As a rule of thumb, warm undertones do best with reddish and golden tones, and cool undertones are flattered by ash-toned hair color. Still perplexed? Worry not, as it took me a while, too, to understand what hair color looks best on me. But with a little bit of research—and some painful trial and error!—I finally got it. Read on for a quick primer (and fun quiz!) on finding your next best shade:
Quiz: What Hair Color Looks Best On Me?
1. Warm Undertones
Do you have a yellowish tinge to your skin and look great in gold jewelry? Do you have dark eyes, or do your eyes have golden flecks? Do you tan easily in the summer and look a bit sallow in the winter? Then you, my friend, have a warm undertone. Luckily, you can play with a huge gamut of colors on the spectrum—anything with the words “golden,” “burnt” or “reddish” is pretty much fair game. We especially love auburns, caramel balayage highlights and burnt siennas for the fall/winter transition, as they bring out the glow in your complexion while also being low-maintenance. If you’re willing to log in the hours at that artist’s chair, you can also opt for a bright orangey copper—the color of freshly-minted pennies!—for a fashionable, outstanding look. Blonde-wise, stick to the yellower side of things, particularly with honey, golden and beach blonde shades. They’re sure to bring out the flecks in your irises and look fabulous against a sultry, tanned complexion.
2. Cool Undertones
Do you blush easily, have a lot of pink in your cheeks or burn quite easily in the sun? Do you have a lighter eye color, and look better with silver or rose gold jewelry? You might just be under the “cool” spectrum. Those with a cool undertone should choose hair colors that have a lot of ash or green pigments in them, as these hues help counteract the redness in their complexions. Buzzwords to look for: “ash,” “cool” and “true” are some qualifiers hair colors have to signify a shade that might go well with your undertone. Medium chocolate browns, mochas, café au lait browns, khakis and dark ash blonde highlights are all viable hues that give dimension to your hair. For more intense hair colors, true reds such as scarlet or even deep burgundy give you an ethereal glow. Flaxen, baby blondes and even platinum are the shades of blonde to look into, as they don’t have much yellow in them, which would clash with all the pink in your skin. Still wondering, what hair color looks best on me? Take our quiz and see which shade you’re drawn to. [ath_quiz id=”28002″]
