Summer family, soft and cool
Soft Summer: Color Palette, Makeup, Hair, and Outfits
Soft Summer is the color season where softness leads and coolness comes second: neutral to cool skin, ash brown or dark ash blonde hair, and muted gray-green, gray-blue, or soft hazel eyes, with little contrast between them. The soft summer palette is dusty and blended (mauve, slate blue, sage, rose brown): colors with a little gray in them, the same way your coloring has. For a second opinion, the free seasonal color analysis reads your coloring from a selfie.
The soft summer color palette
Each color here looks mixed with a touch of gray, and that is the point. Bright or very dark colors stand out more than your face does, while these blend with it. Most of the palette leans cool, but it stays close to neutral.
Tap any color to copy its hex code.
Neutrals for coats, trousers, and shoes
Save the Soft Summer palette
Save this card to your phone and hold it next to clothes when you shop. Store lighting shifts colors, so check near a window when you can.
Download the paletteWhat does Soft Summer coloring look like?
Soft Summer is soft first and cool second. Here is how that usually shows up, and where the season sits on the three axes of color analysis.
- Skin
- Neutral to cool: beige, rose beige, or a soft olive, from fair to a muted cool brown. Many Soft Summers find foundations look too pink or too yellow because the skin sits in between. If yours has a green-gray cast, our olive skin tone guide helps.
- Hair
- Ash brown, mushroom brown, or dark ash blonde, often with a smoky quality. It rarely shows strong gold or red in sunlight.
- Eyes
- Muted gray-green, gray-blue, soft hazel, or soft brown, often several colors blended rather than one clear shade.
- Contrast
- Low to medium-low. Nothing about your coloring is sharp, so sharp colors look like they are wearing you.
Soft Summer on the three axes
- Hue
- CoolWarm
- Value
- LightDeep
- Chroma
- SoftBright
Soft Summer vs Soft Autumn and True Summer
Seasons that sit side by side on the wheel share a quality, which makes them the easiest to mix up. Compare them in daylight with no makeup, holding each color under your chin, and watch your skin rather than the fabric.
Soft Summer vs Soft Autumn
Soft Autumn has the same muted quality but leans warm, with more gold in the skin and hair. Compare dusty rose with dusty coral, or pewter with brushed gold. A Soft Summer looks clearer in the rose and pewter, while the coral and gold make the skin look yellow.
See the Soft Autumn paletteSoft Summer vs True Summer
True Summer is cooler and clearer, with pinker skin and blue-based colors like raspberry and periwinkle that look a little sharp on you. Compare a clear raspberry with a soft, grayed raspberry: if the softer one blends with your face and the clear one jumps out, you are Soft Summer.
See the True Summer paletteBest colors vs colors to avoid
These four colors work against Soft Summer coloring. Each one has a swap from your palette that does the same job in an outfit.
Instead of
black, wear blue charcoalBlue charcoal does the job of black for coats and tailoring, and keeps the look soft.
Instead of
bright orange, wear rose brownWhen you want warmth, reach for rose brown or cocoa. Bright orange makes muted coloring look gray.
Instead of
hot pink, wear dusty roseDusty rose or soft raspberry gives you a pink that blends with your face instead of glowing next to it.
Instead of
stark white, wear soft whiteA slightly gray off-white looks clean without the glare of optical white.
Makeup for Soft Summer
Foundation
Neutral or neutral-cool, often a rose beige. If both pink and yellow shades look off, try a neutral shade or one marked olive, which suits the gray-green cast some Soft Summers have.
Blush
- Dusty rose
- Mauve pink
- Soft berry
Dusty rose, mauve pink, and soft berry. Matte or satin finishes look more natural than shimmer.
Lipstick
- Rose brown
- Mauve
- Dusty berry
- Soft raspberry
Rose brown, mauve, dusty berry, and soft raspberry: easy "my lips but better" shades. Bright fuchsia and orange red look like a costume.
Eyeshadow
- Taupe
- Gray brown
- Smoky plum
- Slate
Taupe, gray brown, smoky plum, and slate. Soft, smoky, well-blended looks are your strength.
Eyeliner
- Charcoal brown
- Soft plum
Charcoal brown or soft plum, smudged rather than sharp.
Best hair colors for Soft Summer
- Ash brownYour natural direction, cool and soft.
- Mushroom blondeA beige-gray blonde that brightens without warming.
- Cool brondeA blend of brown and blonde that keeps contrast low.
- Dark ash blonde with soft lowlightsAdds dimension without any sharp contrast.
Hair colors to skip
- Black or very dark brown: more contrast than soft coloring can carry.
- Gold, copper, or red tones: the warmth sits on top of cool-neutral skin instead of blending in.
- Chunky platinum highlights: high-contrast stripes fight a palette built on blending.
Whatever you choose, test it first: the NHS advises testing hair dye at least 48 hours before you use it.
Soft Summer outfit ideas
Build each outfit on one or two neutrals, then put a palette color near your face, where it does the most work.
- OfficeA blue charcoal suit with a dusty rose blouse and soft white accents.
- WeekendA taupe gray coat, denim jeans, and a seafoam knit.
- EveningA soft plum dress with rose beige shoes and pewter jewelry.
- SummerA sage linen shirt with soft white trousers and cocoa sandals.
Prints and fabrics
Blended, low-contrast prints are your best friend: tonal florals, soft plaids, heathered knits, and watercolor patterns. Matte and textured fabrics, like suede, brushed cotton, linen, and cashmere, look richer on you than shiny satin. Crisp graphics and neon prints jump away from your face.
Glasses, bags, and nails
Gray, taupe, soft plum, or smoky translucent frames blend with your coloring. Taupe gray, blue charcoal, and rose beige suit bags and shoes. For nails, try dusty rose, mauve, or soft raspberry.
Jewelry and metals
- Pewter
- Brushed silver
- Rose gold
Matte, brushed, or satin finishes suit you more than high shine. Gray pearls, moonstone, rose quartz, and smoky quartz all repeat the softness of your palette.
Is Soft Summer your season?
Color analysis is a styling system, not a science. No test can prove your season, and two analysts can look at the same face and disagree. Treat this palette as a shortlist of colors that tend to flatter Soft Summer coloring, and let the mirror have the final say.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Soft Summer wear black?
Black is usually the harshest color for you. Blue charcoal and taupe gray are better dark neutrals. If you wear black, soften it with a dusty rose or soft white scarf near your face.
Is Soft Summer warm or cool?
Slightly cool. Softness is the strongest quality and coolness comes second, so Soft Summer sits close to neutral, which is why it can borrow a few muted warm shades like sage and cocoa.
Why do I look tired in bright colors?
If you are a Soft Summer, bright colors are more saturated than anything in your own coloring. They pull attention from your face and make it look washed out by comparison, while muted shades blend with you.
Can a Soft Summer wear white?
Yes, a soft white or off-white with a touch of gray. Stark optical white is too bright next to muted coloring.
Can a Soft Summer wear navy?
Yes, a soft, slightly grayed navy works well. Very dark, saturated navy is closer to black and can look harsh, so lean toward denim and slate blue.
