Hair Colour: How to Choose Your Perfect Shade
Why do certain hair colours look stunning on some people and make others look meh?
At one time or another, many women have experimented being a warrior redhead or a bombshell blond, only to end up looking like a zombie. These days, there’s a rainbow selection of hair colours – out of a box or from a professional colourist.
But choosing the right shade doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Stylists know that deciphering your skin’s undertone is the key to deciding which hair colour will and will not work for you.
Discovering whether you have cool or warm undertones will help you choose your most flattering hair shade, so you’ll look and feel healthy and radiant.
What are Skin Undertones?
Most people know whether they’re fair, medium or have a dark skin tone. That’s the surface of the skin, but undertones are a bit tricky. Undertones are found below the surface of your skin and can be cool or warm.
Cool-toned skin has pinkish, blue and purple undertones, while warm-toned skin has peachy, yellow and golden undertones.
As a general rule, if you were born with lighter hair, you have cooler undertones, while dark hair points to warmer undertones.
Finding Your Undertone.
The first way to determine if you’re cool or warm is to look at the veins along your inner wrist in the daylight. You can also try wearing a pure white shirt or holding a sheet of white paper close to the veins in your face and neck. If the veins are blue, you have a cool undertone. Greenish veins indicate warm undertones.
The second method to determine your undertone is to notice how your complexion responds to sunlight. Are you a burner or a tanner? If you burn easily, you have less melanin which hints at cool undertones. If you tan by simply stepping out your front door, you likely have warm undertones.
Your natural eye colour can also help you determine your undertone. People with cool skin undertones tend to have blue, green, or grey eyes. Brown, hazel or amber eyes with golden flecks point to warm undertones.
Choosing Your Best Hair Colour.
To help you discover which category you fall under, here are some standard hair shades classified under cool and warm undertones and, as a bonus - colour seasons!
Notice how cooler undertones look better with cool hair colours, and warm skin tones pop with warm shades.
Although these are general guidelines, there are exceptions. You’ll want to choose a hair colour that gives your face a natural radiance.
Still confused? Investing in a professional colour analysis consultation will help you discover your best hair colour and more: your colour season, the best makeup palette and which jewellery metals to choose – gold or silver.
Pick your perfect hair colour and more, so you can strike a pose with confidence!
