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Find your season, then use that pink.
Pink changes by temperature, softness, and clarity. Pick your parent season below, then use the swatches and names for clothing, makeup, and nail color.
Coral pink or peach pink
Your pink should feel warm, fresh, and clear.
Rose or mauve pink
Your pink should look cool, gentle, and softened.
Salmon or rosewood
Your pink should look warm, muted, and grounded.
Fuchsia or icy pink
Your pink should look cool, clear, vivid, or icy.
Best pink by season at a glance
| Season | Best pinks | What to look for | Usually avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | coral pink, peach pink, watermelon | warm, clear, fresh | mauve, dusty rose, icy pink |
| Summer | rose, mauve pink, dusty pink | cool, soft, blue-based | salmon, neon pink, orange coral |
| Autumn | salmon, warm rosewood, clay pink | warm, muted, earthy | icy pink, fuchsia, baby pink |
| Winter | fuchsia, hot pink, icy pink | cool, clear, sharp | salmon, dusty rose, muted peach |
Best pink for Spring
Spring's best pink is coral pink, peach pink, watermelon, or warm bright pink. The shade should look warm and clean, not dusty or blue-gray.
Use these pinks
- Coral pink
- Peach pink
- Watermelon
- Warm rose
Be careful with
- Mauve
- Dusty rose
- Icy pink
- Gray pink
A Spring pink should make the face look lively. If the pink looks flat, gray, or too sweet, it is probably too muted or too cool.
Best pink for Summer
Summer's best pink is rose, mauve pink, dusty pink, rosewater, or soft raspberry. The shade should look cool and gentle.
Use these pinks
- Rose
- Mauve pink
- Dusty pink
- Rosewater
Be careful with
- Salmon
- Neon pink
- Orange coral
- Warm peach pink
A Summer pink should blend with natural lip and cheek color. If the pink shouts before the face appears, it is usually too bright or too warm.
Best pink for Autumn
Autumn's best pink is salmon, warm rosewood, clay pink, or spiced rose. The pink usually looks closer to peach, terracotta, or muted rose than candy pink.
Use these pinks
- Salmon
- Warm rosewood
- Clay pink
- Spiced rose
Be careful with
- Icy pink
- Fuchsia
- Baby pink
- Cool mauve
An Autumn pink should sit naturally with cream, camel, olive, rust, and gold. If it looks sugary or blue, it is probably too cool or clear.
Best pink for Winter
Winter's best pink is fuchsia, hot pink, icy pink, magenta, or blue pink. The shade should look cool, clear, and high contrast.
Use these pinks
- Fuchsia
- Hot pink
- Icy pink
- Magenta
Be careful with
- Salmon
- Dusty rose
- Muted peach
- Warm rosewood
A Winter pink can be vivid or icy without looking separate. If it looks muted, earthy, or powdery, it is usually too soft.
Best pink by 12-season subtype
The 12-season system makes pink more specific. Use these terms for blush, lipstick, knits, dresses, prints, and nail color.
Light Spring
peach pink, light coral pink, warm rose
Warm Spring
coral pink, salmon pink, warm watermelon
Bright Spring
bright coral pink, clear watermelon, warm hot pink
Light Summer
powder pink, rosewater, cool light pink
Cool Summer
rose, mauve pink, cool raspberry pink
Soft Summer
dusty rose, muted mauve, soft berry pink
Soft Autumn
warm rosewood, muted salmon, clay pink
Warm Autumn
salmon, coral clay, warm peach rose
Deep Autumn
deep rosewood, spiced pink, muted berry
Deep Winter
deep fuchsia, berry pink, magenta rose
Cool Winter
cool fuchsia, icy pink, blue pink
Bright Winter
hot pink, clear fuchsia, vivid rose
How to test a pink before buying it
For makeup, test pink on the face, not just on the wrist. The right pink makes skin look smoother and eyes clearer.
For clothing, compare two pinks at once. A Spring may look healthy in coral pink and flat in mauve. A Summer may have the opposite reaction.
Good sign
The pink looks connected to the lips, cheeks, and eyes. Skin looks smoother, and the color does not feel pasted on.
Wrong sign
The pink makes skin look gray, orange, red, or washed out. It may be too warm, too cool, too muted, or too bright.