Seasonal sub-types – Autumn

The Autumn palette is warm, rich, earthy and golden. It stretches from almost Springlike vibrant reds and oranges through to deepest sea blues and softest apricot. If you’ve been given a designation within the Autumn palette, let’s explore what that means.

Do remember though, that your seasonal type is a guide. If you fall at one end of a palette, it doesn’t mean you can’t ever go near colours from other areas of that palette, just that this particular area is the strongest part for your own skin tone and contrast level. Remember that the rest of the colours within your wider palette will also work for you and will harmonise with your absolute best colours.

True/Leaf Autumn

This is the season we think of as the ‘typical’ Autumn colours – the ones you see on an autumn tree in leaf or the ready to harvest fields of corn and wheat. Neither too bright nor too muted. Often a True Autumn will look like a ‘typical’ autumn, with reddish toned hair, light brown or green eyes and fair celtic skin that goes golden in summer.

Your best colours are rust red, mustard yellow, medium olive green and mid-browns and camels.

This means that the dominant tonal direction for this seasonal sub-type is Warm, so you can also search the Warm dominant tonal direction for more colours which you might love (if you want to read more about how tonal directions relate to seasons, this post is a great starting point).

Soft Autumn

Soft Autumn is the least warm of the Autumn sub-types, although its colours still have a slight warm tint. This influence lends the Autumn colours an even more muted tendency, as well as generally being the lighter colours within the Autumn palette. Soft Autumns might look like Summers, with more ashy tones in their hair or softer eye colour.

As you’ve probably guessed, if we viewed all four seasonal palettes as a continuous spectrum, Soft Autumn sits closest to the Summer end of the Autumn palette.

Soft Autumns are brought to life by slightly warm toned soft shades rather than the cool Summer ones. Your best colours as a Soft Autumn are sage green, oyster white, palest old gold and warm grey.

This means that the dominant tonal direction for this seasonal sub-type is Soft, so you can also search the Soft dominant tonal direction for more colours which you might love (if you want to read more about how tonal directions relate to seasons, this post is a great starting point).

Deep/Dark/Blue Autumn

Deep Autumn is the darkest of the Autumn palettes, sitting at the deepest and least warm end of the Autumn spectrum. Deep Autumns are often initially mistaken for Winters, and may have either a very dark or high contrast look compared to other Autumns.

If all the seasonal palettes are viewed as one continuous spectrum, Deep Autumn sits closest to the Winter end of the Autumn palette, and colours are often worn in contrast, like Winter’s.

Your best colours are the deep teals, aubergine purples and dark olive greens, contrasted with oyster white or a brighter Autumn colour to add interest.

This means that the dominant tonal direction for this seasonal sub-type is Deep, so you can also search the Deep dominant tonal direction for more colours which you might love (if you want to read more about how tonal directions relate to seasons, this post is a great starting point).

Vibrant/Warm Autumn

This is the end of the Autumn palette with the most vibrancy and brightness, with many colours that initially look like they belong to Spring, but on closer inspection have the added depth and golden undertones of the Autumn palette. Vibrant Autumns often look like Springs until they are properly analysed, maybe with blue eyes and red hair.

This vibrancy and warmth means that when the seasonal palettes are viewed as one continuous spectrum, Vibrant Autumns sit closest to the Spring end of the Autumn palette.

Your best colours are vibrant greens, warm tomato red and the brightest golden browns.

This means that the dominant tonal direction for this seasonal sub-type is Warm, so you can also search the Warm dominant tonal direction for more colours which you might love (if you want to read more about how tonal directions relate to seasons, this post is a great starting point).