If you're a Soft Summer, your best lip colors are muted, cool-toned, and gentle. Think dusty rose, soft mauve, muted berry, and cool plum. Anything too bright, too warm, or too saturated will overpower your naturally soft coloring. These 8 lipsticks all score YAY — 70% or higher — in TruHue's 12-season scoring engine.
Every product below was scored with TruHue's v3.12 engine, which measures undertone, depth, chroma, and contrast against your season's ideal palette. You'll see the exact score, the hex swatch, and the price — so you can decide before you buy.
All 8 Picks at a Glance
| Product | Brand | Price | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager | Maybelline | $13 | 100% YAY | Buy |
| Blushing Mauve | Revlon | $13 | 94% YAY | Buy |
| Lavender Savage | Fenty Beauty | $24 | 100% YAY | Buy |
| Serenity | Rare Beauty | $24 | 80% YAY | Buy |
| Backtalk | Urban Decay | $25 | 85% YAY | Buy |
| Rosy Glow | Charlotte Tilbury | $26 | 97% YAY | Buy |
| Avant Garde Pop | Clinique | $30 | 89% YAY | Buy |
| Bahama | NARS | $31 | 85% YAY | Buy |
Every shade on this list scores 80% or higher for Soft Summer. Two hit a perfect 100%. You can buy with confidence at any price point.
1. Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in Voyager
A deep, muted plum-berry with a cool undertone and low chroma. Voyager lands squarely in Soft Summer's sweet spot — the color is rich without being loud, and the dusty quality keeps it from overwhelming your natural softness. At $13, it is the most affordable 100% YAY on this list.
2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Blushing Mauve
A soft, dusty mauve with a cool-pink undertone and moderate depth. This is the everyday shade Soft Summers reach for — muted enough to harmonize, pigmented enough to read as intentional. The satin finish adds a gentle sheen without high-gloss intensity. A drugstore staple at $13.
3. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat in Lavender Savage
A muted lavender-mauve gloss with a cool violet undertone. Lavender Savage is an unusual pick — most lip glosses lean warm or sheer, but this one sits firmly in Soft Summer territory with its greyed-out, cool-toned base. The plumping formula adds dimension without pushing chroma too high.
4. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in Serenity
A sheer, cool-toned nude with a hint of rosy warmth and very low chroma. Serenity gives you an effortless, barely-there lip that still registers as color — the muted, neutral-cool tone blends with Soft Summer's natural palette rather than competing with it. A good pick when you want a polished look without visible lipstick.
Not sure of your season yet? Take the free color quiz — it takes about 2 minutes.
5. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk
A muted mauve-rose with a cool-pink undertone and moderate saturation. Backtalk is a well-known cult shade, and it lands in Soft Summer's wheelhouse because of its greyed-out, softened quality. The color is visible without being vivid — exactly the balance your palette calls for.
6. Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Rosy Glow
A sheer, cool-pink gloss with a light, delicate wash of color. Rosy Glow scores 97% because its undertone is clean cool-pink and its chroma is naturally low — it does not fight your muted palette. The lip bath formula hydrates while adding just enough tint to brighten without overpowering.
7. Clinique Pop Matte Lip Colour in Avant Garde Pop
A muted rose-brown with a cool-neutral undertone. Avant Garde Pop sits in the dusty-rose family — grounded, toned-down, and clearly cool-leaning. The matte finish keeps it from reading glossy or high-energy, which works in your favor. A reliable midrange pick at $30.
8. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama
A dusty rose-mauve with a soft, cool undertone and moderate depth. Bahama has the muted, toned-down quality that Soft Summer needs — it reads as natural color, not statement color. The velvet matte pencil format gives you precision without the drying effect of liquid mattes.
What Makes a Lipstick Work for Soft Summer?
Soft Summer is one of the three Summer sub-seasons in the 12-season color system. Your coloring is defined by three traits: cool to neutral undertone, low to moderate chroma (muted), and light to medium depth. Your best lip colors share all three.
Here is what to look for when you shop:
- Undertone: Cool or neutral-cool. You want roses that lean dusty-pink, mauves that lean cool-grey, and berries that lean plum — not peach, coral, or orange.
- Chroma: Low to moderate saturation. Muted, softened, and greyed-out shades work with your coloring. Anything vivid or electric will overpower you.
- Depth: Light to medium. Sheer washes and mid-tone mauves work well. Very dark or very intense shades can look harsh against your naturally soft contrast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Soft Summer wear bold lipstick?
What lipstick colors should Soft Summer avoid?
Is Soft Summer the same as Light Summer?
See All Your Soft Summer YAYs
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