Choosing a new hair colour can be a huge decision. Whether blonde, brunette, red, or something more unconventional, finding the perfect hair colour to suit your unique style can feel like a challenge. This guide is here to help you. From the best hair colour for fair or dark skin to matching your tone perfectly with your eyes, this is how to find the ideal shade. So, are you ready for the new you?
Settling on a new hair colour can be an exciting but also challenging decision. We know how important that choice is too. Finding the right shade can completely transform your appearance, lending a boost to both your natural beauty and all-round confidence.
With so many tones, styles, and hair dyeing techniques to choose from, finding the perfect finish can feel overwhelming. From muted and subtly beautiful shades to bold personality statements, the choice is near endless.
But the great thing is, with modern dyes now gentler on the hair and scalp than ever before, you can switch your hair up far more without causing lasting damage.
So, the only question is, what hair colour would suit me? We’re here to help you consider skin tone, eye colour, and personality type ahead of your next big change.
Pairing a complementary hair tone with the colour of your eyes can elevate both, and it is an important factor that is often overlooked.
Here, we explore the perfect hair colour ideas to pair alongside light and dark eyes, giving you either a bold contrast or a subtle sophistication.
Hair colours with cool undertones complement lighter blue eyes perfectly, creating a harmonious yet striking look. Think ashy blonde tones, rich caramel browns or light auburns.
For something new and exciting, more reddish shades like copper or strawberry blonde add a touch of fire to your look, without washing out your beautiful blues.
Darker eyes, on the other hand, naturally lend themselves to warmer, deeper shades. Subtly match your eyes to your hair with classic base tones like chestnut and chocolate brown or go bolder with a golden honey blonde or a luxurious burgundy.
Warm and rich tones complement the natural depth of brown eyes, and are especially suited to anyone with a darker complexion.
To enhance any cool tones in grey eyes, look no further than platinum blonde for a silvery shade that perfectly complements your lighter hue. Otherwise, for a striking contrast, deep and intense black and dark-brown tones can create a showstopping finish.
The key is to consider what exactly you want to accentuate. Do you want to lean into the cooler look your eyes naturally give you or create intrigue by injecting some rich warmth into your style?
Comforting shades like auburn, copper, or caramel naturally bring out the warmth of green eyes. In general, brown hair and green eyes is always a winning combination. Alternatively, you can add a slightly cooler undertone with a golden blonde that offers the best of both worlds.
But, what hair colour suits hazel eyes? The truth is, the same warm tones that work for both green and brown eyes also typically work well for hazel, depending on which eye shade you want to accentuate more.
Beyond eye colour, skin tone is also hugely important to consider when choosing the right shade for you. The first step is to figure out whether you have a lighter or darker complexion. From there, you can also start to consider whether you naturally have a cooler or warmer skin tone.
After that, all that is left is to choose the right hair colour:
Fair Complexion: The most popular and easiest to pair hair colours for fair skin typically fall somewhere on the blonde spectrum. While darker colours can look stunning when styled correctly, they have a tendency to look unnatural or overpowering. This is particularly true of fair skin and blue eye combinations. Look for hair colours that are cool and light, like ash or platinum blonde.
Dark Complexion: Darker skin tones often suit richer tones like chocolate brown or mahogany, as well as some deeper reds. As with a fair complexion, it is possible to create a stunning contrast with some lighter blondes or browns, but it can be trickier to find the perfect combination.
Cool Skin Tone: As with eye colour, cooler skin tones naturally lend themselves to cooler bluish or silvery undertones, as opposed to warmer golden hues.
Warm Skin Tone: The opposite is true of warmer complexions. Consider red or golden undertones first, rather than white or silvery hues.
Beyond the practicalities of eye colour and skin tone, it is also a good idea to consider how your hairstyle intersects with your personality.
Spring types are more likely to suit warmer, lighter tones like golden blonde or honey brown, while summer types may be more comfortable in slightly softer, cooler tones such as ash blonde or caramel brown.
If you are more of an autumn person, consider rich, intense tones like copper red or chestnut brown. Finally, winter aesthetics naturally lend themselves to bold, expressive shades like platinum blonde on one end of the spectrum or blue-black on the other.
There are several ways to test the right hair colour for you. If you're still unsure, these are some options to explore before committing to a permanent dye.
Your first step should be to try out your desired colours with virtual tools like Schwarzkopf's Find Your Colour. Simply upload a photo and trial as many shades and tones as you like before making any kind of commitment.
Next, if you're ready to experiment but still not commit long-term, go for a toner or hair chalk. These temporary approaches allow you to try out your new style for a week or two, then wash it out and be done with it if it's not for you.
Finally, before settling on your new colour, there are two more crucial factors to consider.
Firstly, remember to take your natural hair colour into account. A change of 2 to 3 shades often looks most natural. Drastic changes to your hair colour should be made gradually, a few shades at a time.
Secondly, decide how you are going to harmonise your new hairstyle with your eyebrows. Are you going to leave them natural for a contrasting look, or dye them too? Both can significantly change your overall look.
Final Tip: Don't drive yourself too mad with the question "Does this hair colour suit me?” For smaller colour changes, simply try out a new shade with a wash-out toner. For bigger changes, consider getting advice from a professional stylist; together you might find the perfect colour was something you never even considered.