How to define your colour palette

It can help to have a few different-coloured scarves or clothes to drape round your neck to see the effect of different colours.

Look at your natural hair colour, your eyes and your skin tone and compare them with the definitions below to find out your colour category.

It helps if you narrow it down gradually, so first decide if the tones of your hair, skin and eyes are warm or cool - reds, golds and oranges or blues and purples. Then look at other characteristics until you find your match.

Modern

Category A

Category B

Earthy

Category C

Category D

Category A - Cool and strong
Category A women have cool colouring.

• They have a strong, deep colour to the iris and clear whites of the eyes.
• The skin may have a hint of blueness and will not have freckles.
• Their hair can be very dark or light but is cool in tone and tends to be a strong colour.
• The Celtic colouring of dark hair, pale skin and green eyes is typical.
• Most Black and Asian women, and some Mediterranean women, come into this category.
• This is often called winter colouring.

Category A palette - cool
Cool, definite and strong, this is an intense palette that enjoys contrast and is the only category that really suits black.

• Main colours: Black, strong blues, cerise.
• Secondary colours: White, purple, rich jade.
• Accent colours: Cerise, scarlet.
• Jewellery: Silver, platinum, white gold.

Category A palette - cool and strong

Category B - Cool and subtle
Category B women have cool colouring.

• Their eyes will be a softer colour and may have a cloudiness in them. The whites of the eyes will be an off-white, slightly creamy colour.
• Skin is mid tone, with a slight flush or blue or pink and no freckles.
• Hair colours tend to be mid tones, often mousey, in cool shades. There's no gold in the hair but it does lighten quickly in the sun.
• Black or Asian women in this category will have a greyness in the skin and a rose tone in brown eyes.
• This is often called summer colouring.

Category B palette - cool
Still cool but softer and more delicate, this is a subtle palette.

• Main colours: Grey-blue, green-blue, soft turquoise.
• Secondary colours: Soft white, taupe, soft navy, grey.
• Accent colours: Jade, dusty pink, blue, burgundy.
• Jewellery: Silver, platinum, white gold.

Category B palette - cool and subtle

Category C - Warm and rich
Category C women have warm colouring.

• Women in this category have a lot of green, gold or amber in their eyes. Any with blue eyes, which is unusual, will have gold flecks. Eyes may have a yellowness in them or a gold circle around the pupil.
• Their skin has a golden or yellow flush. Some may go brown in the sun but others pink.
• Their hair colours are rich browns and auburns with copper highlights. Older women may go a yellow-grey.
• Black and Asian women will have auburn lights in their hair and golden tones to the skin.
• This is often called autumn colouring.

Category C palette - warm
Rich, warm and vibrant, think of forests in autumn.

• Main colours: Warm brown, terracotta.
• Secondary colours: Rich green, chocolate brown.
• Accent colours: Warm red, russet.
• Jewellery: Gold, bronze, copper.

Category C palette - warm and rich

Category D - Warm and sunny
Category D women have warm colouring.

• The eyes will be either a clear colour or have another colour round the pupil. Sometimes they will have golden flecks in the iris.
• Women in this category usually have peachy pale cream skin and will flush very easily. Their knuckles may go dark pink in cold weather.
• The hair will be golden tones and when women in this category go grey it can be an attractive dove grey.
• Earth tones are unusual in Black and Asian women, but if so they will have light golden skin.
• This is often called spring colouring.

Category D palette - warm
Bright, sunny and warm, these are the colours of spring

• Main colours: Light green, coral, gold.
• Secondary colours: Violet, French lavender, woodland primrose yellow.
• Accent colours: Warm pink, light turquoise, cornflower blue
• Jewellery: Gold, copper, bronze.

Category D palette - warm and sunny