True Summer vs Light Summer
True Summer and Light Summer sit next to each other on the flow wheel, which is why they are so easy to confuse: they share a dimension. The table below shows exactly where they part company, and the test underneath it is the fastest way to settle which one you are.
Last updated August 2026 ยท Michael Machatschek
| True Summer | Light Summer | |
|---|---|---|
| Palette | ||
| Undertone | cool | neutral cool |
| Depth | light medium | light |
| Clarity | soft | medium soft |
| Defined by | cool | light |
| Best metal | silver | silver |
| Signature color | Dusty Blue | Powder Blue |
Where each one sits
True Summer
Light Summer
How to tell which you are
What the True Summer guide says
Both are cool and soft; the difference is depth. Light Summer stays in the pastel range and gets overwhelmed by medium colors. True Summer wears medium cool shades such as raspberry and dusty blue comfortably. If pastels look slightly insubstantial on you, you are True Summer.
What the Light Summer guide says
Both are cool and soft. True Summer runs deeper and more clearly blue based; Light Summer stays pale and slightly neutral. If medium cool shades like raspberry and dusty blue look good on you rather than heavy, look at True Summer. If anything past pastel starts to wear you, you are Light Summer.
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 Summer and Light Summer?
- True Summer is cool, light medium and soft. Light Summer is neutral cool, light and medium soft. In practice that means True Summer wears dusty blue where Light Summer wears powder blue.
- How do I tell if I am True Summer or Light Summer?
- Both are cool and soft; the difference is depth. Light Summer stays in the pastel range and gets overwhelmed by medium colors. True Summer wears medium cool shades such as raspberry and dusty blue comfortably. If pastels look slightly insubstantial on you, you are True Summer.
- Can I be both True Summer and Light Summer?
- 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.