Question 1

Can Springs wear black at all?

Accepted Answer

Honestly? I'd rather you didn't, at least not near your face. Pure black tends to pull the warmth out of Spring skin and leaves you looking tired — which is the opposite of what a Spring is meant to look like. That said, if you love black trousers, black ankle boots, or a black bag, wear them. Those are far from your face and won't drain your complexion. The key is to keep anything black (or icy cool) below the shoulders, and wear your warm cream, warm coral, warm turquoise, or warm camel in the layers that sit by your jawline. You'll notice the difference immediately.

Question 2

What's the difference between Spring and Autumn?

Accepted Answer

This is the question I get asked most often, because both palettes are warm. The difference is **clarity and brightness**. A Spring's colours are clear, fresh, and luminous — like peach, warm coral, warm turquoise, and apple green. An Autumn's colours are muted, softened, and earthy — like rust, terracotta, olive, and warm taupe. A Spring looks best in a bright warm coral; an Autumn looks best in a dustier soft peach. If you put the two of you side by side in the same clear warm coral jumper, the Spring will glow and the Autumn will feel slightly overwhelmed by it. If you're still not sure which you are, have a look at the [Autumn palette guide](/style-hub/autumn-colour-palette) and see which feels more like home.

Question 3

How do I wear bright Spring colours to work without feeling costumey?

Accepted Answer

Completely get it — not every office wants a warm-coral blouse on a Monday morning. Two techniques work brilliantly. **One:** use your brights as accents rather than whole pieces. A warm coral scarf over a warm cream knit and cognac trousers is polished and professional, not loud. **Two:** choose the deeper, richer versions of your palette for workwear — warm tomato, warm chocolate, warm camel, cognac, and warm chestnut. These are confident grown-up colours that still love your face, without reading as "bright dress-up." Save the buttercup yellow and warm turquoise for weekends, social events, or the boldest day of your week.

Question 4

Is my hair colour changing going to change my palette?

Accepted Answer

Your underlying colouring — skin undertone, eye colour, natural contrast — stays fundamentally the same through life. What does shift is your hair, and that can move you around within a palette rather than out of it. As Springs go grey, they often soften slightly, and you might find the most saturated brights (warm turquoise, buttercup yellow) feel a little too punchy close to your face, while the deeper and softer Spring shades (warm chocolate, cognac, warm coral) become even more flattering. You're still a Spring. You're just wearing the gentler members of your own palette more often. And if you colour your hair, keep it in your warm family — golden blondes and warm brunettes rather than ash tones.

Question 5

Can I wear makeup colours outside my palette?

Accepted Answer

Yes — with one caveat. The closer something is to your face, the more it needs to agree with your colouring. Foundation, blush, and lipstick really matter: warm peachy blushes and warm coral, warm tomato, or warm nude lipsticks will light you up in a way a cool berry lipstick simply won't. Eye makeup has more flexibility because your lashes and lids break up the colour. You can experiment with a smoky look, a bronze shadow, a warm olive liner. Just keep your lip and cheek colours in the warm, clear family and the whole face will sing. Avoid very cool pinks and very icy highlighters — they fight your warmth.

Question 6

What if I love a cool colour — can I still wear it?

Accepted Answer

Of course you can. Knowing your palette isn't about never wearing anything else again — it's about knowing which version of a colour will flatter you. You love blue? Skip the cool royal and grab warm turquoise or clear periwinkle. You love pink? Skip the cool fuchsia and grab warm coral or warm peach. You love green? Skip the cool emerald and grab fresh spring green or apple green. There is a warm-and-clear version of almost every colour you could want. That's the real secret of colour analysis — you don't lose colours, you just find the version of each one that loves you back.

Spring Colour Palette: Your Complete Style Guide