Spring family, light and warm
Light Spring color palette
Delicate warmth, like the first week of April.
Light spring coloring is warm but not strong. The hair is usually blonde or light brown, the skin is fair with a peach or golden tone, and the eyes are light: blue, green, hazel or a soft brown. Nothing about the face is heavy, so heavy color looks borrowed.
The palette works by keeping every color light and adding a little warmth. Pastels that would wash out a winter look fresh here, and a clear coral is the boldest note the palette can carry without overwhelming the face.
Palette at a glance
spring family · Gold, rose gold and pale bronze.
The palette
Twelve colors for Light Spring
- Peach Blossom#FFD9C7
- Apricot Cream#F7C9A3
- Buttercup#F7DFA0
- Spring Leaf#B9D48A
- Aqua Mist#A8DCD4
- Cornflower#9DB8E0
- Coral Pink#F5A3A0
- Warm Ivory#FBF1DF
- Soft Salmon#F2B39A
- Golden Straw#E8CF95
- Light Camel#D8B48C
- Fresh Mint#CFE6CF
Neutrals
- Warm Ivory
- Oat
- Light Camel
- Soft Navy
Gold, rose gold and pale bronze. Silver is wearable if it is bright and thin rather than heavy.
Colors to leave out
- Black. It reads heavier than the face and pulls attention to the clothes instead of you.
- Burgundy. The depth is right for a winter, but it dulls a light spring's warmth.
- Icy Gray. The blue-gray turns fair warm skin slightly gray.
- Deep Plum. Too dark and too cool at once, and it hides the delicacy of the palette.
Wearing it
How the palette works on a body
The rules are about placement and quantity, not about permission.
Keep the value light
Build outfits from the top half of the palette: peach, buttercup, aqua, warm ivory. A dark bottom half is fine, but the color nearest your face should stay light.
Two colors, not five
A light spring outfit reads best with one warm pastel and one neutral. Adding a third strong color flattens the face because the palette has little contrast of its own.
Prints with space
Choose prints with plenty of cream or peach between the motifs. Dense, dark prints undo the lightness the palette is built on.
Base and cheek
A peach or warm rose blush, applied high on the cheek, keeps the face in the palette. Avoid a cool mauve blush, which can look bruised on warm fair skin.
Eyes and lips
Warm taupe, soft brown and a wash of pale gold on the lid. Lips in coral, peach or warm pink rather than a blue-red.
Questions
Light Spring questions
How do I know I am a light spring and not a light summer?
Compare gold and silver near your face. A light spring looks brighter in gold and slightly washed out in silver. A light summer is the reverse, and the same peach that lifts a spring makes a summer look tired.
Can a light spring wear black?
Yes, away from the face: trousers, shoes, a bag. Near the face, swap it for soft navy, warm ivory or light camel and the difference is immediate.
What hair colors suit a light spring?
Golden blonde, honey brown, light auburn and warm caramel. Avoid blue-black, ash blonde and any color described as cool or icy.
Is white in the palette?
Warm ivory and cream, not optic white. The same brightness in a warm tone keeps the face from looking gray.