How to choose the perfect hair colour for your skin tone

We recently caught up with Stephanie Sharper, hair stylist and owner at Sharper Creations; here’s what she had to say about finding the perfect shade to compliment your natural colouring. 

Your perfect hair colour all starts with undertones

“First off, here’s some good news!” says Stephanie, “Any hair colour can work with any skin colour, it all depends on the undertones. The first step I take when a client asks me to help them find a hair colour that suits their natural colouring is to take a look at whether they present with cool or warm skin undertones, and advise them accordingly.”

“Whether you choose a blonde, brunette, red or dark shade, there are cool tones and warm tones in each spectrum. For instance, if a person with a cool undertone to their skin comes into the salon wanting to go blonde, I would recommend that they go for shades like platinum or ice. Think along the lines of Pink with her lovely platinum shades. A person with a warmer undertone - think Jennifer Aniston - would do better with a golden or caramel blonde, a brown shade with a red undertone, mahogany or chocolate.”

How to check your skin’s undertones

In short, the rule of thumb is that cool skin undertones match cool hair shades, while warm skin undertones go well with warmer hair colours. Want to figure out whether you have a cool or warm skin undertone at home? Here are a few ways to get to grips with your natural tones: 

1.    Check the colour of the veins on the inside of your wrists - the bluer they look, the cooler your skin tone, the greener they look, the warmer your tones. 
2.    Ask yourself how your skin reacts to sun exposure. People with a  warm undertone tend to tan easily; those with cooler undertones often turn pink fairly quickly. 
3.    Have a look in your closet. If you lean towards earthy shades like brown, orange, red and olive green, odds are you’ve got warm tones; if there’s a lot of blue, purple and emerald green in there, you are more than likely cool-hued. 

Still not quite sure? Have a chat with your hair stylist or skin therapist, they will be able to tell you pretty much instantly. These fine folks are schooled in sussing it out ASAP.  

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