Bright Winter Color Palette (Clear Winter)

Clarity is the main trait of a Bright Winter. Your coloring has saturation and sharp contrast, so the colors that suit you are pure and vivid with no gray mixed in. Temperature comes second. You lean cool, but you sit next to Bright Spring and can carry a touch of warmth that True Winter cannot. Depth sits in the middle, which is why icy tints and inky darks both work.

Eyes are often the giveaway. They are usually bright blue, green, turquoise-blue or a sharp dark brown with visible sparkle, and the whites look very white. Skin ranges from porcelain to deep, usually with a cool or neutral undertone and a clear look.

Hair is usually medium brown to black, often one solid color without many natural highlights. Contrast between hair, skin and eyes is high, often the highest of any season. In something soft, like dusty rose or oatmeal, the face looks flat and shadows under the eyes show more.

• Pure white #FEFEFE
• Black #000000
• Hot pink #FF1493
• Cobalt #0047AB
• Emerald green #00A86B
• Lemon yellow #FFF44F
• Ice pink #FFC4E4
• Sky blue #A6D5FF
• Hot turquoise #00C2C7
• Royal purple #5A1FA8
• True red #E3001C
• Fuchsia #E0009C

Bright Winter or Bright Spring?

Bright Spring shares your clarity but runs warm. Hold fuchsia (#e0009c) at your face, then a warm coral, then cobalt (#0047ab) and a warm turquoise. If fuchsia and cobalt make your skin look clear while coral leaves a yellow or orange cast around the mouth, you are Bright Winter. If coral lights you up and fuchsia looks harsh, try Bright Spring. Bright Winters also tend to prefer pure white to ivory.

See the Bright Spring palette

Bright Winter or True Winter?

True Winter is cooler and a little deeper, with less sparkle. Compare lemon yellow (#fff44f) with a pale icy lemon, then hot turquoise (#00c2c7) with deep pine. Bright Winter wakes up in the strong lemon and turquoise and can look heavy in a full outfit of pine and burgundy. True Winter handles the dark, fully cool shades well and looks slightly yellow in strong lemon. A last check is hot pink against a blue-red: if hot pink wins, lean Bright.

See the True Winter palette

Black and pure white carry most outfits, and the jump between them is part of your look. Charcoal, steel gray and icy gray are quieter options for work. Midnight ink replaces navy in suits and coats. Keep beige and camel away from the face.

Your best white and what to wear instead of black.

Five outfit formulas

• Office classic

  • Trouser suit: charcoal
  • Silk shirt: ice pink
  • Pumps: black

• Weekend errands

  • Dark jeans: midnight ink
  • Crew neck sweater: kelly green
  • Sneakers: pure white

• Dinner out

  • Wrap dress: cobalt
  • Heels: black
  • Clutch: fuchsia

• Hot day

  • Sundress: hot turquoise
  • Sandals: pure white

• Smart casual

  • Blazer: black
  • Knit top: lemon yellow
  • Wide trousers: pure white

Prints and fabrics

Graphic, high-contrast prints suit you: black and white stripes, polka dots, color blocking, crisp geometrics and bold florals on a black or white ground. Keep the colors in a print clean and separate rather than blended. Smooth and shiny finishes help, including satin, patent leather, silk, sequins and glossy cotton. Heathered knits, faded denim and washed linen look dull near your face, so wear them below the waist or add a bright scarf.

Colors to avoid

• Mustard #C9A227
• Rust #B7410E
• Camel #C19A6B
• Olive #708238
• Dusty rose #C4A0A0
• Peach #FFCBA4

These colors are warm or grayed. Next to Bright Winter coloring they make skin look sallow and take the sparkle out of the eyes. If you love camel or olive, wear them as trousers or shoes and keep a clean color at the neckline.

Match the foundation to your skin, which in most Bright Winters is neutral to cool. Pink, neutral or cool-olive bases usually blend better than golden ones. Test three shades on the jaw in daylight and pick the one that disappears. A satin finish keeps the natural clarity of your skin; thick matte coverage dulls it.

Lips

• Clear red #D6001C
• Fuchsia #D10A7C
• Hot pink #F03C96
• Cool berry #9C1450
• Rose nude #C47A8A

Blush

• Bright pink #F0719F
• Cool raspberry #D1406F

Eyes

• Charcoal #3B3C42
• Navy #1E2B63
• Plum #5D2B6B
• Silver #C9CCD3
• Emerald #007A50

Liner and brows

• Black #0B0B0D
• Navy #1C2550

Pick one strong feature per look. A clear red or fuchsia lip with black mascara and bare lids is the classic Bright Winter face. Smoky eyes work in charcoal or plum. Bronzer and warm brown shadows tend to look muddy on you.

Keep hair dark and cool with a glossy finish. Blue-black, espresso and cool dark brown hold the contrast with your skin, and that contrast is what makes clear colors look right on you. For a change, try a deep burgundy or violet-red glaze instead of copper. Highlights should be fine and cool. Chunky golden or caramel streaks lower your contrast.

Move toward

• Blue-black #16161D
• Espresso #2B2221
• Cool dark brown #3D3230
• Burgundy black #3B1422

Move away from

• Golden blonde #D4A94F
• Copper #B5622F
• Caramel #A8703A
• Honey brown #8A5A2B

Gray hair and highlights

If your gray comes in silver or bright white, it can keep the clear, cool contrast that suits you. Blend the regrowth with a few fine cool lowlights, or go fully silver and use a violet toning shampoo to keep it clear. Keep your brows darker than your hair to hold the contrast.

Silver suits most Bright Winters. Cool, shiny metals echo the clarity in your coloring, and high polish looks better than brushed or antiqued finishes. Because you border Bright Spring, a bright, polished yellow gold can work in small pieces. Rose gold and antique brass tend to look muddy.

• Polished silver
• White gold
• Platinum
• Chrome-finish steel

Glasses frames

Black, crystal clear, cobalt or deep magenta acetate, or thin polished silver metal. Skip warm brown tortoiseshell.

People often typed as Bright Winter. Typing a famous face from photos is guesswork (lighting, makeup and hair dye all change it), so use it as a reference for coloring and check your own season with the drape tests above.

• Megan Fox: Often wears jet-black hair, with light blue-green eyes and porcelain skin at extreme contrast. Source for Megan Fox, opens in a new tab
• Courteney Cox: Often wears dark hair, with cool undertones and vibrant blue-green eyes. Source for Courteney Cox, opens in a new tab
• Alexis Bledel: Bright, sparkling blue eyes that contrast sharply with her skin and hair. Source for Alexis Bledel, opens in a new tab
• Zooey Deschanel: Big blue eyes, brunette hair and pale skin; the source notes she sits close to the spring palette but stays cool. Source for Zooey Deschanel, opens in a new tab
• Lucy Liu: Often wears black hair, with striking dark eyes and clear, cool-toned skin at high contrast. Source for Lucy Liu, opens in a new tab
• Liv Tyler: Often wears dark hair, with unusually clear blue eyes and cool fair skin. Source for Liv Tyler, opens in a new tab
• Brooke Shields: Strong dark brows, blue-green eyes and cool-toned skin. Source for Brooke Shields, opens in a new tab