Icy Colours and Pastels

October 17, 2009 by  

Personal Colour Analysis determines what the colours that perfect your skin tone have in common. We use terms like “icy” and “pastel”.

The Winter seasons wear their light shades as “icy colours”.

The Summers wear their light shades as “pastels”.

Since this is a Winter/Summer discussion, you can tell that it pertains to the cool Seasons. That includes all 3 Winters (Dark, True, Bright) and the 3 Summers (Soft, True, Light). It could also include the Bright Spring who wears many light colours as icy.

What’s the difference?

Icycoloursandpastels

Icy colours are pure. They are not grayed, dulled, or dusty (that’s called a “soft” colour). They are very clear.

Icy colours are also very, very light. On a light/dark scale, they are much closer to white than pastels are. Pastels have more colour.  Icy means those colours reflected when ice crystals act as prisms and split white light.

Icy colours are completely cool. They are crisp and frosty.

They are consistent with Winter’s formal feeling. They are more regal (Winter) than soothing (Summer).

So ICY = VERY LIGHT + CLEAR + COOL

ICY IS NOT PASTEL,  NOT SOFT, AND NOT WARM.

Icy Colours

A pastel is light, but not extremely light. It’s also grayed or softened just a little. Pastels are gentle, soothing as watercolours. They are in keeping with the delicacy of Summer, whose mood is peaceful and calm.

Each of the 12 Seasons has an atmosphere all its own. True Summer dressed in their tranquil, conservative pastels are so harmonious that it FEELS wonderful to look at.

Put True Winter in that outfit and it is flatter than flat. Dressed in their icy Winter colours with 1 dark, cold contrast, with the drama created by the colour simplicity, it is difficult to tear your eyes away.

Related posts:

  1. Best Makeup Colours : Dark Winter
  2. What are Clear and Soft Colours?
  3. Wrong Colours Away From The Face
  4. Best Makeup Colours : True Autumn
  5. 3 Great Colours On The 12 Seasons

Filed under: For All Seasons, More Topics For The 12 Seasons | v, Summer Colours, Winter Colours
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Comments

4 Responses to “Icy Colours and Pastels”

  1. Gifts From Real People 1 : A Greener Tea on October 23rd, 2009 4:02 pm

    [...] the latest installment at 12 Blueprints : Icy Colours and Pastels. If you’re a Winter or a Summer, you need to know the [...]

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (69.163.139.202) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP (69.163.139.225) and so is spam.

  2. Matching The Swatch Book : Light Grey : 12 Blueprints on March 13th, 2010 4:41 pm

    [...] colors are pastels, which means they are not so extremely light as icy colors. (see Icy Colours And Pastels) A pastel, by definition, has more pigment and is softened with gray. This applies also to gray [...]

  3. Tara Suzanne on August 31st, 2011 5:01 am

    Thank you so much for explaining the difference. I have not been analyzed, but believe myself to be a true summer (possibly soft). I was wondering why the light blue top I’m wearing today is not doing anything for my skin. Now I can see that it is icy which is creating a harsh look.
    So many nuances to navigate when it comes to color. Thank you for explaining them so beautifully!

  4. Christine Scaman on August 31st, 2011 5:39 am

    You’re so welcome, Tara. The distinction is very important. Many Summers feel ok in Winter’s light colours because, well, they’re light and cool. That’s 2 things that Summer is too. The problem is that icy colours are too strong. They seem to get even brighter and the person even more muted and somehow small, which is weakening. The vitality is sucked out of Summer delicate skin and they look pale. Summer’s lights are more colorful than Winter’s, which seems backwards, but that’s the definition of pastel and it matters a lot.

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