Deep Winter vs True Winter
Both are cool Winters that wear black, white and jewel tones. Deep Winter needs depth almost everywhere; True Winter wears icy pastels as easily as sapphire.
Deep Winter · Deep first, then cool
True Winter · Cool first, then clear
Top band: each season's 16 best colors. Lower band: its 6 neutrals.
What they share, and why they get mixed up
Deep Winter and True Winter share the cool, high-contrast side of the palette. Both look striking in black and pure white, both wear saturated jewel tones, and both look tired in dusty or golden colors. Sapphire, emerald, pine and royal purple appear on both palettes, so a wardrobe of strong cool jewel tones will look good on either.
The difference is which quality leads. Deep Winter is deep first and cool second, so it wants depth in nearly everything and can borrow a little warmth, as in true red or cool espresso. True Winter is cool first and as blue-based as any season, and it can range from deep jewel tones all the way to icy pastels. Pale colors are where the two split: icy blue, icy pink and icy mint look crisp on a True Winter and faint on a Deep Winter.
The deciding differences
| Deep Winter | True Winter | |
|---|---|---|
| Warmth | Moderately cool | Very cool |
| Depth | Deep | Medium-deep |
| Clarity | Moderately clear | Clear |
| Neutrals | Black, charcoal, midnight navy, cool espresso | Black, graphite, cool grey, navy, pure white |
| Pastels | Mostly as accents, like icy rose | Icy blue, icy pink, icy mint, lemon ice |
Compare an icy blue with a sapphire. On a True Winter both look good: the icy blue looks crisp, not faded. On a Deep Winter the sapphire looks rich and the icy blue looks faint unless it is paired with something dark. Black cherry against cardinal red is a useful second check, with Deep Winter usually preferring the darker shade.
How to tell at home
- Daylight, a mirror and a plain black or white top, with your hair pulled back.
- Compare icy blue with sapphire under your chin.
- Compare icy pink with black cherry or ruby wine.
- Compare graphite or cool grey with charcoal or cool espresso.
- If you need depth every time, Deep Winter is likely. If icy pastels hold up as well as the jewel tones, True Winter is likely.
Still split? That's common.
These two are often close, especially for people with dark hair and high contrast. The free quiz tests light against deep and cool against warm separately with drapes on your own face, and shows your top two seasons with a confidence level.
Take the free quizQuestions
Can Deep Winter wear icy pastels?
As accents, yes, and best beside a dark color. As a main color near the face they usually look faint.
Which Winter wears pure white better?
Both wear it well. True Winter often looks crisper in it on its own; Deep Winter looks best with white set against something dark.