The 12 seasonal color types, explained
Updated October 18, 2026. 3 min read.
Seasonal color analysis sorts people into groups based on which colors look most natural next to their skin, hair and eyes. The four-season version (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) is the one most people know. The 12-season version splits each season into three, which makes it much more useful when you are choosing an actual lipstick shade.
Korean beauty brands and color consultants in Seoul mostly use the 12-type names, and some brands now label individual shades with them. That is why this site uses them too.
Three questions behind every type
Every color has three qualities, and so does your coloring.
Temperature. Is the base of the color yellow (warm) or blue (cool)? Coral is warm. Fuchsia is cool.
Value. Is the color light or dark? Baby pink is light. Plum is dark.
Chroma. Is the color clear and saturated, or soft and slightly grayed? A poppy red is clear. A dusty rose is soft.
The four seasons come from combining two of these:
- Spring is warm and clear.
- Summer is cool and soft.
- Autumn is warm and soft.
- Winter is cool and clear.
Where the 12 types come from
Each season is then split by whichever quality stands out most in your coloring. That quality is called your dominant trait.
| Dominant trait | Warm side | Cool side |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Light Spring | Light Summer |
| Deep | Dark Autumn | Dark Winter |
| Clear | Clear Spring | Clear Winter |
| Soft | Soft Autumn | Soft Summer |
| Warm | True Spring, True Autumn | |
| Cool | True Summer, True Winter |
Some systems say “Bright” instead of “Clear”, “Deep” instead of “Dark”, and “Warm” or “Cool” instead of “True”. They are the same types.
Why the neighbors matter
Each type shares a trait with the types next to it. Light Spring and Light Summer are both light. Dark Autumn and Dark Winter are both deep. In practice this means you are rarely restricted to one type. If you are a Soft Summer, many Soft Autumn shades will also work, as long as they are not strongly warm.
This is also why a quiz or a photo can only get you close. If you are torn between two types, they are almost always neighbors, and the shades they share are the safest place to start.
How to use your type when you shop
Start with the dominant trait, not the season. A Clear Winter gets more from choosing clear, saturated colors than from choosing cool ones, and a Soft Autumn gets more from choosing muted colors than from choosing warm ones.
Then check finish. Clear types usually look best in glossy or glass finishes, and soft types in velvet or blurred finishes. Korean lip tints are a good place to test this, because most lines come in several finishes.
Finally, look for brand labels. A few Korean brands, rom&nd in particular, publish the color types each shade was designed for. That is the most reliable signal you will find without trying the shade on.