Have you noticed that often a subtle shift in the tone of your hair color can brighten up your features and make your skin appear glowing and healthy? Equally, sometimes, after a very mild color change, you notice that you look tired not as good as usual.
Quite likely, the problem is that your current hair color doesn’t work for your complexion. Let’s see how you can avoid this common issue and find the best hair color for your skin tone.
How to Find Your Skin Tone
First, you need to find out to which undertone category your skin belongs – warm, cool or neutral. Even the fairest complexion skin can have different undertones. There are a few methods to determine it, and for the best results, we recommend combining them all.
- • How you tan
- If your skin gets red after being exposed to the sun and is prone to sunburns, you have a cool undertone. If you tan easily, your skin undertone is warm or neutral. Since this doesn’t apply to women with very deep complexions, we recommend using a combination of all the methods.
- • The color of your veins
- Look at your wrist veins at daylight: if they appear green it means you have a warm skin undertone; if the veins are blue or purple, your skin tone is cool. Those who can’t definitely say whether their veins are bluer or greener have a neutral skin undertone.
- • Your skin compared to something neutral
- Put on a white t-shirt or just put a sheet of paper next to your face and look in the mirror in a well-lit room (natural light is the best). If your face looks yellowy, warm tones prevail; if it’s rosy, you probably have cool undertones. None of the above? Presumably, your skin undertone is neutral.
Instagram / @monajsalon
What Hair Colors Are Best for Your Skin Tone
The general rule of thumb is that cool skin undertones look most flattering with cool hair color, while warm skin undertones look best with warm hair color. This way, matching hair color to your skin tone accentuates your complexion and brings out your features.
However, sometimes picking an opposite tone can make a striking contrast. Say, a very light, cool freckly skin looks fantastic with warm copper hair shade. Let’s compare different ways to find the most suitable hair color for your skin tone.
Fair Skin with Warm Undertones
Fair-skinned girls are often naturally blonde, and if this description applies to you, we recommend looking at honey and golden blonde hair colors to match your warm skin. Don’t dye your hair more than half a tone darker – it will make you look washed out.
Instagram / @kainandecanine
Those with naturally darker hair and fair skin with warm undertones can choose between cool brown and warm brown hair colors. Warm brunette tones, like milk chocolate, caramel or golden brown will complement warm tones in your skin and emphasize hazel and green eyes.
Instagram / @hairbysatukylatasku
The cool ashy brown color will create a contrast with warm skin tone and accentuate blue or gray eye color. Cooler tones are normally fading quicker, so you might consider using a silver shampoo to upkeep the shade.
Fair Skin with Neutral Undertones
Fair skin with neutral undertones looks equally good with warm and cool hair colors. However, if you aim to look more youthful and radiant, opt for warmer shades. In general, warmer and lighter hair tones give an instant anti-ageing effect (think of JLo’s caramel locks or Jennifer Aniston’s timeless golden highlights).
Instagram / @riawna
Fair Skin with Cool Undertones
You should be extra careful when choosing hair color for pale skin. You can’t go wrong with ashy and icy hair colors to complement porcelain skin tone. Also, cool shades of red and deep purple would look flattering for this complexion.
Instagram / @hairbyjessica_
Whilst brassy and yellowy hues can make your skin look dull, this doesn’t mean you can’t wear a warm hair color. Strawberry blonde and copper can create a beautiful contrast and boost your complexion. We would recommend asking your colorist to put a sample shade against your face to help you make the decision, though.
Instagram / @emilyandersonstyling
Medium Skin with Warm Undertones
Honey brown with some caramel highlights is the best bet for a warm medium skin tone. This hair color will set off your tan and make your skin look luminous and healthy.
Instagram / @kainandecanine
Medium Skin with Neutral Undertones
Undoubtedly, girls with neutral skin tones can pull off any possible hair color, including vibrant shades like pink, blue, green, yellow, or even rainbow hair. The only crucial thing to consider before experimenting is the quality and the condition of your hair.
Instagram / @rodolffocarvalho
Medium Skin with Cool Undertones
Cool tones are the best to enhance this complexion: everything from dirty blonde to rich chocolate will work for you. Cool skin tones often tend to have visible redness. If this issue is familiar to you, it’s safer to avoid true reds and purple hair color.
Instagram / @petermenezes
Dark Skin with Warm Undertones
There are lots of flattering hair color for dark skin. However, if you want to enhance the warm undertone of your skin, choose rich warm hair hues. Go for a gold balayage or ombre whilst keeping the roots deeper and more natural looking – this hair color is particularly flattering for olive skin tones.
Instagram / @priscilanogueira
Dark Skin with Neutral Undertones
If your skin is dark with a neutral undertone, cool and warm colors will equally suit your face. Try to experiment with both ash and gold colors but ideally, stay within the same level of depth as your natural hair.
Instagram / @haircolorkilla
Dark Skin with Cool Undertones
Dark skin color can have noticeable cool tones too. The right shade of hair for this complexion is the one close to the natural color of its owner: cool dark brown.
Instagram / @hairbylatise
We hope this article has helped you figure out what is your skin’s undertone and more important, to find the right shade of hair color.
