Picking the Right Hair Color to Complement Skin Tone
Top Tips Every Stylist Should Know
You’re a pro when it comes to styling hair, right?
There’s not a blowout, chop, or total transformation out there that stands a chance against your skilled hands when a client sits down in your chair.
We love that confidence (really), and we want to make sure you’re exuding that in every single area of your career and profession.
So, don’t take this the wrong way when we ask but: does that confidence extend to your hair color selections?
Let’s face it.
Picking the right shade or tone for your individual clients is a freakin’ challenge.
What looks amazing on one client might look totally wrong for another.
Why? Because everyone is different, and even if two people appear to look pretty similar, they’ve got these subtle differences that can totally alter the way a color looks on them versus the way it looks on someone else.
So, how can you make sure that you’re picking the right color for your unique clients?
You’ve got to take key elements into consideration–including one of the most notable, their skin tone.
Because TBH, that last thing you want is to send your client out of your salon lookin’ like their hair color just doesn’t belong on their head.
So, sit back, relax, and get ready to unleash a whole new set of helpful knowledge on your color-picking decisions.
Top Tips for Picking Hair Color That Complements Skin Tone
Consult the Big Three for Color Recommendations
There are tons of factors that can go into picking the right hair color, tone, or shade, but (*bold statement ahead*) none matter more than the big three considerations. Natural hair color, eye color, and skin tone itself.
Natural Hair Color
The natural hair color is a big indicator of what someone’s skin tone might be.
Do you see soft hints of golden hues? They’re likely going to look better rockin’ a warmer tone.
Does their natural hair color have a cooler kick to it? This should help you determine which will look best.
Eye Color
Hints of warmer specks and warmer colors in your client’s eyes indicate that they have warm undertones and skin tones.
Cooler color with lots of blues and greens will normally point to a cooler skin tone.
Skin Tone
Cool-toned skin tends to have blue and olive undertones while warmer skin has a little yellow and gold. Warmer colors tend to flatter warmer skin tones while cooler colors tend to flatter cooler skin tones.
Neutral skin tones have a little bit of flexibility with colors and can often look good going either direction (from platinum blond to a warm, golden color).
Though, to be clear, this is not the industry standard–lots of stylists swear by the opposite, saying that warmer skin tones can rock the cooler colors better and vice versa.
A tip here? Try to make sure your client’s skin tone has at least two shades worth of difference to avoid making your client look washed out.
So, if your client wants to go lighter, make sure the difference is at least two shades lighter than their actual tone–otherwise, everything will blend together.
Don’t Forget About Undertones
Contrary to what some might tell you, there’s a difference between your skin tone and your undertones.
Your skin tone talks about the surface of your skin while the undertone is the subtle hint of color beneath the surface of your skin.
And of course, your undertone matters when picking a color.
So, you’re not sure how to identify your client’s skin tone, huh? Here’s a trick–check their wrist for their undertones.
Take your clients hands and either examine the tops of their hands or their wrists. Take a peek at their veins.
Do they seem to be purple or blue? If so, that’s a solid indication you’re working with a cool skin tone with cool undertones. Do the veins have more of a green appearance? That’s a tell-tale sign of warm undertones, for sure.
The Jewelry Test Helps, Too
Still unsure about your client’s skin tone? Take a peek at their jewelry.
If your client is wearing gold jewelry and it really pops against their skin tone, odds are that they’ve got a warmer skin tone. Are they rocking a silver or white gold look and it’s lookin’ fierce?
They’re more likely to be cool-toned.
Is your client not wearing any jewelry?
Bring your client into this conversation and ask them about what they wear regularly and what looks best on them.
Love the advice we give on the blog? We hope so–remember, this is all for you!
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