Dark (Deep) Winter: The Complete Guide

The Dark | Deep Winter color palette is defined by its deep, sultry, and cool tones. This palette’s strong and dynamic colors perfectly suit those with darker, high-contrast personal coloring. Dive into this complete guide, which includes examples of Dark Winters, outfit ideas, makeup tips, hair inspiration, denim, jewelry, and more!

Are you a Dark Winter?

To determine if you are a Dark Winter, observe the following characteristics when you look in the mirror:

Darker Features: Your hair tends to be deep and rich in tone, often darker than medium brown, such as deep browns or black.
High Contrast: There is a noticeable contrast between your hair, eyes, and skin tone. For example, your hair and eyes may be significantly darker than your skin.

Hair: Black, deep brown
Skin: Cool/neutral undertones
Eyes: dark brown, ebony, hazel, olive, blue

Dark Winter Examples

Here’s a selection of Dark Winter examples with their natural hair color from my in-person color analysis consultations.

Were you analyzed correctly?

To ensure you were correctly identified as a Dark Winter, here are some helpful tips to verify your results.

Photo Comparison: Do you resemble the Dark Winter clients in the photos above and the description?
Gold & Silver: My Dark Winters can wear silver and a darker gold.
Compliments: Do you often receive compliments when wearing Dark Winter colors?
Winter & Autumn Colors: Do you notice when you wear brighter Winter colors that they overpower you where you see the color before you? Do Autumn colors tend to wash you out?

Before you jump in, let’s soak in the Dark Winter vibe! Dark Winter colors are like the cool, intense hues of the winter twilight—think deep midnight blues, charcoal grays, and deep plums. These shades are dark, cool, and sultry, perfectly enhancing the striking, high-contrast features of a Dark Winter complexion. Unlike the warmth of Dark Autumn, Dark Winter’s palette is crisp and bold, creating a look that’s powerful yet polished.

Want a free Dark | Deep Winter color palette to save to your phone? Click here!

Dark Winter colors have these characteristics:

Hue: Dark Winter leans cool but can hold a subtle warmth, making its colors primarily cool-toned with occasional hints of neutral warmth.
Value: Most Dark Winter colors are dark and bold, creating the season’s signature contrast. However, there are also lighter and medium tones, like icy pinks and silvery blues, to provide variety and balance.
Chroma: Dark Winter colors are high in saturation without being overly bright. Their depth and richness stem from a cool intensity, giving them a striking quality.

Dark Autumn and Dark Winter share deep, intense tones, but each has its own unique qualities.

Dark Autumn: This palette features rich, earthy hues like dark plums, deep forest greens, and curry yellows. It combines warmth with a strong depth, creating a dramatic, yet natural look.
Dark Winter: While equally deep, Dark Winter leans toward cooler tones like deep blues, icy purples, and charcoals, offering a more stark contrast and a cooler, crisper feel compared to Dark Autumn’s warmer, earthier shades

Dark Winter and Cool Winter share cool, intense tones, yet each brings its own unique twist.

Dark Winter: This palette is defined by its deep, bold shades with a cool undertone. Think rich hues like deep navy, icy purples, and charcoal grays. Dark Winter combines cool intensity with stark contrast, creating a striking and dramatic look that feels crisp and powerful.
Cool Winter: Cool Winter’s palette also leans cool but focuses on icy, high-contrast shades like cobalt blue, true red, and cool fuchsia. While not as deep as Dark Winter, Cool Winter colors have a clear, vibrant quality with sharp, cool tones that give a bright and refreshing appearance.Winter and Cool Winter share deep, intense tones, but each has its own unique qualities.

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Beautiful neutrals

Ideal neutral colors for this palette are charcoal, stone, black-brown, ebony, true black, bright white, dark chocolate brown, and navy.

Neutrals to avoid

Dark Winters should generally avoid warm or muted neutrals, as these can dull their natural coloring. Neutrals to steer clear of include beige, tan, light browns, and ivory.

Choose dark and rich denim

For Dark Winters, I recommend opting for dark, saturated denim. These tones complement the Dark Winter color palette.

Avoid light denim

Light denim can detract from the dark, sultry tones of the Dark Winter palette. Instead, stick to darker, more intense hues to enhance the overall depth of your outfit.

Here are some stylish ways to showcase your color palette while keeping your look natural and balanced:

Neutral + accent

Combine a neutral with any of your Dark Winter colors. For example, pair navy with dark fuchsia.

Denim + color

Choose medium to dark denim and pair it with any of your Dark Winter colors.

High contrast

Pair dark colors with lighter shades to achieve a striking contrast. For example, combine pine green blazer with a bright white top.

The Dark Winter makeup is all about the deep, sultry, and cool hues that enhance your natural beauty. Look for shades like: plum, wine, cranberry, burgundy, and crimson. Click here for a full list of Dark Winter makeup recommendations, including blush, lipstick, eyeshadows, and mascara suggestions to complement your coloring.

Here’s a guide to help you choose the best metals, stones, and other accessories to complement your Dark Winter palette.

Metals & Jewelry

Embracing the Dark Winter palette brings in cool-toned metals like pewter, silver, and white gold (or combinations of these), which complement the season’s depth and contrast. These metals harmonize perfectly with the vivid, clear tones of Dark Winter, enhancing your natural boldness.

Stones

Choose gemstones with deep, intense hues like turquoise, jade, amethyst, lapis, emerald, sapphire, black onyx, malachite, tanzanite, ruby, and diamond. These stones add a striking vibrancy that enhances the cool, rich tones of Dark Winter.

Other Ideas

Dark Winter’s palette can also pair well with glossy, polished finishes, as they reflect the season’s natural clarity and contrast. Clean, sleek designs help maintain the refined, bold aesthetic of this season.

What to Avoid

Warm, bright metals and earthy textures can clash with Dark Winter’s cool, sultry coloring, so it’s best to avoid them to keep your look cohesive and flattering. Avoid overly rustic or muted jewelry that might soften the naturally bold Dark Winter palette.

Since Dark Winter’s primary color characteristics are depth and coolness, the least flattering colors for you are warm and golden.

Warm | Earthy Colors:

Warm, earthy colors like golden oranges and browns can detract from your natural vibrancy and may leave you looking less refreshed.

Here’s the hair advice I share with my Dark Winter clients, along with examples of their natural hair below.

Embrace Your Natural Color

Your natural hair color is perfectly suited to your Dark Winter palette! Embrace its natural beauty as it will harmonize beautifully with your colors.

Opt for Dark & Cool Hues

For your hair color, it's best to embrace your natural darker hair tones and avoid highlights. Introducing highlights can make you appear washed out. If you do decide to color your hair, opt for dark and cool tones that softly blend with your natural hair color.