How to distinguish between Deep Autumn and Deep Winter

The two deep palettes: similarities and differences

Both Deep Autumn and Deep Winter are characterized by being strong and richly coloured palettes. They are also the most extended in most parts of the world, where the population falls neatly into these two seasons.

Similarities:

• Both have dark hair.
• Both have a strong eye colour (brown, hazel, green).
• Both palettes look good in bold primary colours, and bad in pastels. 
• Both can wear black around their face and black and white (off-white, ivory) and other high-contrast prints around their faces without looking washed out. 

While it is natural that there should be some confusion between Deep Autumns and Deep Winters, it is important to know to which one you belong to. Deep Winters look truly awful in colours that are great on Deep Autumns, and viceversa.

Betty Suárez and Agent Diana Barrigan. These two Deep Winters don't look good in Deep Autumn shades. In the case of Betty Suárez, the wrong palette was used to make her appear less atractive than she actually is. Diana Barrigan, I'm afraid, just does not know which colours look good on her. Searching for photos to know which was her palette, I found she was often dressed in Autumn colours with neutral makeup and sometimes in Winter colours with warm makeup.

Differences:

• Deep Autumns look good in warmer deep colours and Deep Winters in cold deep colours (if you cannot tell the difference between warm and cold shades of a colour, you may like to read How to distinguish between shades of the same colour 1).
• Deep Autumns can take highlights in mahogany, rust, terracotta, and Deep Winters look best with highlights in brown or burgundy shades, although their natural white and gray hair makes for greater and more interesting contrast.
• When they go gray, Deep Autumns' white hair is yellowy (a much paler version of their natural hair colour: it might be best to use a dye in the shades mentioned in the previous point), while Deep Winters go gradually salt and pepper (when this process is finished most of them will actually be Cool Winters).
• Metallics: Deep Autumns look great wearing gold, copper, and brass (and just blah in silver), while Deep Winters look luminous in silver.

Deep Winter (left) versus Deep Autumn (right). Notice how the two palettes have very different sensibilities.

The test

To test the difference try the following colours around your face, at a shop or at home (if you don't know how to, you may like to read How to distinguish between shades of the same colour 2):

1. salmon pink vs. magenta
2. ivory vs. optic white
3. light peach vs. icy pink
4. egg yolk vs. lemon yellow
5. mustard vs. mint
6. pewter vs. silver 

UPDATE (22nd April 2013)
I keep on receiving comments and emails about this topic, so I'm adding the following:

1. You need to be able to distinguish yourself between colours, that is, to tell what is mint from what is mustard. Read How to distinguish between shades of the same colour Part 1 carefully and then Part 2. Nothing can replace your own knowledge of colours.
2. People, you DO need to make the test yourselves with the key colours I refer above. You cannot send me a description of yourselves, however good it may be. I'm not a magician (although it would be nice to be one)1
3. If you still have doubts, you need to send me photographs of yourselves wearing  the shades above (NOT others: a lot of palettes look good in some colours, which are considered neutral for that very same reason, and a bunch other colours are common between different palettes, so none of those would not be of no use to me), wearing no makeup and in neutral daylight (i.e. not golden sunset or blistering midday sun) around your faces. You may think I'm being a very strict, but I have been sent photographs of people wearing, makeup hats, wearing sunglasses, in front of the computer with a web-cam by night... you name it! I love you all, but if you want me to take your question seriously and pour over your case, I need the right tools and also, to know that you are taking the same trouble about the matter as I am.

I await your feedback!

Deep lipstick colours. I have chosen two characters and shown them next to their lipstick palettes to make it clearer how fundamentally different they are. Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) looks great in orange, Betty Suárez (played by América Ferrera) will never do. In the same way, Betty Suárez (post "transformation") looks great in raspberry, while Liz Lemon will not.

MORE? Related posts:

• How to distinguish between shades of the same colour 1
• How to distinguish between shades of the same colour 2 
• Deep Autumn palette
• Deep Winter palette