Autumn colour analysis: makeup shades that suit you

The autumn season brings together people with a warm undertone and deep, earthy colouring. Think of a forest in October: copper leaves, moss, spices, wood and antique gold. If you're an autumn, muted warm colours make you glow, while cool, shrill shades (bubblegum pink, electric blue) tend to look foreign on you.

How to recognise an autumn

• Skin: medium, golden, olive, tanned or warm ivory. Usually tans well.
• Hair: brown with golden or copper highlights, deep red, auburn or warm dark brown.
• Eyes: warm brown, hazel, olive green or amber.
• Contrast: medium. Features have depth but no extremes.

In the colour analysis test, autumns usually show a high skin hue angle (more yellow than pink) and medium to deep depth.

The three autumns

• Soft autumn: the most muted. Camel, warm sage, terracotta pink.
• Warm autumn: the most golden. Copper, mustard, burnt orange, olive.
• Deep autumn: the most intense. Chocolate, warm burgundy, forest green, warm aubergine.

Makeup that flatters an autumn

Lipsticks

Warm shades with depth:

• Brick and terracotta reds.
• Terracotta and reddish brown.
• Toasted and caramel nudes.
• Brownish roses.

Your ideal red has an orange or brick base, like Chili. Avoid very light cool pinks and fuchsias.

Blush

Terracotta, toasted peach, muted coral and bronze. A blush with subtle golden reflections enhances the warmth of your skin.

Eyeshadow

Bronze, copper, antique gold, chocolate brown, olive green and warm plum. Brown smoky eyes look especially good on you.

Liner and brows

Chocolate, bronze or olive liner. Brows in warm brown or soft auburn.

Colours that dull you

Bubblegum pink, lilac, very cool navy, silver grey and optical white. If you wear silver, balance it with a terracotta lip.

Clothes, accessories and hair

Autumns are in their element in camel, chocolate brown, olive, mustard, rust, warm burgundy, ecru and petrol blue. Textured fabrics — wool, suede, corduroy — reinforce your style. In jewellery, antique gold, bronze, copper and wood suit you better than bright silver.

If you colour your hair, chocolate, auburn, copper and caramel highlights intensify your natural colouring. Ash or platinum blondes can make your skin look dull.

If the test is torn between autumn and another season

Torn between autumn and spring? Compare a light coral lipstick with a brick red: if brick suits you better, you're an autumn. Torn between autumn and winter? Try a brick red against a blue-red. In the test result you can change your season manually and see how the recommended shades change.

Common autumn mistakes

• Wearing cool pink nudes — look for caramel-based nudes instead.
• Choosing black liner for daytime — chocolate brown is more flattering.
• Bubblegum-pink blush — swap it for terracotta or toasted peach.

Why warm, muted colours work

Your skin reflects golden and olive tones, and your features have depth without extreme contrast. Colours that share that warmth and softness sit in harmony with you, so your face stays the focus. Very bright or icy shades create a clash: people notice the colour first and you second. That's why a toasted nude can look more "expensive" on an autumn than a trendy cool pink.

An autumn look in three steps

1. Bronze shadow on the lid and matte brown in the crease.
2. Terracotta blush blended towards the temple.
3. A matte brick-red lipstick or a toasted nude.

See it on your own face in the night look, choosing a brick-red lipstick as the main product.

Frequently asked questions

Autumn or spring?

Both are warm. Spring is lighter and brighter; autumn is deeper and more muted.

Can an autumn wear black?

Chocolate brown or forest green is better. If you wear black, add gold near your face.

Which nude suits me?

A toasted nude with a brown or caramel base, like Velvet Teddy or Cannes.