How to Choose Hair Color for Skin Tone

Co-authored by Kana Ishii

Last Updated: January 14, 2022

If you've looked in the mirror lately and thought you look drab or washed out, or if you have a lot of gray hair making your complexion look dull, it might be time to reevaluate your hair color. Rather than blindly choosing a color you like, make sure it will work with your shade and skin tone. Quickly determine the shade of your skin, then figure out what your skin's undertone is. Learn what hair colors work well with your exact skin. The right hair color will accentuate your appearance and make you look revitalized!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Evaluating Your Skin

1
Consider your skin's shade. Broadly speaking, the shade of your skin is most likely pale, medium, olive, or dark/deep. This should be fairly obvious, but helpful in choosing a hair color. You won't want your hair color to exactly match your skin's shade and tone or your hair color will look washed out.
2
Find your skin tone. Regardless of your skin's shade, you need to determine what your skin's undertone is: warm, cool, or neutral. Wear a white shirt and stand in front of the mirror. Stand in natural light or bright incandescent lights if possible. Look at the veins on the underside of your wrist to determine the undertone.^{[1]
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- If the veins are predominantly blue-purple, you've got cool undertones. If they're mainly green, you've got warm undertones, and if they're a mix between the two, you have neutral undertones.
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3
Think about your skin's undertones. If you're having trouble determining your skin's undertones, ask yourself a few simple questions. Do you look better in gold or silver? If gold, you've got warm undertones. If silver, you have cool undertones. What color are your eyes? If they're green, brown, or hazel, you've got warm undertones. If blue, grey, or green eyes, you've probably got cool undertones.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Choosing a Hair Color For Dark Skin Shades

1
Focus on choosing complementary colors for your skin. This means that the hair colors you choose should be at the opposite side of your skin tone on a color wheel to ensure that they will look good on you.^{[3]
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- For example, if you have golden skin, then an ivory blonde or an ash or mocha brown would look great on you.
- If you have cool skin, then a copper red, golden blonde, or honey brown would look great on you.
- If you have a neutral skin tone, then you will look best in muted shades, such as mahogany.
2
Balance any warm tones. If you have a warm undertone, choose a hair color that has rich chestnut or cinnamon shades. This will help balance out any of the yellow or warm undertones in your skin.
- If you have a warm, golden undertone and a lighter shade of dark skin, you can really choose most any hair color, from light to dark browns or reds and blondes. Highlights that contain a red base can help accent golden undertones.
3
Warm up any cool tones in your skin. If you have cool undertones, pick a hair color with some warm highlights to brighten your hair. You want a warmer shade to add some dimension to your hair, especially if it's already dark brown or black.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Choosing a Hair Color for Pale or Medium Skin Shades

1
Select a shade that is the opposite of your skin tone on a color wheel. Looking at a color wheel can help you to sift through the many different hair colors and select one that will look good on you.^{[4]
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- For example, if you have cool, pale skin, then opt for warm colors, such as golden browns and copper reds.
- If you have tan skin, then opt for cooler hair colors, such as ash browns and blondes.
2
Choose a deep rich base for your hair color. If you have warm undertones with yellow, pick a hair color that leans towards like chestnut, dark golden brown, auburn and mahogany. Then highlight using a red base, such as cinnamon or copper.
- If you choose a blonde base or blonde highlights, you may end up overemphasizing your yellow undertone.
3
Choose an intense color base for your hair. If you have cool tones with a pink or blue undertone, look for an intense brown, red, or blonde base. Then, pick highlights that have a honey-wheat or ash look. This will help contrast your cool undertones.
- Choose burgundy, cherry, or garnet hair color for dark skin with cool undertones. You can use these as a base color or highlight color. The cool red tones in this hair color give your skin a smooth even look.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Choosing a Hair Color for Olive Skin Shades

1
Choose a warmer hair color. If you have olive skin with a warm or yellow undertone, choose a golden color for your base. For example, choose a honey blonde, auburn, chestnut, or mocha color.
- If doing highlights, try a warm red color to really bring out the warmth of your skin tone.
2
Pick a cool hair color. If you have olive skin with a cool undertone, as most olive skinned people do, pick a hair color that highlights these cool tones.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Kana Ishii
Licensed Cosmetologist
Expert Interview. 22 December 2021.} For example, pick an ash, platinum, copper, or violet red.
- If you have dark olive skin with cool undertones, avoid choosing a light ashy blonde or something similar that will starkly contrast.
3
Accentuate your eyes. If you have a warm eye color, such as hazel, brown, or green, consider choosing a color that will highlight your eyes. For example, if your hazel eyes have some flecks of red, choose a hair color that has a reddish hue in order to bring out your eyes.

Expert Q&A

Question

What color hair goes best with olive skin?

Kana Ishii
Licensed Cosmetologist
Kana Ishii is a Licensed Cosmetologist in the US and Japan, currently based in Beverly Hills. With more than 18 years of experience, she specializes in hair styling and coloring services such as balayage. Her work has been featured in Elle Girl Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Modern Salon Magazine. She has also worked at major events, including The Academy Awards. Kana has won several hair competitions at some of the biggest beauty expos in the world such as the International Salon and Spa Expo and the Premier Orlando International Beauty Event.

Kana Ishii

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Cool colors like ash brown, lavender, and platinum blonde go perfectly with an olive skin tone.
Question

How do you know your skin tone?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can usually tell by looking at your veins. If they appear greenish through your skin that indicates a warm skin tone. If they look blue or purplish that indicates a cool skin tone. If you have both green and blue veins you probably have a neutral skin tone. Also, consider which clothing colors that flatter you the most. For instance, if you look good in cream, gold, red, and other warm colors, you probably have a warm skin tone. However, if you look better in blue, gray, and violet, you probably have a cool skin tone.
Question

Which brand of hair color is the best?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

This really depends on what you're trying to achieve. For example, I like Goldwell for blondes but prefer Redken to create natural-looking dimensional brown shades.