much better in the Soft Summer palette.

Sara

7/1/2016 12:12:25 am

Has anyone considered warm spring? I remember seeing her in an orangey pink dress and she looked stunning. I also agree that the pink in that background isn't a soft summer pink.

7/1/2016 12:16:34 am

I take that back, warm autumn, not spring.

Joelle

3/16/2017 11:37:30 pm

Really interesting. Do you think it's possible to be perfectly in-between soft summer and soft autumn? Am having trouble typing myself and think this is what may be going on with me. I have warm skin but cool eyes, is another way to put it.

Van Veden link

5/28/2017 07:24:24 am

Oh yes, another warm skin with cool eyes here! Typing after my skin tone was definitely the way to go. Your eyes being more cool can definitely add a really pretty contrast though! But yes, hair colors and outfits look best when worked with your skin tone :)

Jamie

4/20/2023 09:43:13 am

Yes! I feel the exact same way, like I’m literally walking a tightrope between soft summer and soft autumn. I feel I lean slightly cool as I tend to shy away from autumn warmer shades, but I’ve found too cool isn’t perfect either. Also, I find I can wear some colors outside of the soft seasons. I think that just comes from being neutral. Also, I have fairly bright eyes which adds some contrast and allows me to wear outside of the season somewhat.

Anona

5/3/2017 01:33:50 pm

Bright spring, she looks awful in rust, khaki and camel. Dusky also washes her out. She looks amazing in coral, purple and black. A soft autumn cannot wear black nor can a soft summer, it overwhelms them. Her colouring is more in sync with Kelly LeBrock & Miranda Kerr. Jennifer Butler also classes her as spring. Brown looks okay on Angelina but anyone with brown hair will usually find a shade that suits them.

Rosetta

4/25/2018 03:21:28 am

Interesting how differently people can see things - IMO, dusty flatters her a lot, as seen from the pics above too, as does warmth, and OTOH black & other dark colours are harsh on her...

Jennifer

9/2/2019 09:58:49 am

I love this post. I've been identified as a soft, but didn't feel that this alone was enough. I couldn't decide summer or autumn, but this post convinced me that I'm autumn. I ordered your style guide and I will probably order color swatches as well!

Schatzi

5/29/2020 04:41:14 pm

I think Ms. Jolie represents very well the struggles the soft and muted have figuring out where exactly they belong. How many times have we heard people talk about their warm hair and cool skin or cool hair and warm skin. I was diagnosed at a Prescriptives counter in the late 80's as cool, blue red. (remember them?). And the colors did work! When I borrowed colors from the autumn group, they did not work at all. Fast forward to today and I am an autumn and they opposite is true. My cool hair is now pulling warmth. My blue veins are now green. My hair throughout the decades has flip flopped between mousy and warm. Many soft and muted can borrow from their sister season, I have found. I feel all the frustration is worth it in the end as we get an extended palette of sorts. Do you agree? Does this resonate with anyone else?

4/20/2023 09:38:28 am

Yes, this does resonate with me! I can look warmer or cooler at different times in my life and even on different days! When I was a baby, I had ligh auburn brown hair. As a child I had golden blonde hair. As a teenager, my hair darkened to brown with some ashiness. Now it’s the brown of many soft summers, ashy with an almost violet undertone. I’m leaning toward one of the soft seasons for myself because I seem so neutral, but being neutral, with medium skin and medium contrast, I find I can wear quite a few colors outside of those seasons. For example, I look good in true red. I’m finding it’s maybe easier for me to figure out what colors look bad (anything too warm AND muted, any color that’s too dark and drab—except true black which looks GOOD on me, hot pink that’s too warm, etc.)

Violet

8/4/2020 02:28:33 am

Angelina strongly strikes me as a cool-toned. I’m always surprised when I see her discussed as an autumn of any kind. She has a little bit of icy in her beauty, and not the warmness that emanates from autumns. I would imagine her veins are more blue than green (and hence a winter or summer)but hard to tell in photos.

Emma Argent

11/22/2021 10:42:41 am

Hi! The link to Loras blog post doesnt work, is there an updated one? Many thanks!

4/20/2023 09:25:16 am

Interesting post. Soft autumn is possible, but I feel like some of those photos make her look too yellow and washed out. If she’s a soft autumn, I would say a dark soft autumn. It’s difficult with Angelina, because she is a bit of a chameleon. A quick image search yielded photos that one could argue show her as several different seasons.

Bright spring, here: https://ahollywoodmakeup.blogspot.com/2011/09/angelina-jolie-eye-makeup.html (bottom photo, which seems to show her in minimal makeup), and here: https://verastic.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Angelina-Jolie.jpg, and even here: https://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Angelina+Jolie+Premiere+Cohen+Media+Group+LsjsZ_ONVd3l.jpg. , here: http://media.indiatimes.in/media/content/2013/Jan/angelina_jolie_1358840028_540x540.jpg

Soft summer, here: http://www.theplace2.ru/archive/angelina_jolie/img/940full_angelina_jol-1.jpg , here: https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/201422/rs_634x1024-140302184420-634.Angelina-Jolie-Oscars-Beauty-Diamond-Earrings.ms.030214.jpg?fit=inside%7C900:auto&output-quality=90 , here: https://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/wennpic/preview/angelina-jolie-86th-annual-oscars-press-room-02.jpg , here: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d6/ae/98/d6ae9803e40b68f52045ea99d67ddcc9.jpg , here: https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2021924/rs_1200x1200-211024142005-1200-angelina-jolie-mp.jpg?fit=around%7C1080:1080&output-quality=90&crop=1080:1080;center,top

I think this just goes to show that A. Some people look good in almost everything, and B. Makeup and hair color can really have a huge impact on appearance, especially if one is fairly neutral with gorgeous eyes.

Truth is Beauty

OK, I'm saying it: I think Angelina Jolie is a Soft Autumn.

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