Bright Winter

Like the polar lights, Bright Winter’s beauty is ornamental and unearthly.

These are the colours of the deep sea and distant galaxies; neon cities at night, pop art, chrome and light sparkling through icicles.

Overview

Bright Winter is cool-neutral and extremely high chroma with some darkness.

Spring’s influence on the palette amplifies saturation while adding a touch of lightness, imparting the colours with a magical crystalline quality.

Value levels are closer to medium making this palette an extreme mix of dark and light.

This is where diamond-hard Winter meets the sunshine of Spring.

The resulting blend of stark and lively creates a futuristic palette of sequined colours - simultaneously modern, edgy and elaborate.

Black and white feature. Greys are metallic but not as steely as other Winters. Think zinc dust, aluminium or silicon.

As the rarest in the natural world, these phosphorescent colours sparkle with supernatural beauty.

Bright Winter is the flash of an ornamental butterfly in a cool rainforest, a cave of glow worms, a strangely incandescent jellyfish.

Most fluorescents are brighter than the extremes of human chroma but if anyone could carry these colours, it’s a Bright Winter.

Standouts include magenta, icy menthol, cobalt blue, canary yellow, Ferrari red, chrome taupe, emerald teal and Schiaparelli pink.

Lights are icy and candied like the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Bright Winters are extraordinary in their ability to balance these super pigmented colours, making them seem perfectly normal and not at all outrageous.

Jewellery

Cooler metals like silver, white gold, platinum, titanium and palladium are safe.

Bright yellow gold can certainly make an appearance, particularly when paired with cool-toned metals or stones like diamonds.

The key point to remember is that Bright Winter needs bling.

This is the season of chrome and Newbridge silver - very clean, very reflective - like a blinding flash of lightning.

If the metal looks like brand new cutlery, you’re made.

If the surface is so mirrored it reflects black, that’s perfect.

Glassy or lacquered enamel in the palette’s colours is particularly elegant - combining the hard with the delicate.

Gemstones need to be crystalline and sharply luminous. Very faceted cuts are best.

Capture a hologram-like beauty with coloured glass or Swarovski crystal.

Antique, oxidised, tarnished or blackened surfaces can look grubby on Bright Winters.

Subtle textures like brushed, satin or soft matte often present as a little unfinished or lifeless.

Raw or uncut stones are crude on Bright Winters and best left to other seasons where their earthiness will come to life.

Select stones in colours from the palette but look for that sleek or opaque brilliance, like a freshly waxed car.

If you think a piece of jewellery could almost glow in the dark, it’s Bright Winter.

Eyewear

Seek out metallics with lots of shine - you need more than you think.

Matte finishes and powder coatings look two dimensional on Bright Winters.

Plain black is fine but it really comes to life with a little detailing - a touch of gold, diamantes or a sparkly accent looks lavish and expensive.

Mixing dark and light makes an interesting combination. Team black with a semi-clear rim or mirrored lenses on a fine dark frame.

Plastic is a terrific material, it usually has the brightness you need.

Avoid wooden frames, they are too earthy for Bright Winter.

Shiny gold is great when combined with cooler colours from the palette.

Embrace chrome effects.

Reflective sunglasses lenses, especially in lustrous metallic colours, look edgy and natural.

Wardrobe basics

Black will suit you but worn head-to-toe it does present as a bit flat. The same goes for most of your other neutrals.

You’re lighter and more colourful than other Winters so your darks are better utilised as a tool to create all-important contrast.

Use them as a platform for showcasing accent colours and keep black to a maximum of half your outfit. After that it will start to dominate or become boring.

Your chromy taupes are really interesting but can be tricky to find.

Bright Winter icy lights are more common than you’d think and make unexpected alternatives to white.

Be careful of very small or compact prints. The human brain loves a short cut and blurs the colours together. This softens the effect and you lose your elegant crispness.

Bright Winters are a little unique in that they don’t look dreadful in other seasons’ colours. It’s not until they switch to this palette that the magic happens and they come alive with spectacular results.

You are capable of handling such remarkable vividness, it is positively superhuman. Nobody else can make these colours look regular and normal.

Don’t be afraid of the colour. You need it to realise your full cosmic radiance.

Hair

Like most Winters, natural blondes and redheads are unlikely in this palette.

Your natural grey or white hair is an exception and very beautiful.

Since you already look not-of-this-world, many fake colours can actually present quite harmoniously.

Tinsel-like platinum, for example, is an amazing fashion colour.

If you really like red, keep the colour artificial and in the cool-warm violet or cherry range. Be careful with Winter reds in all-over dyes; these playful colours tend to work best as highlights, features or when blended into a more natural colour.

Many blue-blacks are too cool and heavy for Bright Winters but some versions work, just be discerning.

Clear, slightly warmed chocolate browns with a hint of lift are amazing.

Beauty

Bright Winter skin is best when crisp and clean.

This means no contouring or bronzer - both add weight and the wrong kind of heat, creating an unpleasant muddy effect.

Black mascara and eyeliner suits most Bright Winters.

If you are quite pale or fair, and feel black is a little heavy as a liner, try charcoal or dark taupe. Play around with navy, bright teal or dark purple for variety.

Be careful with very dark smouldery makeup; it can be a bit heavy and overly shadowed on you.

If you’re chasing a smoky eye, use your taupe greys and icy violets as a base with black for definition.

Adding some contrast will complete the look - try a touch of glitter, white eyeliner or silver highlighting shadow.

If you don’t feel like colour, plain black mascara and a sweep of lightweight glittery silver shadow creates an elegant, neutral eye.

Mod and retro pin-up looks are incredible beyond belief.

Sparkle won’t look overdone on a Bright Winter. You can handle a little flamboyance.

Because of your Spring influence, a touch of lift works well. Experiment with illuminating effects but not at the expense of contrast.

Cool, pink blush is beautiful, just keep it shimmery or creamy rather than powdery.

Very pigmented, sheer and almost translucent finishes are magical.

You have plenty of bold lip colours in shocking pink, magenta and scarlet.

Iced versions of lilac and raspberry are great for everyday. Frosted lip colours look natural on Bright Winters and not at all dated.

Lip glosses are great.

Loving your look

Crystalline and icy-delicate as a snowflake, Bright Winter is the rarest of birds.

In the auroras and milky way that cradle our little planet, you are like a jewel from deep space.

Bright Winter is a shooting star. No one can touch your otherworldly beauty.