Seasonal Color Analysis Test Using Lipsticks

Getting draped in person is of course the best solution if you are dying to know in which seasonal color analysis category you fall. However, even if you can’t get booked with a color analysis you can still figure out your season relatively simply by visiting a local beauty store. For this test I have used MAC lipsticks as they are easily available and the brand generally keeps a good stock of colors all year around. You can also look for dupes if you don’t have a MAC cosmetic counter nearby. If you have checked out the different seasonal color palettes you will most likely have an idea of which seasons you are most likely to be, but you may be surprised by the results so don’t discard a color just because you think it would never work.

Drape Yourself Using Lipsticks

In order to “self” drape using cosmetics you will need three things:

  • Natural light (so you will need to step outside of the store)
  • Somebody honest and with a good eye for color that can judge how do you look like
  • Several shades of lipsticks that correspond to the seasons you want to test. You can go to a MAC counter and let them put the lipstick on you, or you can use EBay if you just want a new lipstick and confirming your season.

Keep in mind that whether you like the lipstick color or not, the color analysis test goal is to evaluate if you can wear a color successfully, if it looks like it fits with your face. Even a bright fuchsia lipstick can look natural in the right season, because it matches the natural brightness and temperature of the natural coloring of that person. So, even if you would never wear a particular lipstick, the test can still tell you whether you can pull it or not. Look for the following:

  • The lipstick doesn’t look significantly lighter or darker than the rest of your face (too light / too dark)
  • When you look at yourself in the mirror, you can still see your eyes and not just the lipstick. If you can only see the lipstick, it’s too bright.
  • The lipstick doesn’t make you look sallow or too red (too cool / too warm)
  • The color doesn’t go Orange or Pink.

MAC Lipsticks For Each Season

Clear Spring (Bright Spring)

MAC Fusion Pink is a bright pink lipstick, a mix between a vibrant coral and a bright fuchsia pink. It will look too orange against Bright Winter skin, and too overpowering against almost any other season.

Warm Spring (True Spring)

MAC Richer, Lusher is a peachy coral gloss that looks amazing against True Spring natural coloring, and sort of meh on everybody else. It will look too light on True Autumn, and too warm on other seasons. If you are unsure, try MAC So Chaud, a bright orange red that will be too intense against Light Spring delicate coloring.

Light Spring

MAC Crème Cup is a muted, dusky light pink that would register as a boring nude against most complexions. Against Light Spring it just makes the entire face come alive. It is a bit too warm and shiny for Light Summer, and too light for Winters and Autumns. If you can wear this one without looking washed out you you really should consider Light Spring as the most likely season.

Light Summer

MAC Please Me is an elegant, not too warm not too cold muted dusky pink. It is a bit too cool for Light Spring, and too light for anybody else. It has a matte finish, perfect against Summer muted colors.

Cool Summer (True Summer)

MAC Plumful is unashamedly cool color, a pinkish plum that is still light enough and muted enough to look great on a Cool Summer, and grey on anybody else.

Soft Summer

MAC Faux is still a muted pink, but darker than Please Me and less cool than Plumful, with a satin finish. A bit on the mauve side, this lipstick is too cool for Autumns and too matte for most Springs, but fits naturally with the Soft Summer palette.

Soft Autumn

If Faux was too cool for you but didn’t overpower you and didn’t make you look ashy, then consider MAC Twig which is a bit browner, mauve nude lipstick in a satin finish (so not too glossy, but not too matte either). If that reads not warm enough, consider True Autumn instead.

Warm Autumn (True Autumn)

There are two beautiful MAC lipsticks for true autumn, Chilli and Mocca. MAC Chilli is a beautiful warm red with a matte finish, and Mocca is a beautiful light brown with no blue undertones. Both will look great against Warm Autumn skin, but will make Soft Autumn pale and look muddy against Dark Autumn. Though some Dark Autumns can wear Chilli if they are very much in the warm tone side, and using other makeup colors.

Deep Autumn (Dark Autumn)

MAC Brick-o-la is just the go to shade for Dark Autumns, a perfect slightly berry red that wears intense but not too bright and warms up the Deep Autumn complexion beautifully.

Deep Winter (Dark Winter)

MAC Dark Side is a beautiful dark berry, burgundy shade that looks vampy on anybody else apart from Deep Winter. It looks a bit out of place on the Deep Autumn face just because it’s slightly too cool, and it’s too dark for nearly everybody else to wear successfully without a lot of makeup. On the Dark Winter face it just looks natural and balanced against the natural hair color and the eyes.

Cool Winter (True Winter)

If Dark Side was too dark for you, try MAC Rebel. This is a bold berry color, that can read very fuchsia against some complexions but gives True Winter the perfect porcelain glow. It looks much less opaque and heavy than Dark Side, and not as bright as Bright Winter lipsticks, while still giving the high contrast Winters require.

Clear Winter (Bright Winter)

Bright Winter is fun and playful, and the colors are glossy and bright. MAC Cult of Cherry is a gloss, blue red, opaque but not as heavy as the other Winter lipsticks. For lipsticks, MAC Ruby Woo is the perfect bright true red that Clear Winters can wear in daytime but looks too much against everybody else.

You can color analyse yourself by finding the right lipstick for you from the list above. If you go to a MAC counter they will happily swatch them or let them test them for you, and they can become y our best lipstick once you know your season.


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3 Comments

  1. says: Susanne

    Thank you so much for the lipstick test. Easy and convincing. I miss the lipstick advice on the True Winter list. Looks like some error happened on the site.Best Regards Susanne

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