A Quick Guide: Perfect Hair Color Ideas For Your Skin Tone

Published April 24, 2024

Picking the top hair color for your skin tone may seem daunting. You may take yourself too seriously or not at all. You may think it’s just a hair color; everyone can look good. But in reality, your hair color can make you radiant and, in contrast, dull and off-looking. 

Any complexion can lock in some version of most shades. Learning critical tips on picking the best hair color for your skin tone will help you secure a hue that looks best on you. Keep on reading, as we’ll help you learn just that. Let’s start. 

Find Your Undertones

Before deciding on your best hair color, figure out your complexion’s undertones. Most people fall into one of three categories. It is warm, calm, and neutral. And these undertones are all possible whether your complexion is dark, medium, or fair. 

• Look for specific colors: Cool-toned skin has blue and olive undertones, while warm-toned complexion has yellow and gold. 
• Find your celebrity match: When you’re looking for A-list color inspiration, note which stars seem to have the same skin and eye colors as your own. This will give you a better idea of how the shade will actually look on you. 
• Examine your wrist. It is one of the most accessible places to check your veins and a great tone indicator. If your veins are blue or purple, you’re likely cool-toned. If they are green, you are warm. 
• Take hints from your eye color. If you have a pool of gold specks in your eyes, you might have a warm undertone. If you have lots of blues and greens, you are typically calm. 

Ideal Hair Colors for Your Skin Tone

Deep skin with warm undertones 

The best shades to embrace are caramel, golden brown, and butterscotch 

Who it’s best for? Warm, deep skin tones will do themselves a favor with these hues. Warm browns and caramels accentuate their skin’s natural depth. Also, if your hair is already blonde, tone it with shades of caramel. 

Deep skin with cool undertones 

The best shades to embrace: Dark mocha, brown-black, and deep black

Who it’s best for: Consider a cool-toned hair color if you have a deep complexion with cool undertones. You might love rich brown or black, burgundy, or cool auburn. These shades can pair with your deep skin tone and create a stunning contrast. However, avoid warm-toned hair colors, which can look too orange against your cool-toned skin. Cool black shades look amazing on deep skin. Still, adding chocolatey tones is also an excellent way to warm it up. 

Deep skin with neutral undertones

The best shades to try: Auburn red, reddish brown, and chestnut 

Who is best for neutral undertones? They can undoubtedly flaunt every color. Going for shades that look vibrant can be stunning. These tones contain warmth, offering the perfect glow against the skin. 

Medium skin with warm undertones 

The best shades to try are dark chocolate, chestnut, dark auburn, and mocha. 

Who it’s best for: You can never go wrong with dying your hair brown. This shade works on almost everyone. A more excellent brown can particularly look striking on those with a warm complexion, as it helps make yellow undertones look creamier. It can have a beautiful, soft effect. 

Medium skin with cool undertones 

The best shades to lean into: Caramel, honey, golden brown, amber, cinnamon, mahogany 

Caramel and brown are excellent for those with medium skin. It’s vital to pick a shade that contrasts with your complexion to avoid looking washed out. Caramel browns fit best with those on the lighter side of olive. They have a bit more yellow and green tones to them. 

Medium skin with neutral undertones 

The best shades to try: True black, expresso, blue-black, licorice 

It’s best for neutral skin tones, which are right in the middle of the hair color spectrum. Most hair color tones are compatible with them. Depending on your preference, you can skew warm or cool. Still, a good rule is to choose a base hair color within two shades of your natural color. Anything darker can look harsh, and lighter can become brassy. 

Fair skin with warm undertones 

The best shades to lean into: Platinum, ice, silver, ash, sand, beige, and champagne 

Who it’s best for? Cool blonde shades look phenomenal against porcelain skin with blue, violet, and golden undertones. Icy shades tend to neutralize redness. Moreover, a fantastic, ashy blonde works seamlessly alongside blue or gray eyes; it can also make rich brown eyes glow. 

Fair skin with cool undertones

The best shades to embrace: Gold, caramel, amber, butterscotch, honey 

Who is best for fair skin with cool undertones? It looks terrific with warm tones. Copper, strawberry blonde, honey, and gold are the top examples to try. These shades also work better for those with olive skin, as an ashy blonde shade can make you off-putting. 

Fair skin with neutral undertones 

The best shades to lean into: Strawberry blonde, copper, rust, amber 

Who is best for strawberry blondes is amazing in fair and neutral skin tones. You may suggest to your colorist that you mix cool and warm tones to obtain a creamy yet warm hue with a touch of golden copper. A light, warm shade of red can also counteract the cool tones in pale skin. 

Shades to Avoid 

Warm undertones: If you have warm undertones, you should abstain from shades that are too golden or warm. Conversely, look for cool, blue-toned, or ashy shades that balance out your complexion’s innate warmth. 

Cool undertones: hair enthusiasts with this undertone should avoid hair hues that are too cool or ashy. These shades can make the complexion look dull and washed out. Instead, secure warm, golden, and reddish tones to suit the skin and give it natural warmth. 

Neutral tones: People with neutral skin tones have almost all the shades working in their favor. These people fall right in the middle. Still, it would help them to check out pictures of their desired shade on people with similar undertones so they can smartly decide.