Dark Autumn vs Dark Winter: how to tell your deep coloring apart
Updated October 19, 2026. 3 min read.
Dark Autumn and Dark Winter (also called Deep Autumn and Deep Winter) share depth. Your hair and eyes are dark, your coloring can carry rich color, and light pastels make you look tired or washed out.
They differ in temperature. Dark Autumn leans warm and earthy. Dark Winter leans cool and crisp. Many people with dark hair and eyes sit right on this border, which is why it is one of the most debated pairs.
What they share
- Dark brown or black hair.
- Dark brown eyes.
- Pastels and light, dusty colors disappear on you.
- Deep, rich colors give your face definition.
How to tell them apart
Brick or berry. In daylight, compare a deep brick red with a deep berry or black cherry. If the brick makes your skin look even and warm while the berry looks harsh, lean Dark Autumn. If the berry makes you look sharp and clear while the brick looks muddy, lean Dark Winter.
Chocolate or black. Dark Autumn looks richer in chocolate brown and espresso. Dark Winter looks crisper in black and charcoal.
Olive or emerald. Dark Autumn suits olive and forest green. Dark Winter suits emerald and pine.
Gold or silver. Antique gold and bronze point to Dark Autumn. Silver and platinum point to Dark Winter.
The drape test includes deep and clear comparisons you can run on your own face.
What changes in your makeup
| Dark Autumn | Dark Winter | |
|---|---|---|
| Lips | Deep brick, chocolate rose, dark warm red | Black cherry, plum, deep berry, blue-red |
| Blush | Terracotta, warm brown-rose | Deep berry, plum, applied lightly |
| Eyes | Dark bronze, espresso, deep olive | Charcoal, deep plum, cool espresso |
Korean shades labeled for each
From rom&nd’s shade guide:
Dark Autumn: Juicy Lasting Tint 20 Dark Coconut, Glasting Melting Balm 15 Pecan Brew, Blur Fudge Tint 03 Musky and 04 Radwood.
Dark Winter: Juicy Lasting Tint 17 Plum Coke, Blur Fudge Tint 04 Radwood.
Blur Fudge Tint 04 Radwood is labeled for both types, which makes it the safest single shade if you sit on the border.
For deep, pigmented tints, peripera Ink the Velvet and 3CE Velvet Lip Tint Plush both have deep shades on each side of the line. Check whether the shade name leans brick or berry.
See more on the Dark Autumn and Dark Winter pages.