Emma Schaible / Fourth Estate

Fourth Estate editors test their color palette

BY NYLAH MITCHELL, COPY EDITOR 

As the seasons change and colors become brighter, it doesn’t mean the trending colors of the season are suited for everyone. The best way to understand which colors complement you and boost confidence is by discovering your seasonal color palette. 

Certain colors may highlight aging features, while others may enhance features such as your eyes, freckles and skin tone. For example, if you have pale skin with cool undertones,hues of purple or blue may be more flattering.If you wear light colors like ivory, it could wash your skin out more than a pastel yellow, which would add warmth. 

How to find your colors? 

With a college budget, it may not be feasible to consult a professional service that can cost upwards of $500, or travel to Japan or South Korea for a more in-depth swatching analysis. However, if you’re interested in a local, face-to-face session, visit District Color Studio in Washington, D.C., for a unique, personalized swatchbook. 

If you’re scrolling on TikTok, try the Armocromia filter effect to detect your colors while also determining your complementary metal. Alternatively, you can follow DIY tutorials using draping or paint to arrive at your palette in a more creative way.

The easiest and most convenient way to find your swatches is by using the Colorwise.me generator. Through a two-step process—first, inserting a selfie, and then using the color-picking tool for skin, hair and eyes—the generator will analyze your features using the 12 Seasons System. It will determine your palette based on undertone, intensity and depth. 

Below are testimonials from the Fourth Estate editors about the color palettes they received through the Colorwise website: 

Jamie Gholson, Culture Editor: 

Soft summer is muted colors with cool undertones like moss green and slate blue. “The results were a little surprising just because those aren’t colors I usually go for. I think the color that was the most surprising was probably bright pink because I normally don’t go for that color. I will definitely keep my results in mind when shopping next time,” she said after receiving her results. 

Sam Douglas, Assistant News Editor: 

“Deep winter for me, because I look fly in every color, to be honest,” said the assistant news editor. Deep winter colors have cool undertones, with shades like navy and mocha that are fitting for the strong and intense palette. 

Emma Schaible, Social Media and Graphics Editor: 

“I was disappointed because I’m always told that jewel tones look really good on me and half of my clothes are dark colors. I won’t be giving up any of my dark colors and it probably won’t influence my shopping habits either,” Schaible said after receiving the warm spring palette. A warm spring emphasizes glowy colors with warm undertones, such as coral and golden yellow. 

Christian Segovia, Sports Editor: 

“To me, I’m not completely shocked by my results,” Segovia said in response to being categorized as deep winter. “I always noticed I do well with dark colors, but the few pink ones threw me off.” Similar to Douglas, Segovia’s best colors are black and basil-like green, and he should avoid neutral and autumn-like shades. 

Saahiti Chamala, Co-Editor in Chief: 

After receiving deep winter as her palette, Chamala noted, “I don’t like a lot of brown and reddish brown tones, so I’m happy with the results, but am disappointed that it’s asking me to avoid orange and shades of light yellow.” For the Co-Editor-in-Chief, colors like cerulean blue and mulberry are better suited for her undertones. 

Barrett Balzer, News Editor: 

Soft autumn leans towards more muted and earthy tones with a warm-neutral undertone, such as sepia and almond. “I am not surprised about what I got. I’ve always liked more muted colors, and only a few bright ones actually hit my wardrobe, so I’m not surprised in the slightest. I really enjoy my wardrobe, so even despite the analysis, if it had been shocking, I wouldn’t change it one bit,” she said. 

Why does it matter?  

Whether or not you agree with your matched palette, the complementary colors show a more radiant version of yourself. People can easily detect when someone is wearing the right or wrong color based on how certain features are defined. For example, when we see celebrities on the red carpet, we often comment on how their outfits highlight their features.

Styling tip: if you’re a deep winter and the weather is scorching hot, pair a complementing color with an in-season color. However, keep the upper-body being the complementary color and the lower-body in the in-season color.

With the right color palette, go out there and spread some glow with your complementary colors.