Deep Winter Color Palette: An Ultimate Styling Guide (2024)

Co-authored byMelissa Youngand Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: December 27, 2023Fact Checked

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   Cool hue The Deep Winter color palette has a slightly cool hue. It isn’t 100% cool on a sliding scale, but about 75%. This means there are more blue-toned colors than yellow-toned colors.^[1]

   • Hue refers to the origin of a color you can see (for instance, if the color is primarily yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, or green.^[2] Deep Winters have a green or blue hue, as these are considered cool colors.
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   Dark value You won’t see many light colors in this seasonal palette. The Deep Winter palette features icy colors rather than lighter ones to contrast the cool, light tone of the skin.^[3]

   • Value is the lightness or darkness of a color.^[4]

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   Higher chroma A Deep Winter color palette has more saturated colors than other seasonal palettes. This means the colors are deep and full, making them darker rather than brighter.^[5]

   • Chroma is the intensity of a color’s saturation or brightness. For instance, gray has a low chroma and fire-engine red has a high chroma.^[6]

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   Dark brown, dark hazel, or deep blue eyes If you’re a Deep Winter, you likely have dark eyes. Your eyes are so dark that you can barely see your pupils!

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   Neutral or neutral-cool skin Deep Winters have a neutrally cool skin tone that can be fair or dark. Chances are if you’re a Deep Winter, silver jewelry and accessories look best on you. Although you can wear both, the cool tone in the silver makes your skin glow.

   • Determine your skin tone by looking at the color of the veins inside your wrist. Deep Winters usually have blue or purple veins.
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   Medium brown to black hair If you’re a Deep Winter, you probably have very dark hair. When looking at you, people may think you have black hair, even if it’s actually a deep brown—it’s just that dark.^[7]

   See Also

   Seasonal Color Analysis: The Best Eyewear for WintersCan Winters Wear Beige, Camel, Brown, or Yellow? A Comprehensive Guide - Image Consultant Training & Personal Stylist Courses | Sterling Style Academy | New York | Dubai | Paris | Singapore Can Winters Wear Beige, Camel, Brown, or Yellow? A Comprehensive How to Wear Pink If You’re a WinterDark Winter: The Ultimate Guide ∙ ElementalColour

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   High contrast between hair, eyes, and skin Deep Winters have a high contrast between all of their characteristics. This means that if you’re a Deep Winter, your skin is lighter when compared to your hair and eyes, which are very dark.

   • If you're not sure whether you fit the Deep Winter description, find your seasonal color palette by talking with a stylist, professional color analyst, or fashion expert who can help you dress for your unique features.

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1. 1

   Wear cool tones and deep berry or jewel tones. Muted, cool tones look best on a Deep Winter’s frosty skin. Think about colors you’d see naturally in a foggy, damp Western forest. The landscaping is probably cool and dull, with dark brown, gray, and black. Meanwhile, the accents in flowers and wildlife are deep and coolly bright with greens, purples, and blues.^[8] These are the colors that look best on you:

   • Midnight blue
   • Evergreen
   • Darkest gray
   • Dark mud brown
   • Iron
   • Espresso
   • Pure/true white
   • Black
   • Cloudy gray
   • Deep pink
   • Merlot
   • Lilac
   • Dark purple
   • Light blue
   • Violet-blue
   • Navy
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   Avoid colors that are light and warm. If you’re a Deep Winter, you want to stay away from warm, summery tones that could wash out your natural glow. Basically, if a color is bright and reminds you of a summer day on the beach, you should avoid it. For example:

   • Orange
   • Yellow gold
   • Peach
   • Beige
   • Camel
   • Bright blue
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   Wear contrasting colors to complement your high contrast features. When combining colors, aim to always pair a light tone with a dark tone or a dark tone with a bright accent. This draws the eye without pulling attention away from your wintery glow.

   • For example, pair light gray with dark purple.
   • Try a dark green dress with a bright pink heel.
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   Always pair true white with a contrasting color. Because of its cool temperature, true white is a part of the Deep Winter palette; however, it shouldn’t be worn on its own. Against your cool skin, true white can wash you out. To avoid this and look your absolute best, always pair white with a darker color, such as evergreen or dark brown.^[9]

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   Go for patterns featuring colors from your color palette. Any pattern or print can work for a Deep Winter (as long as it primarily features colors in their palette). For instance, a crimson floral print on a dark charcoal background would look fabulous.^[10]

   • Opt for patterns with higher contrast, blended mid-tones, and repetitive designs.
   • Move away from watercolors and abstract designs and gravitate toward crisp edges and gothic designs instead.
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   Stick with silver metals and accessories. Golds and bronze can overpower your neutral, cool tones, so avoid them whenever you can. Instead, opt for silver jewelry and accessories to complement your natural iciness.^[11]

   • Warm metals and accessories can still be worn by a Deep Winter; deep golds and brass should only be worn to avoid overpowering natural features.
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   Avoid warm-toned makeup at all costs. Warm tones can wash you out and overpower your cool skin tone. To make your wintery features pop, stick with cool-toned makeup and stay away from oranges and bright pinks.^[12]

   • For instance, swap a peach blush for a mauve.
   • Ditch the bright pink lip for a dark berry or deep muted red.
   • Use grays, burgundy, and taupes to enhance your eyes.
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   Dye your hair black, plum, or dark brown. If you’re a Deep Winter, it’s best to stick to your roots when it comes to hair. Ditch the idea of being a honey blonde or brunette and embrace your icy, dark undertones! Try dying your hair black, deep plum, or dark brown to make your natural features pop.^[13]

   • Avoid dying your hair with a warm undertone. For instance, caramel or strawberry blonde will wash out your features.

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1. Dark Winter is cool, while Deep Autumn is warm. Although both of these color palettes feature dark colors, they have one distinguishing feature: tone. Dark Winters have a cooler undertone and look best in blues and greens. Meanwhile, Dark Autumns have a warmer undertone and shine in peaches and honeys.

   • Think of it like this: Dark Winters are ice, and Dark Autumns are fire.

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1. Deep Winter has some warmer influences, while True Winter doesn’t. While both color palettes have cool undertones, some Deep Winter colors have a slightly warm tone (such as mauve and pale yellow). True Winters, on the other hand, have no warm tones whatsoever and only feature cool tones.

   • Think of it like this: Deep Winter is about 75% toward cool on the hue sliding scale, whereas True Winter is 100% cool.

   See Also

   Dark Winter — Spicemarket Colour

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1. These celebrities have a Deep Winter color palette. They have neutral or neutral-cool skin tones, dark hair, and dark eyes. They likely also look best in dark colors and bold, cool-toned accents. Chances are, if you look like one of these celebrities, you may be a Deep Winter.^[14]

   • Adam Driver
   • Anne Hathaway
   • Ariana Grande
   • Bingbing Li
   • Jenna Coleman
   • Jenna Ortega
   • Jodie Turner-Smith
   • Johnny Depp
   • Kit Harington
   • Lana Parrilla
   • Lea Michele
   • Lucy Liu
   • Mindy Kaling
   • Nina Dobrev
   • Octavia Spencer
   • Orlando Bloom
   • Robert Downey Jr.
   • Salma Hayek
   • Sandra Bullock
   • Shay Mitchell
   • Taraji P. Henson
   • Viola Davis
   • Winona Ryder
   • Zayn Malik

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