Deep Winter Seasonal Color: The Ultimate Guide

In a fast fashion world overflowing with an endless array of colors, have you ever stopped to consider how certain shades can illuminate your features and evoke a radiance that is uniquely yours? The quest to unlock your personal style and enhance your natural beauty begins with a journey into the captivating (and sometimes confusing) realm of seasonal color analysis. Among the diverse palettes that exist, the Deep Winter color palette stands as a mesmerizing gateway to deep saturated colors that are bold like alpine meadows or rocky mountains. 

By uncovering the colors that harmonize with your complexion, you unlock a new world of possibilities that will revolutionize the way you dress, style your hair, apply makeup, and even express yourself.

Discovering your seasonal color palette will help you abandon those needless shopping trips, and wrong buys, and save you a ton of money. Not only will you start to look your best, and understand how to use color in your style more strategically, but you will also save yourself a lot of time and money while shopping.

So, let’s begin with Deep Winter, also known as Dark Winter (DW). 

Characteristics of Deep Winter Seasonal Color

Understanding seasonal color analysis comes down to understanding basic color theory and the color qualities that generally define each season.  But, if that undertaking is feeling like more than you can handle, I suggest first understanding the seasonal analysis color wheel. 

Let’s examine where Deep Winter falls on this color chart.  They are in between True Winter and Deep Autumn.  Winters have cool undertones. Autumns have warm undertones.  True Winter has completely cool undertones, whereas  Dark Autumn has Warm leaning neutral undertones, and Deep Winter has cool leaning neutral undertones. 

Essentially, this means that Deep winter is first and foremost a winter season but they do have some hints of Dark Autumns warmth coming in.  This neutrality can be subtle, and this is why doing color drapes are the most effective way to determine your season.  While there are many “common” traits to each season, color draping is much more accurate overall.

If you’d like to learn how to DIY color drape yourself at home, and determine your color season without a shadow of a doubt, check out my DIY color drape article here.

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Deep (Dark) Winter Color Qualities

Undertone:  Cool/Neutral Cool (neutral cool means they have a touch of warmth coming in and it can be subtle!)

Hue: The hues of the Deep Winter are primarily cool, but can have an influx of neutral shades as well because of their undertone.  This can be called “cool-neutral” in hue. 

Chroma:  Deep Winter has a medium leaning towards bright chroma or intensity. They are not as bright as True Winter but they are also not muted like Dark Autumns.  They fall about in the middle. This can also be referred to as medium-high saturation. 

Value:  When we examine value we are examining how much white or black is added to a color therefore making it a palette of light tints or dark shades.  The dark winter has a lot of deep or dark values in the palette. And the lightest colors in the palette can be described as “icy”.  Therefore there is “low value” or high darkness in your palette. 

Take a look at the Munsell Color Wheel- a founding principle for color theory and seasonal color analysis.  Below you can see how the colors might be placed for deep winter. 

And we can see the color analysis for all seasons generally broken down in the below table. 

If you are getting slightly overwhelmed and are prepared to throw your hands up and just take the colorwise palette app at its (frequently wrong) selection, just give me a few more paragraphs, ok? 

Seasonal color analysis exists on a spectrum. There are people who are purely cool in undertone, and there are people who are purely warm in the undertone. But most of us, are neutral and we lean ever so slightly towards warm or cool.  

If you are neutral, then the sub-seasons are where you will your place.  You can automatically knock out True Winter, True Spring, True Autumn, and True Summer from your potential placements. 

Now, if you’re struggling to determine which way you slightly lean, doing drapes will be the most effective approach. You can see my system for that here.

Deep Winter (Common) Hair, Eyes, and Skintones 

There is a reason why most analysts need to see drapes in order to determine your season. They are examining how your skin’s undertone “reacts” to the color.  Does it make you shine, or does it make you look sallow? etc… Just listing your hair, eyes, and skin tone does not always equal a straightforward answer.  

So the following information is just a starting baseline.  A lot of Winters, and “stereotyped” deep winters will have these traits.  But, if you’re convinced you are a Deep Winter and these don’t line up, continue to test! 

But, as a general guideline, here are some common traits of the Deep Winter.

Hair: Hair can often range between neutral medium brown, dark brown, brown-black, or true black. But this is not the only hair color possible if you’ve draped yourself, that is much more effective. It is possible to have blond, or red hair as a deep winter, so testing is key.  And at times they can have some deep auburn tones as well. 

You may find some resources that state that there will be no natural highlights in a Deep Winter.  According to the Sci-Art System and professional analyst Christine Scaman, “ This is a beautiful coloring when the hair contains orange or red tones while the skin is cool and calm, setting up a fascinating contrast” (page 106).  Again, draping and examining a multitude of factors is key!

Skintones:  There is a wide range of skin tones that are typical within this season, they can have fair, light, medium, tan, dark, or deep tones to their skin. So determining the undertone and drapes may be critical to hone your best colors. 

Eye Colors: Eyes are often dark and include dark olive, dark hazel, dark brown, or a shade close to black. They tend to have deep values and depth. And it can be possible that Deep winter’s eyes lean towards a warmer eye color. 

Winter Eye Patterns: Helpful or a load of crock? 

It depends on which system you are referring to, and even what era of seasonal color analysis you are studying.   There are systems that swear each family has a unique eye pattern, but I believe mostly that has been debunked. 

Eye color is one small potential factor in determining your season.  So even if you lined up 100 verified deep winters, not all of them will have this trademark pattern.  Is it a fun thing to check? Absolutely! Should it be used as determining factor? Probably not. 

Winters tend** to have a spoke pattern to their eyes. Because deep winters have a sister season of Deep Autumn, they can also have warmer qualities to their eyes.  And their spokes can lean more toward deeper brown shades. 

Because Deep Winter tends to have darker eyes, it can help to see the pattern by using a flashlight or a flash when taking a photo.  This may help illuminate the patterns. 

Deep Winters: Gray Hair

It is possible that you will see silver hair popping up as early as your 30s or 40s. Deep Winters tend to have a regal and powerful look and the contrast can really be striking.  

Over time, many DW develop either all over silver-toned hair, or prominent streaks within their hair. 

Depending slightly on your gray hair, you can usually continue to pull off black beautifully. If you find that overpowers you, try opting for a soot color, or gray from your palette instead. 

Avoid any whites that are too warm, your silver hair will clash with the yellowness and can look duller. 

Contrast in Deep Winter 

Deep Winters typically have a higher contrast between their features.  And their eye colors versus the whites of their eyes create more evidence of the higher range of contrast levels.  As well as comparing the hair, skin, and eyes as a whole. 

Compared to their sister season of Dark Autumn, which is muted + neutral/warm, Deep Winters tend to have more starkness in their coloring.  Dark Winters in terms of contrast may feel closer to their other sistering season of True Winter.  

Now, across the color wheel, you may even find some overlap with the Soft Summer palette which is neutral/cool + soft or muted.  But DW will find more saturation suits them over the softer shades of SS.  If you look at the two women below, the DW woman has similar coloring to the SS but has more contrast overall and we can see the two palettes next to them are distinct.  The Soft Summer palette does have some deeper shades.

And for me personally, after I did my draping tests, I found that a 16-season system lead me to my best palette.  I only recommend going to a 16-season after your hone your season in the 12 system.  Test those colors out and then examine if you need to narrow it down further.  I was between Soft Summer and Deep Winter.  However, I found I lacked the contrast of DW and needed less saturation. While Soft Summer was a bit too soft.  I landed on Deep Summer. Not every shade from your palette will work, and it’s ok (and encouraged) to eventually create your own “best” color palette.

Deep Autumn vs. Deep Winter 

Deep autumn is neutral-leaning warm, and Deep Winter is neutral-leaning cool. 

Both of these seasons have a dominant trait of “deep” but where Deep Autumn is more muted overall, Deep Winter has contrast and more saturation. 

Deep Winter vs.  True Winter

Both have cool undertones, but True Winter has no warm influence.  Deep winter is described as if you took the cool colors of TW and added a few drops of the darkest chocolate to it. They have that slight influence of warmth in their undertone. 

Overall, the deep winter color palette may feel closer to True Winter than to Deep Autumn because they share that dominant coolness.  And the rustic quality that is found in DA is not as obvious in the DW colors.  However, the true winter pattern will have brighter hues and more vibrant jewel tones than the Deep Winter.   And their values won’t be quite as deep. 

Deep Winter vs. Soft Summer

You can see that Soft Summer (while also neutral cool) has a lot more softness and very little contrast to their features. 

Deep Winter vs.  True Summer 

So you may think this one is a reach, but there can be some confusion between these two seasons.  Because Deep Winter has some higher saturations that are cool-toned they share some* colors with the True Summer palette, especially the darker shades in the TS palette.  And because True Summer is more saturated than Soft Summer, it can feel close to Winter.  The difference between the two really comes down to the added warmth in Deep Winters, and the deeper values in their shades and features. 

Determining if you are a Deep Winter 

As I’ve already mentioned, draping is the most effective method to determine your seasonal color palette. 

For the full DIY process, explore my DIY Color Analysis Guide, here.

If you’re fairly certain you fall in the Deep Winter category you could try a more specified drape experiment from the DW palette. 

Here’s how to do it: 

Lighting: Natural daylight from north facing window, around 3 ft away. 

Hair: Tie your hair back (especially if it’s dyed) 

Avoid:  Remove jewelry, makeup (yes, even mascara), and potentially glasses as well to get the most accurate pictures. 

Lock your white balance:  If the backgrounds of your photos are changing dramatically, lock your white balance or use a gray photo square to help adjust white balance consistently post shoot. 

Test one fabric at a time. 

What are you even looking for?

You want colors that even out your skin tone, brighten your eyes, eliminate any harsh shadows, and do not make you look sickly or sallow. 

Struggling to determine if your fabric drape belongs in Dark Winter?

Comparing a color to other fabrics within that family will make it more obvious.  The color traits will be more apparent. 

Deep Winter Celebrities 

So, I hate to burst your bubble but there is no “ultimate, verified” list of celebrities for any season.  Depending on which system you type with and different professional analysts’ opinions, celebrities tend to be typed completely differently across the board. 

And to make matters more complicated, most of these celebs are typed using photos that have been edited, color corrected, wearing full makeup, and with varying degrees of lighting. 

So while I’m presenting a few Deep Winter celebrities, these are more traditional examples of DW and can be seen as my opinion. Just because you look like X celebrity, does not mean your skin reacts to color in the same way. 

Monica Bellucci: Deep Winter

Anne Hathaway: Deep Winter

Viola Davis: Deep Winter

Archie Panjabi: Deep Winter

Color analysis, in general, has had periods of over-simplification, and misinterpretations.  I think we are currently in the heyday of “ misinterpretations”.  Color analysis in my opinion is about understanding color theory and seeing how those colors react to your skin and bring out your most beautiful essence.  

While some of the original books on the subject presented a simple 1,2,3 evaluation of hair, color, and eyes that really marginalized people of color from being thrown into Deep Winter or Deep Autumn. 

So, while there are lots of elements to consider ( including your coloring and contrast level), please don’t be bullied into a season that doesn’t feel right to you.

Drape fabrics, access. 

Celebrity Typing: Word of Caution

There are a lot of unqualified people talking about seasonal color analysis.  And a lot of varying opinions based on what system is being used.

Most professional analysts do not believe in online consultations (there are a few very, very seasoned professionals who can accurately type virtually, but most are not super accurate). 

So while I encourage you to binge those color youtube videos, and read all the wonderful posts about it, there is no master celebrity verified list.  And depending on the picture used (editing and lighting can be wildly different even on the same day in the same outfit),  can skew the assessment.  

All that to say, celebrities should be used as potential example parameters, not hard comparison points. 

Deep Winter Moodboard Imagery

Not sure if you knew this, but the seasonal color analysis was originally based on seasons/landscapes and the colors and vibes within those respective elements. 

The thought process was developed first by Johannes Itten who started to realize certain people’s colorings fit in nicely with certain landscapes during each season. 

So what was the Deep Winter landscape?   Imagine the Rocky Mountains with alpine meadows and wildflowers.  Deep jewel tones,  icy waterfalls, glaciers, and canyons all imbue the DW essence.  It feels bold and strong. 

Keywords for Deep Winter

While your color qualities ( neutral/cool, deep, medium to high chroma) are the key to understanding this palette, there is also an energy or general vibe that Deep Winter exudes.  Some of the words used to describe DW are:

• Smooth
• Dark
• Quiet
• Polished
• Minimalist
• Simple
• Symmetrical
• Opulent
• Austere
• Substantial
• Expensive
• Sharp
• Luxurious
• Enduring 
• Sophisticated 

Understanding Color Theory, Art, and Seasonal Color Analysis 

Seasonal color analysis is based heavily on how artists used color theory in their work. 

It first started with Johaness Itten who began to split colors into yellow/warm and blue/cool and then eventually realized they could be split further into light and dark.  And the realization formed that certain painted skin tones looked better in certain landscapes. A deep, cool person would look striking against an ice-caped mountain range. 

Then we also have the impact of Albert Munsell who created a 3-dimensional color wheel that is the foundation of the seasonal color analysis we know today. Evaluating a color based on three properties: hue, chroma, and value.  

So while there have many seasonal color analysts and professionals who have furthered the process to be applicable to personal style, makeup, and overall daily use, color theory, and art is the root of these processes. 

So, I always like to look at some actual artwork that applies the same color qualities that a Deep Winter strives for. 

Seasonal color analysis should be building a relationship with color and understanding how to vet a color on you.  

Deep Winter Color Palette

Are you ready to dive into the deep, icy, and cool colors of the Deep Winter?  Dark winters tend to express sophistication and almost an air of aristocracy with zero effort.  They appear powerful, and their color palette matches that regal strength. 

When other seasons try Deep winter colors they can really, really overpower them.  But you absolutely shine in these powerful, deep shades. 

Deep Winter Neutrals 

Deep winters have a sophisticated palette with tons of options for neutral or business-casual palettes.  Here are some ideas:

All winters have some form of black in their palettes, and the nuances between them can be slight.  Technically True WInters are usually the ones who get the coolest black. As a deep winter, you will find that most blacks in stores are suitable (especially pitch black). And the matte black fabric is especially beautiful on you. (generally, avoid the high-shine blacks).  When we think of “warmer blacks” for deep winter we are more veering towards the color of black coffee and not the traditional bronzed black of the Deep Autumn. 

A similar concept is true for white as well. While most true whites will work for you, technically your white leans just a bit duller and can even have a slight touch of blue like a bleached white.  If you really want to nail this, I suggest bringing sample swatches with you while shopping.

Grays can be a bit harder to spot if you want your exact DW gray shade.  Grays do not have the lavender tint or dusky color of Summer, and it’s not the elephant gray of Autumns. Instead, it is more aptly described as gunmetal or diesel smoke.   Remember that the gray should feel a bit imposing and strong, not airy or light.  

Icy gray and ever so slightly warmed white can also function as neutrals for the deep winter. 

How Deep Winters Use Color 

Deep winters really shine in tonally deep outfits.  This adds elegance and richness to their look overall. 

There is a lot of power in each individual DW color, so using a ton of colors from the palette can sometimes veer a bit overwhelming.  The use of neutrals (like gray, white, and black) coupled with one of the brighter or more intense colors can have a striking effect. 

If the outfit goes for a heavier, darker monochrome look adding touches of sparkle like diamonds, platinum, or an icy accessory can help balance out the look.  “Almost black” is a fantastic shade for you.  If you opt for an all-black outfit try balancing that dramatic effect with a small addition of color from your palette (even something small like a jewel ring can help). And if you do opt for more all-black or monochrome looks, make sure there is a balance between the textures, design, and fit.  

Dark Winters have so many wonderful deep colors in their palette they can mimic the “look” of black easily, so you could also try a look with dark eggplant, black coffee, or black spruce. 

In terms of color combinations, sharper edges and delineation of colors are fantastic.  Deep winter has a sharpness and can’t handle the borderless/watercolor blending like Summers can.  So avoid close/blended tonal shifts in an outfit. 

Color pigment should overall be concentrated and not veer too muted or dusky.  And overall head-to-toe light color schemes need to be done very carefully or generally avoided.  This can wash out the DW even if it is a shade within their palette. 

The overall head-to-toe color value should be medium-dark or dark. You can pair together the very light of your palette with the very dark or group together a range of colors from the mid colors. 

Color Combinations for Deep Winter

Here are some examples of how a deep winter might use different colors together. 

Textures for Deep Winter 

There is a lot of diversity in the DW palette in terms of textures.  You look fantastic in elegant textiles that look expensive. But you can also borrow a bit from the Deep Autumn side and integrate some natural fibers like cotton, knits, and smooth twills.  

You can rock various weights of crepe, and heavy satins with lower shine/luster, and low shine metallics.  Generally, avoid patent leathers that have high contrast shine. 

Ribbed wools, merino wools, and luxurious knits can be beautiful. 

In terms of shine levels think of it like a still, frozen shine similar to that of a platinum metal.  We don’t want a wet or oily effect in the shine level. 

Because there is a lot of power in the Deep Winter look they can also handle the heavier weight fabrics (but this can depend on body type as well, so take it with a  grain of salt!). 

Casualwear Ideas for the Deep Winter

I know you’re looking at the palette and thinking, wow so full of options for my job, but where might the more casual looks come from? 

Generally, because of winter’s formality, casual clothing needs to be adjusted to fit your individual style goals.  You have to test out how and where you can apply the “informality” and you could also try experimenting with your Kitchener essence blend on how to do this.

Darker jeans, as mentioned above, are a great place to start. And then pairing those with any of your mid-shades or even a neutral or icy light could be a good place to start.   

 Natural Fabric textures and medium to light fabric weights also might add a bit of relaxed easiness to your look over the crisp and polished looks that deep winter is known for.  ( more outfit ideas will be shown below).  

Prints for Deep Winter 

It can be difficult to find the “perfect” print that is completely within your palette.  I generally recommend that you opt for a print that is at least 80% in your color palette for the most seamless wear. 

You do well with simple drama, higher contrast ( very light or icy with very dark), strongly blended mid-tones,  and repeating designs.  

You want the overall vibe of the print to have easily delineated colors, not the blended/soft-edged prints of the summer seasons.  

And remember it is important that any out-of-season colors be smaller design elements within the print itself. 

And an out-of-season color that is in a sister season will most likely be easier to integrate. 

In terms of print scale, your body type will often have the most influence.

In terms of style of prints opt for prints that have bolder energy, higher contrast, and can even contain unusual elements.  Prints like houndstooth, geometric shapes, and stylized abstract patterns all work. But remember we want some sharpness to the print.

And generally avoid muted, watercolor, blurred, densely small, or light floral prints. 

Jewelry for Deep Winter 

Because you are a neutral leaning season you can often wear both gold and silver.  If you opt for a cool metal, silver and platinum are definitely your best choices.  Tungsten can also be a possibility. 
If you opt for gold you should go with a medium-standard yellow gold.  And if the gold is “darkened” you might have a bit more flexibility in the tone of gold you choose. 

You look great with slightly polished and smooth surfaces that allow some luster to show.  If you really want texture you could try hammered metal instead of a brushed or highly textured option. 

Jewelry that has a lot of movement doesn’t always work for the energy of the deep winter and can be distracting.  But again, this isn’t a universal “rule”. 

Oval-shaped jewelry is especially harmonious, as are spirals or helices, in addition to longer straight lines. So a stack of diamonds or hanging stones could be a great example of the power of linear elements. 

In terms of stones, diamonds are actually your best friend.  You can also play around with emeralds, blue sapphires, and lapiz lazuli (in both blue and violet).  

Denim for the Deep Winter

Obviously, denim and jeans have become a mainstay for most people’s styles. You’ll want to opt for deep navy, dark blue, or black.  Anything that has a deep or inky feel to it will work well.  Ideally, any topstitching matches the denim tone and isn’t in a contrasting color like orange or yellow.  But those small details are best decided on a personal basis. 

Silver detailing or rhinestones can be a nice design element to look for as well. And generally, avoid any washes that look “worn-in” as that doesn’t have the intensity that DW looks for. 

Deep Winter Makeup Guide 

Using makeup within your color palette can be a really easy way to glow up quickly. All of sudden instead of sick, or sallow you look radiant, glowing, and alive. 

If you’re struggling to find good colors for your coloring, trying the makeup on in person can be much more successful. Also, try wearing clothes in your color palette to see the “full looks” harmony and have a good comparison point for if that shade really is in your family. 

And remember that despite some apparent warmth in your hair or eyes, you are neutral/cool in your skin undertone. So it may take some experimentation to find your correct shades (tying your hair back can also help during this process). 

Deep Winter Foundation 

Yes, you are neutral/cool but generally foundation is matched to your overtone.  This means you will often be looking for cool or neutral foundations. And at times the shade of your foundation can even appear (in the bottle) to be a touch lighter than the complexion of your face and match more closely to that of your jawline or neck.  

If you have darker skin, sometimes the warmth level is overestimated and you end with a very warm shade that doesn’t quite look right.  Try the neutral and cool shades first, and make sure you test the shades in daylight for the best color match. 

Makeup and application, even within a season, are highly varied and very unique to the individual, so don’t be afraid to test and draw your own conclusions. 

Here are some general examples of Deep Winter Foundations: 

Pay attention to the name and color if you want to explore any of the selections above, as the link will not always load the exact color I’ve referenced. And remember that foundation is really best matched in person, not online. 

Deep Winter Blush 

You’ll watch to match your blush to your skin, not your hair or eyes (which can give a false impression of warmth).  Colors like dark rose, cherry, mulberry, raspberry, and saturated plum all work beautifully on you. 

Avoid anything too brick colors or rust-colored, as that is more Dark Autumn territory and will be overwhelming right on your face. 

Some winters find that they really can’t do much blush, that it creates too much drama in their face, and can especially overwhelm pale skin.  However, you can still experiment! Sometimes a blush will look extremely dark but flatter the face.  

Bronzer should generally be avoided for winters.  Deep winter because you border Deep autumn can sometimes pull off a cool-toned bronzer but it should be used sparingly.  If you are really interested in bronzer opt for one that has more red or purple pigments over orange or rust.  And don’t try to give yourself a “tan” with them. 

Deep Winter Lip Colors 

Lipstick and lip color are really where a deep winter can add some extra oomph to their look. From strong berry colors to fuschia, you can really define your lips and add more contrast to your face.   Here are some shades to explore:

• Strong berry shades 
• Deep Fuschia
• cranberry
• dark cherry
• Cool Maroon
• Cool, dark red
• Red-violet
• “Cooked-beet” color

These intense colors can help naturally complement the contrast seen between your other features.  And as you age/mature a deeper or more intense lip shade can help balance out your stronger eye shade (even when you begin to go gray). 

Most deep winters can handle creme, gloss, or lacquer in their palettes and lip shades.  This will really be outfit, lifestyle, and your unique coloring dependent. 

Deep Winter Eyeshadows

Some deep winters look amazing in eyeshadows, and others find it can be a bit heavy or dramatic for their intended look.  You already have a lot of contrast to your face, so if eyeshadow feels too formal, opt for lipstick instead. 

Gray shadows and smokey effects can be beautiful on deep winters.  And if you want to contour the shape further you could try charcoal or a very cool brown shade. Highlights will likely be done in the lighter, icier shades in your pallet including ice light gray, cool icy pink, or a light neutral champagne beige (not gold!). 

For eyeshadow usually a matte texture or slight shimmer is best.

Deep Winter Eyeliner 

Eyeliner can be a great makeup addition for a dark winter.  It is ok if the liner is heavy, sharp, and dark, your face can handle it!  
You will most likely want to pull from the deepest shades in your palette.  

• Black-brown
• Dark cool brown
• Gunmetal
• Graphite
• Smoked dark gray 

DWs tend to not do super well with “playful” color eyeliners like blue, green, or purple. If you really want to try a colored eyeliner opt for more deep versions like dark eggplant, deep pine, or Prussian blue. 

Deep Winter Mascara 

Black to Very Black works for you, which is luckily easy to shop for!

Deep Winter Brows

Not every season benefits from brow makeup, but deep winter is definitely a candidate for playing up your strong brows.  A lot of DWs have naturally dark and striking eyebrows ( so please don’t overpluck those enviable assets!).  You don’t really need to darken them (since they are already richly colored) but defining them or extending the line/shape every so slightly can be especially striking. You can also try an icy highlight on your brow bone. 

If you don’t have especially striking or dark eyebrows, let them be.  Your natural coloring and contrast level is best. 

Deep Winter Nail Polish 

You get a ton of vampy, cool nail polish colors to choose from.  Ultimately just keep your color qualities in mind (deep, cool, and med/high chroma) and you will pick a winning shade. 

Here are some ideas:

Deep Winter: Dying Your Hair 

Winter seasons can have an especially broad spectrum of natural hair colors. While we see a lot of neutral brunettes as Deep Winters, there can be a much wider range.  And because seasonal color analysis really encourages embracing your natural colors, hair dying (especially for winters) should be approached with caution and restraint.

Usually, your natural color (especially when you were aged 20-25) is your “most ideal” color. But if you’re dead set on dying your hair, don’t make any massive level changes.  (e.g. going from rich cool brown to blonde level 9 would not be advised). 

Well-blended color highlights like balayage can actually make you look a bit tired.  They create a blended effect and you really harmonize better with more contrast.  So if you opt for highlights a bit more contrast is best, and you can consider cocoa colors or even a dark cherry if you want something a little bit more unique. 

And if you want to go blonde, no one will stop you and the color police won’t come get you… But it usually isn’t very successful.  You wash away your natural contrast and usually damage your hair in the process it takes to lift so many levels.

You may be thinking you want to deeper your hair a bit, but honestly, you don’t need to.  Deep Winters usually have gorgeous hair colors that have slight glimmers of warmth that bleed in from the Dark Autumn side. This is very hard to replicate.   And if you do want to darken it up, try just finding the deepest shade in your hair currently and opting for that shade all over, that may be the subtle boost you’re after.

Dying your hair red can be difficult to do right, and blend properly with your skin tone. You could try red wine or plum color but avoid any warm reds, rust colors, or magentas.  

Deep Winter Outfit Ideas 

Your wardrobe and makeup color palette is really only one part of your style puzzle.  It is important to remember that every style expression is unique and should be wholly authentic to you. This usually means you will need to experiment and evaluate what elements you carry through to your own “style toolbox”. 

This is not meant to be a rulebook, but foundational information you tweak and apply in your own way. The more you experiment with color, the more you will learn how to best use it for your purposes. 

I wanted to include some general deep winter outfit ideas that you might* find helpful. But please don’t get hung up on these ideas if they aren’t your cup of tea. Style is highly personal, and these are just a couple examples out of an infinite number of possibilities for deep winter. 

Shop Deep Winter:

Tips for Shopping as  Deep Winter 

Anytime you “land” on a season the instinct is to throw out your entire wardrobe and start from scratch. I really, really don’t recommend doing that.  Even if you’ve been professionally analyzed, you may not find Deep WInter to be correct (different analysts may type you as a variety of seasons).  So it’s best to slowly try on and explore your palette. 

{How to Start Shopping For You Style Parameters}

As you progress you may learn more about your style, and feel comfortable adding certain DW colors or using sister palettes.  Accept that this may be a slower journey, but it will lead to much more effective results over time. 

And if you do want to start adding a few DW colors to your wardrobe here are some tips to help.

Tie your hair back:  A lot of Deep winters have some warmth to their natural hair and it can get distracting when trying on clothes.  Removing that warmth from your line of sight can help you focus on what that color is doing to your skin.

Know your colors:  Understanding the basics of color theory and the DW color qualities is what will make shopping way, way easier.  You can also bring a color swatch, or Deep Winter color fan to match colors with more accuracy. 

If you don’t have a fan or are not ready to invest in one, you can also bring a piece you already own that you know is deep winter.  Comparing them can help you spot if the color is more muted or warm than you might have guessed. 

Avoid anything too muted or dusky: It can be hard to differentiate some of the grays and icier light sin your palette. But generally, if it feels muted or dusky (or you couldn’t picture it on top of our Deep Winter mood board imagery) it’s probably not right.

Icy Colors: Icier shades can be difficult to spot online and even in real life.  Familiarizing yourself with basic color theory and the different definitions of color qualities can help. Icy colors do not have gray added to them.  They have white added to them.  They are not, however, “pastels”. 

Trust Your Instincts: Ultimately, trust your own preferences and instincts. While the Deep Winter palette provides a guideline, personal style is also about expressing yourself. If you’re drawn to a particular color or style that may not be in your palette, feel free to experiment and incorporate it in a way that still complements your overall look.

Watch the Warmth: While you do border Deep Autumn, anything muted/warm will likely not harmonize well. Touches of warmth can be found in the Deep Winter palette but they still feel predominantly DW because they have medium to high chroma and don’t have any gray dulling them out.  Also, keep in mind where you place any “out-of-season” colors in your outfit.  The further away from the face, the easier they are to integrate. 

Watch the “busyness”:  Deep Winter often has an elegant and striking look and overly busy designs can do them a disservice. Be mindful of your focal points and your outfit’s balance. 

Textures can help with your look: While you might want to avoid high shine elements like patent leather, soft lusters, polished textures, and grained or pebbled fabrics all work beautifully.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with these combinations, especially if opting for a monochrome look

Keep the bigger picture in mind: We can get so obsessed with finding the perfect red lipstick that we fail to see the entire outfit’s balance and the holistic effect that lipstick is having on our look.  Step back once in a while and evaluate.  I like to encourage people to take daily outfit photos for reference and as “style data”. 

And if you’re wondering how to use your style data and your ever-growing style toolbox, check out my Self-Guided Personal Style Workbook.  It’s all about finding your true fashion expression.

Deep Winter Style Tips for Warm-Weather 

Let’s be honest, in cold weather your palette looks AH-MAZING!  But, it can be a bit trickier to rock deep eggplant or burgundy when it’s 100 degrees out and humid. 

Here are some tips to try: 

1. Opt for Lighter Fabrics: While your deep winter palette may include intense colors, you can still find lighter fabrics that suit the warm weather. Choose lightweight materials like linen, cotton, or silk in your deep winter colors. These fabrics are breathable and will keep you cool in the heat while allowing you to embrace your seasonal color palette.
2. Incorporate Neutrals: Deep winter colors can be quite bold, but you can balance them out by adding neutrals to your outfit. Neutrals help create a more summery look and allow your bold colors to stand out without overwhelming your appearance. The neutral + deep color can also be a great color palette to try because it allows you to keep your contrast levels high.
3. Choose Brighter Accents: Although your deep winter palette might be dominated by cool and dark shades, you can still incorporate pops of brighter colors as accents to add a touch of summery vibe. For instance, accessorize with scarves, jewelry, or shoes in the more vivid shades within your season.
4. Explore the icy shades in your palette. This can take some time to get right, but the more you understand color theory the easier it will be.
5. Try a more summer print pattern. If you are lucky enough to find a summer print with 80% of your deep winter shades, buy it!

I’ve tried the colors and I hate them!? 

Sometimes people land on or are analyzed as Deep Winter but they find they hate the palette… Here are a few reasons that might happen:

1. You are actually not a deep winter. In a DIY (and even a professional consultation) sometimes you end up with the wrong answer. I would suggest you give it some time and really learn your colors so that you are sure you are making the correct selections. If the majority of colors are still not working, then it’s time to re-drape.
2. You have a personal aesthetic that differs from the Deep Winter look. If you love opting for ballet-core or K-pop is big style inspiration, you may want to hold off on using your seasonal color palette. While you may eventually explore integrating it, it’s ok to tackle one part of your style toolbox that you already know works for you.
3. You may prefer to use color differently. Sometimes people prefer that others notice the color before themselves. It acts as a sort of “style armor”. While Emila is not a Deep Winter we can see the different use of colors below.

Deep Winters have a captivating and versatile palette. And beginning to adapt your personal style to embrace these radiant shades will level up your look in no time.

You exude an air of sophistication, elegance, and mystery.

So go embrace your Deep Winter shades.

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