one of twelve

True Winter

True Winter is cool, crisp, and high-contrast. Blue-based jewel tones like cherry red, royal blue, and emerald look striking; warm earthy shades turn muddy.

the best colors

The True Winter palette

Ten shades that harmonize with true winter coloring — the reliable buys for this season.

  • Cherry Red

    #C2153D

  • Magenta

    #C2187C

  • Hot Pink

    #E0218A

  • Royal Blue

    #2046B3

  • Emerald

    #008556

  • Pine Green

    #1C4A38

  • Violet

    #6E34A8

  • Icy Pink

    #EFD9E6

  • Icy Blue

    #D5E8F2

  • Icy Lilac

    #E4DCF0

colors to skip

And the ones that fight it

Just as useful, and the part most people have never been told.

  • skip

    Pumpkin

    #C46A33

  • skip

    Mustard

    #C9941A

  • skip

    Rust

    #A14E2B

  • skip

    Warm Beige

    #C9B18C

  • skip

    Moss Green

    #6E7649

hair colors

Hair colors for True Winter

Hair stays deep and cool. Black, espresso, and cool ash tones frame the contrast, while golden or red tones look out of place.

  • True Black

    #161214

  • Espresso

    #3B2A20

  • Cool Dark Brown

    #4A3B30

  • Cool Ash Brown

    #5C5048

Try these on your own hair: Espresso .

Browse every hair color →

makeup

Makeup for True Winter

The same logic, applied to makeup.

Lips

Blue-based reds, cool berries, and bold pinks are the power shades here. Warm corals and browns fall flat.

Blush

A cool pink blush used lightly is all it takes; heavy warm bronzer fights True Winter coloring.

Eyes

Cool charcoals, true blacks, and icy highlights create the signature definition. Black liner is a perfect match.

See makeup looks you can try on →

dressing the season

Neutrals, metals and combinations

True Winter is one of the few seasons that truly shines in black and pure white. Use them boldly, add jewel tones for color, and skip anything beige, golden, or dusty.

Neutrals

  • Pure White

    #FFFFFF

  • Black

    #0A0A0A

  • Charcoal Gray

    #3C4148

  • Navy

    #1B2A4A

Metals: silver

Combinations that work

  • Black with pure white for unbeatable classic contrast
  • Cherry red against navy with silver jewelry
  • Emerald and charcoal for refined jewel-tone depth

in good company

Others with True Winter coloring

A shortcut for judging a shade: look at how it sits on coloring like yours.

  • Anne Hathaway
  • Courteney Cox
  • Lucy Liu

Not sure this is you.

The app reads your undertone, contrast and season from one selfie — so you know whether you are true winter before you buy a single thing in this palette.

Get your color analysis

One selfie, results in about a minute. iPhone & Android.

See a full sample report →