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Bright Winter vs Bright Spring: cool clear or warm clear?

Each is the clearest season of its family; Bright Winter adds coolness and contrast, Bright Spring adds warmth and lightness.

Find what fits me best

Bright Winter and Bright Spring side by side

Bright Winter

Its best colors

  • true red #D2042D
  • cobalt blue #0047AB
  • emerald green #009473
  • hot pink #E4007C
  • pure white #FFFFFF
  • black #000000

Its neutrals

  • icy grey #DDE3EA
  • cool mid grey #7C818A
  • charcoal #36454F
  • bright navy #14275E
The full Bright Winter palette →

Bright Spring

Its best colors

  • hot coral #FF5F4D
  • bright turquoise #00C5B5
  • kelly green #2DB34A
  • sunflower yellow #FFD21F
  • poppy red #E8352B
  • bright periwinkle #5B6EE1

Its neutrals

  • clean off-white #FBF8F1
  • light camel #D4B48C
  • clear navy #1F3C8F
  • warm charcoal #3F3A35
The full Bright Spring palette →

The difference test

Undertone

Bright Spring leans warmer

Compare poppy red with true red, or hot coral with hot pink. On a Bright Spring the orange-leaning poppy red and hot coral look natural and the blue-based pair a touch harsh. On a Bright Winter it works the other way round.

Depth

Bright Winter is deeper

Hold black, then clear navy. A Bright Winter wears black right at the face, and clear navy can look almost soft next to it. A Bright Spring usually looks fresher in clear navy, while black can sit heavily and drain color from the face.

Chroma

Similar clarity

Same high clarity: each is the clearest season of its family. A dusty shade such as dusty rose or mushroom grey dims either one, so a muted color only confirms you belong to one of these two. It will not pick between them.

Contrast

Bright Winter has more contrast

Try pure white with black, then clean off-white with warm charcoal. A Bright Winter looks crisp and lit in the first pairing. A Bright Spring often looks better in the second, still lively but with less distance between its lightest and darkest piece.

  1. 1

Step 1 / 1

Take a selfie in daylight

Face a window, without makeup if you can, hair as it naturally falls. Daylight and no filter keep your real skin tone — colored lamps and beauty filters change the result.

🙂

Your selfie is used for your reading and saved in your private Color Suite only if you go on to a try-on. Never shared, never used for training.

Bright Winter and Bright Spring, also called Clear Winter and Clear Spring, are the two seasons led by clarity. Both tend to have vivid, sparkling eyes and skin that dusty colors turn grey, and both look their best in saturated color. They meet where the winter family borders the spring family, so they share more than half a name.

Undertone decides. Bright Winter is clear, then cool, and its brights have a blue base. Bright Spring is clear, then warm, and its brights have a golden base. Both sit close to neutral, so the gap is small, but it shows in a mirror. Bright Winter also carries more contrast and depth, with black and pure white in its palette, where Bright Spring uses warm charcoal, clear navy and clean off-white.

The colors at stake are the warm brights and the extremes. Hot coral, sunflower yellow and poppy red belong to Bright Spring and can bring out yellow in a Bright Winter's skin. Black, pure white and hot pink belong to Bright Winter and can look stark on a Bright Spring.

Bright colors that suit both

Several colors work across the line. Bright turquoise sits between the winter's emerald green and cobalt blue and usually suits both seasons. Charcoal is a neutral in both palettes, and bright navy and clear navy are close relatives, so a navy blazer is safe either way. Kelly green and emerald green are near neighbors too, one a touch yellower and one a touch bluer.

Polished metals suit both. Bright Winter leans to silver and white gold, Bright Spring to bright yellow gold, and a piece that mixes the two is a fair answer if you sit close to the line.

Turning one bright wardrobe into the other

Most of the move is a temperature change at the same brightness. Bright Spring's poppy red becomes Bright Winter's true red, hot coral becomes hot pink and kelly green becomes emerald green, while sunflower yellow drops out. Light camel and clean off-white give way to icy grey and pure white, and black comes in.

Going from Bright Winter to Bright Spring, swap black for warm charcoal or clear navy near the face and pure white for clean off-white. Bright periwinkle makes a handy bridge: a clear blue with a cool look that still belongs to the warm side.

How to tell if you are a Bright Winter or a Bright Spring

  1. 1

    Pull out your brightest clothes

    Sort them into blue-based colors, such as hot pink or cobalt blue, and golden ones, such as hot coral or sunflower yellow. Leave anything dusty or pastel aside.

  2. 2

    Use window light only

    Face daylight with a bare face. Warm lamps flatter golden colors and would tip this test toward Bright Spring.

  3. 3

    Drape the two groups in turn

    Hold each piece under your chin. Watch whether your skin looks clear and even, or picks up a yellow or grey cast.

  4. 4

    Finish with black and white

    Layer a pure white shirt under something black. If the pairing looks crisp rather than severe, that points to Bright Winter.

  5. 5

    Read your season from a selfie

    Take one selfie by a window, no filter, and tap "Find what fits me best". You see your season out of twelve, your best colors and the colors that work against you.

FAQ

Is clear winter vs clear spring the same as bright winter vs bright spring?

Yes. Clear Winter is another name for Bright Winter, and Clear Spring for Bright Spring. Both searches ask the same thing: whether your clarity comes with a cool or a warm undertone. The two palettes at the top of this page answer it color by color.

Why does black look heavy on a Bright Spring but not on a Bright Winter?

Bright Winter has the depth and contrast to hold black at the face. A Bright Spring is lighter and warmer, so black often sits heavily on it even though the coloring is vivid; warm charcoal and clear navy give the same sharp edge with less weight. Black shoes, belts and trousers are fine.

Is hot coral a Bright Winter color?

Not usually. Hot coral leans orange, and on a Bright Winter it often brings out yellow in the skin. Hot pink is the Bright Winter answer: just as vivid, with a blue base. A coral that turns pink rather than orange may work, so test it in daylight before you buy.

What if I look good in both warm and cool bright colors?

Then your undertone probably sits near neutral, which is exactly where these two seasons meet. One of them still fits better: if blue-based brights and black suit you, you read as Bright Winter; if golden brights and clear navy do, Bright Spring. The free reading names the closer one.

What hair colors suit a Bright Winter vs a Bright Spring?

Clear, glossy hair suits both, without ashy or dusty tones. A Bright Winter suits dark brown or black with a cool shine; a Bright Spring suits golden brown, warm medium brown or clear copper accents. Mousy, greyed shades flatten either one, because they dull the clarity both seasons rely on.

Which lipstick works for a Bright Winter or a Bright Spring?

Both want a saturated lip with a clean finish. A Bright Winter suits true red, hot pink and cool berry; a Bright Spring suits poppy red, hot coral and a warm watermelon pink. Pale nudes and brown lipsticks tend to fade both, because they take the life out of a vivid face.

How warm is Bright Spring next to Bright Winter?

Bright Spring is warm, but only just: its undertone leans golden while staying near neutral, which is why it shares a few colors with Bright Winter. Its warmth shows in poppy red, hot coral and sunflower yellow. Bright Winter is the mirror image, near neutral but leaning cool.