Sneha Reddy
26 · Bride-to-be, chartered accountant · Hyderabad
Deep warm brown skin, dark warm eyes and black hair with red undertones. Sneha was being pushed towards a pastel lehenga by her family. She is a Deep Autumn: rich, warm and deep, built for the colours of a traditional South Indian wedding.
01 · What we observed
- skin
- Deep warm brown with golden highlights
- undertone
- Warm: gold is luminous, silver flat
- hair
- Black with reddish lights in sunlight
- eyes
- Deep warm brown
- contrast
- Medium (depth is uniform across skin, hair, eyes)
02 · The drape tests
Each test pits two or more drapes against each other under daylight. Green ticks won; crosses lost. The order matters: undertone first, then depth, then chroma, then confirmation against the neighbouring seasons.
- Test 1
Undertone test
Gold vs silver, warm vs cool redGold was luminous; silver dulled the skin. Tomato red glowed, cherry red made her look ashy.
- Gold drape
- Silver drape
- Tomato red
- Cherry red
- Test 2
Depth test
Peach vs burnt orange, mint vs forest greenThe deep drapes made her skin look like polished bronze. Pastels, including the proposed lehenga, looked chalky.
- Burnt orange
- Peach
- Forest green
- Mint
- Test 3
Chroma test
Bright orange vs rust, bright teal vs deep tealShe can carry richness but not neon. Rich and slightly muted beat bright every time.
- Rust brown
- Bright orange
- Deep teal
- Bright teal
- Test 4
Season placement
Confirmed against True Autumn and Deep WinterDepth dominant, warm secondary. True Autumn was lovely but slightly lighter than her best; Deep Winter’s cool went ashy. Deep Autumn.
- Deep Autumn
- True Autumn
- Deep Winter
03 · Your palette
Power colours
Wear near the face: tops, dupattas, scarves, lipstick.
- Rust brown
- Burnt orange
- Forest green
- Deep teal
- Deep red
- Deep plum
Neutrals
The base of the wardrobe: suits, trousers, outerwear, bags.
- Espresso
- Tobacco
- Warm ivory
- Dark walnut
- Olive brown
Accents
Small doses: jewellery, bindi, nails, a bag.
- Gold
- Marigold
- Copper
- Peacock
Quietly retire
Not banned, just never near the face.
- Pastel pink. The proposed lehenga colour: chalky against deep warm skin
- Powder blue. Cool and light: ashy
- Silver. Dulls the gold in her skin
- Stark white. Too stark; choose warm ivory
Metals & jewellery
- Yellow gold (22k)
- Antique gold
- Copper
- Temple gold
Lips & bindi
Lip shades
- Deep red
- Copper brown
- Rust
Bindi
- Deep red
- Plum
- Gold
Hair
Black with warm red or copper lights in the sun; a mahogany gloss enhances it. No cool-toned blacks.
04 · Three outfits to start
Each outfit is built only from the palette above, photographed on Sneha in the setting it was made for.
Pelli (wedding)
- Deep red Kanjeevaram
- Gold zari border
- Temple gold jewellery
Sangeet
- Deep teal lehenga
- Marigold dupatta
- Copper lip
Reception
- Deep plum gown
- Gold statement earrings
05 · Before & after
Same person, same studio, same light. Only the colours change. Drag the handle to compare.
- Pastel pink lehenga
- Silver embroidery
- Stark white dupatta
The pastel pink lehenga with silver embroidery her family had shortlisted. Chalky against deep warm skin; the outfit wears her.
- Deep red Kanjeevaram
- Gold zari & temple jewellery
- Deep red lip
Deep red Kanjeevaram with gold zari, temple gold jewellery, deep red lip. Her skin turns to polished bronze; the traditional palette is literally hers.
Indian wear
- •Wedding saree in deep red or rust with gold zari, not the pastel lehenga
- •Mehendi in forest green or marigold; haldi in warm ivory with gold
- •Temple gold and antique gold jewellery, uncut polki in warm settings
Western wear
- •Espresso and tobacco as base neutrals
- •Warm ivory, never stark white, for shirts
- •Burnt orange or deep teal for evening dresses
“Sneha, the colours your grandmother wore were right all along. Deep red, gold, forest green: the traditional palette is literally your palette.”
Nikki’s note, end of session
