Deep Winter

Cool · deep · clear

Cool and deep, usually dark hair with cool-toned skin. Colours need depth and a blue base to hold their own.

The Deep Winter palette

  • Burgundy
  • Midnight
  • Deep teal
  • Plum
  • Forest
  • Wine
  • Charcoal violet
  • Cool white

Neutrals

  • Crisp white
  • Graphite
  • Black

Three that fight it

  • Peach
  • Spring green
  • Oat

Three, not thirty. A palette is a prediction about which tones lift your face, not a list of banned colours — and a long avoid-list is the fastest way to make a useful idea useless.

What makes a Deep Winter

Deep Winter is cool colouring at maximum depth: dark hair, cool or neutral skin, and usually dark eyes. Depth defines it and coolness sets the family, so the palette runs to colours with weight and a blue base — burgundy, midnight, pine, plum. Pale and warm colours do not clash so much as vanish beside the face.

Am I a Deep Winter?

Depth first, then temperature, then clarity.

  • Burgundy and midnight should look better on you than any pastel, easily.
  • Optic white should beat cream, and true black should look natural rather than heavy.
  • If deep warm shades — espresso, rust — beat the deep cool ones, you are Deep Autumn instead.

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Deep Winter versus the seasons it is confused with

  • Deep Autumn

    Temperature. Same depth; the whole decision is cream versus optic white and espresso versus black.

  • True Winter

    Depth. If clean mid-tone cool colours suit you as well as the dark ones, you are True rather than Deep.

Deep Winter makeup

Deep and cool; strong lip colour is easier here than almost anywhere.

  • Cool plum and deep berry blush
  • Charcoal, deep navy, aubergine and cool emerald on the eye
  • Black liner, and it can be heavy
  • Burgundy, deep cool red and wine on the lip

Hair colour for a Deep Winter

Cool dark brown to true black. Lightening costs this season the depth its palette is built on; warm highlights fight the temperature at the same time.

Gold or silver?

Silver, white gold and platinum. Gunmetal and pewter also work; yellow gold does not.

How do I know if I am a Deep Winter?

Depth first, then temperature, then clarity. Burgundy and midnight should look better on you than any pastel, easily. Optic white should beat cream, and true black should look natural rather than heavy. If deep warm shades — espresso, rust — beat the deep cool ones, you are Deep Autumn instead.

What colours suit a Deep Winter?

Burgundy, Midnight, Deep teal, Plum, Forest and similar tones, with crisp white, graphite, black as the neutrals that carry them.

Should a Deep Winter wear gold or silver?

Silver, white gold and platinum. Gunmetal and pewter also work; yellow gold does not.

What hair colour suits a Deep Winter?

Cool dark brown to true black. Lightening costs this season the depth its palette is built on; warm highlights fight the temperature at the same time.

Deep Winter or Deep Autumn?

Temperature. Same depth; the whole decision is cream versus optic white and espresso versus black.

Deep Winter or True Winter?

Depth. If clean mid-tone cool colours suit you as well as the dark ones, you are True rather than Deep.

The other eleven seasons

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