How Do I Know What Colors Look Good On Me? 7 Tests You Can Do at Home

Before you spend hundreds on professional analysis, try these seven free at-home tests. They take five minutes total and give you a strong directional answer to: how do I know what colors look good on me?

Test 1 — The vein test

Turn your wrist over and look at the veins beneath your skin in natural light.

• Blue or purple veins → cool undertone.
• Green-tinted veins → warm undertone.
• Both / hard to tell → neutral undertone.

Why it works: cool undertones reflect light through skin in a way that makes blood vessels read blue. Warm undertones add a yellow filter, shifting the apparent color to green.

Test 2 — The jewelry test

Hold a silver piece near your face, then swap for gold. Notice which one makes your skin look brighter and your eyes more alive.

• Silver flatters more → cool undertone.
• Gold flatters more → warm undertone.
• Both look great → neutral undertone.

Read our deeper guide: gold vs. silver jewelry by skin tone.

Test 3 — The white paper test

Hold a sheet of pure white printer paper next to your bare face. Compare the color of your skin to the paper.

• Your skin looks pink, rosy, or bluish next to the paper → cool undertone.
• Your skin looks yellow, peachy, or golden → warm undertone.
• Your skin looks greyish or hard to read → neutral.

Test 4 — The sunlight test

Notice how your skin reacts to sun exposure (without sunscreen skewing the answer).

• You burn, then peel — rarely tan. Likely cool with high contrast (Summer or Winter).
• You tan easily and golden. Likely warm (Spring or Autumn).
• You burn first, then tan. Could be either — combine with other tests.

Test 5 — The white tee vs. ivory tee test

This is the most decisive at-home test. Hold a pure white t-shirt under your chin in natural daylight, then swap for an ivory or cream one. Look at your face — not the shirt.

• Pure white brightens you → cool undertone (Summer or Winter).
• Ivory/cream brightens you → warm undertone (Spring or Autumn).
• Both work equally → neutral undertone.

Cool undertones look pulled-together against pure white; warm undertones look slightly grey or yellowed under it.

Test 6 — The contrast test

Stand in natural light and look at your reflection. Squint slightly.

• High contrast (e.g. light skin + dark hair, or dark skin + bright eyes) → you suit bold, saturated colors. Likely a Bright or Deep season.
• Low contrast (your skin, hair, and eyes blend in softness) → you suit muted, dusty colors. Likely Light or Soft.
• Medium contrast → likely True family.

Contrast is what separates seasons within a family. A Bright Spring and Light Spring share warmth, but their contrast levels — and so their wardrobes — look entirely different.

Test 7 — The seasonal swatch drape (DIY)

This is the most accurate at-home test, mimicking what a professional color analyst does. Gather four pieces of fabric or paper in pure primary colors:

1. Cool blue (royal blue) — flatters Summer/Winter.
2. Warm orange (terracotta) — flatters Spring/Autumn.
3. Cool fuchsia — flatters Summer/Winter.
4. Warm chartreuse — flatters Spring/Autumn.

Drape each near your face in natural light. Take a photo of yourself with each. The two that make your skin look healthier (less redness, clearer, brighter eyes) reveal your temperature.

Putting your results together

After all 7 tests, you should have a strong sense of:

• Your undertone (cool / warm / neutral)
• Your contrast level (low / medium / high)

Now combine those two with your skin depth (light / medium / deep) by comparing yourself to a skin tone chart. From there, you can narrow into your specific 12-season palette.

For instant results, take the free Season Palette quiz — it asks you the same 3 core questions and matches you to one of the 12 seasons in 2 minutes.