Seasonal color analysis, originating in 1942, helps individuals select makeup shades that enhance their complexion. Experts like Megan Bentley, known as The Color Countess, explain how undertones and seasonal categories guide choices for blush and lipstick. Professional makeup artists emphasize harmony in color selection while offering tips for at-home undertone detection.
The concept of seasonal color analysis traces back to 1942, when color theorist Suzanne Caygill introduced the framework using colored scarves to determine flattering shades. It gained widespread popularity through Carole Jackson’s 1980 book Color Me Beautiful, which simplified the process for everyday use. Over time, the system evolved from four basic seasons—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—into 16 subcategories for more precise personalization.
Megan Bentley, professionally known as The Color Countess and based in Columbus, Ohio, describes the analysis as a three-step process starting with undertone. This involves assessing dominance of eumelanin for cool tones or pheomelanin for warm tones, determined by DNA. Next, analysts identify the home season within cool (summer or winter) or warm (autumn or spring) spectrums, followed by evaluations of color value (light or dark) and intensity (vibrant or muted).
“[The purpose of color analysis] is to find your iconic colors: the shades that when you wear people can’t help but say ‘that looks so good on you’—that’s because everything is working in harmony,” Bentley tells Vogue.
For winter palettes, Bentley recommends cool-toned, high-impact shades like blue-based reds and icy pinks to amplify natural contrast. Spring palettes favor warm, fresh hues such as corals and warm pinks for a lively effect. Summer types suit soft, cool tones including dusty roses and mauves for subtle enhancement. Autumn palettes embrace rich, warm shades like spiced oranges and earthy reds to add depth.
Professional makeup artists vary in their reliance on undertone. Tyron Machhausen, a New York-based artist, views it as foundational: “Undertone is one of the most important reference points when I’m selecting blush or lipstick—particularly when the goal is to create something that feels effortless and believable on the skin.” In contrast, Tasha Reiko Brown, an LA-based artist, uses it mainly for foundation and concealer, prioritizing creativity otherwise.
For at-home undertone checks, Machhausen suggests holding a pure white item next to the jawline in natural daylight, avoiding unreliable vein color methods. Bentley warns against DIY vein tests due to fluctuating blood flow.