The Smokey Soft Autumn

The Smokey Soft Autumn is a unique season with its understated beauty. This Autumn sub-season is defined by a harmonious blend of muted, deep, and earthy tones, making it uniquely suited for individuals with softly blended, natural coloring.

While it shares the warmth of other Autumns, Smokey Soft Autumn stands out with a more subdued, neutral quality, often described as "smokey” – thus the name.

Here are the basics of the Smokey Soft Autumn

Temperature: Warm, predominantly
Value: Medium-to-Deep
Chroma: Muted
Sister Season: Toasted Soft Winter or Toasted Soft Summer, depending on value.

The Smokey Soft Autumn looks best in rich, warm colors that are muted and deep in value. There will be a slight coolness to your coloring, such as neutral skin, grey eyes, or dark mousy hair.

Sometimes, though, the "coolness" is simply a lack of visible warmth.

This season can look like a Deep Autumn. But usually, their eyes or hair is not the deepest in value. A step up from the deepest Autumn is how to view this season.

However, depth is important: Wearing colors that are too pale will not be strong enough for your coloring and will wash you out. There will also be a need for richness. Bright cool colors will be out of place.

This season is very easily misdiagnosed. Because of its depth, but lack of the obvious warmth with which most Autumns are associated, they often get told they are a Winter. Or Summer. Honestly, I have seen them incorrectly analyzed as nearly every possible season.

What's the Difference Between Smokey and Toasted Soft Autumn?

Whats the difference between a Smokey and Toasted Autumn.

Remember, there are three main traits - Value, Chroma, and temperature.

Easily misdiagnosed seasons will usually share one or two similar traits.

Our first set of seasons have a chroma that is muted, and their value is medium-deep.

The difference can be seen in their undertones. Typical of the Smokey Soft Autumn, her temperature is blended though predominantly warm. But she's what I call a 'cooled down' Autumn.

The Toasted Soft Autumn is all-warm. True to its name, she is more 'toasted' than her counterpart. She can handle some of the warmest, richest colors available like deep warm peach, burnt orange, warm dark browns, etc.

If the Smokey wanted to warm herself up with some warmer highlights and warmer makeup, she could pull that off if she choose to. But naturally, she's a bit cooler and harmonize easier in shades like peach, pumpkin orange, cocoa brown, earthy browns, etc.

A Look at the Smokey Soft Autumn Palette

Imagine walking through a forest in late autumn: the leaves have turned rich shades of brown, olive, and rust, their initial brightness mellowed by time. The Smokey Soft Autumn palette reflects this natural beauty with a collection of muted and sophisticated colors.

Earthy Tones: Rich browns, deep olives, and muted terracotta are staples. These shades anchor the palette and work beautifully for core wardrobe pieces.

Soft Reds and Corals: Smokey Soft Autumns can wear subdued shades of coral, peach, and warm reds, adding a hint of vibrancy without overwhelming their soft colorng.

Blues and Greens: This season's blues, such as teal and warm navy, carry a slight yellow undertone, while greens like moss, avocado, and sage evoke the tranquility of this palette.

Neutrals: Instead of stark black or white, this palette favors deep chocolate browns and creamy ivories. Rich warm greys, olive greens, and lots of not-too-warm browns anchor this palette.

The overall effect of these colors is deeply flattering for those with this coloring, providing a polished and harmonious look that feels natural and effortless.

What Makes this season Unique?

Smokey Soft Autumn's muted quality is its dominant trait, creating a balance between warmth, richness, and neutrality. Unlike the brighter and more golden hues of Warm Autumn, Smokey Soft Autumn colors are toned down, offering a gentle richness that avoids harshness.

This uniqueness extends to the contrast level. Smokey Soft Autumns typically look best in medium-to-lower contrast combinations, such as pairing olive with a muted sage or a cocoa brown with a delicate sable color. This keeps the overall look cohesive and avoids overpowering their naturally blended coloring.

Tip: The darker the hair is compared to your skin, the higher contrast contrast can be.

Another hallmark is the "smokey" softness itself—a quality that lends an understated elegance. This makes Smokey Soft Autumn an ideal palette for those who prefer a sophisticated yet approachable aesthetic, free from loud or bold colors.

But don't assume that the soft colors of this season will limit someone with a bold personality from creating a vibrant look. Every color palette offers enough variety to express any image you want to project to the world.

Styling Tips for the Smokey Soft Autumn

To embrace this palette fully, focus on creating harmony in your wardrobe, makeup, and accessories.

Wardrobe Essentials: Build your wardrobe around neutral staples in dark brown, olive, or warm grey. Use these as the foundation for layering brighter colors from your palette.

Patterns: Nature-inspired prints, such as leaves or soft florals, are particularly flattering when they align with your palette’s muted tones.

Makeup: Choose neutral-to-warm earth tones in lipsticks, blushes, and eyeshadows. Think terracotta lips, peachy blush, and olive eyeliner as just one example.

Jewelry and Accessories: Opt for gold, bronze, or copper metals, and incorporate gemstones like topaz or emerald tie your look together.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into learning more about this season, consider exploring the Smokey Soft Autumn eBook in my storefront, ColorBreeze.me.

It’s packed with detailed insights, a complete palette guide, and actionable tips to make the most of your season.

Buy Here

More examples of Smokey Soft Autumns

If you haven't noticed yet, many images I use on this site are marked "ColorBreeze Art". This is part of my new artwork and visuals I have created with the help of AI, among other digital photo software. I will be slowly adding more images over time. Here are some for this season. Please share on Pinterest if you like them!