Choosing a hair color to compliment your skin tone
Your natural hair color and skin color are the same tone. Put simply, warm skin tones look best with warm hair colors and cool skin tones look best with cool hair colors.

Put simply, warm skin tones look best in warm colors and cool tones look best in cool colors. Sounds simple, right? Well kind of, once you’ve figured out your tone…. you could try a paper test, a window test, a blusher test (more info below!) – or you could just look at the veins in your wrist…
Insider tip
Blue veins indicate a cool undertone, while green veins indicate a warm undertone. See both? You're most likely a neutral.
The paper test
Look in a mirror and hold a piece of white paper up to your face. …
A warm tone | You’ll see a hint of yellow, blue-red or rose pink. |
A cool tone | Your skin will look gray, blueish-red or yellow-green (olive). |
A neutral tone | If you’re somewhere in the middle, you’ve got a neutral skin tone. |
The window test
Stand near a window and using a mirror, look at the area directly beneath your eyes. Does the skin look purple-y, blue (cool tone) or more yellowish, green (warm tone)?
The blusher test....
Dust pink blusher onto one cheek and peach blusher on the other cheek. Apply it heavier than you typically would (don’t worry, you won’t be walking around like this!). Stand near a window and look into a mirror.
- • Does the pink blusher pick up pink tones in your skin? You’re most likely a cool.
- • If the peach blusher picks up golden tones in the skin, you’re a warm.
So, how does all this help me pick a hair color?
Cool skin tones = cool hair colors | Shades of hair color that will work well with your skin tone include “ash,” “platinum” and “champagne.” |
Warm skin tones = warm hair colors | Look for names like “golden,” “bronze,” and “copper” on your hair color box. |
Now choose your color.