Bright Winter Color Palette

What Bright Winter coloring looks like

Bright Winter is the clearest and most striking of the cool seasons. Its strongest trait is brightness, which shows as strong contrast between hair, skin and eyes, and eyes that seem to sparkle. Coolness comes second.

Typical Bright Winter coloring includes the following.

• Skin that is clear and cool to neutral cool, from porcelain to deep. It often looks smooth, with very little sallowness.
• Hair that is dark, such as dark brown, espresso or black. Some Bright Winters have dark hair with very fair skin, which gives a dramatic look.
• Eyes that are bright and clear, such as icy blue, bright green, clear hazel or dark brown with a strong shine. The whites of the eyes are very white.
• Contrast that is high. You notice the difference between hair, skin and eyes at a glance.

How to tell if you are a Bright Winter

• Black and white together look sharp on you, not harsh.
• Neon and jewel colors look exciting rather than loud.
• Beige, camel and khaki make you look tired or washed out.
• Silver and platinum look better than yellow gold, though polished metals of any kind beat matte ones.

If cool colors that are deeper and less electric look even better, you may be a True Winter. If clear warm colors such as poppy and golden yellow look just as good, you may be a Bright Spring. Our free color analysis can help you decide.

How to wear the Bright Winter palette

The Bright Winter palette is all about clear color. Signature shades include Cherry, Hot pink, Fuchsia, Emerald, Shamrock, Azure, Electric blue, Royal blue and Violet.

• Near your face, wear the brightest colors you love. A Fuchsia top or an Emerald scarf makes your eyes and skin look clearer.
• For neutrals, choose Snow white, Mist, Smoke, Granite, Charcoal and Jet black. Pure white and true black are both yours.
• Use contrast boldly. Black with white, navy with hot pink, or royal blue with snow white all suit you.
• For prints, go for bold, graphic prints with crisp edges, such as large florals in jewel colors or black and white geometrics.
• For accessories, silver, platinum and white gold, with clear stones such as sapphire, emerald or crystal.

A simple Bright Winter capsule wardrobe

A small wardrobe in your colors means almost everything goes with everything else. Start with these pieces and add color from your palette over time.

• A crisp Snow white shirt and a black knit as the core pair.
• Black or charcoal trousers and very dark denim.
• A Fuchsia or Royal blue top for a vivid accent.
• An Emerald or Cherry dress for evenings.
• A black coat, worn with a bright scarf or lip.
• Black shoes, silver jewelry and a bag in a jewel color.

Common Bright Winter mistakes

• Beige and camel as everyday neutrals. Gray, black and white suit you better.
• Muted, earthy prints. Choose crisp, high contrast patterns instead.
• Warm, brassy hair color. Keep your hair cool and dark to protect your contrast.

Bright Winter at every skin depth

People of every skin depth can be a Bright Winter. The season describes how your coloring fits together, not how light or deep your skin is. Within the palette, though, skin depth still guides which tones look best right next to your face.

• If your skin is on the lighter side, lean on the lighter tone of each color family, such as Strawberry, Sunflower, Lagoon and Violet.
• If your skin is on the deeper side, the stronger tones carry more presence, such as Cherry, Citrine, Teal and Ultraviolet.

Either way, the test is the same. Hold the color under your chin in daylight and keep it if your skin looks smoother and your eyes look brighter.

Makeup for Bright Winter

• Foundation with a cool or neutral cool undertone and a natural finish.
• Lips in cherry red, fuchsia, raspberry and cool hot pink. A blue red is a signature Bright Winter lip.
• Blush in cool pink, raspberry or fuchsia, applied lightly.
• Eyes in charcoal, silver, plum, sapphire and emerald. Black liner looks natural on you.
• Brows defined in a cool dark brown or soft black.

Hair colors for Bright Winter

Dark brown, cool black, espresso and bold cool tones such as deep burgundy or blue black suit you. Your hair works best when it keeps your high contrast. Brassy golden shades, warm caramel highlights and dull mid browns lower the contrast and soften the very feature that makes you a Bright Winter.

Bright Winter compared with its neighbours

Bright Winter sits between Bright Spring and True Winter on the season wheel.

• Bright Winter and Bright Spring are both bright first. Bright Winter is cool and Bright Spring is warm. Both can wear very vivid colors.
• Bright Winter and True Winter are both cool. True Winter is cooler and a little deeper. Bright Winter can wear more electric, saturated colors.

The colors to avoid come from Soft Autumn, the season furthest away. They are warm, muted and earthy, the opposite of cool and clear. For makeup ideas that suit cool coloring, see our guide to makeup for cool undertones.

Bright Winter at a glance