Deep Autumn Color Palette

What Deep Autumn coloring looks like

Deep Autumn, sometimes called Dark Autumn, is the darkest of the warm seasons. Depth is its strongest trait, and it comes with a warm or neutral warm undertone. The coloring looks rich, warm and grounded.

Typical Deep Autumn coloring includes the following.

• Skin with a warm, golden or neutral warm undertone, from light to very deep. It often has a bronze or golden cast and tans easily.
• Hair that is dark and warm, such as dark chocolate brown, deep auburn, mahogany or black brown with warm lights in the sun.
• Eyes that are dark and warm, such as dark brown, deep hazel, dark olive green or topaz.
• Contrast that is medium to high, but warmer and softer than a Deep Winter.

How to tell if you are a Deep Autumn

• Rich, earthy colors such as rust, olive and mustard make you look healthy and warm.
• Light pastels and icy colors wash you out.
• Gold, bronze and copper jewelry look better than silver.
• You can wear dark colors well, but chocolate and espresso look softer on you than black.

If very dark, cool jewel tones look just as good, you may be a Deep Winter. If warm colors that are a little lighter and softer look better, you may be a True Autumn. Our free color analysis can help you compare.

How to wear the Deep Autumn palette

The Deep Autumn palette is warm, deep and rich. It includes Adobe, Ruby, Brick red, Burgundy, Cinnamon, Brass, Dijon, Fern, Ivy, Forest, Deep teal, Prussian, Navy and Grape.

• Near your face, wear deep, warm colors. Brick red, Deep teal and Forest look rich next to your skin.
• For neutrals, choose Pearl and Smoked pearl for light pieces instead of stark white. Moss gray, Loden, Peat, chocolate brown and black give depth.
• Layer textures. Suede, leather, wool and corduroy in your colors look especially good on you.
• For prints, rich prints such as paisley, tortoiseshell, animal prints and deep florals.
• For accessories, antique gold, bronze and copper, with stones such as amber, garnet, tiger eye and jade.

A simple Deep Autumn 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 Pearl shirt and a chocolate brown knit as everyday basics.
• Dark olive and espresso trousers instead of black.
• A Brick red or Deep teal top for rich color.
• A Forest green or Burgundy dress for evenings.
• A camel or chocolate coat, or a black coat with a rust scarf.
• Brown leather boots, tortoiseshell frames and antique gold jewelry.

Common Deep Autumn mistakes

• Pastel pink, mint and icy blue, which look washed out on deep warm skin.
• Cool gray as your main neutral. Choose chocolate, olive and Loden instead.
• Silver jewelry with everything. Antique gold and bronze suit you better.

Deep Autumn at every skin depth

People of every skin depth can be a Deep Autumn. 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 Adobe, Brass, Teal and Iris.
• If your skin is on the deeper side, the stronger tones carry more presence, such as Ruby, Dijon, Deep teal and Grape.

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 Deep Autumn

• Foundation with a warm or golden undertone that matches your depth closely. Our guide to foundation for warm undertones covers how to find it.
• Lips in brick red, deep terracotta, warm berry and cinnamon.
• Blush in terracotta, warm bronze or deep peach.
• Eyes in chocolate, bronze, olive, deep teal and plum. Brown or black brown liner suits you.
• Brows in a warm dark brown.

Hair colors for Deep Autumn

Dark chocolate, deep auburn, mahogany and warm espresso suit you. Rich copper or caramel highlights can add warmth without losing depth. Avoid ash blonde, platinum and icy shades, which look cold and disconnected from warm, deep skin. See our guide to hair colors for warm undertones for more.

Deep Autumn compared with its neighbours

Deep Autumn sits between Deep Winter and True Autumn on the season wheel.

• Deep Autumn and Deep Winter are both deep first. Deep Autumn leans warm and earthy, Deep Winter leans cool and clear.
• Deep Autumn and True Autumn are both warm. True Autumn is lighter and softer, with terracotta and honey. Deep Autumn is darker and richer.

The colors to avoid come from Light Summer, the season furthest away. They are light, cool and soft, the opposite of deep and warm.

Deep Autumn at a glance