Deep Winter Color Palette

What Deep Winter coloring looks like

Deep Winter is the darkest of the cool seasons. Its strongest trait is depth, and it comes with a cool or neutral cool undertone. The coloring looks rich, strong and dramatic.

Typical Deep Winter coloring includes the following.

• Skin that is cool or neutral, from fair to very deep. Many people with deep brown skin and cool or neutral undertones are Deep Winters.
• Hair that is very dark, such as black, espresso or dark brown, with little or no golden tone.
• Eyes that are dark, such as black brown, deep brown or deep hazel, often with bright, clear eye whites.
• Contrast that is medium to high. The overall impression is deep and defined.

How to tell if you are a Deep Winter

• Black and other very dark colors look elegant on you, never draining.
• Light pastels, beige and light camel can make you look washed out.
• Deep jewel tones, such as emerald, sapphire and wine, look rich and expensive on you.
• Silver suits you, and so does a bright white gold.

If clear, cool colors that are a little lighter look better, you may be a True Winter. If deep, warm earthy colors look just as good as jewel tones, you may be a Deep Autumn. Our free color analysis compares these from a single photo.

How to wear the Deep Winter palette

The Deep Winter palette is rich and dark, with flashes of clear color. It includes Oxblood, Merlot, Wine, Emerald, Evergreen, Bottle green, Deep teal, Prussian, Sapphire, Royal purple and Plum, plus a crisp Canary for contrast.

• Near your face, wear deep jewel tones. Wine, Emerald and Sapphire look rich against your coloring.
• For neutrals, black is your best friend, along with Snow white, Dove gray, Steel, Graphite and Soot. Deep navy works too.
• Mix depth and contrast. A black outfit with a wine scarf, or a sapphire top with white trousers, looks striking.
• For prints, bold, dark prints with clear edges, such as jewel toned florals on black or graphic black and white patterns.
• For accessories, silver, white gold and gunmetal, with deep stones such as garnet, emerald and onyx.

A simple Deep 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 black knit and a crisp Snow white shirt.
• Black and Graphite trousers, plus dark denim.
• A Wine or Sapphire top for rich color.
• An Emerald or Royal purple dress for evenings.
• A black coat with a Garnet or Bottle green scarf.
• Black leather shoes and silver or gunmetal jewelry.

Common Deep Winter mistakes

• Light beige and pastel colors near the face. Wear them low, or choose icy versions.
• Light golden highlights. Keep hair deep and glossy.
• Soft, low contrast makeup that disappears on you. Define brows and lips.

Deep Winter at every skin depth

People of every skin depth can be a Deep 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 Cardinal, Canary, Teal and Plum purple.
• If your skin is on the deeper side, the stronger tones carry more presence, such as Oxblood, Citrine, Deep teal and Royal purple.

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 Winter

• Foundation with a cool or neutral undertone that matches your depth exactly. Many deep shade ranges now include cool and neutral options.
• Lips in deep berry, wine, blue red and plum.
• Blush in berry, cool plum or deep rose.
• Eyes in black, charcoal, deep plum, navy and emerald. A smoky black eye suits you well.
• Brows defined in black brown or soft black.

Hair colors for Deep Winter

Black, espresso, cool dark brown and deep burgundy all keep your natural depth. Glossy, rich finishes look best. Light golden shades and chunky blonde highlights raise your hair far above your natural depth and can look disconnected from your skin and eyes.

Deep Winter compared with its neighbours

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

• Deep Winter and True Winter are both cool. True Winter is cooler and clearer. Deep Winter is darker, and can carry the deepest colors on the wheel.
• Deep Winter and Deep Autumn are both deep first. Deep Winter leans cool and clear, with black and jewel tones. Deep Autumn leans warm and earthy, with chocolate, rust and olive.

The colors to avoid come from Light Spring, the season furthest away. They are light, warm and delicate, the opposite of deep and cool. Our skin tone chart explains how depth and undertone work together.

Deep Winter at a glance