Hair Color & Skin Tone

A great hair color can brighten up your face, take years off of your skin and completely rejuvenate you. People will think you've had a face-lift, even though it's only the color of your hair that's been changed. However, the wrong hair color can make you look drab, washed-out, muddy and sallow, not to mention that it can be very aging.

Skin

Determine what your skin tone is by looking at the veins in your wrist. If they appear to be blue, you are a cool tone; if they appear green, you are warm, according to Hairstyler.com. If you need further confirmation, wipe your face clean of makeup, wrap a white scarf around your neck and look at yourself in the mirror. Does your skin look yellow (warm) or blue (cool)? Place a cool-colored (blue) article of clothing next to your face and then do the same thing with a warm-colored article (orange). Which color flatters you most? If it's the blue, then you are a cool tone. A fair-skinned person is not necessarily a cool tone and a dark-skinned person is not necessarily a warm tone, according to Threecustom.com. Sometimes a person can be a combination of both.

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Hair

Now that you've established what tone your skin is, select a hair color that will complement that.

Warm

According to stylist David Evangelista, who appeared on "The Early Show" (CBSnews.com), there are guidelines for helping you select the right hair color for your skin. If you have golden skin tones (warm, yellow), the best hair color for you is in the chestnut, mahogany, auburn and dark golden brown family. Evangelista advises highlighting with copper, cinnamon or red streaks. If you have warm skin, avoid super-black hair because this will make you look washed out, according to Wdxcyber.com. Another color to avoid is a brassy blond because this may look too harsh against your warm skin.

Cool

If you are a cool tone, Evangelista suggests using vibrant shades of blonde, red or brown for your hair's base color and then highlighting with ash, taupe, brown, honey or taupe shades that contrast with the base color. Cool-toned individuals look the best in red hair, reports Wdxcyber.com. In addition, ash blonds and cool browns will neutralize ruddy skin, which will look even redder if coupled with copper tones or gold.

Ruddy Skin

If you have ruddy (reddish) skin, Evangelista points out that over-bleaching your hair is a big mistake and bright red hues should be avoided. A good way to counteract the redness of your skin, according to the stylist, is to color your hair using light coffee colors or golden, beige or honey brown tones.

Pink or Olive undertones

If you are one of those individuals who has pinkish skin, stay away from garish reds and gold-blond hair colors. If you have an olive complexion, you will look great in deep shades of brown and red. Dark hair colors enhance green and brown eyes.

Yellow Undertones

Don't bleach your hair a bright yellow if you have yellow undertones because you will end up looking sallow. Sallow is a grayish-greenish-yellow color and no one wants to have skin that color.

Hair Color & Skin Tone by fragrances-and-cosmetics.com