The Dark Autumn color palette, also known as the Deep Autumn color palette, is the darkest palette in the Autumn family. It sits between True Autumn and Deep Winter, also known as Dark Winter.
Dark Autumn colors are deep and warm, and are the most pigmented and darkest of the Autumn family.
The defining characteristics of Dark Autumn is that it has dark eyes and hair combined with a neutral-warm skin tone.
Dark Autumns are often mistaken for Winters because they have a dark or a high contrast look compared to other Autumns.
However, however Dark Autumn’s skin tone is natural or warm-neutral compared to deep winter which is natural or cool-neutral.
Deep Autumn Characteristics
The Soft Autumn usually has neutral or neutral-warm skin tones, so while both gold and silver look nice on you, gold flatters your skin more than silver.
The skin colors range from light to deep but they will always have a warm-neutral quality to them. And, the skin can appear pale in winter and may also have freckles, though freckles are not a defining factor.
The most common colors for Dark Autumn eyes are dark rich hazel, deep green, warm dark brown, and warm black-brown and they often have speckled or starburst shapes.
Dark Autumn hair is typically medium to dark golden brown, dark auburn, dark brown or black-brown but with warm undertones. Regardless of the color, Deep Autumn hair has a rich, warm and deep undertones to it and may develop golden or red highlights when in the sun.
However, keep in mind that there are Winters that have red-toned highlights to their hair and Summers that have some golden tones.
Dark Autumn with Dark Skin
Dark Autumn can have dark skin if there is still a strong contrast between the skin, the hair, and eyes. And, like with all Dark Autumns, the skin must be neutral or warm-neutral.
Darker skin tones may look best in darker shades from the palette.
The picture below may be a little on the warmer side for a typical dark autumn, and clearly leans more to the True Autumn palette than the Dark Winter palette.
I also think is because of the lighting and the makeup more than the actual skin tone.
Dark Autumn Color Palette
The Dark Autumn palette is composed of warm, deep shades, that are rich but not necessarily bright, although the colors may appear bright.
Most of the colors that look good on Dark Autumn are different shades of burnt orange, different shades of brick red, different shades of warm brown ranging from dark brown to oatmeal, and a variety of slightly muted greens and blues. Some purples also look nice.
You should opt for dark chocolate browns instead of true black, and choose beige or cream instead of white.
Makeup Palette
Choose eyeshadows from your color palette, mostly from the browns section.
Generally opt for a more matte finish, but you can also wear metallic eyeshadows with deeper colors. However, avoid of lighter colors with have an icy finish, glitter finishes, and cool blue-based eyeshadow colors.
Your mascara should be dark brown and brown-black, not true black, and eyeliner should be a dark brown.
The best bronzers for Dark Autumn are neither too orangey nor too muted. They can go quite deep – especially if your complexion is on the darker side. Some shimmer is desirable, but too much can be overwhelming, so avoid overly shimmery bronzers.
Keep your blush natural-looking with browns and pinkish reds that match your skin tone with a matte or slightly shimmery finish. Avoid pink-based blushes, which are too cool for your appearance.
Lipstick colors that look best on you are pinks, reds, oranges, and browns from your palette. The most striking will be the deeper brown and red shades.
Glossy lipsticks and lip glosses may not flatter you, so use them with care.
Jewelry
Since Dark Autumn has neutral-warm coloring, bronze, brass, gold, copper, and pewter, all will work for you.
Silver may also work on you, if it is a warmer shade rather than a very cool blue one.
Autumns do better with less high-shine metals. Burnished, patinaed, antique, or hammered metals all look fantastic.
Carnelian, garnet, jasper, emerald, diamonds, and pearls all flatter you.
Denim for Dark Autumn
Opt for dark washes that lean towards deep indigo and washed blue. These shades complement the season’s rich, warm hues. Also, incorporating topstitching in warm tones, such as copper or dark gold, can add a subtle way to add harmony to the overall outfit.
Avoid bright blue denim, which can feel too stark and clash with the muted warmth of Dark Autumn.
And, if you opt for a lighter denim wash, try pairing it with one of the more vivid colors in your palette, so your outfit keeps it contrast! A very blended look can feel a bit flat on a Dark Autumn.
Sister Palettes
Dark Autumn sits between True Autumn and Dark Winter i.e. Deep Winter on the seasonal color chart.
Since Deep Autumn falls at the Winter end of the Autumn palette, the colors are more saturated, cooler and darker than those of True Autumn
Winter’s effect on Dark Autumn is to cool the colors somewhat while increasing brightness, so that Dark Autumns can get away with higher contrast combinations than Soft Autumns and True Autumns.
Both True Autumn and Dark Winter both share color elements with Dark Autumn, and are considered its sister palettes. So, depending on where you fall on the Dark Autumn spectrum, you can borrow some colors from them.
If you lean more towards True Autumn, opt for the less rich colors on the True Autumn palette. However, if you lean more towards Dark Winter, stick with the darker colors on the Dark Winter palette.
Dark Autumn vs Dark Winter
Both Deep Autumn and Deep Winter are seasons are a blend of the Winter color palette and the Autumn color palette. However, Dark Autumn leaning more towards the warm Autumn palette, while Dark Winter leaning more towards the cool Winter palette.
Dark Autumn has a warm and rich coloring with yellow and golden undertones, while Dark Winter, has cool undertones and even higher contrast between skin, hair and eyes.
Dark Autumn vs True Autumn
True Autumns have warm-toned skin, while Dark Autumns are neutral-warm, and Dark Autumn’s coloring has more contrast and depth than True Autumns.
As a result, Dark Autumn’s color palette is slightly more saturated and deep in value than True Autumns is.
Dark Autumn can also handle more contrast in their outfits than the True Autumn.
Dark Autumn vs Soft Autumn
Both Dark Autumn and Soft Autumn have neutral or neutral-warm skin ones, Dark Autumns have high contrast, while Soft Autumns have muted colors and moderate to low contrast.
As a result, Deep Autumns’s color palette is more saturated and deeper because of this.
