Winter color palette: best colors for a Winter color season
A Winter color season looks best in cool, clear and high-contrast colors: pure white, black, sapphire, emerald, fuchsia and true red. Muted earth tones, orange and warm beige tend to dull it. Here is the whole Winter palette, how to wear it, and how to tell the three Winter types apart.
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Which colors suit a Winter?
Winter colors are cool, clear and often deep: pure white, black, charcoal, navy, sapphire, cobalt, emerald, fuchsia, magenta, blue-red, burgundy, plum and icy pastels. The hardest colors near the face are orange, camel, mustard, warm beige, rust and dusty, muted shades. Winter splits into Deep Winter, Cool Winter and Clear Winter, which differ in how deep, how blue and how bright the best colors are.
Deep Winter
The deepest Winter: black, deep emerald, burgundy and plum. Its neighbor is Deep Autumn.
Cool Winter
The coolest Winter: pure white, sapphire, fuchsia and blue-red. Its neighbor is Cool Summer.
Clear Winter
The brightest Winter: cobalt, magenta, icy pink and emerald. Its neighbor is Clear Spring.
Three steps for a fair comparison
- 01
In daylight, hold pure white and then cream under your chin. If pure white makes the face look sharper and fresher, that points cool.
- 02
Compare a clear fuchsia with dusty rose. If the clearer color looks more natural, you are closer to Winter than to Summer.
- 03
Try black, sapphire and icy pink one after another. The one that looks most natural hints at Deep, Cool or Clear Winter.
The Winter color palette
Every Winter color is cool and clean, with no yellow cast and no gray veil. Contrast between light and dark is part of the palette.
- Pinks and reds: fuchsia, magenta, blue-red, raspberry, burgundy, icy pink.
- Purples: plum, royal purple, violet, icy lavender.
- Greens and blues: emerald, pine, sapphire, cobalt, royal blue, icy blue.
- Neutrals: pure white, black, charcoal, cool gray, navy.
Colors that are harder for a Winter
Orange, camel, mustard and rust put a yellow cast near cool skin. Dusty, muted shades and low-contrast beige combinations make a Winter look tired rather than calm.
Wear them away from the face, or combine them with white, black or a clear cool lip color near the face.
Clothes, makeup and hair color for a Winter
Black, navy, charcoal and pure white are the basics, and one clear jewel color per outfit is enough. Lip colors in true red, blue-red, fuchsia, berry and plum suit Winter; peach and orange tend to look separate from the skin.
Cool, deep hair colors work best: cool dark brown, espresso, blue-black and cool chestnut; lighter Winters can wear cool, clear blondes. Golden and copper tones tend to fight a Winter complexion.
Clarity before your next purchase
Can a Winter wear beige?
Choose cool versions: stone, cool taupe or gray-beige, and combine them with white or black near the face.
What is the difference between Winter and Summer?
Both are cool. Winter needs clear colors and strong contrast; Summer looks best with softer, more blended colors.
How do I know which Winter type I am?
Compare the three Winter palettes against your face, or take a photo-based color analysis in the app: it places you in one of the 12 color seasons and gives you that palette for clothes, makeup and hair.
Do Winters suit silver or gold?
Silver, white gold and platinum usually look most natural. Polished, bright metals suit Winter better than matte or antique finishes.
From an initial clue to personal color analysis
Analyze your photo, receive a practical palette and use it when choosing clothes, hair color and makeup.