Your Skin Tone Might Be the Secret to Your Best Hair Color Yet

What Is the Skin-Tone Hair Trend?

Simply put, the skin-tone hair trend is using your complexion to determine the best hair color for you. But Love says it goes a little beyond that. “To me, it’s really about choosing a hair color that complements you instead of just choosing a color because it looks pretty on someone else. Hair color can completely change how your complexion looks. The right tone can make your skin look brighter, your eyes pop, and honestly make you look more alive without even changing anything else.”

She raves that she loves “teaching the power of complementing your hair color to your skin tone because sometimes the smallest shift in tone makes the biggest difference.” Are you ready for it?

How Do You Match Your Hair Color to Your Skin Tone?

Despite the name, you don't necessarily want to literally match your hair color to your skin tone. Instead, the goal is to choose tones that complement your complexion while maintaining enough dimension that everything doesn't blend together. Love often plays with contrast—for cool-toned skin, she may weave in warmer tones, and vice versa. “It’s basically playing with opposites and creating balance,” she says.

Do Undertones Matter When Choosing Hair Color?

This brings us to our next question: Do undertones matter? Yes. Yes, they do. “Undertone is honestly one of the biggest things I look at,” notes Love. “You can have two people with very similar skin depth but completely different undertones, and the same blonde can look totally different on each of them.”

Not sure whether your undertone is warm, cool, or neutral? Our skin tone guide can help you figure it out before your next color appointment.

What Else Should You Consider When Choosing a Hair Color?

“First, I look at the client’s skin, eyes, natural hair color, and undertone,” shares Love. All of these components will help your colorist determine the most complementary color for you. 

Additionally, Love says to take into consideration your lifestyle and maintenance. “I can give someone the most beautiful color in the world, but if they don’t want to be in the salon every six weeks, then we need to create something that actually fits their life.” You may want platinum blonde or a jet-black hair, but if you’re not going to maintain it, you should consider something that will fit your lifestyle.

A few more things Love thinks about when finding the right hair color for her clients? “I also consider their natural level, eye color, hair condition, how they wear their hair, how often they heat-style, and, most importantly, what makes them feel like themselves.”

Best Hair Colors for Every Skin Undertone

The key is to focus on undertones here, as they’re one of the most important aspects of determining the best hair color for your skin tone. Love offers her favorite colors for each of the undertones, though feel free to explore additional shades.

Best Hair Colors for Cool Undertones

Warmth is the key for cool undertones, says Love. “Honey blonde, golden blonde, caramel, warm chocolate brunette, and coppery tones” are a few shades she suggests. She notes that “warmth can make cooler skin look so beautiful and glowy.”

Best Hair Colors for Warm Undertones

In keeping with the theme of contrast, Love suggests cool shades for warm skin tones. “For warmer skin tones, I love cooler beige blondes, champagne blondes, mushroom brunettes, neutral brunettes, and cooler dimensional tones.”

Best Hair Colors for Neutral Undertones

Neutral undertones tend to offer a little more flexibility when it comes to playing with both warm and cool hair colors. If you're torn between the two, work with your colorist to consider the other factors Love mentioned above—like your natural hair color, eye color, desired maintenance, and, most importantly, what makes you feel most like yourself.

Should Your Hair Color Match Your Skin Tone?

The skin-tone hair trend can be a helpful starting point for finding a color that complements you, but Love stresses that it isn't the end-all, be-all of hair color selection. “These are guidelines, not rules,” she says. “If you want platinum blonde, even though technically something warmer may complement you more, do it. I’m always going to believe your hair should make you feel confident first.”

So use your undertone as inspiration—not a limitation. The best hair color for you is ultimately the one you’re excited to wear.