Embracing Your Autumn Colours: The Four Autumn Sub-Seasons

Found out you’re part of the Autumn tribe? Congrats!

If you’re ready to embrace the richness and warmth of the Autumn palette, full of earthy tones and rich hues, read on to learn more the warm, muted colours that will make you shine.

First up, what are Autumn Colours Like?

Autumn colours are rich, warm and earthy, with shades ranging from rich reds and browns, warm oranges and yellows to stunning peacock blues and greens.

No matter what type of Autumn you are, remember: you can (and should!) wear all the gorgeous colours in the palette. But when you know which sub-season you fall under, you'll know which autumn hues to make a priority in your wardrobe.

So let's discover more about each Autumn sub-type.

The Soft Autumn Type

As a Soft Autumn, you’re likely to have a gentle and toned appearance with low contrast between your features. You may have ashy hair and soft, grey-green, blue, or hazel eyes, creating a soft, almost neutral look.

Soft Autumns sit at the cool, soft side of the Autumn palette. You’re closer to your Summer cousins than to Winter or Spring, and colours like mushroom brown, putty grey, or rosewood pink, sage green and khaki will all make you sparkle. Your colours are gentle but impactful — perfect for creating a tonal look that's subtle in its beauty.

When it comes to colour combinations, layering up similar colours is your best bet. Brighter shades are wonderful as accents in a tonal look, and add a pop of liveliness to your look.

The Warm Autumn Type

Also known elsewhere as the Vibrant Autumn, the Warm Autumn type is distinguished by (no surprise!) the muted warmth of their skin, hair, and eye colour. Warm Autumns will often have a hint of red or auburn in their hair; green, blue, or hazel eyes; and a golden glow to their skin.

Located at the warmest, most yellow end of the Autumn colour spectrum, Warm Autumn hues can look like Spring colour at first glance — warm greens, yellows, orangey reds, peachy pinks and every shade of golden brown.

While tonal combinations are a classic for Autumns, Warm Autumns can rock brighter looks beautifully. Mixing vibrant hues in unexpected ways can add even more liveliness. Follow your instincts and go for what makes you feel colour confident.

True Autumn

True Autumn — sometimes known as Autumn Leaf — sits at the centre of the Autumn colour palette. This classic Autumn has a perfect balance of warm, soft, and deep hues in their skin, hair, and eye colour.

True Autumns often ‘look like’ an Autumn — think warm brown or red hair, hazel or green eyes, and rosy cheeks. Their skin tone can have a golden glow, especially in non-Caucasian skin, when paired with their best colours.

As the True Autumn is right in the middle of the Autumn palette, straying into another season’s colours rarely works as well as it does for other Autumn sub-types. Stick to the Autumn palette and you’ll never go wrong.

Of course, True Autumns do have their own set of core colours that best showcase their warm, deep, and soft characteristics. These include warm mustard yellows, mossy greens, Autumn reds, and mid-tone browns and rusts.

When it comes to combining colours, the classic Autumn tonal technique is the way to go — think browns and rusts, or greens and yellows. You can also go brighter — follow your mood and personality.

Deep Autumn

Welcome to the world of Deep Autumn — sometimes referred to as Dark Blue Autumn, or simply Dark Autumn. What makes this palette unique is the intensity of the colours. It’s still warm and muted, but depth is the star of the show.

As a Deep Autumn, you’re likely to have a striking appearance — any warm skin tone, dark hair and eyebrows that complement your skin, and bright eyes, whether they’re brown, hazel, blue, or green.

At the darkest, coolest side of the Autumn palette, Deep Autumns are closer to their Winter cousins than to Spring or Summer. If you’re a Deep Autumn, you’ll shine in shades of brick red, forest green, and kingfisher, as well as marine navy, cassis, blackberry and dark brown.

When it comes to colour combinations, Deep Autumns can carry a higher contrast tonal style than other Autumn types. If feeling adventurous, you can also try Winter's classic combination of two neutrals and a pop of colour.

What kind of Autumn am I?

Are you curious about your place in the world of Autumn? Do you want to create a wardrobe that truly showcases your beauty and unique characteristics? Look no further!

Coming soon: make an appointment with your nearest Luminary stylist to find out more about your unique beauty.