Autumn colour palette: best colours for an Autumn colour season
An Autumn colour season looks best in warm, earthy and rich colours: terracotta, olive, camel, rust, mustard and warm teal. Icy pastels, fuchsia and cool grey tend to wash it out. Here is the whole Autumn palette, how to wear it, and how to tell the three Autumn types apart.
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Which colours suit an Autumn?
Autumn colours are warm and slightly muted or deep: terracotta, rust, burnt orange, mustard, olive, moss, khaki, warm teal, petrol, camel, cinnamon, chocolate and cream. The hardest colours near the face are icy pastels, fuchsia, cool blue-pink, cool grey and optical white. Autumn splits into Soft Autumn, Warm Autumn and Deep Autumn, which differ in how muted, how golden and how deep the best colours are.
Soft Autumn
The most muted Autumn: olive, camel, cinnamon and muted coral. Its neighbour is Soft Summer.
Warm Autumn
The most golden Autumn: terracotta, rust, mustard and moss. Its neighbour is Warm Spring.
Deep Autumn
The deepest Autumn: espresso, forest green, oxblood and copper. Its neighbour is Deep Winter.
Three steps for a fair comparison
- 01
In daylight, hold cream and then pure white under your chin. If cream makes the skin look smoother, that points warm.
- 02
Compare terracotta with light coral. If the deeper, earthier colour looks more natural, you are closer to Autumn than to Spring.
- 03
Try olive, rust and espresso one after another. The one that looks most natural hints at Soft, Warm or Deep Autumn.
The Autumn colour palette
Every Autumn colour has warmth and some earthiness: spices, woods, moss and harvest colours rather than fresh flowers.
- Reds and oranges: terracotta, rust, burnt orange, brick red, muted coral, tomato red.
- Yellows and greens: mustard, ochre, olive, moss, khaki, forest green.
- Blues: warm teal, petrol, turquoise-green, deep warm blue.
- Neutrals: cream, camel, cinnamon, warm taupe, chocolate, espresso.
Colours that are harder for an Autumn
Icy pastels, fuchsia and blue-based pinks sit on top of warm skin instead of blending with it. Cool grey and optical white can make the face look tired, and black right next to the face is often harsher than chocolate or espresso.
Wear them further from the face, or put cream, camel or a warm lip colour in between.
Clothes, make-up and hair colour for an Autumn
Build basics in camel, chocolate, olive and cream; they combine with every Autumn accent. Tops in terracotta, warm teal or mustard do the most work near the face. Lip colours in brick, terracotta, warm nude and cinnamon suit Autumn; cool pinks and purple-reds tend to look separate from the skin.
Rich, warm hair colours work best: copper, auburn, chestnut, golden brown and caramel highlights. Ash tones and blue-black can make an Autumn complexion look grey.
Clarity before your next purchase
Can an Autumn wear black?
Yes, especially Deep Autumn. For the others, espresso, chocolate, olive or petrol usually look softer near the face.
Is Autumn the same as having a warm undertone?
Not quite. Autumn is warm plus muted or deep. A warm undertone with light, clear colouring usually points to Spring.
How do I know which Autumn type I am?
Compare the three Autumn palettes against your face, or take a photo-based colour analysis in the app: it places you in one of the 12 colour seasons and gives you that palette for clothes, make-up and hair.
Do Autumns suit silver or gold?
Gold, bronze, copper and brass usually look most natural. Brushed, warm-toned metals are easier than bright silver.
From an initial clue to personal colour analysis
Analyse your photo, receive a practical palette and use it when choosing clothes, hair colour and make-up.