True Winter Color Palette (Cool Winter)
True Winter, also called Cool Winter, is the coolest of the three winter seasons. Its palette is fully blue-based: pure white, black, true red, royal blue, emerald and icy pastels, with no gold or orange anywhere in it.
The True Winter palette: 36 colors
Tap a color to copy its hex code.
Neutrals 8
Lights 7
Mids 7
Darks 7
Accents 7
Free printable and phone wallpaper
Print the swatch sheet for shopping, or save the wallpaper and check colors against your lock screen in the store.
- Printable palette, US Letter (PDF)
- Printable palette, A4 (PDF)
- Phone wallpaper, 1170 x 2532 (PNG)
- Phone wallpaper, 1080 x 2400 (PNG)
Who is a True Winter?
Temperature decides everything for a True Winter. Every color that suits you has blue in its base, and warm colors tend to cast yellow or gray shadows on your face. Your secondary trait is clarity, so your colors are clean and fairly strong. Depth sits on the darker side of the middle.
Skin is usually cool. It ranges from very fair with pink or blue undertones to deep with a blue or neutral-cool cast. Eyes are often cool brown, black-brown, cool blue or icy hazel, set against clear whites.
Hair is often dark ash brown, black-brown or black, usually with no red or gold showing in sunlight. Contrast between hair and skin is medium-high to high.
- Pure white #FEFEFE
- Black #000000
- True red #C8102E
- Royal blue #2348C0
- Emerald #00845A
- Icy pink #F5D3E5
- Icy blue #D0E0FC
- Fuchsia #C8008A
- Navy #13235C
- Burgundy #6B0F2E
- Charcoal #36373B
- Icy lemon #F9F6C6
True Winter or Bright Winter?
Bright Winter is clearer and slightly less cool. Hold black and then a strong lemon yellow at your face, then burgundy (#6b0f2e) and a hot turquoise. A True Winter looks at home in black and burgundy, while the lemon and turquoise sit on top of the skin like highlighter. A Bright Winter lights up in lemon and turquoise and can look heavy in burgundy. True Winters also tend to look better in icy pastels than in candy brights.
True Winter or Deep Winter?
Deep Winter is darker and a touch less cool, and it borders the autumns. Compare icy pink (#f5d3e5) and royal blue (#2348c0) with espresso brown. True Winter keeps its clarity in icy pink and royal blue and looks gray or muddy in espresso. Deep Winter can wear espresso and dark chocolate near the face and often finds icy pink weak unless it is paired with black.
True Winter clothing colors
Black, pure white, charcoal and navy ink are your working neutrals. Medium gray and silver work for knits and tailoring. Cool taupe with a gray cast can stand in for beige. Leave camel, cream and warm brown for shoes and bags, if anywhere.
- Pure white
#FEFEFE
- Navy ink
#1F2231
Your best white and what to wear instead of black.
Five outfit formulas
Classic office
- Suit: black
- Shirt: pure white
- Scarf: true red
Soft workday
- Cardigan: icy blue
- Trousers: medium gray
- Loafers: navy ink
Weekend
- Sweater: royal blue
- Jeans: navy
- Sneakers: pure white
Dinner
- Slip dress: emerald
- Heels: black
Spring lunch
- Blouse: icy pink
- Pencil skirt: charcoal
- Flats: burgundy
Prints and fabrics
Keep prints crisp: houndstooth, pinstripe, black and white checks, sharp geometric shapes and stylized cool florals on a dark ground. Solid blocks of one color often look strongest on you. Smooth fabrics with a cool sheen suit you, such as silk, wool crepe, satin and polished leather. Tweeds with warm flecks, rust paisleys and sun-faded fabrics fight your coloring.
Colors to avoid
- Orange
#F28C28 - Camel
#C19A6B - Olive green
#708238 - Peach
#FFCBA4 - Golden brown
#996515 - Coral
#FF7F50
Every color on this list has yellow or orange in its base. Next to cool skin these shades look sallow or ruddy and can make dark circles stand out.
True Winter makeup
Look for a pink, neutral or cool-olive base. Yellow foundation tends to look gray on cool skin. Pick the shade that vanishes on the jaw in daylight, then set it lightly so the skin still looks clean.
Lips
- Blue red
#B8143C - Raspberry
#C4245A - Fuchsia
#C8008A - Cool plum
#6A1F4F - Sheer icy pink
#E8A6C3
Blush
- Cool pink
#E07AA6 - Soft fuchsia
#C84F8A
Eyes
- Charcoal
#3A3B40 - Navy
#1B2552 - Icy silver
#D6D9E0 - Cool plum
#5A2B5E - Pine
#0C4F3D
Liner and brows
- Black
#0B0B0B - Navy ink
#1F2231
Blue-red lipstick with black mascara and defined brows is the simplest True Winter face. Keep shadows gray, navy or plum. Peach, coral and bronze sit on top of your skin and look like makeup rather than color.
True Winter hair color
Stay cool and dark. Black, blue-black and cool dark brown give you the contrast your face expects. Avoid any dye that pulls red or gold in sunlight, and ask your colorist for an ash or blue-violet tone. If you want a change, try a dark plum or cool burgundy glaze rather than copper or honey.
Move toward
- Blue-black
#15161C - Soft black
#24232A - Ash dark brown
#3A3130 - Dark plum
#3D1A33
Move away from
- Copper
#B5622F - Honey blonde
#C99A4F - Golden brown
#8A5A2B - Strawberry blonde
#D79A6B
Gray hair and highlights
Silver or white gray looks clean against cool skin. Blend the regrowth with ash lowlights, or go fully silver and use a purple toner to keep yellow out. If you have dyed your hair brown for years, try the silver before you cover it again.
Metals, jewelry and glasses
True Winter is a silver season. Cool metals repeat the blue base of your coloring, and polished finishes usually suit you better than brushed or antiqued ones. Black metal and gunmetal are good everyday options. Yellow gold usually looks brassy next to your skin.
Glasses frames
Black, gunmetal, silver wire, deep navy, burgundy or crystal clear. Cool gray translucent acetate works for a lighter look.
True Winter celebrities
People often typed as True 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.
- Anne Hathaway: Dark brown hair with an ash cast, dark brown eyes and fair skin with a cool pink base. Source for Anne Hathaway, opens in a new tab
- Jennifer Connelly: Cool dark hair, blue-green eyes and fair skin. Source for Jennifer Connelly, opens in a new tab
- Marion Cotillard: Dark hair, clear blue eyes and a cool-toned complexion. Source for Marion Cotillard, opens in a new tab
- Krysten Ritter: Often wears blue-black hair against porcelain skin, a contrast the source says makes muted shades look dusty on her. Source for Krysten Ritter, opens in a new tab
- Dita Von Teese: Often wears jet-black hair with porcelain skin at very high contrast. Source for Dita Von Teese, opens in a new tab
- Lily Collins: Porcelain skin, dark hair and strong dark brows. Source for Lily Collins, opens in a new tab
Not sure you're a True Winter?
Take the 2-minute quiz: 14 questions, no photo. You get your season, a confidence score and the runner-up.
True Winter questions
How do I tell if I am a true winter?
Hold pure white and then ivory at your face, then black and then dark brown. If white and black make your skin look clear while ivory and brown make it look yellow or tired, and no warm color seems to help, True Winter is likely.
What undertone is a true winter?
Cool. True Winter skin has a pink, blue-pink or blue-neutral undertone at every depth, from porcelain to deep.
Is true winter gold or silver?
Silver. Sterling silver, white gold, platinum and gunmetal match the cool base of your skin, while yellow gold tends to look brassy.
Can true winters wear black?
Yes. Black is one of your best colors and works right up at the face. Black with pure white is the classic True Winter pairing.
What hair colors complement true winters best?
Cool, dark shades such as blue-black, soft black and ash dark brown. A dark plum or cool burgundy tint also works. Avoid copper, honey and golden highlights.
What colors should a true winter avoid?
Orange, camel, olive, peach, coral and golden brown. Each has a yellow base that fights cool skin.