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Your guide to finding out which hair colour is best for you

3 April 2018

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Hair colour, you’re doing it wrong.

It’s one thing to know that you want to go blonde, brunette, red or black, but deciding on which shade, is a whole other hair colour conundrum that is, more often than not, plagued by sinister amounts of trial and error.

Fortunately, there is a set of hard and fast rules to finding the most compatible shade for you. According to celebrity hairstylist Remington Schulz, it all comes down to your unique skin tone.

Your skin tone, also known as undertone but not to be mistaken for complexion (light, medium or dark), falls into one of three categories: cool, neutral or warm. Those with cool toned skin have pink and blue undertones, those with warm have yellow and green, and those with neutral share a balance of both. Discerning which skin tone you are will guide which shade of hair colour is best suited to you… Read on to find out how to do this.

How to figure out your skin tone

1. Hold a piece of paper to your face

  • If your skin appears pink, rosy or blue-ish red… you have a cool skin tone. This makes you compatible with cool or ashy shades or hair colours.
  • If your skin appears yellow or sallow next to the paper… you have a warm skin tone and consequently should stick to warm hair colours.
  • If your skin appears grey… you probably have an olive complexion with neutral undertones meaning you’re the lucky few that can experiment with both warm and cool hair colours.

2. Check your wrist veins
Turns out the colour of the veins seen on your wrist are another giveaway for your skin tone. Blue veins indicate cool tones while green lean towards warm tones.

3. Find your A-list match
Using celebrity hair transformations is a great source of inspiration. However, it does not necessarily suggest that just because one celeb can carry off a colour change, means that you can too. We recommend looking to A-listers that share similar skin tone and eye colour for you to gain a better idea of how a shade will look on you. Not to mention how useful this can be when getting on the same page as your hair stylist come appointment day.

Scroll through our gallery to find the right hair shade for you:

 

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1/8

Cool Red

Celeb Match: Madelaine Petsch
Shades: Auburn, Burgundy, Cinnamon, Blue Red

Expert advice:

While it might sound counterintuitive, cooler red hues are especially flattering on ruddy undertones, as it gives your skin a natural glow, says Remington. Warm, peachy complexions will also see their skin pop with cooler, darker, more auburn reds. In fact, Remington says those with olive undertones may find it difficult to find a flattering red hair hue to sport.

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2/8

Warm Red

Celeb Match: Bella Thorne
Shades: Strawberry, Copper, Crimson, Reddish Blonde

Expert advice:

“Fair and neutral skin tones work best with creamier, warmer reds,” says Remington. “A hint of golden copper tends to add warmth to the skin, which brings out the colour in your eyes.”

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3/8

Cool Brown

Celeb Match: Dua Lipa
Shades: Chestnut, Mocha, Chocolate, Medium Ash Brown

Expert advice:

Since the tone is almost universally flattering, it’s hard to go wrong with brown, but cooler tones can look particularly striking on the warmer skin, as it helps yellowish undertones appear more creamy. Remington says multidimensional highlights add a softer finish on cool browns and is ideal for girls with deeper skin tones.

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4/8

Warm Brown

Celeb Match: Miranda Kerr
Shades: Bronde, Caramel, Golden Brown, Chocolate Brown, Dark Golden Brown

Expert advice:

Medium skin tones will benefit best from this colour range, especially when applied to hair correctly. Remington says to ask your colourist for naturally warm roots and buttery highlights, to help give dimension to the hair and add richness and contrast.

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5/8

Cool Black

Celeb Match: Kendall Jenner
Shades: Licorice, Espresso, Jet Black

Expert advice:

Don’t be fooled – when it comes to hair, black isn’t a one-trick pony. While fairer skin tones may find this shade a little harsh to flaunt, warmer and neutral complexions and those with olive undertones will find that a hue in this shade can have a dramatic, porcelain-like effect on the skin.

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6/8

Warm Black

Celeb Match: Shay Mitchell
Shades: Warm Mocha, Brown-Black

Expert advice:

Adding subtle hints of warm chocolate tones to dark hair is the perfect way to add warmth and depth to the colour. Warm undertones will benefit from adding a few face-framing highlights in a tonal colour that’ll blend seamlessly and create a more natural looking finish.

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7/8

Cool Blonde

Celeb Match: Margot Robbie
Shades: Light Blonde, Light Ash Blonde

Expert advice:

“True light blonde hair is the kind of natural blonde some people have when they’re younger before the hair has had a chance to darken naturally. Falling right in between ash and golden blonde, this spectrum is ideal for complementing fair skin and hazel or blue eyes. Pining after an even lighter hue? Light ash blonde is best suited to those with rosy undertones,” says Remington.

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8/8

Warm Blonde

Celeb Match: Rosie Huntington-Whitely
Shades: Golden Ombre, Champagne, Honey, Caramel, Bronde, Butterscotch

Expert advice:

“Warmer undertones have found their match when it comes to these buttery, warming hues. To perfect the look, ask your colourist for freelights, in order to get that sun kissed effect on the hair. Opt for a multidimensional mix of buttery, gold and honey blondes, which will make the colour look natural, not processed,” says Remington.

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