Winter Is Your
Best Season
Cool undertones — pink, rosy, and blue-based complexions — are uniquely at home in winter. The season's cool light, jewel tones, crisp contrast, and classic palette are all natural allies for complexions with a cool base. While other skin tones fight winter's blue-grey quality, you can lean into it and look genuinely spectacular. This is your season.
Discover Your ColorsWhy Winter Light Is Your Ally
Winter's cool, diffused, blue-tinted light is the natural complement to cool undertones. Where warm-undertoned skin can look sallow under grey skies, cool-undertoned skin often looks clearer, more even, and even more luminous — because the ambient light temperature matches your natural undertone.
Cool undertones contain pink, rosy, or blue-violet qualities. When you wear clothing in these same cool families, the reflected light from the fabric and the light from your skin work in harmony. The result is a complexion that looks healthy, clear, and deliberately styled rather than fighting against its surroundings.
This does not mean wearing only grey and navy — the cool family includes some of the most vibrant, celebratory, and dramatic colours available. Royal blue, emerald, berry, and cool crimson are all yours to command, and winter is when they reach their full potential.
Your Winter Wardrobe Colors
Cool Jewel Tones
Cool jewel tones are the centrepiece of the winter palette for cool undertones. These rich, saturated colours share the cool base of your complexion and amplify its clarity. Sapphire and amethyst are particularly powerful — they resonate with pink and blue undertones in a way no warm colour can replicate.
Classic Winter Neutrals
These are the quintessential neutrals for cool undertones, and winter is when they are most at home. True white near cool-undertoned skin is clean and crisp rather than harsh. Navy and charcoal provide depth without warmth. Cool grey flatters without the yellowish cast it can create on warm skin.
Winter Coat Colors
Cool-undertoned people look exceptional in deep, cool-toned coats. Navy and charcoal are classics. Berry and plum coats look striking and are underused. If you love camel, choose a lighter, more golden-cream version rather than a deep ochre camel, which can read too warm.
Holiday and Evening
Cool undertones carry the classic holiday colours beautifully. True red — the blue-based red rather than the orange-red — is one of the most iconic cool-undertone holiday choices. Silver metallics glow against pink-based skin. Royal blue is a sophisticated alternative to red for festive occasions.
Dressing Well in Winter
Coat selection
You have a wide range of excellent coat options. Deep navy is a perennial classic. Cool charcoal is universally wearable. Berry and plum are underused but exceptional for cool undertones. Even a black coat, which is near-universal, is particularly sharp against cool-undertoned skin. Avoid warm-toned cognac or orange-based rust.
Layering strategy
Stay within the cool family for each layer. Cool grey base layer, navy or burgundy knit middle, and charcoal or jewel-toned coat creates a cohesive, deeply flattering look. Adding a cool-toned pop of colour — a sapphire scarf or berry hat — near the face frames your complexion beautifully.
Holiday party dressing
True red is your signature holiday colour — and winter is when it looks best. Blue-based reds rather than orange-reds make cool undertones glow. Silver accessories complement rather than compete. Deep berry, royal blue, and cool amethyst are sophisticated alternatives when you want to stand out from the seasonal red crowd.
Cosy-at-home but still flattering
Trade warm-toned grey and beige loungewear for cool equivalents: slate, blue-grey, lavender, or soft pink. These colours are inherently cooler and naturally flattering for your complexion. A soft navy or lavender knit set is as comfortable as grey sweats and dramatically more flattering on video calls.
Colors That Clash with Cool Undertones in Winter
Warm orange and rust
Orange-based colours clash directly with pink and blue undertones. Rust, burnt orange, and warm terracotta reflect warm, yellow-red light onto cool skin and create an unflattering temperature conflict that makes complexion look reddish or off.
Deep golden yellow and mustard
Golden and mustard tones have the same effect — the warm, yellow quality of these colours fights the cool base of your complexion. Near the face they can make skin look sallow or the complexion appear uneven.
Warm camel and deep cognac
While camel works for some cool-undertoned people in lighter, creamier versions, deep cognac and warm camel lean very orange-yellow. Against cool pink skin they can create a jarring contrast and make the skin appear more ruddy or uneven.
Warm khaki and olive green
Khaki and olive have significant yellow-green content that clashes with cool undertones. These colours can make cool skin look sallow and are among the least flattering choices across most cool-undertoned complexions.
Winter Wardrobe Swaps for Cool Undertones
Simple trades that align your wardrobe with your natural colouring for a significantly more flattering result.
Warm brown coats create a colour temperature conflict with cool undertones. Navy and charcoal share the cool base of your complexion and look effortlessly polished.
Warm yellows and oranges fight cool undertones. Cool jewel tones echo the colour temperature of your complexion and make skin appear clearer and more luminous.
Gold reflects warm light onto cool skin, creating an unflattering conflict. Silver harmonises with your undertones, and true red is one of the most powerful cool-undertone choices for festive occasions.
Ivory's yellow warmth clashes with cool undertones near the face. True white is clean and crisp, and cool grey is unexpectedly flattering for pink or rosy complexions.
Your scarf sits directly next to your face. A cool-toned scarf amplifies your complexion's natural clarity; a warm orange or rust scarf creates a jarring temperature conflict.
Khaki and olive have significant warm yellow-green content that clashes with cool undertones. Slate and soft navy are perfectly cool alternatives that work as neutral foundations.
Which Palette Might Be Yours?
Cool undertones span several seasonal palettes. Your specific season determines how deep, bright, or soft your cool colours should be.
Cool Winter
Learn moreIf your cool undertones are strong with a distinctly pink or blue quality, medium-to-deep skin, and high contrast in your natural colouring, Cool Winter is likely your season. Your palette features the most saturated, contrast-rich cool colours: true red, royal blue, pure white, and deep charcoal.
Cool Summer
Learn moreIf your cool undertones are paired with softer, lower-contrast colouring — lighter eyes, softer hair, and a more muted quality overall — Cool Summer may be your match. Your winter palette softens the Winter colours: dusty rose, soft lavender, muted navy, and dove grey rather than vivid saturated hues.
Bright Winter
Learn moreIf you have cool undertones with high contrast and striking, vivid natural colouring, Bright Winter could be you. This palette calls for clear, bright, vivid cool tones: true emerald, vivid royal blue, cool fuchsia, and pure white — the most dramatic and striking cool winter palette.
Find Your Exact Colors
Cool undertones work beautifully across multiple seasonal palettes, but your specific season determines whether your best winter colours are deep and saturated, soft and muted, or vivid and high-contrast. A personalised colour analysis identifies exactly which cool tones make your complexion look its absolute best.
Get Your Color AnalysisFrequently Asked Questions
What is the best coat color for cool undertones?
Deep navy, cool charcoal, and black are all excellent coat choices for cool undertones. Berry and plum coats are particularly striking and underused options. If you prefer neutrals, charcoal is the most universally flattering. Avoid warm-toned coats like cognac, warm camel, and rust, which create a colour temperature conflict with cool-based complexions.
What should cool undertones wear to a winter holiday party?
True red (the blue-based, cool red — not orange-red) is one of the most iconic and flattering choices for cool undertones at holiday events. Deep berry, cool burgundy, and royal blue are sophisticated alternatives. Silver accessories complement cool-undertoned skin far better than gold. Avoid warm gold dresses and orange-based festive hues.
Can cool undertones wear white in winter?
Yes — and they wear it better than most. True white is one of the few skin tones where stark white actually looks clean and crisp rather than harsh or clinical. Cool undertones with pink or rosy qualities glow against true white because the clean, cool contrast complements rather than fights the complexion. Opt for true white over ivory, which has a warm yellow tint that clashes with cool skin.
Why does winter actually suit cool undertones?
Winter's ambient light is cool and diffused — it has a blue-grey quality that shares the temperature of cool undertones. Rather than creating a conflict (as it does for warm-undertoned skin), this light harmonises with pink and blue-based complexions. Combined with winter's palette of deep jewel tones, navy, grey, and cool metallics, the season offers cool undertones an unusually large range of flattering options.
Is gold jewellery or silver jewellery better for cool undertones in winter?
Silver is almost universally more flattering for cool undertones. It shares the cool metallic quality of pink and blue-based skin and creates a harmonious, polished look. Gold's warm, yellow quality can clash with cool undertones, particularly near the face. Rose gold occupies a middle ground and can work, but true silver and white gold are the most reliably flattering metal choices.
Can cool undertones wear camel in winter?
Lighter, creamier camel versions can work for cool undertones — particularly those in the light cream or warm ivory range. Deep, orange-based camel and cognac are more problematic because they lean warm. If you want to wear camel, pair it with a cool-toned scarf or top near your face to prevent the warm reflection from clashing with your complexion. Or go for a light, cool-leaning camel rather than the richest, deepest version.