The right hair color can make your skin look clearer and your eyes brighter, while the wrong one can make you look tired or washed out. The secret is matching hair color to your undertone and your depth, not just to what's trending. Here is how to choose the best hair color for your skin tone.
Step 1: Know your undertone
- Warm: golden, peachy skin; gold jewelry looks best.
- Cool: pink or rosy skin; silver looks best.
- Neutral: a balance; both metals work.
- Olive: a green-grey or muted golden cast.
Not sure? Use the tests in how to find your undertone.
Step 2: Consider your depth and contrast
Very fair skin with very dark hair creates high contrast, which suits some people and looks harsh on others. As a rule, staying within two or three shades of your natural color looks the most natural; bigger jumps work best when they suit your season.
Hair colors for warm skin tones
Warm undertones usually glow in hair colors with golden, red or copper reflect:
- Golden blonde and honey blonde
- Strawberry blonde and copper
- Caramel and toffee balayage
- Golden brown and warm chestnut
- Auburn and mahogany for deeper skin
Avoid very ashy blonde, icy platinum and blue-black, which can make warm skin look sallow.
Hair colors for cool skin tones
Cool undertones usually look best in hair colors with ash, beige or blue-violet reflect:
- Ash blonde, platinum and pearl blonde
- Cool beige blonde
- Ash brown and mushroom brown
- Cool espresso and blue-black
- Burgundy, plum and cool red-violet
Avoid brassy gold, orange-copper and very warm caramel, which can bring out redness in cool skin.
Hair colors for neutral skin tones
Neutral undertones are the most flexible. Most shades work, so choose by depth and personal style:
- Bronde (between brown and blonde)
- Soft golden-beige blonde
- Milk chocolate and chestnut
- Soft black
Hair colors for olive skin
- Chocolate and espresso
- Caramel balayage
- Warm chestnut and mahogany
- Soft black for deep olive skin
Be careful with yellow-blonde and very ashy shades. More tips in our olive skin tone guide.
Hair colors for pale and fair skin
- Warm fair skin: strawberry blonde, light copper, golden blonde.
- Cool fair skin: platinum, ash blonde, cool light brown, or dramatic dark brown for high contrast.
- Very dark colors on very fair skin can emphasize redness and dark circles, so consider soft dark brown rather than jet black.
Hair colors for deep skin
- Warm deep skin: copper, auburn, honey-caramel highlights, golden brown.
- Cool deep skin: blue-black, burgundy, plum, cool espresso.
- Highlights two to three shades lighter than your base add dimension without washing you out.
Hair color by eye color
Eye color is a secondary guide, but it helps:
- Brown eyes: caramel, chestnut and honey highlights bring out golden flecks.
- Blue eyes: copper and strawberry blonde make blue eyes pop (warm skin); ash blonde and cool brown suit cool skin.
- Green eyes: auburn, copper and mahogany emphasize green.
- Hazel eyes: golden brown and caramel bring out warm flecks.
Try before you dye
The fastest way to know is to see the color on your own face. Upload a selfie to the hair color changer and compare up to four shades side by side. If you want a full list of shades for your season, start with the AI color analysis.
FAQ
What hair color is best for warm skin tones?
Golden blonde, honey, strawberry blonde, copper, caramel, golden brown and auburn.
What hair color is best for cool skin tones?
Ash blonde, platinum, cool beige blonde, ash brown, cool espresso, blue-black, burgundy and plum.
What hair color makes you look younger?
Softer, slightly lighter shades with dimension (subtle highlights or balayage) usually look more youthful than flat, very dark color. Choose a shade that matches your undertone.
What hair color suits pale skin?
Warm fair skin suits strawberry blonde, light copper and golden blonde; cool fair skin suits platinum, ash blonde and cool light brown.
Should hair color match skin tone or eye color?
Undertone matters most. Eye color is a useful tiebreaker between shades that already suit your skin.
