To choose the right hair color for your skin tone, match your hair to your skin's undertone: cool undertones (blue, pink) are flattered by cool shades like ash blondes, cool browns and violet reds, while warm undertones (yellow, golden) are brightened by warm shades like golden blondes, coppers, and caramels. Neutral undertones can wear both. To brighten your skin tone, choose a shade that either compliments your undertones and features (like bronze skin or blue eyes) or counteracts any dullness or tones you want to minimize (like ashy dull hair color or redness in your skin).
Changing your hair color is one of the most exhilarating ways to refresh your look, but the right shade has as much to do with your skin’s undertones as your natural hair color. Here's how to find yours.
How to Choose the Right Hair Color for Your Skin Tone
Whether you're asking yourself "what color hair should I have for my skin tone" or you're just ready to switch things up, understanding your skin's undertone is the first step.
Your skin tone is what you probably reach for in the makeup aisle: light, medium, tan, olive, deep, etc. There are only three main undertones, though, that inform how your skin tone reads, and ultimately how your hair color registers on you.
Undertones can be warm, cool, or neutral - but your undertone doesn't limit you to one hair color family. Celebrities like Zendaya, Rihanna and Emma Stone have worn everything from blonde and brunette to red. The key is choosing a version of that color that complements your skin's undertones; for example, a warmer or cooler blonde, brown, or red. The right tone can make both your hair color and complexion look more vibrant.
How to Match Hair Color to Skin Tone - Determine Your Skin Tone
You might be wondering, “What is my undertone, anyway?”
If your undertone is cool, it will have blue, pink, or ruddy undertones. Your veins will appear bluish in natural light (look at the inside of your wrist for clues). Your eye color may have specks of blues and greens. And your skin tends to burn, not tan (so slather on that sunscreen).
If your undertone is warm, it will have yellow, peachy, or golden undertones. Your veins will appear greenish in natural light. If you have a lot of gold specks in your eyes, that’s another hint that your undertones are warm. Your skin tends to tan, not burn (please wear sunscreen, though).
If you have a neutral undertone,there's no obvious undertone in your skin color. Both warm and cool tones flatter you. (Similarly, neutral hair color shades are a safe bet for everyone.)
Veins can be hard to read, especially on deeper skin tones, so here are two more quick tests to confirm your undertone:
The jewelry test. Silver flatters cool undertones, gold flatters warm. If both look good on you, you're likely neutral.
The white fabric test. Hold pure white and cream next to you in natural light. If pure white brightens your skin you lean cool; if cream looks better, you lean warm.
According to Madison Reed's color expert Susan Roberts-Cooper, you probably already know whether you're warm or cool, based on your wardrobe. “What you reach for on a bad day is what your skin tone finds most flattering.” If your go-to is navy, black, white, or gray, you're cool. If it's cream, beige, or dark brown, chances are you're warm.
Finding Your Perfect Shade
Here is a pretty simple rule to remember: cool hair color complements cool skin tones, warm hair color complements warm skin tones. For example, if you have cool undertones, look for shades like an ash brown with smoky undertones or an icy blonde to complement your complexion. If you have warm undertones, try golden, strawberry or caramel blonde shades or a cinnamon brown with mahogany tone for something darker. If your tones are neutral, you can get away with a spectrum running from copper to neutral blonde and brown shades.
Want help finding your perfect hair color? Take the Madison Reed Color Quiz Online. It will guide you through questions about your skin tone and the subtle hints of color you want to see. Want to see what the shade looks like on you? You can upload your picture or use your phone or computer camera to use our Virtual Try On Tool.
If you need an extra hand, call or chat with our Color Crew. Speaking with a Madison Reed licensed colorist is especially important if you are trying to go lighter or have chemically treated hair. During the consultation, the colorist can assess your skin tone, eye color, natural hair color, amount of gray coverage needed, and more, to determine the right hair color for your skin tone.
In the meantime, let’s look at some scenarios.
Fair and light skin tones show contrast easily, so both icy cool shades and warm golden shades read clearly. Let your undertone lead. Say you're a fair-skinned person with cool tones who wants a complementary blonde shade: reach for an icy platinum or opalescent shade. We like Pisa Blonde - 9NA.
