What Season Am I?
You are one of twelve color seasons, and which one comes down to a single question: which dimension of your coloring is the most extreme. If it is depth, you are a Light or a Dark season. If it is clarity, you are a Soft or a Bright one. If it is temperature, you are one of the four True seasons. Run the test below and it will tell you which, and show you why.
Last updated August 2026 ยท Michael Machatschek
How to take a photo that gives a reliable result
- Daylight, facing a window. Overhead bulbs are warm and will push the reading warm.
- No makeup, especially no foundation. It is the single largest source of error.
- Hair back and off your face, and use the quiz instead if your hair is dyed far from its natural colour.
- No filter, no beauty mode, and nothing brightly coloured near your face.
Free, no account, and nothing is stored. See exactly how this works.
The question behind the question
Most people asking what season am I have already guessed at warm or cool and got stuck. That is because temperature is only one of three dimensions, and for two thirds of people it is not the one that decides their season.
Consider two people who are both mildly cool. One has very light hair, skin and eyes with almost no contrast between them; she is a Light Summer, and lightness is what rules her. The other has dark hair against clear light skin; she is a Dark or Bright Winter, and that contrast is what rules her. Same temperature, completely different palettes.
The three dimensions, briefly
The second dimension then decides the side. A dominant light dimension with warmth underneath gives Light Spring; with coolness underneath it gives Light Summer. This is the whole system in two sentences.
| Dimension | Runs from | If it dominates you are |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Light to deep | a Light or a Dark season |
| Chroma | Soft to bright | a Soft or a Bright season |
| Hue | Cool to warm | one of the four True seasons |
Questions people ask
- What color season am I if I am between two?
- You are probably on the border, which is a real place rather than a failure. Seasons sit on a wheel and each one blends into its two neighbours. When the test finds a close call it names both and tells you which dimension is unclear, so you can wear the overlap between the two palettes with confidence.
- Can your color season change?
- Your undertone does not change, but your depth can. Hair going grey or being colored, and to a lesser extent a tan, move you along the light to deep axis. That is enough to shift someone from Dark Winter to True Winter over time, which is why it is worth retaking the test after a big change.
- How do I know if I am warm or cool?
- Hold gold and then silver next to your bare face in daylight, and then ivory fabric against pure white. Warm skin looks healthier with gold and ivory; cool skin looks clearer with silver and pure white. Ignore the vein test, which measures light scattering rather than undertone.
- Is the 12 season system better than the 4 season one?
- It is more precise. The four season system only uses temperature, so everyone cool is a Summer or a Winter. The twelve season system adds depth and clarity, which is why it can tell a Light Summer from a Soft Summer, two people with very different best colors.