Every now and then, we toy with the idea of changing the way we look; what could be a better way to give ourselves a cost-effective yet super-stylish makeover than trying out a new hair color!
Changing one's hair color can be as fun as it can be emotional or confusing. Let's face it – with supermarkets flooded with truckloads of hair dyes, we are indeed spoiled for choice! But as you know, more options only mean one thing – more confusion, and before we know, we end up dyeing our hair with the wrong tint!
The sheer variety of hair color products available in the market these days can send any self-proclaimed fashionista into a state of utter bewilderment. From sun-kissed golden shades to luminous blacks and every other hue in between, hair color shade cards are one of the most baffling reference materials that a girl has to deal with when deciding to change her look.
If you are planning to dye your hair too and are stuck between choices, we have a simple solution for you. Just go for a hair color that matches your natural features such as your skin tone, undertone and eye color. We guarantee that you'll never be sorry about your decision!
Skin Tone
A good hair color not only brings out the subtleties of your skin tone but also enhances its beauty. This is why most hair colorists take skin tone as a reliable guide before coloring their clients' tresses. Even if you wish to create an edgy look with orange, blue or purple hair colors, your overall skin tone will always serve as a good reference point to start out.
As a rule of thumb, your hair color should always supplement your skin tone. In other words, warmer hair colors look great on cooler skin tones while cooler hair colors flatter warmer skin tones.
If you have a warm skin tone, try beige, champagne blonde, dark red, ash brown, violet, and auburn hair colors.
If you have a cool skin tone, golden blonde, orange-red, honey almond brown, and chocolate brown hair color shades will look great on you!
If you don't know your skin tone, just go to any cosmetic shop and ask them to tell you!
Skin Undertone
Wondering what this is and how it's even relevant? We'll tell you.
We are either warm-toned or cool-toned. What does this mean? In simple terms, this means that our skin changes its color depending on temperature fluctuations or with a change in weather.
To determine whether you are warm or cool-toned, look at your wrist in normal sunlight. If the skin at the back of your wrist appears greenish, you are warm-toned; it it's bluish, you are cool-toned.
Take your undertone as the first determining factor when choosing your hair color. Essentially, your skin tone should balance your hair color. A stronger contrast between your hair color and skin tone will lend you a more dramatic overall look.
Your Hair Color Should Complement Your Skin Undertone
For warm undertones: Go for richer and darker shades of red and brown hair colors that have warmer overtones. For example, Copper Bonde or Chestnut.
For cool undertones: Go for calmer shades and neutral blonde hair colors that have cooler overtones. For example, Golden Brown.
Hair Color for Extremely Pale Skin Tones
Remember, if you have an extremely pale skin tone, stay away from very dark hair colors. Such colors will make you look paler than you are. Dark hair may also make you look way older than your actual age.
Hair Color for Light/Fair Skin Tones
If you have a light or fair skin tone, you'll look terrific in light blonde, platinum blonde, strawberry blonde, light golden brown, orange red, soft ginger, light auburn and brownish copper shades.
If you wish to try a tint that looks gorgeous and edgy at the same time, try coloring your hair platinum or bronde (brown + blonde) – two of the hottest hair colors of this season.
Hair Color for Warm/Medium Skin Tones
golden red, bright copper, icy brown, walnut, honey, toffee, chestnut, caramel and rosewood hair colors will make you look drop-dead gorgeous, if you have medium skin tone. However, if you have olive skin, stay away from colors that are closer to your skin tone and opt for darker shades instead.
Don't want to color all your hair? Try highlights instead! Go for streaks of golden, copper or bright red hair color to accentuate your look and show your fun side!
Hair Color for Deep Skin Tones
If you have a darker skin tone, you can choose one of the two extremes – either go for more natural dark shades such as medium ash brown, dark auburn red, burgundy, wine, plum, and dark brown or opt for contrasting light and shimmery tints in the likes of honey blonde or baby blonde.
Wish to try something funky? Go for dark blue, purple, or experiment with metallic shades in copper or gold! After all, YOLO!
Take Inspiration from Colored Outfits that Flatter Your Skin Tone
Another foolproof way to determine which hair color would suit you best, based on your skin tone, is to find out which color clothes flatter you the most.
If you look good in red, yellow, orange, golden yellow or green colored clothes – you can go for golden blonde, strawberry blonde, golden brown or auburn hair colors.
If you look good in red, purple, teal or charcoal gray colored clothes – dye your tresses in shades of sandy blonde, chocolate brown or mahogany hair color.
If you look good in bluish red, royal blue or black colored clothes – don't hesitate to try out burgundy, ash blonde, ash brown, platinum or even jet black hair color.
Eye Color
Just like our skin tone and undertone, our eye color also plays a significant role in helping us choose the right hair color. The lighter your eye color, the brighter shades of hair color you can go for!
If you have Brown, Hazel or Green eyes, go for hair colors with warm overtones. Shades likes burgundy, golden brown and golden blonde will look great on you and make your beautiful eyes pop.
If you have gray or blue colored eyes, light blonde, ash brown, ash blonde and platinum hair colors will look fantastic on you.
No matter which hair color you choose, you have to be careful about how it affects your overall image and whether it has any implications at your place of work. Instead of blindly following the latest hair trends and fashion fads, choose a hair color that not only matches but also enhances your overall personality – one that you will not only love but will also feel comfortable to sport!
