What Is The Best Hair Color For You?
Have you ever found a photo of the perfect hair color only to show your stylist and hear “That won’t work with your coloring.”?
Or maybe you were ready for a change but didn’t have a specific idea in mind – when you start discussing options, you felt so overwhelmed you said “Let’s just do the same thing we’ve been doing.”    
​Just like make-up and clothing colors, your hair color can drastically affect your appearance and make your skin look vibrant or dull. Beyond the basic choices of brown, blonde, red, or black, the number of color undertones and shades is infinite.  How can you know exactly which colors will look best on you?  
​Well, understanding the nuances of color isn’t as difficult as you may think.  
It's all about what undertones in your skin you'd like to emphasize.
​No matter how light or dark your skin is, it falls into one of three undertone classifications: warm, cool, and neutral. If you have cool undertones, your skin will appear pink-red, or blue-green. If you have warm undertones, your skin will appear peachy, yellow, or golden. And if you have neutral undertones, your skin will have some mixture of these colors.
​Here are a few helpful ways to determine your skin’s undertone:
Check the inside of your wrists.
Do your veins look blue or green?
  • If they look blue/purple, you're cool-toned.
  • If they appear green, you're warm-toned.
  • If you have trouble telling, you probably lean neutral.
What colors do you look best in?
Are there certain colors you feel you look better in?
  • If you look best in jewel-tones (blues, purples, and emerald-greens), you're cool-toned.
  • If you favor earth-tones (reds, oranges, yellows, and olive-greens), you're warm-toned.
  • If you can get away with most colors, you have neutral undertones.
What color are your eyes?
  • If you have blue, grey, or green eyes you are most likely cool-toned.
  • If you have brown, amber, or hazel eyes you are most likely warm-toned. 
Do you burn or tan?
  • If you burn easily or turn pink, you're cool-toned.
  • If you tan, you're warm-toned.
(Either way, always wear sunscreen!)
Do you look better in gold or silver?
  • If you look better in silver, you’re cool-toned.
  • If gold is your metal, you're warm-toned.
  • They both look equally good? I'm sure you can guess….yep! You’re neutral.
​Now you know your skin undertones…so, what are the best hair colors for you?
Hair Color For Skin With Cool Undertones
​Shades include:
  • Gold
  • Honey
  • Caramel
  • Amber
  • Butterscotch
  • Mahogany
  • Cinnamon
  • Auburn
  • Burgundy
  • True Red
  • Dark Mocha
  • Brown-Black
Remember, cool skin tones typically have a pink-red or blue-green tint to them
so try to select shades that will balance your look.
For example, fair skin with cool undertones is best balanced with warm tones like strawberry blondes, copper, honey, and gold. Ashy blondes are too green and will create a bland effect.  If your fair skin has reddish undertones, reds including auburn, burgundy, and true red will also look great. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, the blue-red base of these hair colors will make your skin glow instead of looking flushed or ruddy. If you have cool fair skin but really want to go dark, opt for a hue with chocolaty tones rather than a cool brown-black. 
​Cinnamon and auburn with a hint of caramel is a great color palette if your skin is more of a medium tone. Select shades that contrast your complexion to avoid looking washed out.   
​While cool brown-blacks don’t work well with fair skin, they look great on deeper cool toned skin. The coolness balances brassiness and will eliminate any green in darker skin. 
Hair Color For Skin With Warm Tones
​Shades include:
  • Platinum
  • Ice
  • Silver
  • Ash
  • Sand
  • Beige
  • Champagne​
  • Dark Auburn
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Chestnut
  • Mocha
  • True Black
  • Espresso
  • Blue-Black
Warm skin tones appear peachy, yellow, or golden so stay away
from colors that create an orange effect.
Cool blonde shades like ash, platinum, ice, silver, and champagne are great on porcelain skin with reddish undertones. The slightly blue cast in these blonde shades will neutralize ruddiness in the skin. Think Gwen Stefani and Taylor Swift. If you do decide on one of these shades, regular use of purple shampoo and conditioner is a must to keep the color from yellowing.
​Warm, peachy complexions are also complimented by cooler dark chocolate, chestnut, and dark auburn hair colors. It's pretty difficult to go wrong with brown in general, but the cooler brown tones look particularly striking against warm skin as it makes any yellow undertones look creamier. 
​If your skin has deeper warmth your hair is probably fairly dark. Embracing the depth with different shades of black and espresso tones will have a dramatic, smoothing effect on your complexion. To create dimension and subtle variety, lighten some strands to a deep, mocha brown.
Hair Color For Skin With Neutral Undertones: 
Shades include: 
  • ​Anything your heart desires
If you have neutral undertones, you're in luck. 
​Most color blends will work for you, have fun mixing different shades for your desired effect. Ask your stylist for a cooler base with warm highlights to frame your face. Strawberry-blondes, copper, amber, and rust also work really well on neutral skin tones to create a creamy yet warm color while a brown-auburn will give you a cool elegance.  If you’re aiming for a trend-worthy look try a luminous shade of rose-gold or a deep silver.
So, now you’re armed with knowledge and ready for the next time a stylist hands
​you those color swatches. 

​And keep in mind...
​...color placement and saturation also play a large role in your final look; ask your stylist if they have any recommendations. Stylists spend a significant part of their careers working with color science and yours might just have a suggestion that will help you achieve exactly what you’re looking for!