Choosing the Right Hair Colour

One of my client's biggest complaints is their hair colour. They can’t find the right mix for them, or feel the colour they chose turns out completely different. The most crucial aspect of hair colour is choosing the right colour for your aesthetic. Once your hair tone harmonises with your aesthetic, then your natural colouring comes alive, and you stand out rather than your hair taking over.

How do you achieve the right hair colour?

Step One - Colour Temperature

Choose the right base for your skin tone. Colour temperature is categorised into cool and warm tones – i.e. colours with a blue base or a yellow base. You have a blue or yellow base to your skin tone. If you choose colours that are from the same palette or base then you will look in-focus. If you choose colours from an opposing palette, then you can look too cold or too brassy. Nature chooses the right colour for you, and when you make a change, you need to maintain that natural harmony. Examples of warm and cool hair colourants:

Warm Cool

Honey, Golden Ash, platinum, silver

Chestnut Brown Chocolate, neutral brown

Brown Black Jet Black

Copper, Auburn, Paprika, Russett Mahogany, Plum, Raisin, Burgundy

Step Two - Depth of colour

Choose the right depth of colour - light, medium, or dark. This depends on your overall colouring. Generally, if you have dark eyes and dark hair, then you will obviously suit the darker shades or deeper/stronger colours, and the same for fair skin and light eyes with fair hair. There are of course some exceptions to the rule; your eyes give you the ultimate clue. But, if you choose the wrong base, it changes your whole image completely and irrevocably, and your hair could look like it isn’t real or dominate your face. Case in point, it turned Cameron Diaz from the cheerful, bubbly blonde that we love, to a more serious, cold brunette. The other way around, the blonde could make a brunette look unfocused, naive, and invisible, rather than sophisticated and strong. Nikki Reed is a good example - she went blonde for her role in Twilight and it totally changed her look.

Cameron Diaz Nikki Reed

Step Three - Personality

Consider your key personality traits and choose a colour or shade that corresponds. Are you more extrovert or introvert? Can you wear vibrant colours or more muted tones? Do you suit a blend of tints or shades, or do you suit one block colour? Think of the variants of a colour and what level of intensity would best suit you, e.g. if you opt for auburn for your hair colour, then you have the choice of vibrant auburn, or a softer muted auburn. Muted colours aren’t stark but more tonal, so the colour isn’t so clear and sharp. If you are not sure, think of the colours you prefer to wear. Are they more neutral or stronger primaries?

Step Four - Keep it natural

You may be someone like me that prefers to go au naturel, and not use hair colorants at all. I am naturally grey, and have been since my early 30’s, and I find, after using different colourants, that my natural grey works the best with my complexion and colouring. Why? Well I think it works with my personality (step three), and I was naturally blonde as a small child so I feel I am just going back to being light (step two), and it works well with my colour temperature (step one). I can wear very light and bright colours, so my hair colour is enhanced and it brings out a natural radiance. If any of the variables were different, then I would choose another colour.

One other word of advice, a good hairdresser will be able to advise you what colours would be best for you. But, a word of warning - not all hairdressers, in fact very few (especially colourists), really understand colour theory. If your instinct screams don’t do it, then don’t!

A GREAT to-die-for hairdresser: Gianni Scumaci, Stannard & Slingsby, 211-213 Kensington High Street (First floor), London W8 6BD +44 (0) 7768 240008 or email.