True Winter Celebrities

Some celebs have one particular not-their-season season that they consistently shoot for. I believe Katy Perry's a True Winter who aims for Bright Winter. Lippies are usually a little, but not a lot, too bright; color's usually a little, but not a lot, too saturated. I'm sure the effect is exactly what she's going for.

In her proper True Winter colors, we really see Katy. She's gorgeous here, and so real.

This may be a case of a True Winter (or a True Winter's MUA) assuming that a nude lip must necessarily be warm & brownish. The warm cheek & eye aren't helping. She looks insignificant here, and tired.

Meh…

Marion Cotillard is a Cool Winter, not a Summer. Cool Winter is saturated. This is muted. Cool Winter is medium-to-high-contrast. This is low contrast. Hair's too light, makeup's too neutral. Summer styling makes her look out of focus.

I love this pic of Mary Louise Parker because it illustrates just how fantastic a True Winter can look in black, one of the trickiest colors. Look at her skin: do you see how alive she looks? That Barbie-pink lip also looks wonderfully natural on her.

That's more like it!

A Cool Winter looks right at home in black (the shadows in her hair) and white (the lightest parts of her gown). The softness of her hair and the dress's design keep the contrast from becoming severe, which is a risk for Cool Winters. And the pumped-up makeup colors are just what her face was calling for.

A warm season's proper makeup wouldn't look orange; it would just look right. When the makeup reads as orange, as it does here, it's probably too warm for the face. If you'd suspected Catherine Zeta-Jones of being an Autumn, this pic should disabuse you of that notion.

She's fantastic in this light, pure grey. Only a Cool Winter can look so completely vital in a color composed only of black and white.

Shalom Harlow is exquisitely beautiful. But you'd never know it from this pic. The background color's better suited to a Summer; the makeup looks Soft Autumny. This Cool Winter needs purer, deeper colors and higher contrasts.

So much better. A red that might look intimidatingly bright on a hanger is exactly what she needs. In the tube, that lip color is probably also highly pigmented, but on Shalom's face it reads as just a step beyond natural. This is important to realize about Winter colors: seen alone, they look dramatic, but on the Winter, they just look right. If you're noticing the craziness of the colors, the person wearing them is probably not a Winter.

Too warm and soft, Amanda Peet! Hair, lip, cheek - these are for the Olsen twins, not you. The beautiful blue Winter eyes and distinctive dark Winter brows are crying to be set free.

Yes, much better. Look closely at those makeup colors and imagine them in the tube or the pan. Would you call those shades natural? Yet the effect on a Cool Winter is just that - while the "neutral" colors in the previous pic look unnatural. Ditto for the black of the jacket: it makes her seem relaxed and comfortable, not severe.

Something to notice and think about in all of these pics: in the proper cool colors, True Winters do not look "cool". They look alive.

If you see someone wearing cool colors and you're noticing how pale or ashen they make the person look, question whether that person is a cool season.