CLEAR WARM If you suit gold best, but silver is ok. Orange-red, lemon yellow, bright peach, ivory, turquoise, and other warm, medium strength, bright colors make you pop. A CLEAR WARM needs more color and brightness than they appear to have naturally, and the right colors gives them a sunny and fresh look. The higher intensity CLEAR WARMS can get away with some CLEAR COOL colors because of their similar need for a bright hues, but never without makeup. Your best color will mirror your eyes, and you will receive the most compliments when wearing sunny and warm shades. Berry colors and dark, dusty, cool colors, or faded colors in general, are not for you. Khloe Kardashian, Vanessa Williams, Beyonce, Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively, Ni Ni, Leslie Mann, Mandy Moore, and Amisha Patel. IF YOU ARE A CLEAR WARM, YOU MAY HAVE Eyes: Blue, turquoise, mixed blue, green, gray-green, mixed green, cold green, olive green, topaz (brownish), light hazel, soft hazel, light pale brown, or light brown eyes. Sometimes even deep brown eyes. Hair: Light to medium golden blonde, very bright, golden and deep blonde hair, light brown, medium brown, or medium to dark golden brown, deep golden brown or even black-brown. Some may even have coppery red, strawberry blonde, or soft auburn, light and soft red hair. May have a mousy look or blonde or red highlights. (Signs of ashiness may indicate that you're a SOFT COOL instead, e.g. Jennifer Aniston, Bianca Balti and Leona Lewis). Skin: Bronze, deep warm brown, brown-black, brown, olive, golden, golden beige, neutral beige, ivory, light ivory, ivory with warm pink or peach undertones. Light peach, porcelain. May have freckles. Don't be too concerned with whether or not the people in the photos match your identical color combination, such as tan, hair color and eyes. The most important thing is that you have the right contrast level, and look good in the colors on the chart. If you do feel the need to identify with the CLEAR WARM "poster girls", best to google the names above without makeup, natural hair color and in daylight. Makeup, lighting, spray-tans, and photoshop can change the overall appearance a lot. The stereotypical CLEAR WARM is usually a natural brunette, but could have been blonde as a child. This is the "beach blonde" that can tan easily, but the CLEAR WARM consists of many other variations than just that. You can virtually have any skin color (as long as it has a warm undertone), any hair color from blonde to black-brown, and a wide range of eye colors. CLEAR WARM, simply means that you have a brightness to you overall look, a warm undertone to your natural hair color and skin, as well as a preference for the sunny, warmer colors. Gold suits you best because it has the right glow for your warmth, but silver can look good too. This group have a medium contrast level, and needs more brightness and color than they naturally appear to have. Your best colors are the ones that look as if they have been bathed in sunlight and mirror the color of your eyes. A CLEAR WARM is at it's best when hair color, makeup, clothing, and everything they wear looks just like that. The goal is to look bright, sunny and colorful. It's also important to point out that a CLEAR WARM's need for contrast is different from that of the CLEAR COOL and DEEP COOL. It's not a light and dark kind contrast, but rather all about color, which is typical for the warm types. With only a medium level of contrast, it means that the best colors for this group has to be more or less of a medium contrast level too. Basically, pure colors that have a little white added to the mix. Saturated, but not too strong, light or dark. Even the CLEAR WARM's navy blue is less deep and more colorful. The CLEAR WARM and CLEAR COOL are sister groups, and that means that this group can look ok in pitch black and pure white too, even though ivory and warm grey would be better. The trick to borrowing colors from cusping groups, is to balance the look with the help of your own color chart. E.g. wear tomato red lips when wearing an all black outfit, or add an ivory white shirt instead of pure white to your black suit. It can also be a good idea to use makeup to crank up your contrast level, just to hide the fact that a color is actually too strong, too cool and so on. The tolerance for other colors will usually be defined by the CLEAR WARMs own glow. A bright look and a fresh skin tone is crucial for this group to look it's best. A CLEAR WARM with a tan skin and bright warm hair, can get away with a lot more than one with a pasty winter skin and a neutral hair color. It's a little bit like with the body types, you can't break more than one rule at a time. Bright and golden hair is usually the best look for a CLEAR WARM, but which exact hair color would look the best can vary a little from one CLEAR WARM to another, depending on the sub-group. All three CLEAR WARM sub-groups have a different take on contrast, because they are flowing in very different directions ("the bright" is flowing towards the CLEAR COOL, "the soft" is flowing towards the MUTED/SOFT WARM, and "the true" towards the LIGHT WARM). For example, since the CLEAR WARM soft is flowing into an autumn type (An autumn doesn't suit blonde hair) a faded look such as light hair, can look a little dull on them. A little "contrast" around the face would be much better (e.g a warm brown, strawberry shade, or copper). In general, an ombre, bronde, or highlights, as long as it's in a bright or warm shade, are considered pretty safe for this type. Choose between, bright copper, strawberry blonde, strawberry brown, hazelnut, chocolate, caramel, golden brown, dark golden blonde, golden blonde and so on - The most important thing is to make sure that the balance between you eye, skin, and hair color gives you the warmth, depth or brightness level that your particular sub-group needs. WORST COLORS ARE Dusty cool, berry colors or dusty dark colors. The only dark or dirty colors you can get away with are those that are warm and still has a colorful brightness to them. Black and platinum blonde, or cold shades in general, are not hair colors for your sunny look. Remember that your biggest no colors are the ones that will clash with either your eye, skin or hair color, no matter if everything else tells you it should be great. Now that you know which "season" you belong to, and what type of colors that suits your warm intensity, you might feel that you can pull of some colors that aren't on the CLEAR WARM chart. This might mean you have a "soft" or "bright" tendency, and that you look your absolute best in one type of the CLEAR WARM colors, such as the softer and warmer, or the brighter. It can also mean that you are flowing into a different group, such as CLEAR COOL, MUTED WARM of SOFT WARM, but if you borrow colors outside of your group, never go too soft and muted, or all cool, bold and bright. You can still run the risk of looking faded and dull, because you are above all a CLEAR WARM, and need hues that reflect that. These colors are based on your natural coloring, and might vary a little from one CLEAR WARM to another, but that's what the "add on" is for. Basing you type on looks alone might not be the safest way to find your sub-group. For example, I have an ambiguous look, and so I couldn't find anyone that looked like me until I found "Dominique Reighard" (ANTM) (only my eyes are lighter with more blue in them). It might be difficult to find someone with your exact color combination, and at first I thought I was closer to Miranda Kerr or Vanessa William because of the allover color similarities. My contrast level still seemed a little softer and warmer, and even though I do pop in bright colors, the slightly softer CLEAR WARM shades still complement me more if I'm not wearing any makeup. I get compliments in both earthy and sunny, bright colors, but not all earthy colors work for me. So, that was a good indicator that I am a CLEAR WARM with a hint on MUTED WARM, a CLEAR WARM soft. If you can't quite decide, try out the group you lean towards the most. The fact that golden yellow and tomato red was a little bit better on me than lemon yellow and bright warm red, was my tiebreaker. All the sub-groups look good in the same colors, they just have a different set of "best colors", a different approach to combining colors and prints, and are cusping towards different sister groups. The best way of finding your sub-group, is to figure out which ones are your "best colors", and if they are the lightest, brightest or warmest. For example, you can be a CLEAR WARM true, or should I say simply clear and warm, and the closest to LIGHT WARM (Cameron Diaz and Blake Lively). This type usually has blue eyes of some variation, but can have hazel (or something similar). Their skin tone is most likely a type of beige or ivory, that has a peach or warm pink undertone. They're naturally somewhat light skinned, but tan well (But don't get too focused on the skin tone. The most important thing is that you have a warm undertone, and can get a good tan). They are often natural brunettes or dark blondes, and was probably blonde as a child. Because of this (and their LIGHT WARM sister group), they usually look their best with bright golden blonde hair, but can also look great with dark golden blonde, light brown, strawberry blond, or copper hair colors too. Blonde is definitely the most natural look for a CLEAR WARM true, and will make them look like sunshine. Highlights and ombre is also a really good look. Just remember that platinum or white blonde is too light, and more of a LIGHT thing. Also, Icy cool blonde, is better left for the LIGHT COOL types. This sub-group is the closest to the LIGHT WARM, and can easily borrow colors from that group. Their "best colors" are the lightest, sunniest and freshest on the CLEAR WARM chart, such as lemon yellow, aqua blue and warm pink. If you are a CLEAR WARM true, the typical spring look should work more or less perfectly for you. CLEAR WARM bright, a.k.a "The Spring with a hint of Winter" (Beyonce, Khloe Kardashian, Ni Ni and Miranda Kerr). This group may have a medium intensity level, but is probably leaning more towards the medium high, as they usually have some very bright features. Adding even more bright colors can make them pop, and muddy colors are the only thing that can mute their fiery look. This type is usually their best when hair color, makeup, clothing, and everything they wear look warm, sunny and bright. The brighter the colors, the brighter the CLEAR WARM bright will shine too (but remember to use the right kind of bright colors). The bright can come in many variations, and can sometimes look like they are a CLEAR COOL, DEEP COOL, MUTED WARM or DEEP WARM, instead of a CLEAR WARM in disguise. What gives them away, is that they look their best i CLEAR WARM colors. Milla Jovovich, NiNi, Beyonce and Tyra Banks are excellent examples of this eye trickery. An important thing to understand about this type and their sister group, is that a CLEAR COOL has a very high contrast level, and a CLEAR WARM only has a medium one. Their bright colors need to match their own level of intensity, and the CLEAR WARM needs a contrast of color, not of light and darkness. Pitch black and pure white can still work well on them, but ivory and warm grey would be better. Also, always combine an all black outfit with some bright colors. Because of the CLEAR WARM bright's unique take on contrast, it can vary a little which hair color suits them best, depending on skin tone and eye color. They will pop the most with bright blonde to warm brown hair, and the copper shades look the most natural on the lighter CLEAR WARM bright's, but not necessarily. This sub-groups biggest enemies are wishy washy colors that are too pale and wash them out. If you are a bright, then crank up your intensity with the brightest colors on the CLEAR WARM chart, and remember that for this sub-group it's not so much about what you can't do, but more about what you can do - Like taking advantage of your "sub-features" to get away with even more colors. CLEAR WARM soft, a.k.a "The Spring with a hint of Autumn" (Leslie Mann, Mandy More, Lauren Conrad and Marcia Cross). The CLEAR WARM soft is the warmest of the CLEAR WARM sub-groups, and the reason for that is that this type is flowing into MUTED WARM or SOFT WARM, depending on your color combination. This sub-group usually has hazel or green eyes, sometimes cold green or almost blue. Their natural hair color is usually neutral to golden brown, but can also be dark blonde, ginger or strawberry blonde (but, most likely as a child). The skin is usually olive, golden, warm beige, ivory, or has a peach or warm pink undertone (anything warm really), and it's this combination of warm features that aren't quite warm and muted enough to be an earth-toned type or clear enough to be a typical spring, that defines the "soft". Many identifying with this type have probably never really found a perfect match in classic color systems, although spring was probably their closest fit. The CLEAR WARM soft is often confused for the SOFT WARM or SOFT COOL (summer-autumn mix), as they have some similarities. But for the SOFT WARM, the dominating feature is autumn with a hint of summer, and the other way around for the SOFT COOL. For the CLEAR WARM soft, the dominating feature is spring, but as I've mentioned before, with a dab of autumn. Because of this mix, the CLEAR WARM soft look their best in the softest or warmest colors on the CLEAR WARM chart. The CLEAR WARM soft, should always try to add more color and warmth to their look, and be careful not to drain their naturally fresh glow by going too earthy or too bold. Colors that are too soft, cool or light will make you look dull, and too saturated colors will overpower you. For the best CLEAR WARM soft look, combine your brights with the golden's and softs. Another note on using earth-tones, for example army green. Always pick the fully saturated army green and not the faded khaki kind, as you are not an actual MUTED WARM, just a sister group. So, even though you can borrow colors from the autumn groups, you can only really pull of the ones most similar to the freshness of the colors on your own chart. All hair color other than the natural neutral look, has to be in a warm shade. Adding more color to the hair and turn up the heat and brightness on your look, can help you look even more fresh faced (especially if you have some neutral colored features). Think warm and fresh hair colors, not muddy and muted, and definitely not anything mousy or ashy. Colors that are too light or too dark, or red with cold undertones are especially harsh and draining for this type. Just, never go colder than a neutral. The little hint of autumn tones in the CLEAR WARM soft, still has an impact. A pure autumn can't have black or blonde hair, so for this sub-group it means that blonde hair can be a little more complicated than for the rest of the CLEAR WARM's (who usually look like blonde bombshells when they go light). Let's call it a "blonde sensitivity", and to make it easier, I will divide this sub-group into two sub-sub-groups - The CLEAR WARM soft deep (flowing into MUTED WARM clear or SOFT WARM deep) and the CLEAR WARM soft light (flowing into LIGHT WARM soft or SOFT WARM light). The degree to the "blonde sensitivity" will vary from one person to another, but in general, the lighter skin types can handle a much lighter shade of blonde than the deeper CLEAR WARM soft's. For lighter skin tones, I would recommend strawberry blonde, a really warm golden blonde, a dark golden blonde, or even a bright copper tone. Darker skin types, such as olive skin and similar, can become a little "grey" when they loose tan, so they will most likely need to be on the tan side to look fresh with blonde hair. Also, a golden or caramel ombre or highlights, is usually a lot more natural looking on their darker features than an all over blonde. Chocolate, caramel, golden brown, strawberry brown, and so on, is usually their safest look. In short, deep, light, "blonde sensitive" or not, the only thing that matters is what looks good on you. The rules are only there to guide you. Lauren Conrad may have a tan skin and brown hair, but she can still look great as a blonde. CLEAR WARM VARIATIONS
(My sources are "Color me beautiful", thechicfashionista.com, http://visual.ly/, http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/, the 12 seasons system, the 16 season system, and the basic four element system. I have made alterations and created my own system. Photos in this post are random pictures from Tumbler, Pinterest or borrowed via Google. Unknown source.)
7 Comments
Linda
18/7/2017 06:27:19 pm
Could you help me se if I could be a clear spring? Can I send a picture or someting ?
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3/10/2018 10:41:31 am
Hi, Linda! Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. For some reason I never got a notification of your comment, so I only saw it now.
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Alina
25/8/2018 06:39:16 pm
Thank you , thank you, thank you! This made my life so much easier and explained alot!!
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3/10/2018 10:42:34 am
Hi, Alina! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad I could help.
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Celestine
23/2/2020 07:36:08 am
Thank you so much for this! This helped me out so much! For the longest time I've always thought myself to be a deep autumn for my high contrast level, but the colours always seemed a little off on me. I finally am able to explain why brighter coral lipstick somehow looked better than the deeper berries recommended for deep autumns
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21/11/2020 12:56:09 pm
Hi, Celestine! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and taking the time to leave such a nice comment. It makes me so happy to hear that my posts have been helpful. Made my day!
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ETHICAL AND PERSONALIZED STYLE, FOR A "GOOD FOR YOU" WARDROBE.Idealist style is a website and "slow blog" dedicated to ethical fashion and personalized style, including tips on how to find your very own "slow fashion" style by using color analysis, the body types system, and other slow fashion tips.» Archives
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