Soft Autumn at a glance
- Family
- Autumn: warm, soft and medium to deep
- Strongest trait
- Soft
- Hue
- Warm-leaning neutral
- Value
- Medium
- Chroma
- Soft
- Best neutrals
- Cream, oyster, khaki and camel
- Black?
- Not near the face
What makes Soft Autumn different
Soft Autumn is defined by softness first. Its colours are muted, with a little grey in each one, so very bright, very dark or very icy shades overpower the face. As a Autumn season it also shares the family traits: warm, soft and medium to deep. Put together, the best colours for a Soft Autumn are dusty peach, soft salmon, soft terracotta and rose brown.
Are you a Soft Autumn?
Often light to medium golden-ash or mousy-brown hair, soft hazel, green or light brown eyes, and neutral to warm, often beige or golden skin. Low to medium contrast, with features that blend into each other.
Colouring alone does not decide your season, because many people share the same hair and eye colour. What you see when colours sit next to your face matters more. You are likely a Soft Autumn if most of these are true:
- Black, pure white and bright jewel tones overpower you.
- Camel, olive and dusty peach make you look healthy and rested.
- Brushed gold works better than bright silver; very shiny yellow gold can be too much.
- Icy pastels make you look washed out.
Not sure? Take the quiz, then compare this palette with your neighbours in the drape mirror.
The Soft Autumn color palette
Neutrals first: these are the base of a wardrobe, for coats, trousers, knits and bags.
Then the colours, for tops, dresses, scarves and anything near your face.
Tap a colour to copy its hex code. Screens show colour differently, so treat these as a guide and compare real fabric in daylight.
Colors a Soft Autumn should avoid
These fight Soft Autumn colouring most. They are not banned: keep them away from your face, in trousers, skirts, shoes and bags.
Can a Soft Autumn wear black?
Black is too strong for soft, blended colouring. Milk chocolate, warm taupe and soft olive make better dark neutrals.
Best metals and jewelry
Brushed or antique gold, bronze, copper and rose gold. Matte finishes look better on you than high shine. Your metal is the easiest colour decision you will make, because jewellery sits right at your face. If you are choosing gold, our guide to 14k vs 18k gold explains which one to buy for every day.
Soft Autumn makeup
- Lips: Warm nudes, dusty peach, soft brick and rosewood.
- Cheeks: Soft peach and warm rose.
- Eyes: Taupe, khaki, soft bronze, olive and warm brown, with brown mascara.
Your season guides the colour of lipstick, blush and eyeshadow. Foundation is different: it should match your skin's depth and undertone exactly, whatever your season. See how to match your foundation shade.
Soft Autumn nail colors
Nails are the easiest place to wear your palette, since they sit near your face whenever you talk with your hands.
Hair color for a Soft Autumn
Soft golden brown, honey, light caramel and golden-mushroom blends. Ashy platinum, jet black and bright red usually overpower.
Outfits, contrast and prints
Low to medium contrast: tone-on-tone neutrals such as camel with cream, or olive with khaki. Soft, blended prints such as paisley and muted florals.
Three outfit formulas in Soft Autumn colours:
- Camel coat, cream knit, olive trousers, brushed gold hoops.
- Dusty teal shirt, khaki chinos, cocoa loafers.
- Soft terracotta dress, oyster cardigan, warm nude lipstick.
Soft Autumn vs similar seasons
- Soft Autumn or Soft Summer? Soft Summer is the cool twin. If slate blue, dusty rose and silver beat camel and olive, compare it.
- Soft Autumn or True Autumn? True Autumn is warmer and richer. If rust, mustard and pumpkin look better than dusty peach and sage, look there.
Your Soft Autumn palette card
Save the palette as an image for your camera roll, to check colours while you shop.
A 1080 by 1350 image, the size of a portrait phone post. It is drawn on your screen; nothing is uploaded.
