What all Winters have in common
Winter colors are cool and clear, with a blue base and no gray haze. They work because a Winter’s own coloring has strong contrast: the face can carry black, snow white and saturated jewel tones without being overpowered. Earthy, muted colors like camel, mustard or rust tend to make Winter skin look yellow and flat.
Most Winters look good in silver, platinum and white gold, in snow white rather than ivory, and in black, ink navy or graphite as neutrals. The three Winters differ in how deep, how cool and how bright their colors should be.
Deep, Cool or Bright Winter: how to tell them apart
Dominant quality
- Deep Winter
- value (deep)
- Cool Winter
- temperature (cool)
- Bright Winter
- chroma (clear)
Typical coloring
- Deep Winter
- very dark hair, deep or light skin, dark eyes
- Cool Winter
- dark ash or black hair, cool skin
- Bright Winter
- dark hair, light skin, bright blue, green or gray eyes
Best colors
- Deep Winter
- black, burgundy, emerald, ink navy
- Cool Winter
- snow white, fuchsia, cobalt, icy pink
- Bright Winter
- fuchsia, cobalt, turquoise, red, lemon
Neutrals
- Deep Winter
- black, snow white, graphite
- Cool Winter
- snow white, black, navy
- Bright Winter
- snow white, black, graphite
Watch out for
- Deep Winter
- beige, peach, camel
- Cool Winter
- camel, mustard, orange
- Bright Winter
- muted, dusty colors
| Deep Winter | Cool Winter | Bright Winter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominant quality | value (deep) | temperature (cool) | chroma (clear) |
| Typical coloring | very dark hair, deep or light skin, dark eyes | dark ash or black hair, cool skin | dark hair, light skin, bright blue, green or gray eyes |
| Best colors | black, burgundy, emerald, ink navy | snow white, fuchsia, cobalt, icy pink | fuchsia, cobalt, turquoise, red, lemon |
| Neutrals | black, snow white, graphite | snow white, black, navy | snow white, black, graphite |
| Watch out for | beige, peach, camel | camel, mustard, orange | muted, dusty colors |
A quick test: compare burgundy with turquoise. If burgundy looks rich and turquoise looks a bit loud, lean toward Deep Winter. If turquoise and lemon look great, lean toward Bright Winter. If icy pink and cobalt win, try Cool Winter.
Winter neutrals
- Black works near the face for every Winter.
- White should be snow white, not cream.
- Instead of beige: graphite, cool gray or ink navy.
- Denim: dark rinse and black denim look sharpest.
Common Winter mistakes
- Trend beiges and camels. They sit next to the face in coats and knits and make Winter skin look sallow. Choose a black, navy or charcoal coat instead.
- All-black with no contrast. A Winter needs some contrast — a white shirt, a jewel-tone scarf — to look alive.
- Confusing Deep Winter with Deep Autumn. Both are deep. Silver vs gold and snow white vs cream usually settle it.
Not sure which Winter you are? Take the free color analysis quiz.
