Hue & Shape
Menu

Spring family, warm and clear

Spring color palette

Warm, clean and never dusty.

· By the Hue & Shape team

Not sure you are a Spring?

The free color test reads your season from a photo and seven quick questions. The photo stays on your device. If you want it, your personal color report is $12.99 once, with no subscription.

Take the free color testOr test your undertone first

Spring color analysis groups three seasons that share a warm, golden undertone and a clear finish. Every spring color has yellow in it rather than blue, and none of them looks dusty: peach, coral, marigold and leaf green, not mauve or slate.

Depth runs from light to medium. Light spring is the palest season on the warm side of the wheel, warm spring sits at medium depth with the strongest gold, and bright spring is medium depth with the highest clarity of the three. No spring palette reaches the near-black browns and blackened greens that deep autumn wears.

The thread through the family is that the face looks best when the color nearest it is warm and clean at the same time. Muted warm colors belong to autumn, and clear cool colors belong to winter. Spring is the one family that asks for warmth and clarity together.

The twelve color seasons by warmth, depth and clarityLight Spring: warmth 0.55, depth 0.18, clarity 0.62. Warm Spring: warmth 0.95, depth 0.45, clarity 0.72. Bright Spring: warmth 0.5, depth 0.5, clarity 1. Light Summer: warmth -0.45, depth 0.22, clarity 0.5. Cool Summer: warmth -0.9, depth 0.45, clarity 0.58. Soft Summer: warmth -0.35, depth 0.5, clarity 0.22. Soft Autumn: warmth 0.4, depth 0.55, clarity 0.18. Warm Autumn: warmth 0.95, depth 0.62, clarity 0.45. Deep Autumn: warmth 0.6, depth 0.9, clarity 0.5. Deep Winter: warmth -0.5, depth 0.9, clarity 0.72. Cool Winter: warmth -0.95, depth 0.6, clarity 0.88. Bright Winter: warmth -0.35, depth 0.52, clarity 1CoolWarmWarmthLightDeepLight SpringWarm SpringBright SpringLight SummerCool SummerSoft SummerSoft AutumnWarm AutumnDeep AutumnDeep WinterCool WinterBright Winter
The three spring seasons, filled, among all twelve. Larger dots are clearer seasons. How the anchors are used

The family palette

Spring color palette: 18 colors across the three types

Six signature colors from each spring season. Each season page has its full 36.

Light Spring

  • Peach Blossom#FFD9C7
  • Apricot Cream#F7C9A3
  • Buttercup#F7DFA0
  • Spring Leaf#B9D48A
  • Aqua Mist#A8DCD4
  • Cornflower#9DB8E0

Warm Spring

  • Marigold#F2A71B
  • Golden Yellow#F3C74F
  • Warm Coral#EF7B5A
  • Persimmon#E2603C
  • Leaf Green#7FAE3F
  • Turquoise#2FB3A6

Bright Spring

  • Hot Coral#FF5A4E
  • Tangerine#FF8A2A
  • Sunflower#FFC61A
  • Lime#A8D92E
  • Emerald#12A67A
  • Turquoise#12B4C9

Three types

Light Spring vs Warm Spring vs Bright Spring

TraitLight SpringWarm SpringBright Spring
DepthLightMediumMedium
WarmthWarm, gentlyThe warmest springWarm, leaning neutral
ClarityClear, with soft edgesClearThe clearest spring
Typical skinFair to light, ivory or peachLight to medium, golden or peachyClear ivory to golden
Typical hairGolden or strawberry blonde, light golden brownGolden brown, copper, honey blondeMedium to dark brown, often with warm glints
Typical eyesLight blue, aqua, green, soft hazelHazel, green, topaz, warm brownBright blue, clear green, sparkling topaz
Best neutralWarm IvoryCamelWarm White
Signature colorPeach BlossomMarigoldHot Coral

Light Spring

The lightest and most delicate spring. Peach Blossom, Buttercup and Aqua Mist suit it because they keep the value high, and strong color near the face starts to look borrowed.

The Light Spring palette

Warm Spring

The golden center of the family, also called true spring. On the tool's map it shares the warmest position of all twelve with warm autumn, and Marigold, Warm Coral and Turquoise carry it.

The Warm Spring palette

Bright Spring

Also called clear spring. Its hair, skin and eyes contrast more than either of its siblings, so Hot Coral, Sunflower and Emerald work at full strength while pastels look faded.

The Bright Spring palette

Routing

Which spring are you?

  1. 1. How do your hair and skin compare in daylight?

    • Both are light, with little contrast between them: Light Spring
    • Medium depth, with an obvious golden or copper cast: Warm Spring
    • Noticeably darker hair against clear, bright skin: Bright Spring

  2. 2. Hold Peach Blossom, then Hot Coral, then Marigold under your chin. Which wins?

    • The pale peach; the coral looks loud on me: Light Spring
    • The marigold; it makes the skin look golden and even: Warm Spring
    • The hot coral; next to it the peach looks washed out: Bright Spring

  3. 3. With a white shirt, which neutral would you reach for?

Answers split? The free color test weighs a photo sample and seven questions, then names one of the twelve seasons.

Find my season

Neighboring family

Spring vs autumn

Spring and autumn are both warm families, which is why they get mixed up. The split is clarity, and to a lesser degree depth. A spring color looks like pure pigment with a golden base; the autumn version of the same hue has brown or gray worked into it. Coral becomes terracotta, marigold becomes mustard, leaf green becomes olive.

Warm spring and warm autumn are the closest pair across the line. They share the same golden undertone and similar hair, and the difference shows only when the colors are placed side by side. Springs also tend to be lighter overall: no spring reaches the depth of a deep autumn.

The autumn palettes
Spring
  • Peach Blossom #ffd9c7
  • Marigold #f2a71b
  • Warm Coral #ef7b5a
  • Leaf Green #7fae3f
  • Turquoise #2fb3a6
  • Hot Coral #ff5a4e

Peach Blossom, Marigold, Warm Coral, Leaf Green, Turquoise, Hot Coral

Autumn
  • Camel #c8a27a
  • Terracotta #b96b4e
  • Rust #a64b2a
  • Mustard #c9a227
  • Olive #6f7434
  • Mahogany #6b2f28

Camel, Terracotta, Rust, Mustard, Olive, Mahogany

The test that separates them

Hold Warm Coral next to a terracotta in daylight. A spring face looks fresher in the coral and a little dull in the terracotta. An autumn face makes the coral look loud and settles into the terracotta.

Neighboring family

Spring vs summer

This confusion lives at the light end. Light spring and light summer are both pale, both low in contrast and both look delicate, so they are easy to swap. The difference is the undertone. A light spring has peach or golden warmth under the skin; a light summer has pink or blue.

In practice the two palettes look similar at a glance and wrong on each other up close. Peach and buttercup lift a spring and turn a summer slightly sallow, while icy pink and powder blue flatter a summer and make a spring look gray around the mouth.

The summer palettes
Spring
  • Peach Blossom #ffd9c7
  • Marigold #f2a71b
  • Warm Coral #ef7b5a
  • Leaf Green #7fae3f
  • Turquoise #2fb3a6
  • Hot Coral #ff5a4e

Peach Blossom, Marigold, Warm Coral, Leaf Green, Turquoise, Hot Coral

Summer
  • Powder Blue #b7cde8
  • Rose Quartz #efc9d2
  • Dusty Rose #d49aa5
  • Wisteria #9b8fc4
  • Sage Green #9fae95
  • Misted Blue #8fa5b5

Powder Blue, Rose Quartz, Dusty Rose, Wisteria, Sage Green, Misted Blue

The test that separates them

Wear a gold chain and then a silver one, each for a minute, in front of a window. A spring looks brighter in the gold; a summer looks brighter in the silver and a little yellow in the gold.

Spring wardrobe basics

Build a spring wardrobe on warm, light neutrals rather than black and gray: cream, warm ivory, camel and a warm navy for the darker pieces. These carry the clear colors without dulling them.

Then add color near the face. One clear accent per outfit is enough for light spring; warm spring can take two warm colors together, such as marigold with turquoise; bright spring can pair a vivid color with warm white for contrast.

Prints follow the same logic. A spring print has space between the motifs and a warm, light ground, such as cream with coral and leaf green. Dense prints on a black or charcoal ground undo the lightness that all three springs depend on.

Hair color across the spring family

Spring hair colors share warmth: golden blonde, strawberry blonde, honey, copper and warm brown. The family reads wrong in ash shades, which pull the gold out of the skin, and in blue-black, which is too heavy and too cool for every spring.

Within the family, light springs suit the lightest golden tones, warm springs can carry copper and rich honey, and bright springs suit a medium to dark warm brown that keeps their natural contrast. Highlights look best when they are fine and golden rather than chunky and platinum.

Spring makeup

Spring makeup leans peach, coral and warm pink. A cool mauve blush or a blue-red lipstick sits on top of spring skin instead of blending into it.

Eyes work in warm browns, bronze, soft gold and warm green. The difference between the three springs is intensity: a light spring keeps everything sheer, a warm spring can wear bronze and copper fully, and a bright spring can carry a clear coral or poppy lip.

Questions

Spring color questions

What are spring colors in color analysis?

Warm colors with a clean, clear finish: peach, coral, marigold, golden yellow, leaf green, turquoise and warm ivory. They share a yellow base and contain no gray, which separates them from autumn colors of similar hue.

What is the difference between light, warm and bright spring?

Depth and clarity. Light spring is the palest and softest of the three, warm spring is the most golden at medium depth, and bright spring has the strongest contrast and the most saturated colors.

Is warm spring the same as true spring?

Yes. Some systems call the central season of each family the true season, so warm spring and true spring describe the same golden, clear palette. Bright spring is also called clear spring.

Can a spring wear black?

Away from the face, yes. Near the face, black is too heavy for light and warm springs. Bright spring copes with it best, but a warm navy or an ink usually looks more natural on any spring.

Which metals suit a spring?

Yellow gold first, then rose gold, brass and bronze. Bright spring can wear polished silver if the finish is shiny. A brushed or antique finish tends to look dull against clear spring coloring.

Does a tan turn a spring into an autumn?

No. A tan deepens the skin for a while, but the undertone and the clarity of your features stay the same. Many springs find they can wear a little more color when tanned, without needing a different palette.

Which spring is closest to autumn?

Warm spring. It shares the golden undertone and often the copper or honey hair of warm autumn, and the two are separated mainly by how clear the colors are. Bright spring sits nearer to bright winter, and light spring nearer to light summer.

Can springs wear gray?

Warm grays with a beige cast work better than cool, blue-tinged ones. If a gray makes the skin look ashy near the jaw, swap it for camel, oat or warm taupe.

How we measure. The seasons on this site come from fixed positions for warmth, depth and clarity, and the free test matches you to the nearest one. Read the method

Beyond the spring family