How to Choose a Hair Color for Your Skin Tone

The fastest way to make any hair color look intentional is to match its undertone to your skin's undertone. Warm skin generally looks most lit-up next to warm hair colors, and cool skin next to cool ones — though the strongest looks often come from a deliberate, subtle contrast rather than an exact match.

If you have a warm undertone

Look for honey blonde, caramel, copper, auburn, and warm chocolate brown. These shades have gold, red or orange bases that echo the warmth already in your skin.

If you have a cool undertone

Look for ash blonde, cool brunette, espresso, blue-black, and rose or violet-toned reds. These shades avoid gold or orange casts that can clash with cool, pink-based skin.

If you're neutral

Neutral undertones have the most flexibility and can usually pull off both warm and cool shades — the safest bet is a shade close to your natural color, adjusted a few tones lighter or darker.