Thinking of getting a new hair colour? Before taking the leap, there are some things that you must take into consideration – the most important being whether you’re choosing the right hair colour that goes well with your skin tone. It helps to have a basic knowledge of what cool tones and warm tones look like. Here’s a comprehensive, fool-proof guide to figuring out the best hair colour for you before you head to the hair salon.
Most people fall into one of three categories: warm, cool and neutral. These are a few tricks to help you figure out which one you are:
Check the veins on your wrist
Veins are a great indicator of tone. Green veins indicate that you are warm-toned. Whereas if your veins are a purplish blue, you are in the cool-toned family. See both colours? Then you’re likely to be neutral.
Gold or Silver
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In the name of science, bring up your favourite pieces of jewellery to your skin. Do you look better in golds or silvers? If gold, you’re warm-toned; silver, you’re cool-toned. For those who look equally good, you’re probably neutral.
Match yourself with a celebrity
When you’re looking for colour inspiration, try to pick out people with similar skin and eye colouring to your own. It’ll give you a much better idea of how the hue will look on you in the end. Pinterest might be your best friend for this job.
Rule of thumb
In the end, the key is to pick a tone that’s opposite from your skin’s undertones. Those with warm undertones might opt for a cooler colour, and vice versa. It varies from colour to colour, but it’s always a good guideline to adhere to. And if you have neutral skin, you’re in luck – EVERYTHING looks good on you.
Now let’s talk about the different hair shades.
Cool Blondes
As seen on Jennifer Lawrence, cool blonde shades are great on porcelain skin with a warmer/reddish undertone. Icy hues are great in neutralising redness.
Shades you can experiment with include: platinum, ice, silver, ash, sand, beige and champagne.
Warm Blondes
Fair skin with cooler undertones look better with warm tones. Warm blonde hues also look great on those with deep and olive skin. Shades you can experiment with include: gold, caramel, amber, honey and butterscotch.
Reds
Red is actually a very flattering option for those with warmer undertones. Those with warm, peachy complexions will see their skin pop with cooler, auburn reds.
Bright, warm red to counteract cool tones in pale skin (think Emma Stone). We caution those with olive undertones who plan to go red, as it can make skin look green in contrast.
Shades you can experiment with include: true red, dark auburn and burgundy.
Cool Brunettes
It’s pretty hard to go wrong with brown since it’s almost universally flattering. Cooler tones can look particularly striking on those with warm skin, and helps yellow undertones look creamier. Shades you can experiment with include: dark chocolate, chestnut, dark auburn and mocha.
Warm Brunettes
Warm browns are great for those with medium skin, although we advise picking a shade that contrasts with your complexion to prevent washing out. Shades you can experiment with include: caramel, honey, golden brown, amber, mahogany and cinnamon.
Blacks
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Blacks are great. Just like browns, the colour is universally flattering. However, we’d like to remind those with cool undertones to stay away from overly black shades, as it can read a little harsh overall.
Rainbows, Pastels, All That Jazz
For rainbow-coloured locks, the only real rule is to let your imagination run wild. That being said, there are some pointers to keep in mind. For those with tanned, warm-toned skin, we recommend going for more vibrant and saturated jewel tones.
If you’re paler, and/or have cool-toned skin, pastels might just be right down your block.
