The Cool Winter Color Palette: Colors, Makeup and Hair
Cool winter, also called true winter, is the coldest season in the entire 12 season system: a skin undertone without a trace of warmth, hair with a cool sheen and high contrast. The cool winter color palette is built on steel blues, amaranths and cool reds, while golden, earthy and warmed-up colors dim this coloring.
Beata · Cool Winter
Cool winter is pure coolness at maximum volume: silver always beats gold, the pink undertone of the skin cannot stand beiges, and every warm outfit looks borrowed from someone else. Unlike deep winter, she does not need maximum depth: her element is pure, cold colors of medium to strong saturation, from icy pink to amaranth.
The borders are cool summer (the same cold undertone, but softness instead of contrast) and deep winter (similar contrast, more depth). It is the cool summer border where most self-typings fail, because the difference is intensity, not temperature. A photo analysis measures both parameters at once.
How to recognize a cool winter
Hair
Dark brown or black with a clearly cold, ash-blue sheen. A contrasting cool dark ash is also possible.
Eyes
Cool: steel blue, gray, cool green or dark brown with a cold tone.
Skin
The coldest undertone in the system: pink or porcelain. Zero golden tones; any tan is cool and fades fast.
Contrast
High, but less graphic than deep winter; the intensity is built on coolness, not depth.
The cool winter color palette
30 colors with hex codes, from the same engine that builds the personal reports. In your own report the palette is tuned to your exact subtype and coloring.
Steel blue#4A6FA5
Amaranth#C0235A
Ice blue#B8D4E8
Steel gray#5A6472
Cool burgundy#7B0D3E
Intense raspberry#C0174A
Cold carmine#9B1C3A
Frosty fuchsia#C8336A
Cool fuchsia#D4006A
Cool plum#6B3A6B
Dark plum#4A1050
Royal purple#5B1A8A
Icy lavender#B8A8D8
Pale ice blue#D0E4F0
Snow white#F2F4F8
Deep navy#0D1B6E
Dark navy#161E40
Cool graphite#3C3F4A
Cool emerald#006D5B
Cold bottle green#1B5E4A
Cool sage#7B9E8F
Cool rose quartz#D4A0B0
Electric blue#1C5FBF
Pure cobalt#0047CC
Icy cold pink#E4C0D4
Deep raspberry#A81848
Light cool plum#8E5A96
Cold denim#3E5A88
Icy black#1A1A2E
Silver frost#C2C8D2
Colors to avoid
A cool winter has zero tolerance for warmth: golden, earthy and peachy colors instantly yellow her pink undertone and steal the freshness from her face. This is the season for which universal beige is the worst color in the store.
✕Warm peach#F0A878
✕Mustard#C8A020
✕Caramel#C07840
✕Rusty brick#B04A28
✕Warm beige#D4B896
✕Golden olive#C8B45A
Metals and jewelry
Polished silver#C0C8D0
Platinum#C8C8D0
Cool white gold#A8A090
Cool winter makeup colors
Cool winter makeup plays on coldness and purity: raspberry lips, a cool pink blush, graphite eyes. Everything brown and peachy leaves the face with a gray shadow instead of freshness.
LipsRaspberry, amaranth and cool red; nude only in a pink version, never beige.
Deep raspberryAmaranthCold carmine
CheeksA cool pink with a touch of raspberry swept across the cheekbone.
Cool rose quartzCold raspberry
EyesGraphites, cool plums and silver; a black liner is allowed, a brown one is not.
GraphiteCool plumSilver frost
Cool winter hair colors
A cool winter's hair color has one job: to stay cold. Ash and bluish toners are friends; golden and caramel highlights are the biggest enemies. With naturally dark hair, care that boosts the cool sheen is usually all it takes. A photo analysis report shows the exact shades against your own face.
Flattering
Cold dark brown
Black with a blue sheen
Dark graphite ash
Cold espresso
Cool dark burgundy
Avoid
✕Golden blonde
✕Caramel brown
✕Copper red
✕Honey highlights
✕Warm chestnut
Outfit formulas
1Steel blue + snow white + silver: the cool winter base kit.
2An amaranth sweater instead of a red one: the same effect, zero warming.
3Cold-wash denim with icy pink and platinum jewelry.
4For the evening: cool plum + graphite instead of black with beige.
Cool Winter celebrities
Stylists most often point to Liv Tyler, Brooke Shields and Courteney Cox as examples of cool winter coloring. Treat lists like this as an illustration, not a verdict: celebrity typings done by eye differ from stylist to stylist, because lighting and hair dye can fool even a professional. The reliable way to find your own season is a measured photo analysis, not a comparison with actresses.
How cool winter differs from the other winter subtypes
Trait
Bright Winter
Cool Winter
Deep Winter
Dominant trait
clarity
coolness
depth
Undertone
cool, fresh
the coldest
cool, the deepest
Contrast
high, luminous
high
the highest in the system
Best colors
electric, icy colors
steel blues, amaranths
navy, burgundy, black
Often confused with
bright spring
cool summer
deep autumn
In your Paleta report these subtypes are called Bright Winter, Cool Winter and Deep Winter.
Reading about the cool winter palette tells you what the colors are. The free quiz tells you whether they are yours, and the AI photo analysis goes further: it assigns your exact subtype and shows your best colors on your own photo.
Frequently asked questions about the cool winter season
What are the best cool winter colors?
Pure and cold: steel blue, amaranth, raspberry, cool red, plum, navy, cool emerald, snow white and icy pastels. The rule: not a gram of gold in the color.
Can a cool winter wear black and white?
Yes: black, white and their contrast are a safe base, although her most flattering colors are cold blues and raspberries. The only white to avoid is one broken toward warmth (ecru, ivory).
Cool winter vs cool summer: how do I tell them apart?
The temperature is the same (maximum coolness); intensity separates them. Winter has high contrast and carries pure, strong colors and black; summer is soft and looks better in smoky shades. If black next to your face flatters you, you are a winter; if it dims you, a summer. A photo measurement gives certainty.
What hair color suits a cool winter?
Cold dark brown, black with a blue sheen, graphite ash, cool burgundy. Avoid gold, honey, copper and caramel; warm highlights clash with the pink undertone of the skin.
Is cool winter the same as true winter?
Yes, cool winter and true winter are two names for the same subtype; you may also see it described as winter with a summer influence. In your Paleta report this type is called Cool Winter.
How do I know if I am a cool winter?
Take the free color season quiz, and for certainty use the AI photo analysis: it measures your undertone, contrast and saturation, assigns 1 of 12 seasons and shows your palette plus visualizations on your own face.
