9 Universal Colors (that look good on everyone)

Why do certain colors look better on some people than they do on others?

Because the colors of our eyes, hair, and skin determine what colors look good on us, and no two people have the exact same combination (except for identical twins).

That being true, here are 9 universal colors that look good on all of us – scroll to the bottom to see each one.

What is color coding?

The science of color coding is fascinating and getting your “colors done” will tell you which shades and contrasts help you look your best.

Your color code (soft, clear, cool, warm, light, deep) indicates which colors (and combinations of colors) look the most cohesive with your natural coloring.

These “best” colors make your skin more radiant, even helping it look more even and reducing the appearance of redness and blemishes.

There are many types of color code systems to choose from, and probably the most commonly know is the “seasons” system where you are either a spring, summer, fall, or winter color code.

The 4 seasons didn’t work for everyone’s coloring, however, so they further developed it into 12 seasons, where each season is described as soft, clear, cool, warm, light, or deep.

The Undertone Problem

Unfortunately, this system depends on determining whether your skin’s undertone is warm or cool, yet the majority of skin tones are neutral.

This leaves consultants guessing what category to place you in.

AI should be helpful here, but it still relies on the skin’s undertone to determine overall color code, and can be wrong even when it sounds positive that it’s right.

In two separate conversations with AI, I uploaded two different pictures of me (one with highlights, one without, both in good natural lighting) and asked it to color code me.

I got two opposite answers – one saying that my skin has a cool undertone, the other saying it has a warm undertone! It could not distinguish between skin overtone (flushing or sunburn) from undertone.

THE CORRECT ANSWER IS CRITICAL – if I have a warm undertone, I can wear coral, but if I’m cool then I should not. If I can’t wear coral, I’m going to have to go buy a new wardrobe… and I’ll be very sad!

After I challenged the AI answer, it admitted that it could be wrong, offered a new suggestion (my correct color code) and asked me to decide which I thought was the right one. Hmm.

The SBC Solution

Shari Braendel solved the undertone problem with her coloring system at Style By Color; she recognized that most people have neutral undertones (including me) and based her system on what is clearly seen: your DCC (dominant color characteristics) which are your hair, eye, and skin pigment colors.

As SBC consultants, we are trained to assign color codes by DCC, and if someone’s skin undertone is clearly warm or cool, to customize their palette. This is a much more specific approach without being limiting.

If you’re interested in discovering your personal SBC color code, complete with swatches of your best colors and explanation of your contrast level, click here:

9 Colors for Everyone

But if you’re looking for colors anyone can wear (whether to give someone a gift or you don’t want to get color coded), here’s a list of 9 universal colors anyone looks fabulous in!

(Just make sure the other pieces you wear with it have the right level of contrast for your coloring.)

SOFT WHITE:

STONE/TAUPE:

DARK GREY/PEWTER:

PERIWINKLE:

ORCHID:

TEAL:

EMERALD GREEN:

NAVY BLUE:

TRUE RED: