Deep Autumn
Warm darkness — mahogany, forest and deep spice.
Deep Autumn is the darkest warm season, sitting between True Autumn and Deep Winter. The colouring is rich and deep — dark hair, deeper skin or strong contrast — and the palette runs to mahogany, dark olive, aubergine, deep teal and warm chocolate. It can carry intensity that no other Autumn can.
Depth is the dominant axis here: the palette is defined first by how light or deep it is, and only then by temperature. (Depth is what the 12-tone system calls this season's primary characteristic.)
Where this season sits
Every one of the twelve seasons is a position on three axes. These are the coordinates our analysis scores you against.
Is this you?
- Skin
- Warm to neutral-warm, from golden beige to deep bronze or brown.
- Hair
- Dark brown to black-brown, usually with warm red or golden undertones.
- Eyes
- Dark brown, deep hazel, dark olive green — rich and deep.
- Contrast
- Medium to high, driven by depth rather than brightness.
The palette
The 20 colours that work hardest for Deep Autumn, with hex codes so you can match them exactly.
- Mahogany#7B241C
- Deep brick#943126
- Tomato red#A93226
- Dark rust#6E2C00
- Deep amber#B9770E
- Dark mustard#9A7D0A
- Bronze gold#7D6608
- Dark olive#4D5320
- Forest green#1E5631
- Deep pine#0E4B3F
Neutrals to build on
- Warm cream#EDE0C8
- Dark camel#A08963
- Chocolate#6B4F33
- Dark mahogany#3E2A1E
- Deep olive#2F3325
Metals and makeup
Best metals: Antique gold, Bronze, Copper, Gunmetal.
Lip
- Mahogany
- Deep brick
- Deep plum
Blush
- Deep terracotta
- Warm rosewood
- Burnt peach
More on Deep Autumn
Often confused with
Frequently asked
What is a Deep Autumn?
Deep Autumn is one of the twelve seasonal colour types. It is warm, strongly deep and balanced in clarity. In practice that means mahogany, deep brick and tomato red sit comfortably on you, while the colours in the avoid list make you look tired. Depth is the dominant axis here: the palette is defined first by how light or deep it is, and only then by temperature. (Depth is what the 12-tone system calls this season's primary characteristic.)
How do I know if I am a Deep Autumn?
Three checks. Warm to neutral-warm, from golden beige to deep bronze or brown. Dark brown to black-brown, usually with warm red or golden undertones. Dark brown, deep hazel, dark olive green — rich and deep. Contrast is the fourth: medium to high, driven by depth rather than brightness. If two of those four describe you, Deep Autumn is very likely your season — our free analysis scores all twelve and tells you how close the runners-up are.
What colours should a Deep Autumn avoid?
The clearest ones to drop are pastel pink, dusty pastel blue and light grey. Far too light and too cool — it disappears next to deep colouring. Full explanations for each are on the colours-to-avoid page.
What is the difference between Deep Autumn and True Autumn?
They are neighbours, which is exactly why they get confused. The deciding axis is depth: Deep Autumn is the deep one and True Autumn is the light one. We have a full side-by-side comparison if you are torn between them.
Can a Deep Autumn wear black?
With care. Deep Autumn has the depth for black, but not the coolness — so black can look slightly hard against warm colouring. Deep olive (#2F3325) gives you the same anchoring weight while staying on temperature, and most people find it noticeably more flattering in photographs.
What metals suit a Deep Autumn?
Antique gold, Bronze, Copper and Gunmetal. Metal is one of the fastest at-home tests there is: hold silver and gold either side of your face in daylight and watch your skin rather than the jewellery — the wrong metal leaves a grey or sallow cast along the jaw.