Warm Autumn vs Deep Autumn

The single trait that tells them apart

Both seasons suit warm, earthy colors. Warm Autumn looks best in medium shades, while Deep Autumn can carry much darker ones.

Think of Warm Autumn as a palette of rich, earthy colors with a golden glow, like a fall forest lit by the sun. Deep Autumn holds rich, earthy shades made for dark hair, dark eyes and warm-toned skin.

Running the test at home in daylight

A phone camera and indoor lighting both change how your skin reads, so a mirror beside a window shows you more than any selfie will.

1. Grab 2 tops or fabric pieces: one in medium terracotta and one in a very dark espresso shade.
2. Stand by a window in daylight, facing a mirror.
3. Put the terracotta under your chin and study your face for a few seconds.
4. Trade it for the espresso brown and study your face once more.
5. For another depth check, compare black with dark brown near your face. Gold versus silver won't help much here, since both seasons look best in gold or bronze.

What to look for in the mirror

Keep your eyes on your face, not the fabric. A color that works makes skin look even. One that doesn't will shadow your under-eyes or turn your skin a little gray.

If terracotta and copper warm up your face while espresso, which is close to black, looks too dark and severe, you're likely a Warm Autumn. If deep espresso and forest green frame your features while medium terracotta looks a bit weak, you're likely a Deep Autumn.

Signs that Warm Autumn is you

• Black near your face turns your skin sallow and brings out dark circles.
• Pure white drains you, but cream leaves your skin even and warm.
• Jewelry in yellow gold or copper blends into your skin, and silver looks cold and separate.
• Shades like rust, mustard and olive flatter you by drawing out the golden warmth in your eyes.
• Icy blues and cool pinks leave your lips pale and your whole face tired.

Your signature palette runs rust, mustard, olive, terracotta and teal. Skip light amethyst, mint, dark magenta, bright cobalt, rose and black.

Signs that Deep Autumn is you

• Pure black can feel a bit stark against your skin, and dark chocolate brown is gentler and more flattering.
• Icy pastels like mint or baby pink leave your complexion looking dull and worn out.
• Antique gold and bronze blend right in with your skin, and bright silver never quite settles into the picture.
• Terracotta, rust and olive green wake up your eyes and smooth out your skin.
• Stark white washes you out, and cream suits your complexion far better.

Your signature palette runs dark mustard, deep teal, deep rust, forest green and burgundy. Skip pale turquoise, magenta, cornflower, bright blush, mint and black.

The other names: True Autumn and Dark Autumn

These two names point to the same two seasons. True Autumn simply means Warm Autumn, and Dark Autumn simply means Deep Autumn, so the same checks and clues apply.

What do they have in common?

Both palettes do well in rich, earthy color, and both look best in gold or bronze jewelry. Each one also sits within the autumn family, which is 1 of the 4 families behind the 12 seasons.

Black and mint land on both skip lists. And cream beats stark or pure white for both of them.

Torn between the two?

A quiz is a good starting point, but it may not settle it. Redo the daylight mirror checks another day, since light shifts, and set the 2 palettes side by side.

Still stuck? An in-person draping session can settle it. Draping is when someone holds fabrics of different colors under your chin and reads how your face responds.