Let me let you in on a little secret – your natural hair color may not be the most flattering color for your skin tone. It seems like the hair color you were born with should naturally match your skin in a way that works, but it’s not always the case. Especially if your hair is graying and developing warmer or cooler undertones, it can veer away from what is most flattering against your skin. Luckily, as modern gals we have plenty of options for changing and enhancing what nature has given us when it comes to hair color.
Is your skin cool or warm?
The first thing you need to know before choosing a new hair color is whether your skin has warm or cool undertones. There are several ways to determine this. First, look at your wrist. If your veins appear blue or purplish, you likely have a cool skin tone. If they appear greenish, then you likely have warm skin tones.
Double-check these results by standing in front of a mirror and holding up brightly-colored fabrics next to your face. Compare how your skin looks next to warm tones like yellow, orange and brown, versus cool colors like hot pink, blue and purple. You should notice that one type of color is flattering, while the other makes your skin appear dull and sallow. If you can’t make a solid determination, you may have a neutral skin tone. Lucky you, you can rock pretty much any color!
Hair colors for warm and cool skin tones
Somewhat surprisingly, the hair colors that will best help balance out your skin tone and complement your face are those colors that are the opposite of your undertones. So those with cool skin should choose warm colors, and those with warm undertones should go cool.
- Fair skin with cool undertones. Go for golden blondes, warm reds or neutral brunettes. Try Wella ColorCharm in Honey Blonde.
- Fair skin with warm undertones. Go for ashy, cool reddish tones like strawberry blonde, golden copper or rich browns. Try L’Oreal Excellence Crème Permanent Hair Color in Dark Coppery Brown.
- Deep skin with cool undertones. Stick with chocolatey mochas, deep blacks and caramels. Try Wella ColorCharm in Dark Golden Brown.
- Deep skin with warm undertones. Think mahogany or copper tones. Try L’Oreal Excellence Crème Permanent Hair Color in Dark Ash Brown.
Want a really easy way to ensure that you pick a flattering color every time? Use the Wella ColorCharm Tonal Guide. Cooler shades are those listed as “Red” (coded red and “RV” on the box) or “Ash” (coded blue and “A”). Warm hair colors would be those listed as “Gold” (coded yellow and “GV”) and “Warm” (coded brown and “WV”).
Be sure to check out the full line of hair coloring products available on our website. We guarantee that all beauty lines offered are 100% authentic, never from a third-party, and are items that our beauty team uses on our own hair and skin. Plus, Pandora Beauty offers some of the best prices available on all your favorite salon-quality products at our online discount beauty supply store.
