Color season · Winter

The Winter Color Season: Palette, Colors and Makeup

The winter color season is a cool and striking coloring: skin with a pink or porcelain undertone, dark hair with a cool sheen and high contrast between skin, hair and eyes. Winters glow in clear, intense, contrasting colors and get dimmed by pastels, beiges and earthy shades.

Woman with winter coloring: dark hair with a cool sheen and striking contrast — Marta · Deep Winter

Winter is the only season that truly owns black and snow white. Women with winter coloring have naturally strong contrast: dark hair against fair skin, or intense eyes that pull the gaze. Muted pastels and earthy beiges erase that intensity and make the face look tired.

In the 12 season system, winter splits into three subtypes: bright winter, cool winter and deep winter. All share a cool undertone and intensity; what separates them is the dominant trait: clarity of color, coolness or depth. A photo analysis is the most reliable way to identify the exact subtype.

The 3 winter subtypes: bright, cool, deep

Bright winter carries the most intense, clear colors, cool winter has the coldest undertone, and deep winter the deepest coloring with the strongest contrast. Telling them apart requires judging undertone and depth, which a photo analysis measures best.

Bright WinterThe most intense subtype: clear, electric colors on a high contrast coloring.Read the full guide →Cool WinterThe coldest subtype: icy blues and cool pinks on a vivid coloring.Read the full guide →Deep WinterThe deepest of all 12 types: black, deep navy and royal purple with striking contrast.Read the full guide →

How to recognize a winter

Hair

From dark brown to black, often with a cool, bluish or plum sheen. No golden glints.

Eyes

Intense: dark brown, nearly black, steel blue, cool green or vivid gray.

Skin

Cool undertone: pink, porcelain or neutral-cool olive. Contrasts with the dark hair.

Contrast

High and striking. Dark hair, fair or rich skin and intense eyes create strong edges.

The 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.

Icy black#1A1A2E

Deep navy#0D1B6E

Cool burgundy#7B0D3E

Amaranth#C0235A

Ice blue#B8D4E8

Snow white#F2F4F8

Royal purple#5B1A8A

Cool emerald#006D5B

Steel gray#5A6472

Intense raspberry#C0174A

Pale ice blue#D0E4F0

Dark plum#4A1050

Glacier blue#A8C8E8

Frosty fuchsia#C8336A

Steel blue#4A6FA5

Cold carmine#9B1C3A

Icy lavender#B8A8D8

Electric blue#1C5FBF

Cool plum#6B3A6B

Cold bottle green#1B5E4A

Cool sage#7B9E8F

Cool rose quartz#D4A0B0

Icy turquoise#00B4C8

Cool fuchsia#D4006A

Pure cobalt#0047CC

Pale icy yellow#EDF2A0

Pure black#111118

Cool charcoal#3C3F4A

Optic white#F4F6FA

Dark navy#161E40

Colors to avoid

Warm, earthy colors rob a winter of contrast and shine: the skin turns sallow next to them and the sharpness of the features blurs.

✕Mustard#C8A020

✕Warm peach#F0A878

✕Caramel#C07840

✕Muted olive#7A7A40

✕Rusty brick#B04A28

✕Warm beige#D4B896

Metals and jewelry

Platinum silver#C0C8D0

Silver white#E8ECF0

Cool white gold#A8A090

Winter makeup colors

Winter makeup can be bold: it is the only season that carries a pure red lip and a graphite smoky eye. One condition: the colors must be cool and clear, with no warm, brown tones.

LipsPure cool red, amaranth or fuchsia. Winter is the one season that wears a strong lip every day.

Cold carmineAmaranthCool fuchsia

CheeksA cool pink applied sparingly: the natural contrast does the work of blush.

Cool pinkCold raspberry

EyesCharcoal, cool plum and black. Winter can wear black eyeliner without being overpowered.

CharcoalCool plumBlack

Winter hair colors

Winter hair looks best in dark, cool shades: from cold espresso to black with a blue sheen. Lightening to gold and caramel balayage is the most common mistake for this season.

Flattering

Black with blue sheen

Cold espresso

Dark plum brown

Dark ash graphite

Dark cool burgundy

Avoid

✕Warm golden blonde

✕Copper red

✕Caramel brown

✕Warm chestnut

✕Light beige blonde

Outfit formulas

1Black with snow white: a classic that looks editorial on a winter and dims every other season.

2A cobalt dress or blazer: a clean, electric color is a winter's signature.

3Deep burgundy with charcoal for fall and winter: elegant, with zero warming up.

4Instead of a beige coat: black, charcoal or dark navy.

Is this your season?

Check in 2 minutes

Reading about the 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.

Take the free quiz →See the AI color analysis →

Frequently asked questions about the winter season

What colors suit a winter color season?

Clear and cool colors: black, snow white, cobalt, emerald, fuchsia, cool red, deep navy and icy pastels. Colors should be intense or icy, never muted and earthy.

Is the winter season warm or cool?

Cool, and the most striking of the cool seasons. Skin with a pink or porcelain undertone is flattered by silver, platinum and clean, cold colors.

Am I a winter or a summer?

Both are cool, but winter has high contrast and carries intense colors, while summer is soft and looks better in muted shades. If black adds definition to your face, that points to winter; if it drains you, to summer.

Can a winter wear brown or beige?

Warm browns and beiges are the weakest colors for a winter: they dull the contrast and turn the skin sallow. If you want a neutral, reach for charcoal, steel gray, dark navy or pure black instead.

What hair color suits a winter?

Dark, cool shades: black with a blue sheen, cold espresso, dark plum brown and cool burgundy. Avoid golden blonde, copper and caramel, which fight the cool undertone.

What is the difference between bright, cool and deep winter?

All three are cool and high contrast. Bright winter is dominated by clarity (electric, saturated colors), cool winter by coolness (the iciest palette), and deep winter by depth (the darkest colors and the strongest contrast).

The other color seasons

Spring color season →Summer color season →Autumn color season →

‹ All 12 color seasons