Tips For Choosing A Hair Color You'll Love

Tips For Choosing A Hair Color You'll Love

Choosing the best hair color for your skin tone and eye color will create a harmonious look and enhance your overall appearance. Here are some tips to help you determine what shades will help you achieve your best look.

Determine Your Skin Undertone

Cool undertones: If your skin has hints of pink, blue, or purple, you have cooler undertones. Usually the veins on the inside of your arms will look more blue. You probably prefer silver jewelry rather than gold. People with cool undertones typically have fair or pale skin that burns easily in the sun.

Warm undertones: If your skin has warm undertones, it will have hints of peach, yellow, or gold. You most likely look better in gold jewelry and have veins that lean toward green. People with warm undertones often have olive, tan, or deep skin that tans more easily.

Look At Your Eye Color

Blue eyes: Shades that work well with blue eyes include cool tones like platinum blonde, ashy blonde, and cool brown hues. These colors can help make blue eyes appear more vibrant.

Green eyes: Hair colors with warm undertones like golden blonde, auburn, and warm brown shades can complement green eyes and make them stand out.

Brown eyes: Brown eyes are versatile and can be complemented by various hair colors. Warm shades like honey blonde, caramel, or rich brown can bring out the warmth in brown eyes, while cool shades like espresso or dark ash brown can create contrast and depth.

Consider How Light Or Dark Your Skin Is

Lighter skin favors different shades and depths of hair color than darker skin. In order to maintain balance, darker skin needs more depth or intensity than its lighter counterparts.

Consult a Friend (Or A Professional)

If you're uncertain about any of these variables, ask a friend to help out. It's hard to look at yourself objectively. They can help you assess your skin tone and eye color more easily than you can alone.

Choose Complementary Colors

For cool undertones and fair skin: Light ashy hair colors work best—platinum blonde, ashy blonde, cool brown, and shades with hints of blue, pink, or violet. Avoid extremely white or extremely dark colors. If you're looking for lots of contrast against porcelain skin, try a rich, true red or an ashy brunette.

For cool undertones and dark skin: Cool-toned darker skin can be complemented by bolder colors like smoky brunettes, deep red-violet tones, or—if achievable on your hair—platinum or ash blonde. Avoid golden brown, tobacco shades, and coppery reds; they won't be flattering against cooler skin.

Blue or green eyes will be complemented by the lighter shades mentioned, while brown works better with the deeper color choices.

For warm undertones and fair skin: Warm browns, golden blondes, and copper reds are a good direction. The right bright red or mahogany can be excellent choices as well. Honey and caramel tones are especially pretty with brown eyes, and copper tones look stunning with green eyes.

For warm undertones and dark skin: Look at bolder, more intense versions of the shades above. If you want to incorporate some lighter colors, consider a darker base with lighter balayage highlights in a complementary tone. Balayage tends to go toward warm tones on darker hair, and keeping more depth against the skin lets you add light without looking washed out.

For warm undertones and skin that falls somewhere in between: Medium skin tones look fantastic with dimensional color—it lets you add the best of the lighter and darker choices. Avoid ashy shades; they tend to bring out a yellow tone in the skin and can be quite aging.

For Neutral Skin Tones

You get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Generally going to the warm side is slightly better, but with the right shade you can go either way. I suggest playing to the eye color—hair color that contrasts the eye color is the most striking. Use the examples above as a guide. You can also mix and match dimensional colors quite freely; let your creativity run free.

Remember that individual factors like hair texture and personal preferences also play a role. Avoid shades that are overly aggressive for your hair condition and texture. Ask for professional advice—your colorist can advise you as to what range of colors is achievable for your hair. These guidelines can be helpful, but they are not strict rules. In the end, the best hair color is one that makes you feel great wearing it.