Color season ยท Spring family
Warm (True) Spring Color Palette
The warm spring color palette is built from clear, golden, light-to-medium colors: golden yellow, tangerine, warm coral, kelly green, turquoise and camel. Warm Spring, also called True Spring, is warm before anything else. Every shade has visible yellow in it, and the colors are bright and fresh rather than dusty.
This is likely your season if gold jewelry makes your skin glow, your hair has golden or copper lights, and grey or black makes you look drained. Below are 30 colors with hex codes, plus neutrals, makeup, hair, outfits, and how to tell Warm Spring from Warm Autumn and Bright Spring.
- Undertone
- Warm
- Depth
- Light to medium
- Chroma
- Bright (clear)
- Contrast
- Medium
The Warm Spring color palette, color by color
Tap any swatch to copy its hex code, or download the full palette as an image for your phone.
How to read this palette
Hue first, because it leads this season. Warm Spring colors are yellow-based all the way through: reds lean tomato, pinks lean coral, greens lean toward lime and kelly, and even the blues lean toward turquoise. Few seasons are this consistently golden.
In value, the palette runs from light to medium. Bright ivory and pale daffodil are the lightest shades; cinnamon, leaf green and golden brown are the deepest, and nothing goes near black. In chroma, the colors are clear and lively. They look like fresh fruit and flowers, not like dried spices.
So the easy check is whether a color looks sunlit and juicy. Mango, poppy and aqua green pass. Plum, slate grey and bottle green fail, because they are cool, dark or muted.
What is Warm Spring?
Warm Spring is the most golden of the spring seasons, with clear, sunny, medium-light colors. Golden yellow, tangerine, warm coral, kelly green and turquoise light you up. Cool, greyed or very dark shades make your skin look dull.
- Skin: golden ivory, peach, warm beige, honey or golden brown. Many Warm Springs tan easily and some have golden freckles.
- Hair: golden blonde, strawberry blonde, copper, auburn or warm golden brown, often with natural red or gold highlights in the sun.
- Eyes: warm green, golden hazel, topaz, light brown or warm turquoise blue, often with gold or amber flecks.
- Contrast: medium. Your features are clear and lively but not stark, so neither pastels nor black-and-white suit you fully.
- Gold jewelry looks like part of you, while silver can look grey and separate from your skin.
A quick self-test
Try gold and silver foil. In daylight with a bare face, hold a sheet of gold foil or gold fabric under your chin, then silver. If gold makes your skin look even and warm while silver makes it look grey or tired, you are in a warm season. If camel and tangerine also look lively on you rather than heavy, Warm Spring is a strong match.
Best Warm Spring neutrals
Your neutrals all carry gold. Bright ivory and buttermilk do the job of white, camel and golden tan are your everyday middle tones, and golden brown or warm chestnut take over from black and charcoal. Grey is the neutral to skip; if you need one, choose a warm beige instead.
Colors Warm Spring should avoid
- Black#111111
- Charcoal Grey#3C3F44
- Icy Lavender#DCD6EE
- Dusty Rose#C49A9F
- Blue Grey#8A9AAE
- Plum#5A1F4A
- Burgundy#6E1F2E
- Bright Fuchsia#D6197F
Everything on this list is cool, greyed or dark. Blue grey, icy lavender and dusty rose take the gold out of your skin and leave it looking flat. Plum, burgundy, charcoal and black are much deeper and cooler than you, so they cast shadows. Fuchsia is bright enough but blue-based, so it clashes with golden skin. Wear these below the waist if you must.
Metals and jewelry
- Yellow gold
- Polished brass
- Copper
- Rose gold
- Bronze
Yellow gold is your signature. Shiny or lightly hammered finishes suit your lively coloring, while very dull antique finishes can look tired. Copper and polished brass make good statement pieces. Cool silver, platinum and gunmetal are the hardest metals for you; if a piece is silver, wear it next to a gold one.
Warm Spring makeup
Look for golden, yellow or peach undertones, and avoid anything labelled cool or rosy. Swatch on your jawline and check it in daylight; the right shade looks like skin, not a mask with a pink or grey cast.
- Coral#F0725C
- Tomato Red#DB3B26
- Warm Peach#F29A78
- Golden Apricot#E58A55
- Warm Watermelon#E9605F
- Apricot#F6A764
- Warm Peach#F7A98A
- Coral#F28B76
- Gold#D4A43A
- Copper#C26A2C
- Bronze#9A6A35
- Warm Khaki#9A8A4E
- Teal#1E8F86
- Golden Brown#7E5326
Warm Spring hair colors
Golden copper
Bright but natural on Warm Spring. It makes green and hazel eyes look greener.
Strawberry blonde
A good light option if you started as a golden or reddish blonde.
Warm golden brown with honey pieces
Keeps brunette hair lively. Ask for gold, not ash, in the toner.
Light auburn
A red-gold brown that adds warmth without going dark or purple.
Golden blonde
Works if your natural shade is light; keep it buttery rather than platinum.
Hair colors to avoid
- Blue-black or very dark espresso, which looks heavy and makes golden skin look sallow.
- Ash blonde, mushroom brown or silver toners, which strip out the warmth your face needs.
- Burgundy, violet-red or cherry cola shades, which are too cool for your skin.
Nail colors for Warm Spring
Glossy finishes suit Warm Spring, and a fine gold shimmer looks natural on you. Camel or light peach make a tidy everyday nude, and tomato red is your answer to the classic red manicure.
Warm Spring clothing and outfit tips
- Wear your brightest warm color at the neckline: a coral top, a turquoise scarf or a tangerine sweater. It does the work blush would do.
- Replace black with golden brown, warm chestnut or camel. A camel coat over a coral dress gives the same polish as black, with far more life.
- Use bright ivory or buttermilk wherever you would reach for white. Optic white looks hard next to golden skin.
- Pair one bright color with one neutral, or two brights that share warmth, like turquoise with tangerine. Avoid mixing your brights with cool pastels.
- Choose fabrics with life in them: crisp cotton, linen, silk with some shine, and smooth knits. Very matte, heathered greys make you look dull.
- If you love denim, a medium or light wash with warm stitching suits you better than black or grey-washed jeans.
Outfit combinations
Sunday market
TangerineBright IvoryCamel
A tangerine knit, bright ivory jeans and camel loafers. Bright, easy and warm.
Turquoise and gold
TurquoiseGolden TanButtermilk
A turquoise blouse with golden tan trousers and a buttermilk jacket, finished with gold hoops.
Workday camel
CamelWarm CoralGolden Brown
A camel suit over a warm coral shell, with golden brown shoes and belt.
Garden green
Kelly GreenLight PeachWarm Beige
A kelly green dress with a light peach cardigan and warm beige sandals.
Poppy evening
PoppyGolden YellowWarm Chestnut
A poppy wrap dress, a golden yellow clutch and warm chestnut heels.
Coastal
Warm Aqua BlueApricotBright Ivory
A warm aqua blue linen shirt, apricot shorts and bright ivory canvas shoes.
Autumn-ready spring
Bright OliveMarigoldCinnamon
A bright olive jacket over a marigold top, with cinnamon boots. Your answer to cooler weather.
Build a small capsule wardrobe
- Pick three neutrals: bright ivory for tops, camel for coats and trousers, golden brown for shoes and bags.
- Add three accent tops that all work with those neutrals, such as warm coral, turquoise and golden yellow.
- Choose one statement piece in a bright like kelly green or tangerine. With camel and ivory around it, it always reads as intentional.
- Use gold jewelry and a cognac or tan leather belt to tie everything together.
Patterns and prints
Leaf print
Aqua Green and Warm Periwinkle on Bright Ivory
Gingham
Warm Coral and Jade on Light Golden Yellow
Small florals
Aqua Green and Tomato Red on Sunflower
Plaid
Warm Coral and Cinnamon on Lime Green
- Medium-contrast prints suit you: tangerine and ivory, turquoise and camel. Avoid black-and-white and cool grey prints.
- Cheerful motifs fit the season: tropical leaves, citrus, bold florals, folk prints, madras checks and paisley in warm colors.
- Keep the scale small to medium-large. A clear print with defined edges looks livelier on you than a blurred one.
- Mix two warm prints only if they share a color, for example a coral stripe with a coral-and-green floral.
Accessories and natural materials
- Warm, glossy materials: cognac and tan leather, light wood, bamboo, straw, amber and tortoiseshell with golden tones.
- Glasses in golden tortoiseshell, honey, warm red-brown or gold metal. Steel grey and black frames look harsh.
- Stones such as citrine, carnelian, turquoise, coral, peridot and golden topaz.
- Silk scarves in tangerine, coral or turquoise lift a camel coat in seconds.
How to tell Warm Spring from Warm Autumn and Bright Spring
Warm Spring vs Warm Autumn
- What you share
- Both are warm first, with golden undertones, warm hair and gold jewelry. Camel, copper and olive work for both.
- What differs
- Warm Autumn is deeper and more muted, with rust, mustard and chocolate. Warm Spring is lighter and clearer, with tangerine, golden yellow and turquoise. On you, autumn spices can look heavy; on them, your brights can look loud.
- How to tell which you are
- Hold a clear tangerine and a deep rust fabric to your face. If tangerine makes your eyes sparkle and rust looks heavy, you are Warm Spring. If rust looks rich and tangerine looks shrill, try Warm Autumn.
- Colors to borrow from Warm Autumn
- On cooler days, lean toward Warm Autumn's earthier side with bright olive, cinnamon and golden brown. Keep them clear and golden, and leave out its murkier khakis and deep chocolate.
- Bright OliveCinnamonGolden Brown
Warm Spring vs Bright Spring
- What you share
- Both are spring seasons with clear, saturated colors. Coral, turquoise and grass green suit both.
- What differs
- Bright Spring is clear first and nearly neutral in undertone, with higher contrast, so it handles navy, near-black and cooler pinks. Warm Spring is golden first and looks best in yellow-based colors with softer contrast.
- How to tell which you are
- Compare a clear navy and a golden brown jacket. If golden brown looks right and navy looks harsh, stay with Warm Spring. If navy looks crisp and golden brown looks muddy, you may be Bright Spring.
- Colors to borrow from Bright Spring
- Bright Spring sits next door on the clear side. Poppy, watermelon and warm aqua blue have some of its punch while staying golden enough for you. Skip its navy and icy pinks.
- PoppyWatermelonWarm Aqua Blue
Warm Spring questions
Yes. Analysts who name seasons by their main trait call it Warm Spring; those who call it the purest version of spring say True Spring. Both describe a season that is warm first and bright second, with golden, clear colors and medium contrast.
Pure optic white is usually too stark. Bright ivory, buttermilk or a warm cream look clean on you without the hard edge. If you own a white shirt, wear it with a coral or turquoise scarf and gold jewelry to bring warmth back to your face.
Yes, if it leans toward coral or peach. Salmon pink, watermelon and warm coral are pinks with yellow in them, and they suit you well. Blue-based pinks such as fuchsia, magenta or icy baby pink tend to fight with golden skin.
Warm coral, tomato red, golden apricot and warm peach. Satin or glossy finishes look lively on you. If you want a nude, choose one with a peachy or golden base rather than a brown-mauve one, which can look flat. A tinted gloss in apricot works for weekends.
For work, build on camel, golden brown and warm beige suits, with coral, turquoise or golden yellow tops. As a wedding guest, try a poppy or kelly green dress, or a turquoise one with gold jewelry. Skip black and icy pastels for photos.
Not sure you are Warm Spring? The quiz scores warmth, depth and clarity separately and also shows your runner-up season.
Take the color quiz