The summer type includes people with blonde hair, pepper-and-salt hair, or light to silvery-grey hair. Summer types are common in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Blonde people in Greece or Italy are also often the summer type. They typically have fair skin, blue, green-grey, or grey-blue eyes, and hair that isn’t very dark. In winter, summer types may appear a bit pale, but this doesn’t mean they don’t tan in summer. There are also summer types with a lot of redness in their complexion and sometimes taupe-coloured freckles.
Blue is the ideal colour for the summer type, as well as related colours that lie next to blue on the colour wheel, such as sea green and lilac. Do these colours suit you best? Then the chances are high you might be a summer type. But be aware of the different shades of blue such as light blue, grey-blue, petrol blue, navy, turquoise, aqua, and lavender. It’s all about the undertone: whether it’s warm or cool, the brightness of the colour, and its depth.
In addition to the Summer Type, I also distinguish the Cool Clear and Cool Soft types. These are variations on the summer type where you may want a bit more contrast or brightness. These types often suit people with bright blue eyes and darker hair, or darker hair with fair skin and low contrast.
The Light Type: a combination of spring and summer
It’s also possible that you are the Light type, which is becoming increasingly common. This includes many colours associated with the summer type, like blue, sea green, and grey, but also warm pink tones such as coral. This type is a blend of spring and summer characteristics. I like to call it “Light” because it is very specific and not simply half summer colours and half spring colours. If you are a Light type, you’ll especially notice this in your choice of make-up. Lipsticks and blushers in cool shades like mauve, dusty pink, or soft pink look too harsh and tend to wash you out. (Light) Warm colours like coral, peach, or orange-red are much more flattering.
For accurate colour advice, it’s essential to analyse with quality colour drapes. This means sitting in front of a mirror (in daylight) while we assess the effect of each colour, one by one: in which shades do imperfections like under-eye shadows, blemishes, or fine lines become less noticeable? In which colours do you look more radiant, with your beautiful blue eyes, bright smile, or lovely hair more accentuated? But also: in which colours does your face appear fuller or slimmer? This is the power of colour! After all these years—I have been working with colour for 30 years—I still find it magical.
Colours for the Summer Type
Blue in various shades is the fundamental colour for summer types. But it would be a shame to wear only blue, a tendency some men still have. Sea green, pink, lilac, raspberry red, and taupe are also beautiful colours for the summer type, providing the necessary variety. Light grey is a lovely base colour but often benefits from a bit of brightening with an accent colour, even if it’s just in lipstick. Brown isn’t the best colour for the summer type, but a light chocolate brown can look stunning, especially when paired with light blue or pink. Silver generally looks better than gold.
Great colours for a Summer Type:
- Tone-on-tone combinations of different shades of blue
- Denim in various shades
- Light pink, pink, soft pink, and lilac
- Sea green and light bottle green
- Cool red, such as raspberry red
Each colour type is different, which is what makes giving and receiving a colour analysis so fascinating. It’s not only about the colours you choose but also about the combination and the number of colours: for some women, prints are flattering, while for others, solid colours or combinations of two, at most three, colours work best. All of this becomes clear during a colour analysis.
Of course, the colours of your accessories, jewellery, makeup, and hair are not to be overlooked. These are also given attention during a colour consultation. For the summer type, gold-blonde or copper tones often don’t look great, as they can appear washed out or dull. Silver suits better than gold, and when it comes to makeup colours, it’s best to choose cool shades that aren’t too dark.
What are my best colours?
It’s always important to refine and select your best colours. A colour consultation should never be a one-size-fits-all approach! That’s why Hi Style Academy works with 16 different colour types, with new ones added regularly. Once you delve into the various colours, you’ll find there are so many differences but also similarities. It’s essential to extract what’s most important for you. This could be cool, but it might also be light, muted, or even brighter.
After a colour analysis, you’ll receive a colour card with your best colours. You can use this when you’re shopping. It’s a handy tool for buying clothing, accessories, shoes, and makeup.
Watch videos on YouTube Hi Style Academy for inspiration.
In the webshop, you’ll find various useful materials for professional colour stylists.
Interested in a Colour Consultation or Colour Stylist training?
Colour Analysis Academy offers training courses in English and Dutch, both online and in-person. Would you like to learn more? Fill in the contact form below or book a free video call where I can personally answer all your questions.
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Looking forward to hearing with you!
Best regards,
