A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (2023)

Deciding between blonde, brown and red hair is quite difficult without considering the spectrum of shades that exist.insidethese nuances. ANDthenDo you have to think about which of these shades suits your complexion best? (Can we take a nap now?)

But understanding the nuances of tone can mean the difference between choosing a good hair color and the most flattering color you've ever had; luckily, with a little crash course, it's not as hard as you think. "It's all about location, saturation and whatshadows on your skinwould like to emphasize", saysroxie dear, former hairstory color guru from New York City. "The decision you and your colorist must make is what color you would like to bring out on your face."

But it helps to have a basic understanding of what cool tones and warm tones look like, as well as an understanding of your skin color to begin with. We consulted several professionals in the field for information. Consider this your complete, foolproof guide to finding the best hair color for every skin tone.Keep scrolling to learn more and find the best hair color for you.

How to find your skin tone

Before choosing hair colors, you should identify your skin tones. Most people fall into one of three categories: hot, cold, and neutral. Figuring out where your complexion is can be confusing, but there are a few tricks:

  1. Look for specific colors."Cool-toned skin has blue and olive undertones, while warm-toned skin has yellow and gold," she says.raquel bodt, senior colorist at Red Door Spa in New York City.
  2. Match with a celebrity.When you're looking for A-list color inspiration, try to choose people with skin and eyes similar to yours. This will give you a much better idea of ​​how the shade will actually look on you.
  3. Check your pulse..."You'll see the pinks, reds, blues, greens and yellows there," says Darling. This includes your veins, which are a great indicator of tone. "If your veins are blue or purple, you probably have a cool undertone," notes Bodt. "If they're green, you're hot."
  4. ...or your eyes."If you have a lot of gold under your eyes, your undertones are usually warm," says celebrity hairstylist George Papanikolas. "If you have a lot of blues and greens, it's usually great."

meet the expert

  • George Pope NicolauShe is a hairstylist, colorist and brand ambassador for Matrix.
  • Rita Hazanis a New York-based celebrity hairstylist and colorist who has a salon of the same name in New York City.

Now that you know your skin color well, it's time to learn about different hair colors.

Fair skin with warm undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (1)

Seen on:Hanne Gaby Odiele

Shadows include:platinum, ice, silver, ash, sand, beige, champagne

Who is best suited for:cool blonde tonesThey're great for porcelain-skinned girls with blue or purple undertones, as these icy shades tend to counteract redness, according tochelsey pickthorn, master stylist and owner of Pickthorn Salon in Brooklyn. And a cold ash blonde will look great against blue or gray eyes.

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Fair skin with cool undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (3)

Seen on:Ciara

Shadows include:gold, caramel, amber, honey, caramel

Who is best suited for:"Fair skin with cool undertones looks best with warm undertones likestrawberry blondes, copper,Mel, and gold," says Papanikolas. She also notes that these shades tend to be best for people with olive skin, as an ash blonde tone can wash out. The same goes for people with deep skin: if you want to go light, opt for a caramel blonde for a high-impact look.

On the other hand, people with very warm skin should avoid a very yellow color for the same reason: cooler blondes will probably look better on you.

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Light skin with neutral undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (5)

Seen on:Jessica Chastain

Shadows include:strawberry blonde, copper, amber, rust, reddish

Who is best suited for:"Strawberry blondes are great on fair and neutral skin tones," says Pickthorn. "[Have your colorist] mix cool and warm tones for a creamy, warm color with agolden copper touchPapanikolas also recommends a light, warm red to counteract the cool undertones of pale skin (think Emma Stone). These shades tend to make deep skin appear green, so choose a cooler color,brown spotted chestnutinstead, if you want to go red (think Rihanna). And I want to make your tonein realityworthy trend?opt for oneluminous rose gold tone.

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Light skin with peach undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (7)

Seen on:but later

Shadows include:true red, dark brown, burgundy

Who is best suited for:It might seem counter-intuitive, but red is actually a very flattering option for those with reddish undertones. "If you have pale skin with red, it makes you have a glow instead of trying to fight it," says Hazan. Pickthorn agrees, adding that those with warm, peach complexions will also see their skin pop with cooler brown reds.

On the other hand, Hazan cautions people with olive undertones not to go red, as it can make skin look too green in contrast.

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Medium skin with warm undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (9)

Seen on:Miranda Kerr

Shadows include:dark chocolate, chestnut, dark chestnut, mocha

Who is best suited for:It's very hard to go wrong withBrownin general as it is almost universally flattering. But a cooler shade of brown can look particularly striking on people with warm skin, as it helps make yellow tones creamier.Daniel Sanchez, color expert at Frederic Fekkai in New York City, adds that for people with darker skin, lightening from black to deep brown (ideally withmultitonal reflections) can have a beautiful and smooth effect.

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Medium skin with cool undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (11)

Seen on:Jaime Chung

Shadows include:caramel, honey, golden brown, amber, mahogany,cinnamon

Who is best suited for:Sánchez especially recommends this color range for medium skin tones, although he advises choosing a shade that contrasts with your complexion to avoid a washed-out look. "Caramel browns are best suited for skin tones on the lighter olive side, with slightly more yellow and green undertones," adds Pickthorn. "This color looks really nice on a naturally dark base or roots."

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Medium skin with neutral tones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (13)

Seen on:bella hadid

Shadows include:true black, espresso, blue black, licorice

Who is best suited for:In the world of hair color, black isn't a one-note option — different shades and highlights add subtle variety. A cooler shade like this can feel a little harsh on those with fair, cool-toned skin, but for those with warmer or neutral undertones, it has a dramatic porcelain-like effect on the complexion. (Same goes for olive skin.)

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Deep skin with warm undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (15)

Seen on:Beyoncé

Shadows include:caramel, golden brown, caramel

Who is best suited for:"For deep, warm skin tones, it's best to choose warm browns and caramels to accentuate the skin's natural depth," she notes.melissa gonzalez, Elite Artist and Educational Instructor at Farouk Systems "If your hair is already blonde, color it in caramel tones."

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Deep skin with cool undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (17)

Seen on:Lupita Nyong'o

Shadows include:dark mocha, brown-black, deep black

Who is best suited for:Cool blacks look great on deep skin, but adding chocolate undertones is also a great way to warm up skin.

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Deep skin with neutral undertones

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (19)

Seen on:Zendaya

Shadows include:reddish brown, reddish brown, brown

Who is best suited for:According to González, neutral undertones can rock every color. "I would recommend using a color that looks rich and vibrant like a chestnut or chestnut red," she says. "These shades pack the heat by adding that perfect amount of glow against the skin."

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pastel hair

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color for your skin tone (21)

Seen on:Irene Kim

Shadows include:everything your heart desires

Who is best suited for:For rainbow-colored locks, the only real rule is to let your imagination run wild. That said, there are some tips to keep in mind. "Darker skin tends to look washed-out when paired with lighter tones, while saturated tones bring out deeper skin tones," says Creative Color Expert Darling. "So for tanned skin, you can opt formore vibrant and saturated tones: jewel tones like ruby, fuchsia, magenta, etc." She adds that blue hair looks particularly flattering on those with golden complexions.

Caramel shades tend to fade quickly, so use color protection products to extend the life of the color as long as possible.

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FAQs

A foolproof guide to choosing the best hair color 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.

How do I know what hair color suits my 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.

What is the most universally flattering hair color? ›

That's right, honey is the most universally flattering shade of hair color out there—whether it's more honey blonde or more honey brown. Honey blonde is a warm, sunny, medium-to-dark blonde that's closer to light brunette than it is to platinum.

How do I know my skin undertone? ›

White Cloth Test: Put a white cloth next to your bare face and observe what cast your skin takes on. Skin with warm undertones will appear yellowish, while skin with cool undertones will seem blueish or pinkish.

What unnatural color should I dye my hair based on skin tone? ›

Now that you're aware of your skin tone and undertone, let's find out which unnatural hair color will flatter you.
...
Hair Colors for Your Skin.
SkinWarm
FairScarlet red Orange Rose gold Strawberry blonde
LightAuburn Lime green Orange
MediumMahogany Coral Chocolate brown Rose gold
DarkMahogany Chocolate cherry
2 more columns
Jan 26, 2023

What undertone am i? ›

If you can see your veins, you may be able to use their color to identify your undertone. For example, if your veins look greenish, then you may have warm undertones. People with blue or purplish-looking veins usually have cooler undertones.

Am I cool or warm toned? ›

Finding your undertone: The colour of your veins

Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you're cool-toned but if you see more green, you're warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both both green and blue, you have a neutral undertone.

What hair color matches with everything? ›

Dark Brown

This classic color fits seamlessly on everyone. This dark brown hue is a timeless color that is versatile enough to suit any skin tone and hairstyle. You can also add a sense of dimension to this look with highlights. Dark blonde or golden brown highlights are a great addition.

What is the least desirable hair color? ›

Brunette was clearly the hair color perceived as most attractive, with blonde as the second most attractive, and red as the least attractive. Figure 1 summarizes these results.

What hair color makes you look prettier? ›

Which hair colour do women think is the sexiest? Most women think brunette hair is the sexiest, as 25% of those polled favoured this option. Womens' second preference is blonde, which was voted as the sexiest hair colour by 19.6% of women. Again, red took third spot, accounting for 11.8% of womens' votes.

Which skin tone is most attractive? ›

I wanted to test skin color separately to find out whether it's important to perceptions of beauty. I found that without regard to physical features, people prefer light brown skin over dark brown skin or pale skin,” said Frisby, associate professor of strategic communication at the School.

How do I know my undertone and shade? ›

Grab your wrists and check the veins under them. Those with warm undertones have green colored veins, while blue veins are a sign of a cool undertone. If your veins look bluish-green, you may have a neutral undertone.

How do you know if your undertone is pink or yellow? ›

Hold up a white paper in the mirror.

In a place with bright, natural light, hold up a piece of printer paper and look at how your skin reacts to it. If your skin looks pinkish against the paper, you probably have cooler undertones; if your skin looks yellow against the paper, you're probably a warm tone.

Does dark or light hair look better with pale skin? ›

Finding the best hair color for your pale skin all depends on identifying your undertones. If your skin has cool undertones, you'll want to stick with ashy blonde, brown, and fantasy hues. If your complexion is on the warmer side, deeper hues such as honey blonde, copper, and caramel will go perfectly with your skin.

What is the difference between natural hair color and 1B? ›

A: Natural color: the hair was not dyed once received from the donor, which means the hair ranges from dark drown to black color depending on the donor. 1B is a more uniformed hair color, a solid off black color. … see more. 1B is a more uniformed hair color, a solid off black color.

What hair color brightens face? ›

Opt for a neutral, beige-toned blonde. Champagne tones are just buttery enough to add tons of light to your face, warming your features. A more neutral blonde requires less upkeep than a cool-toned variation.

What undertone is my hair? ›

People with cool skin undertones tend to have blue, green, pale brown or grey eyes and naturally blonde, brown or black hair with ash tones. If you've got brown, amber or hazel eyes and strawberry blonde, auburn, brown or black hair with hints of red, copper or golden tones, it's likely that you're warm-toned.

What is the rarest undertone? ›

Neutral Undertones

This skin tone is the rarest - and most versatile - of all, and typically only present in women with Medium skin tones.

What hair color looks best with warm undertones? ›

For warmer undertones (think hints of yellow or orange), your ideal hair color should give your skin a healthy, natural-looking flush. Go for hair colors that are cool, ashy, or have reddish tones, like honey or strawberry blonde hair, golden copper, cool beige brunette, and rich golden brown.

How do you choose your undertone? ›

One of the quickest and the most common ways to determine your undertone is to check the insides of your wrist. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If they look green, you're warm. If you're having a hard time narrowing down between blue or green, you most likely have a neutral undertone.

What color goes with cool skin tone? ›

Colors for Cool Skin Tones

The top colors to wear include emeralds, deep purples, lavender, pink, ice blue and bright blues. If you want to incorporate a warmer color into your outfit, you can use extremely pale yellows, rose reds and rubies. More neutral colors that work include bright white, gray and navy.

What foundation is best for cool undertones? ›

How To Choose The Best Foundation for Cool Undertones? Beige, shell, or tan shades or foundation with red or pink undertones are ideal for cool skin tones. Also, foundations for cool undertones are marked C as the liquid may have subtle nuances of pink to complement your cool tones.

What two hair colors look good together? ›

5 hair colour combinations that pair well!
  • Black and burgundy. Black hair color has a reputation for being boring and bland. ...
  • Brown and red. This is an apt hair color combination, that lightens your appearance while looking vibrant. ...
  • Brown and golden highlights. ...
  • Dark roots with light ends. ...
  • Black and brown.

What should you avoid with hair color? ›

What ingredients should you avoid if you have color-treated hair? The most important part of caring for color-treated hair involves avoiding the following ingredients, as shared by pro colorist Richy Kandasamy: sulfates (SLS or SLES), parabens, sodium chloride, and petrochemicals.

What hair color is not high maintenance? ›

Low-Maintenance Hair Colors That Let You Skip the Salon
  • 01 of 10. Golden Brunette. Instagram/@mizzchoi. ...
  • 02 of 10. Highlights with Root Shadow. Instagram/@jaye_edwards. ...
  • 03 of 10. Soft Bronde. ...
  • 04 of 10. Pearl Ash Blonde. ...
  • 05 of 10. Warm Blonde. ...
  • 06 of 10. Sunkissed Babylights. ...
  • 07 of 10. Cool Beige Blonde. ...
  • 08 of 10. Champagne Mauve.
Mar 17, 2023

What is the prettiest hair and eye color combination? ›

Top 10 Hair and Eye Colors That Go Best Together
  1. 1 Blond Hair and Blue Eyes. I think it is a beautiful combo! ...
  2. 2 Brown Hair and Light Hazel Eyes. ...
  3. 3 Red Hair and Dark Blue Eyes. ...
  4. 4 Brown Hair and Green Eyes. ...
  5. 5 Blonde Hair Dark Brown Eyes. ...
  6. 6 Black Hair and Purple Eyes. ...
  7. 7 Red Hair and Green Eyes. ...
  8. 8 Brown Hair and Blue Eyes.

What is the most demand hair color? ›

#1 Most Popular Hair Colour – Black Hair

In fact, around 75 to 85 percent of the people in the world have some shade of black hair.

What is the most attractive color on a woman? ›

Scientists have revealed that wearing the colour red will make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Studies reveal that red is the most attractive colour to both men and women but, curiously, the two genders are attracted to the same colour for different reasons.

Should you go darker or lighter with hair color as you age? ›

' Basically, as your skin tone lightens with age, so should your hair colour. 'When you first notice white hairs, ask your hairdresser to blend them, and eventually you'll move to a lighter natural colour' explains Ashleigh.

What hair color makes you look older? ›

Generally, these colours will make anyone appear older: black, cool dark brown, fiery red, yellow blonde, mousy blonde and dark grey. There's a common opinion that platinum blonde and silver hair dye age you, but we don't believe so.

What hair color are men most attracted to? ›

People with brunette hair are the most attractive.

By presenting pictures of the same woman with different dye hair colors, the researchers found that out of the population analyzed, 67 percent of men preferred the woman with brunette hair and 71 percent of women chose the man with brunette hair.

Which hair color is the most versatile? ›

Brown hair is the most common hair color—but that doesn't mean it's boring! Brown hair is versatile, multi-dimensional, and flattering on just about everybody. And it comes in so many different shades, it's easy to find one that complements your style perfectly.

What hair color makes your hair look healthier? ›

If you've been lightening your hair for years with highlights or single process, going darker will give the appearance of softer, shinier, healthier hair. The reason being darker colors fill in porous hair better making it look less, well, fried.

What hair looks good on everyone? ›

16 Trendy Haircuts Stylists Say Are Easy to Maintain and Look Good on Everyone
  • Layered Waves With Volume. "Wavy hair screams body. ...
  • Modern Bob. Photo: ...
  • Long, Carved-Out Layers. Photo: ...
  • Shapely Coils. "Let your coily hair out. ...
  • Off-the-Shoulder Curly Bob. ...
  • Layered Piecey Afro. ...
  • Straight, Blunt Bob With Bangs. ...
  • Mid-Length Shag.
Mar 3, 2023

What types of hair are most attractive? ›

A general observation across experiments was that straight hair was perceived as younger, healthier, and more attractive than wavy hair and darker shades (medium copper and brown) were perceived more positively than blonde hair.

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