True Autumn
Warm and rich — the spice-drawer palette.
True Autumn is warm, medium-deep and rich. Colouring carries obvious golden or red warmth, and the palette is the one the season is named for: rust, mustard, forest green, chocolate. Cool colours consistently fall flat.
Strongly warm · medium-deep value · muted chroma
Your palette
Core colours
- Rust
#A8472A - Olive
#6B6438 - Mustard
#D4A017 - Terracotta
#C06A4B - Forest
#3E5E40 - Warm Brown
#7A4E2E
Neutrals
- Camel
#BFA075 - Chocolate
#4A3526 - Cream
#EDE3D0
- Best metal
- Antique gold or bronze
- What to avoid
- Cool pastels, icy tones, and pure white look off against your warmth.
How to tell you are True Autumn
- 01
Warmth is obvious in your hair or skin, often with red or golden tones.
- 02
Earthy, spicy colours make you look healthy.
- 03
Cool pastels and icy shades drain you completely.
- 04
Gold is clearly your metal.
Commonly confused with
Mistyping almost always happens between neighbours. These are the two most likely, and the quickest way to settle each.
True Autumn vs Deep Autumn
Deep Autumn carries more depth and can take espresso and burgundy. If deep, rich shades suit you better than medium spiced ones, lean Deep.
True Autumn vs Soft Autumn
If saturated rust looks heavy rather than rich on you, you are more likely Soft Autumn.
Makeup for True Autumn
Golden or warm-neutral foundation. Blush in warm terracotta or brick. Lips in rust, brick red, warm brown-red or spiced nude. This is the season bronzer was made for. Eyes in copper, bronze, olive and warm brown — brown or bronze liner over black.
Makeup guidance reviewed by Viktoria (@vioda.makeup), a working makeup artist. This is styling judgement rather than measured data — see our editorial policy.
The other Autumn seasons
Questions, answered.
What colours suit True Autumn?
True Autumn suits rust, olive, mustard, terracotta, forest, warm brown. For neutrals, use camel, chocolate, cream. Antique gold or bronze is your best metal. Keep the strongest colours near your face — tops, knitwear and scarves — where they do the most work.
Is True Autumn warm or cool?
Strongly warm · medium-deep value · muted chroma. True Autumn is warm, medium-deep and rich.
What colours should a True Autumn avoid?
Cool pastels, icy tones, and pure white look off against your warmth. You do not have to remove them from your wardrobe entirely — keep them below the waist or as outerwear, away from your face, where they affect your skin far less.
True Autumn vs Deep Autumn — how do I tell?
Deep Autumn carries more depth and can take espresso and burgundy. If deep, rich shades suit you better than medium spiced ones, lean Deep.
Not sure you are True Autumn?
Take the free eight-question quiz — no signup, about two minutes. It reads your undertone, value and contrast and places you in one of the twelve sub-seasons.