True Spring vs True Autumn
Both are purely warm seasons, so gold wins for both and neither can wear black. The split is depth and clarity: True Spring is light and clear, True Autumn is deep and rich.
Last updated August 2026 ยท Michael Machatschek
| True Spring | True Autumn | |
|---|---|---|
| Palette | ||
| Undertone | warm | warm |
| Depth | light medium | medium deep |
| Clarity | bright | medium soft |
| Defined by | warm | warm |
| Best metal | gold | gold |
| Signature color | Warm Coral | Rust |
Where each one sits
True Spring
True Autumn
How to tell which you are
Hold a clear turquoise against a deep rust in daylight. True Spring looks lit by the turquoise and slightly weighed down by the rust; True Autumn looks grounded by the rust and slightly startled by the turquoise.
- Look at your natural hair before any dye. Golden blonde through light golden brown points to Spring; auburn, copper and chestnut point to Autumn.
- Both seasons wear a yellow based green, but Spring's is grass green and Autumn's is olive. If olive makes you look tired, you are a Spring.
- Cream is the shared white. Spring's neutrals stay light (camel, buff); Autumn's go deep (coffee brown, dark khaki).
Colors that are right either way
Both palettes contain these. If you are genuinely stuck between the two, this is what to buy first: you cannot get it wrong, whichever way the answer eventually falls.
Still not sure?
The test measures all three dimensions and tells you which one decides your season, with the confidence behind it. When two seasons are close it says so and names both.
Take the 60 second testQuestions people ask
- What is the difference between True Spring and True Autumn?
- True Spring is warm, light medium and bright. True Autumn is warm, medium deep and medium soft. In practice that means True Spring wears warm coral where True Autumn wears rust.
- How do I tell if I am True Spring or True Autumn?
- Hold a clear turquoise against a deep rust in daylight. True Spring looks lit by the turquoise and slightly weighed down by the rust; True Autumn looks grounded by the rust and slightly startled by the turquoise.
- Can I be both True Spring and True Autumn?
- Not officially, but you can sit on the border, and if these two are your candidates you probably do. The practical answer is to shop the colors both palettes contain, which are listed on this page, and to be careful only with the shades where they diverge.