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Deep Winter vs Cool Winter: how to tell them apart

Both winters wear black and pure white well; what tells them apart is whether depth or coolness leads in your coloring.

Find what fits me best

Deep Winter and Cool Winter side by side

Deep Winter

Its best colors

  • emerald #00704A
  • sapphire blue #0F52BA
  • crimson #B0002A
  • royal purple #5B2C83
  • black #000000
  • pure white #FFFFFF

Its neutrals

  • cool mid grey #7C818A
  • dark cool taupe #4F4848
  • charcoal #36454F
  • deep navy #1A2747
The full Deep Winter palette →

Cool Winter

Its best colors

  • icy blue #DCEBF5
  • fuchsia #D0006F
  • royal blue #2A3FBF
  • black #000000
  • icy pink #F7D6E0
  • cool charcoal grey #3E4450

Its neutrals

  • pure white #FFFFFF
  • silver grey #C0C4C8
  • dark cool grey #5A6068
  • true navy #1F2A5C
The full Cool Winter palette →

The difference test

Undertone

Deep Winter leans warmer

Both are cool, but Deep Winter is the less cool of the two, since it borders Deep Autumn. Hold silver grey, then dark cool taupe, under your chin: if the taupe looks muddy and the grey clean, you lean Cool Winter; if the taupe sits easily, Deep Winter.

Depth

Deep Winter is deeper

Drape icy blue, then sapphire blue. A Cool Winter carries the pale icy shade without looking drained, because its palette runs from near-white to black. A Deep Winter tends to look washed out in icy blue and comes into focus in the darker sapphire blue.

Chroma

Similar clarity

No difference: both need clear color. Hold something greyed and dusty, an old sage or mauve top, against emerald or fuchsia. Either winter looks tired in the dusty piece and sharp in the clear one, so clarity tells you that you are a winter, not which one.

Contrast

Similar contrast

Both are high-contrast seasons, and black with pure white suits either one. What carries the contrast can differ: on a Deep Winter it is mostly dark hair and dark eyes, while a Cool Winter often has a cool, bright eye set against ash, black or silver hair.

  1. 1

Step 1 / 1

Take a selfie in daylight

Face a window, without makeup if you can, hair as it naturally falls. Daylight and no filter keep your real skin tone — colored lamps and beauty filters change the result.

🙂

Your selfie is used for your reading and saved in your private Color Suite only if you go on to a try-on. Never shared, never used for training.

Deep Winter, also called Dark Winter, and Cool Winter, also called True Winter, are next-door neighbors in the winter family. Both have strong contrast between hair, skin and eyes, both need clear color rather than dusty shades, and both look sharp in black with pure white. Dark hair and dark eyes turn up in both, so a quick glance in the mirror rarely settles it.

The trait that decides is the one that leads. A Deep Winter is deep first and cool second: the coloring needs weight, and pale colors near the face look thin on it. A Cool Winter is cool first and clear second. It is the coolest of all twelve seasons, so even a trace of gold shows, while icy shades look fresh on it instead of washed out.

Two groups of colors are at stake. The icy ones, icy blue and icy pink, belong to Cool Winter and tend to fade a Deep Winter. The deep jewel tones, crimson and royal purple, belong to Deep Winter; a Cool Winter can wear them, but fuchsia and royal blue usually do more for its face.

Colors that work for both winters

Black, pure white, charcoal and navy make a base either winter can wear from head to toe. A black coat over a pure white shirt, a charcoal suit, a true navy or deep navy knit: none of these will tell you which winter you are, and none will let you down while you find out.

Among the stronger colors, sapphire blue and royal blue sit close together and suit both. A clear fuchsia works for a Deep Winter too, best as a top or a scarf against black. Keep metals cool for either season: silver, white gold or platinum, with gunmetal as a darker option for Deep Winter.

Moving a wardrobe from one winter to the other

If you dressed as a Cool Winter and read as a Deep Winter, keep the black, the navy and the royal blue. Move icy blue and icy pink away from your face, into trousers or a bag, and bring crimson, emerald and royal purple up to the collar. Dark cool taupe joins your neutrals.

Going the other way, keep emerald and sapphire blue if they already work for you, and add icy blue and icy pink as shirts and fine knits worn next to black. Dark cool taupe, with its trace of brown, can go: silver grey does the same job for the coolest season.

How to tell if you are a Deep Winter or a Cool Winter

  1. 1

    Find a mirror facing a window

    Daylight should fall straight on your face; skip makeup and let your hair hang loose. Lamp light adds a yellow cast that hides the small undertone gap between these two winters.

  2. 2

    Drape icy blue, then sapphire blue

    A shirt, a towel or a scarf in each color is enough. Watch your under-eye area and jawline: the color that leaves them smoother is the one closer to your season.

  3. 3

    Compare silver grey and dark cool taupe

    Hold a cool grey knit, then a brown-grey one. If the brownish piece makes your skin look dull, that points to Cool Winter.

  4. 4

    Note which side won

    Two wins for icy blue and silver grey point to Cool Winter; two for sapphire blue and dark cool taupe point to Deep Winter. A split result means you sit near the line.

  5. 5

    Get the free season reading

    Take one selfie in the same daylight and tap "Find what fits me best". It names your season out of twelve with a one-sentence reason, so the choice between the two winters is made for you.

FAQ

Is Dark Winter vs True Winter the same comparison?

Yes. True Winter and Cool Winter are two names for the same season, the winter led by coolness, and Dark Winter is another name for Deep Winter. Whether you search true winter vs deep winter or dark winter vs true winter, you land on this pair.

Can a Deep Winter wear Cool Winter colors?

Partly. The darker half of the Cool Winter palette, black, royal blue, fuchsia and cool charcoal grey, usually suits a Deep Winter as well. The icy shades are the catch: icy blue and icy pink near the face tend to look chalky on a Deep Winter, so keep them for skirts, trousers or bags.

Can a Cool Winter wear Deep Winter colors?

Most of them. Emerald, sapphire blue and royal purple are cool enough for a Cool Winter, and black and pure white sit in both palettes. Dark cool taupe is the one to test first, since its hint of brown can look dull on the coolest season.

Can you be between Deep Winter and Cool Winter?

Plenty of people sit close to the line, because the two seasons are neighbors. You still have one leading trait: if depth carries your coloring you are a Deep Winter, and if coolness does, a Cool Winter. Black, pure white, navy and charcoal suit both, so they are a safe place to shop while you find out.

What hair colors suit a Deep Winter vs a Cool Winter?

Cool or neutral hair suits both, usually without golden or copper tones. A Deep Winter tends to look best staying deep, since lightening the hair takes away the depth the coloring rests on. A Cool Winter can carry ash brown, cool black, or grey and silver as it grows in.

Which lipstick colors suit a Deep Winter and a Cool Winter?

Blue-based shades for both. A Deep Winter can wear deep berry, crimson and wine; a Cool Winter looks brightest in fuchsia, cool pink and a clear blue-red. Peach-based nudes and orange corals work against either, since they turn cool skin sallow.