Spring family, warm and clear
Warm Spring (true spring) color palette
Golden, clear and a little louder than you think.
· By the Hue & Shape team
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Warm spring, also called true spring, is the most golden of the spring seasons. Skin has a peach, golden or honey cast, hair runs from golden blonde through strawberry and copper to warm medium brown, and the eyes are usually hazel, warm green, topaz or a clear blue with a golden ring. Freckles and sun-lightened gold streaks fit the picture.
Everything in this palette shares that yellow base. The colors are clear and medium in depth: marigold, coral, leaf green, turquoise. They are more saturated than light spring's and lighter than any autumn's, so the set works together without black or gray to hold it in place.
The one thing a warm spring cannot wear well is coolness. Blue-based pinks, icy pastels and gray neutrals take the gold out of the skin, and once it is gone the face looks sallow rather than fresh.
Palette at a glance
Spring family · Yellow gold, and plenty of it.
Also called true spring.
The palette
Warm Spring color palette: 36 colors with hex codes
36 colors in six groups. Hex codes are for screens; fabric and print will vary.
Neutrals
- Cream#FBF0D8
- Khaki Tan#B8A074
- Camel#C39262
- Warm Taupe#A98D74
- Milk Chocolate#7B5235
- Chocolate#5A3A26
Lights
- Peach#F6B48D
- Warm Aqua#8FD6C9
- Light Butter#F8E08E
- Apricot#F9C08C
- Pistachio#C5DD8D
- Shell Pink#F8C4AD
Mid-tones
- Golden Yellow#F3C74F
- Clover#A8C46A
- Melon#F39A6C
- Aqua Green#5CBFA8
- Warm Periwinkle#8B9EE0
- Golden Tan#D1A160
Deeps
- Teal#1F8C86
- Golden Olive#8C8A32
- Bronze Brown#8A5A2E
- Marine Blue#2E6DA6
- Kelly Green#2E9A4A
- Paprika#C2542D
Accents
- Marigold#F2A71B
- Saffron#E0A13C
- Leaf Green#7FAE3F
- Turquoise#2FB3A6
- Yellow Green#A5C837
- Aqua Blue#2FA7C9
Reds and pinks
- Warm Coral#EF7B5A
- Persimmon#E2603C
- Tomato Red#E5432F
- Coral Red#F2604F
- Salmon Pink#F79B8A
- Geranium#EC5A5F
On the map
Where warm spring sits among the 12 seasons
Warm spring sits on the far right edge of the map at warmth 0.95, tied with warm autumn as the warmest anchor on the wheel. Its depth is 0.45, near the middle, and its clarity is 0.72: clearer than any autumn, short of bright spring's 1.0. Warm autumn is its nearest neighbor by a wide margin, with the same warmth, a little more depth and noticeably less clarity. Light spring and bright spring come next at roughly equal distances, one lighter and one clearer, which is why people near the edges of warm spring often test as one of those two instead.
Recognize it
How to tell if you are a warm spring
- Hair with visible red or gold in it: copper, auburn, strawberry blonde, golden brown or honey.
- Skin with a peachy or golden cast that turns golden or freckles in the sun.
- Eyes that are warm and clear, such as hazel, topaz, warm green, or a bright blue with a golden ring.
- Gold and bronze jewelry look natural on you; silver looks flat or gray against the skin.
- Cream and ivory flatter your face more than optic white does.
- Black at the neckline looks severe, while chocolate brown or camel looks rich.
A three-step drape check at home
- 1
In daylight, hold Marigold under your chin and then a mustard with gray in it. A warm spring brightens in the marigold; the muted mustard flattens the skin and makes the eyes look smaller.
- 2
Compare Warm Coral with a blue-based fuchsia. The coral should make the cheeks look naturally flushed, while the fuchsia tends to make the skin around it look yellow.
- 3
Finish with Cream paired with Chocolate, and then with black. If cream and chocolate look polished and black looks harsh, you belong on the warm, clear side. If black looks good too, read the bright spring page.
Not sure? The free test reads your season from a photo and seven questions, and the photo never leaves your device.
Find my seasonSide by side
Warm spring vs warm autumn (true spring vs true autumn)
These two share the warmest spot on the wheel, which is why so many people land between them. Both have golden skin, warm hair and warm eyes. What separates them is clarity: warm spring colors are clean and bright, warm autumn colors carry a little brown or gray.
In practice it is coral against terracotta, marigold against mustard, turquoise against teal, leaf green against olive. A warm spring in the autumn versions looks as if someone dimmed the lights. A warm autumn in the spring versions can look as though the outfit is louder than the person wearing it.
Depth helps a little. Warm autumns more often have deeper hair, such as dark auburn or chestnut, with eyes that read brown or deep hazel. Warm springs more often have light to medium copper or golden hair with lighter, clearer eyes.
- Warm Coral #ef7b5a
- Marigold #f2a71b
- Leaf Green #7fae3f
- Turquoise #2fb3a6
- Camel #c39262
- Cream #fbf0d8
Warm Coral, Marigold, Leaf Green, Turquoise, Camel, Cream
- Rust #a64b2a
- Pumpkin #c96a1f
- Goldenrod #b8892e
- Teal #2f6b64
- Olive #6f7434
- Warm Coral #d97a58
Rust, Pumpkin, Goldenrod, Teal, Olive, Warm Coral
The test that separates them
Put Warm Coral next to a terracotta or rust under your chin. If the coral wakes your face up and the rust looks dull, you are warm spring. If the rust looks rich and the coral looks slightly cartoonish, read the warm autumn page.
Side by side
Warm spring vs bright spring (clear spring)
Bright spring is warm spring with more contrast. Its hair is usually darker against lighter skin, its eyes are vivid, and its colors push toward the clear end: hot coral, sunflower, emerald, even a clear periwinkle. Warm spring sits slightly softer and noticeably more golden.
A warm spring in the very brightest bright spring colors can look overpowered, with the skin turning pale while the color takes over. A bright spring in warm spring's camel and saffron can look a little flat, because those shades lack the snap that high contrast asks for.
- Saffron #e0a13c
- Persimmon #e2603c
- Clover #a8c46a
- Warm Aqua #8fd6c9
- Peach #f6b48d
- Chocolate #5a3a26
Saffron, Persimmon, Clover, Warm Aqua, Peach, Chocolate
- Emerald #12a67a
- Bright Periwinkle #7b8cff
- Bubblegum #ff7fb6
- Turquoise #12b4c9
- Poppy #e63946
- Ink #1c1a1a
Emerald, Bright Periwinkle, Bubblegum, Turquoise, Poppy, Ink
The test that separates them
Compare Camel with pure black at the neckline. Warm springs look better in camel. Bright springs can hold black or ink near the face, which tells you contrast is leading rather than warmth.
Side by side
Warm spring vs light spring
Light spring shares the golden base but sits much lighter overall: blonde rather than copper hair, fair skin, pale and clear eyes. Its colors are the pastel end of the same family, such as peach blossom and buttercup.
A warm spring can wear those lighter shades as accents, but a full outfit in them often looks washed out, because the hair and eyes carry more depth than the clothes. Anchoring a pastel with a medium color such as Turquoise or Persimmon fixes it.
- Golden Yellow #f3c74f
- Apricot #f9c08c
- Aqua Green #5cbfa8
- Melon #f39a6c
- Paprika #c2542d
- Golden Tan #d1a160
Golden Yellow, Apricot, Aqua Green, Melon, Paprika, Golden Tan
- Apricot Cream #f7c9a3
- Golden Straw #e8cf95
- Light Camel #d8b48c
- Fresh Mint #cfe6cf
- Soft Salmon #f2b39a
- Cornflower #9db8e0
Apricot Cream, Golden Straw, Light Camel, Fresh Mint, Soft Salmon, Cornflower
The test that separates them
Hold a pale buttercup beside Golden Yellow. If the golden yellow looks right and the pale one disappears, you are warm spring; the reverse points to light spring.
Leave out
Warm Spring colors to avoid
Each one with the reason it fights this coloring and a color from the palette that does the same job.
Dusty Rose
The gray in it fights the clarity of warm spring coloring and leaves the skin looking muddy.
Wear instead: Warm Coral
Cool Gray
It drains the gold from the face, which is the one thing this palette exists to show.
Wear instead: Warm Taupe
Navy
Deep and cool at the same time, so it reads as a dark hole beneath a golden face.
Wear instead: Marine Blue
Icy Pink
A blue-based pastel pink turns golden skin sallow rather than fresh.
Wear instead: Shell Pink
Black
Too stark next to warm, medium coloring; it hardens the face and dulls copper hair.
Wear instead: Chocolate
Wine
A blue-red this deep belongs to winter and makes peachy cheeks look blotchy beside it.
Wear instead: Tomato Red
Lavender
Cool and soft at once, which takes both warmth and clarity away from the skin.
Wear instead: Warm Periwinkle
Charcoal
A cool dark neutral with nothing golden in it, so warm hair looks orange by contrast.
Wear instead: Bronze Brown
Wearing it
Warm Spring outfits: six combinations
Work
Camel, Cream, Teal
A camel suit with a cream blouse and a teal scarf: the dark accent sits at the neck, the neutral does the rest.
Evening
Tomato Red, Chocolate
A tomato red dress with chocolate shoes and gold jewelry; one clear warm red is the strongest evening move in this palette.
Casual
Turquoise, Khaki Tan
A turquoise tee over khaki chinos puts the color at the face and keeps everything below it relaxed.
Summer
Marigold, Warm Aqua, Cream
Marigold and warm aqua with cream: two clear colors can share one outfit here because both have a yellow base.
Winter
Milk Chocolate, Saffron, Camel
A chocolate coat, a saffron knit and a camel scarf give cold-weather depth with no black anywhere.
Accessories
Bronze Brown, Leaf Green
Cognac or bronze leather and a leaf green bag; black leather tends to become the heaviest thing in the outfit.
One clear color at a time
Marigold and turquoise are both strong. Wear one as the main color and let cream, camel or warm taupe do the rest, rather than pairing two saturated hues at full strength.
Warm neutrals carry the outfit
Camel, cream, warm taupe and chocolate are the backbone. They are the reason a warm spring can wear a suit without looking colorless.
Keep prints warm
A print with coral, leaf green and cream belongs in this wardrobe. The same print with gray and navy does not, even if the shapes are identical.
Hair
Warm Spring hair color
Shades that suit
- Copper. The signature warm spring shade: bright, clear and golden-red, matching the palette's corals and persimmons.
- Golden blonde. Works for lighter warm springs and keeps the face luminous.
- Strawberry blonde. Sits between copper and gold and suits freckled, peachy skin.
- Golden brown. A good base if your natural shade is medium brown; ask for warmth rather than lift.
- Light auburn. Adds depth while keeping red in the hair, so the eyes still look warm.
Shades that fight it
- Ash brown. Cool and flat, it removes the gold that ties hair to skin.
- Platinum or icy blonde. Silver tones make golden skin look yellow and tired.
- Blue-black. Far darker and cooler than the face, so it reads as a wig.
Makeup
Warm Spring makeup: base, cheek, eyes and lips
Base and foundation
Choose foundation described as warm, golden or yellow, usually coded W or Y, rather than neutral or pink. Test two or three shades side by side on the jawline and judge them in daylight once they settle, because many formulas oxidize slightly darker and more orange. A golden match vanishes; a pink one shows as a gray or rosy cast on this skin.
Cheek
Warm peach, apricot and coral blush on the apples, swept upward. A touch of golden bronzer along the cheekbone suits this coloring better than a cool, gray contour.
- Apricot blush #F4A374
- Coral blush #EF7F63
Eyes
Bronze, copper, warm olive and golden brown shadows with a chocolate or bronze liner. A turquoise liner is a real option for evening, since that color already sits in the palette.
- Copper #B8693A
- Bronze #9C6B33
- Golden olive #8B8540
Lips
Coral, tomato red, warm peach and golden nude. Blue-red and mauve fight the gold in the skin, so even a well-applied cool lipstick looks like it belongs to someone else.
- Coral #EC6E52
- Tomato red #DB3D2B
- Golden nude #D0936B
The base
Metals, jewelry and wardrobe neutrals
Yellow gold, and plenty of it. Bronze and copper also work. Silver looks flat next to this skin.
Yellow gold is the home metal, and a warm spring can wear more of it than most seasons: bold hoops, chunky chains and hammered finishes all work. Bronze, copper and brass are equally at home.
Stones that echo the palette include amber, citrine, turquoise, coral and peridot. Pearls look best in cream or golden tones. If you own silver, wear it mixed with gold rather than on its own.
- Cream
- Khaki Tan
- Camel
- Warm Taupe
- Milk Chocolate
- Chocolate
Every depth
Warm Spring on fair, medium and deep skin
Fair skin
Fair warm springs usually pair copper or strawberry hair with freckles. The lights and mid-tones (Peach, Warm Aqua, Golden Yellow) work at the face, and the clearest accents such as Marigold and Turquoise are best in moderate amounts.
Medium skin
On medium golden skin the whole palette opens up. Persimmon, Leaf Green and Turquoise can be worn as full tops, and Camel and Chocolate become everyday neutrals rather than occasional ones.
Deep skin
Deep skin with a golden or red-brown cast, warm brown eyes and hair showing red or gold can sit in warm spring when these colors look clear rather than earthy on it. Here the accents and deeps lead: Marigold, Teal, Tomato Red and Kelly Green hold their own, and the palest lights work better as accessories.
Questions
Warm Spring questions
Is warm spring the same as true spring?
Yes. Warm spring and true spring are two names for the same season: the spring type where warmth is the strongest trait, ahead of lightness or clarity.
What is the difference between warm spring and warm autumn?
Clarity. Both are as warm as the wheel gets, but warm spring wears the clean, bright version of each hue and warm autumn the muted, deeper one: coral rather than rust, marigold rather than mustard.
Can a warm spring wear black?
It is the hardest neutral for this coloring. Chocolate, bronze brown and marine blue give the same anchoring effect with warmth that black lacks. Keep any black to shoes or a bag.
Can a warm spring wear red?
Yes, warm and clear reds: tomato, poppy and coral red. A blue-based crimson reads as a winter red and makes the face look pink by contrast.
What hair colors suit a warm spring?
Copper, golden blonde, strawberry blonde, golden brown and light auburn. Ash tones, icy blonde and blue-black work against the palette.
Is turquoise in the warm spring palette?
Warm turquoise with a green base is, and so are warm aqua and teal. Icy aqua with a blue base is not. A useful test is whether the color looks at home beside marigold.
What neutrals work for a warm spring?
Cream, camel, khaki tan, warm taupe, milk chocolate and chocolate. Together they replace the black, white and gray of a standard wardrobe.
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
More for a Warm Spring
- Spring color palettesWarm, clean and never dusty.
- Warm Autumn paletteThe color of the last warm week of October.
- Bright Spring paletteHigh contrast, warm base, no apologies.
- Skin undertone testWarm, cool, neutral or olive, from a skin sample and four quick questions.
- How we measureThe formulas, boundaries and limits behind every number