What Do True/Cool Summers Really Look Like?

What Do True (Cool) Summers Really Look Like?

8/5/2019

I haven't found a more comprehensive gallery of real-life True Summers than this one, on Elea Blake Cosmetic Studio's Facebook page.

Personal color systems other than the 12-tone system usually rely on hair and eye color to determine your color palette. These systems tend to incorrectly type light-eyed, fair-haired women as Summers, even when they're not. And they tend to to ignore the possibility that women with darker hair and eyes can be Summers.

A quick glance through Elea Blake's True Summer album will give you a snapshot of what True Summers really look like. It's a varied picture!

You'll see loads of brunettes. You'll see women with red hair, brown eyes, freckles, and other features that you don't think of when you think of True Summer. You'll see women of color who would surely be mistyped as Dark Autumn or Dark Winter in most other color systems.

In the 12-tone system, all that matters is which colors best complement you-- and that's determined by your skin's undertones. That's the correct way to determine your best colors.

If you're not sure of your color season, consider trying the Truth is Beauty Color Analysis Quiz. When you know your color season, you can stop buying the wrong makeup because makeup that matches your color palette also complements your skin.

Here's to really seeing ourselves. Truth is beauty!

A version of this post ran in July of 2011.

7 Comments

Darin Wright link

8/6/2011 12:41:56 am

Rachel, Darin here, thank you for posting this. I most recently found another True Summer that is very Wintery looking to the visual eye. She is actually my first cousin. I have always thought her to be a True Winter. On a recent trip I brought my drapes with me as she expressed her desired to have her colors done. We were so so surprised that she was in fact a True Summer. Her dark hair and incredibly green bright eyes, yes bright I was frankly shocked. I would have thought her for a Bright Winter. There were 5 witnesses and we all agreed absolutely True Summer. I have found that in all the seasonal palettes that we must view the person deeply and when using our tools (the drapes) watch the differences as each drapes flicks. Some summers can really accept the deeper realm of their palette. Our swatch books are a guideline for us to learn the language of the palette and from there use a guideline to fill in the blanks of what the swatches offer. My cousin in my opinion would be beautiful in a deep charcoal or a soft blue black with a little sheen to it. No dusty blacks but a rich soft blue black. She actually looked very pretty in white as well. So that's the tricky part with those Summers . I have found those that I would say are strong Summers. When draped with the Winter colors they are lost but can handle pure White and a slight softer black as well as rich tones grounded in blue.

Laurel Harrington

7/6/2016 04:45:24 pm

I know this is a super old post but it means a lot to me. I am a new personal color analyst and I recently draped a brown eyed true summer. I know they are not the true summer stereotype and this post gave me the courage to believe my won eyes during the draping. Thanks,

Melina

8/7/2019 03:38:42 am

This is really interesting, and further, I wish there were more stories and articles depicting the opposite situation too, i.e. blonde Winters! As they are all too often denied of even existing by many. I do believe my best friend is one - she looks like a typical Summer (ash blonde with blue eyes), but Summer colours wash her out, and she does well in e.g. black and red.

kristiina

8/30/2019 05:04:57 am

Yes, it would be helpful to see more "atypical" Winters as examples around. I'm one of those fair-skinned, reddish-ashy-haired people with blue-green eyes who's been trying to force themselves into some kind of a Summer ever since they first learned about the seasons, 4 or 12 or 16, doesn't matter because I always ended up looking washed out. It's taken a sort of leap of faith to admit that I actually do look good in black and strong, dark cold colours - which I instinctively knew as a kid (even my mum dressed her icy-blond child in stormy blues and dark greens, never pastels, thank god!).

On the Elea Blake fb page, there are a couple of "light" looking Dark Winters I feel look a lot like me. The DW colours make their eyes shine and lift the natural blush on the cheeks.

9/9/2019 10:02:52 am

Thanks for the tip, Kristiina! :) That sounds very intriguing, all the more as I wonder whether I could myself actually be a DW, even though I'm fairly light, actually look like a textbook Soft Summer... Have considered all seasons, most lately was set on BSp, but now realized it's probably too high chroma for me.

9/9/2019 10:19:40 am

Ok, I couldn't find any draping results / PCA pics on the Elea Blake's site, but here there are several lighter DW's, and this article is so good in every way too, also to explain how it's not actually that crazy at all to confuse (and go back & forth) between BSp and DW, like I have done ;) http://www.bestdressed.us/blog/2014/12/29/the-brightness-of-dark-winter-or-how-dark-winter-can-appear-to-be-bright-spring

gitte

8/7/2019 04:43:22 am

I have always been an 'autumn' because of my very golden, slightly coppery, light brown hair and muted blue-green eyes. But, as a red(dish) head, my skin is very pale. I have the typical pale, bright winter skin, Zoe Deschanel and Anne Hathaway tendencies. Typical autumn colours wash me out and make my skin look greyish, while royal blue makes me look like a glowing beam of light, and I actually have some colour to my skin! Defying the stereotypes and going what looks best with your skin is really important. There are too many sources saying 'You can't be x if you have x hair/eyecolour' and it has to stop. What's most important is what makes your skin glow!

Truth is Beauty

What Do True (Cool) Summers Really Look Like?

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