Choosing the hair colour that’s perfect for you

Unless you go to a hair salon, never go more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair colour. Once you know if you're a warm or cool, you'll have a better idea of the hair colour shades that will look best with your skin tone.

If you have a warm skin tone
You're likely a "warm" like Jessica Alba if you have golden, olive or dark skin and brown or dark eyes (most Latinas, Asians and Africans fall into this category). "Warm" women tan easily and the veins in their inner wrists are green. Peach suits them better than pink.

      

• Choose golden shades such as caramel and bronze in a darker shade than your skin.
• If you do opt for a golden shade, don't go too light or your hair could turn orange.
• Avoid jet-black hair. It will make you look washed out.  
• Can you go blonde as a "warm"? Yes. But it is a delicate process and should be done in a salon, not on your own.

If you have a cool skin tone
You're a "cool" like Drew Barrymore if you have fair skin and blue or green eyes, and if you burn before you tan and the veins in your wrists look blue. Pink suit you better than peach.

         

• Ash blondes and cool browns work best.
• Avoid “yellowish” colours such as gold or copper (as Drew has in the centre photo above). They will not enhance your skin’s reddish undertones.

Would you make a Great Blonde?

• Usually only people who had blonde hair as children have the right skin tone to be blonde adults.
• You'll look good blonde if you have pink skin that burns easily, and blue or green eyes. If this is not you – it doesn’t mean you absolutely can't be blonde. But it does mean you need the right shade and you should ask a professional for advice.
• Brassy blonde colour or highlights on someone with a warm skin tone can be harsh. Opt for warmer shades instead.
• If you have brown hair and want to go blonde, you don't want to go too light or you could look washed out. So rather opt for contrast: highlights and lowlights, as Jennifer Aniston does. And keep in mind that darker hair will actually complement brown or green eyes better than blonde hair.

If you look at these photos of Jessica Alba and Nicole Richie below, with their warm undertones, what do you think looks best – toned down or blonde-blonde?

    

Can you go red?
Good news! Almost everyone can go red; but with the reds ranging from strawberry blonde to titian red it’s just a matter of finding the right shade. So we suggest a visit to a professional stylist.

One drawback with going red is that red pigment fades fast – especially in the sun, or if you swim or wash your hair often, and don’t use professional colour-preserving products.

           

The Right Way to Go (or Stay) Brown
If you have pale skin and brown hair, consider going lighter. A shade that’s too dark can wash you out and even make you look older.

How to conceal Gray
Many women who are more than half gray make the decision to go blonde. It’s best to visit a professional stylist if you’re thinking of going this route.
If you want to stick with your natural colour and your hair is less than one-third gray, opt for a semi-permanent colour that matches or is a shade lighter than your natural colour. The gray will blend right in.

Semi permanent colours wash out, whereas permanent colours have to grow out. You can fix colour that's not right, if you did it yourself with a semi-permanent colour. Look for a shampoo with "ammonium laurel sulphate" to wash away the colour faster.
Single-process colour or highlights; what’s best?

• If you have a great base hair tone, you're better off with highlights. Why go against nature when all you need is to enhance what you already have.
• If your base colour washes out your skin tone or is not making a good statement, consider single-process colour. Highlights look best when the stylist uses at least two different shades. Ask for most of the highlights to be around the face as this will give your complexion a lift.
• Although the upfront cost of single-process colour is less expensive than highlights, bear in mind that with all-over colour roots will need to be touched up every four to six weeks. Whereas highlights can last a few months, depending on the type you get.
• Ask your stylist about a gloss treatment following your colour. Gloss boosts colour and makes hair shinier.

To learn more about the colours that suit you best, read Colours that make YOU glow. http://www.wonderfulwomennetwork.com/magazines/April2009/inform2009april_ColoursMakeYOUglow.html