Winter family, cool and clear
Winter color palette
Cool color at full strength, with contrast to match.
· By the Hue & Shape team
Not sure you are a Winter?
The free color test reads your season from a photo and seven quick questions. The photo stays on your device. If you want it, your personal color report is $12.99 once, with no subscription.
Winter color analysis groups the three seasons with a cool undertone and a clear, high-contrast finish. Winter colors are saturated and pure: true red, royal blue, emerald, fuchsia, icy pastels, and the only true black and optic white in the whole system.
Depth runs from medium to deep. Deep winter is the darkest, cool winter sits at medium to deep depth with the strongest blue base, and bright winter is medium depth with the highest clarity on the map. All three share strong contrast between hair, skin and eyes, which is what lets them wear color at full strength.
Winter is not about skin depth. A winter can have porcelain skin with dark hair, or deep skin with bright eyes; what makes it winter is a cool base and features that hold their own against stark color.
The family palette
Winter color palette: 18 colors across the three types
Six signature colors from each winter season. Each season page has its full 36.
Deep Winter
- Black#141414
- Deep Navy#1D2A44
- Burgundy#5A1F2E
- Emerald#0F5A45
- Sapphire#1F3F7A
- Plum#4A2440
Cool Winter
- True Red#C8102E
- Royal Blue#1F4FBF
- Emerald#0F7A5A
- Magenta#C2187A
- Icy Pink#F3D7E3
- Pure White#FFFFFF
Bright Winter
- Hot Pink#E8177F
- Electric Blue#1863FF
- Emerald#00A878
- Lemon#FFE14D
- Fuchsia#D61F9C
- Turquoise#00B8C9
Three types
Deep Winter vs Cool Winter vs Bright Winter
| Trait | Deep Winter | Cool Winter | Bright Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depth | Deep | Medium to deep | Medium |
| Warmth | Cool, slightly neutral | The coolest winter | Cool, leaning neutral |
| Clarity | Clear | Very clear | Tied with bright spring as the clearest |
| Typical skin | Any depth, cool or neutral base | Fair to deep, with a pink or blue base | Clear, porcelain to deep |
| Typical hair | Dark brown to black | Cool dark brown, black, early silver | Dark brown or black |
| Typical eyes | Dark brown, black-brown, deep hazel, dark blue | Icy blue, gray, cool dark brown | Bright blue, clear green, vivid brown |
| Best neutral | Black | Charcoal | Ink |
| Signature color | Burgundy | True Red | Hot Pink |
Deep Winter
Also called dark winter. Black, Deep Navy and Burgundy match its depth, and Emerald and Sapphire add color without lightening the look.
The Deep Winter paletteCool Winter
Also called true winter. True Red, Royal Blue and Pure White are its home colors, and any trace of gold in a color shows on it straight away.
The Cool Winter paletteBright Winter
Also called clear winter. Hot Pink, Electric Blue and Lemon keep up with its contrast; soft and grayed colors look like faded copies on it.
The Bright Winter paletteRouting
Which winter are you?
1. Which dark neutral looks most at home with your face?
- Black, worn head to toe without effort: Deep Winter
- Charcoal or sapphire; black looks a touch heavy: Cool Winter
- Ink, but only with something vivid next to it: Bright Winter
2. Hold Hot Pink, then Burgundy, under your chin.
- Burgundy looks rich; the hot pink looks loud: Deep Winter
- Hot pink looks electric and right: Bright Winter
- Both work, but True Red and Royal Blue look even better: Cool Winter
3. What are your eyes like in daylight?
- Very dark, close to the hair color: Deep Winter
- Cool and icy, gray or pale blue: Cool Winter
- Bright and sparkling, with a vivid ring: Bright Winter
Answers split? The free color test weighs a photo sample and seven questions, then names one of the twelve seasons.
Find my seasonNeighboring family
Winter vs summer
From the winter side, summer colors look like winter colors seen through a fog. Both families are cool, but winter needs saturation and contrast while summer needs softness. On a winter face, dusty rose and slate make the features look blurred and the skin slightly gray.
Cool winter and cool summer are the pair most often confused. The winter has stronger contrast, usually from darker hair or brighter eyes, and its best red is a pure blue-red rather than a berry. A winter who has been told they are a summer often describes their wardrobe as nice but boring.
- Black #141414
- Deep Navy #1d2a44
- True Red #c8102e
- Royal Blue #1f4fbf
- Hot Pink #e8177f
- Icy Lavender #e7def7
Black, Deep Navy, True Red, Royal Blue, Hot Pink, Icy Lavender
- Powder Blue #b7cde8
- Rose Quartz #efc9d2
- Dusty Rose #d49aa5
- Wisteria #9b8fc4
- Sage Green #9fae95
- Misted Blue #8fa5b5
Powder Blue, Rose Quartz, Dusty Rose, Wisteria, Sage Green, Misted Blue
The test that separates them
Wear Pure White, then a soft off-white. A winter looks crisp and awake in the pure white and a little dull in the off-white; a summer finds the pure white glaring.
Neighboring family
Winter vs autumn
Winter and autumn share depth at one corner: deep winter and deep autumn can both have very dark hair and eyes. The undertone decides between them. Deep winter's darks are blue-based, like navy, burgundy and black; deep autumn's darks carry warmth, like espresso, mahogany and forest green.
The other winters are seldom mistaken for autumns, because their colors are so much clearer. A cool winter in mustard or rust looks sallow almost immediately.
- Black #141414
- Deep Navy #1d2a44
- True Red #c8102e
- Royal Blue #1f4fbf
- Hot Pink #e8177f
- Icy Lavender #e7def7
Black, Deep Navy, True Red, Royal Blue, Hot Pink, Icy Lavender
- Camel #c8a27a
- Terracotta #b96b4e
- Rust #a64b2a
- Mustard #c9a227
- Olive #6f7434
- Mahogany #6b2f28
Camel, Terracotta, Rust, Mustard, Olive, Mahogany
The test that separates them
Hold Burgundy next to a warm brick red. A deep winter looks clearer in the burgundy, while the brick makes the skin look slightly muddy; a deep autumn is the reverse.
Winter wardrobe basics
Winter is the family that can build a wardrobe on black and white. Add charcoal, deep navy and silver gray, and every vivid color in the palette has a neutral that keeps up with it.
The rule for winter outfits is contrast. A bright color with a dark neutral, or black with optic white, looks deliberate. Two mid-value colors together, or an outfit of soft beiges, flattens winter coloring. Deep winters lean on the darks, cool winters on the jewel tones, bright winters on the electric accents.
Formal wear is where winters have the easiest time. A black suit, a crisp white shirt and a jewel-colored tie or dress are already in the palette, with nothing to adjust.
Hair color across the winter family
Winter hair colors are cool and clear: blue-black, cool dark brown, espresso with no red, and silver. Golden highlights, caramel and copper soften the contrast that defines the family and can make the skin look sallow.
Deep winters suit their natural dark brown or black. Cool winters look striking with cool dark hair and also tend to suit silver as it grows in. Bright winters keep their hair dark so the contrast with the skin stays high; a vivid cool plum is an option for those who want color.
Winter makeup
Winter makeup can carry pigment. Blue-red, fuchsia, berry and plum lips, cool pink blush, and eyes in charcoal, navy, plum or silver all suit the family.
Precision matters more than quantity. A clean, defined lip or a sharp line looks right on winter coloring, while soft, smudged warm browns can make it look tired.
Questions
Winter color questions
What is the winter color palette?
The palette for cool coloring with high contrast and medium to deep depth. Black, pure white, true red, royal blue, emerald, fuchsia and icy pastels are typical. The three winter seasons are deep, cool and bright.
Is cool winter the same as true winter?
Yes. True winter is another name for cool winter, the season with the strongest blue base in the family. Deep winter is also called dark winter, and bright winter is also called clear winter.
Do you need dark hair to be a winter?
Usually the hair is dark, but the deciding factors are a cool undertone and high contrast. Very fair skin with dark hair is a classic winter look, and deep skin with bright eyes can be too.
Can winters wear pastels?
Icy pastels, yes: icy pink, icy lavender and ice blue, which are mostly white with a hint of cool color. Warm, creamy pastels such as peach and buttercup look dusty on winter coloring.
Which metals suit a winter?
Silver, platinum, white gold and chrome. Yellow gold tends to look warm and dull next to winter skin unless it is very pale or very small.
What is the difference between deep, cool and bright winter?
Deep winter is the darkest and the least saturated of the three. Cool winter has the purest blue base. Bright winter has the highest clarity and wears the most electric colors, including a cool lemon.
Which winter is closest to summer?
Cool winter, which shares a strong blue base with cool summer. The winter version of each color is cleaner and deeper, so the test is whether vivid color sharpens your face or overpowers it.
Can winters wear brown?
Only the coolest, darkest browns, close to black, and they rarely beat charcoal or navy. Camel and warm chocolate drain winter coloring.
How we measure. The seasons on this site come from fixed positions for warmth, depth and clarity, and the free test matches you to the nearest one. Read the method
Beyond the winter family
- Deep Winter paletteDark, cool and built for contrast.
- Cool Winter paletteBlue-based color, worn at full strength.
- Bright Winter paletteThe highest contrast the wheel allows.
- Color analysisSample your skin, eyes and hair, answer seven questions, and get one of 12 seasons.
- The twelve color seasonsAll palettes in one place