I am really loving the trendy and fun hair colors I am seeing all over the place these days. Have you been considering taking the plunge and coloring your tresses with a funky and fun color like pink, grey, purple, blue, orange or green? How do you know which of the fun colors and which intensity of the colors work best with you?
Choosing a fun hair color that doesn't overpower you is a key ingredient to joining in on the fun hair color trend while giving off your best. If you choose a fun hair color that overpowers you, you could look dull, worn, outdated, odd, unbalanced, and even older.
Here are 2 steps to choose a trendy and fun hair color that works with you to give off a vibrant, healthy, balanced and potentially more youthful glow.
1. Choose hair colors that align with your skin undertone: Hair colors are grouped by undertone in hair color swatch books that you find at hair salons -- choose a hair color that matches your skin undertone. If you are unable to do a formal undertone analysis with a trained color analysis professional, ask your hair colorist if he/she can determine by looking at you if you have a cool, warm or a neutral undertone.
For instance, if you have a cool undertone you will want to avoid orange, red, yellow, warm pinks, warm blues and warm green colors in your hair. If you have a warm undertone, you will want to avoid cool pinks, cool blues, most violets, cool grey and cool green colors in your hair.
2. Choose hair colors and intensities that align with your seasonal color palette: The best way to do this is by having a color analysis consultation and/or working with a hair colorist who has significant training and experience identifying what your most optimal hair colors are.
Before taking the fun hair color plunge, I also advise thinking through whether an all-over solid fun color look versus more subtle highlights or subtle painting in of the hair color works best with you and your lifestyle.
To show you a few picture examples of the steps above, I recruited a few of my colleagues at Studio Fontana in Toronto, Canada to participate in this blog.
Here is Cheryl Gushue.
She has a warm undertone and her best colors fall within the warm seasonal color palette (flow between Autumn and Spring seasons).
Cheryl's optimal, more natural hair color(s) include: warm browns and golden blonde.
Her optimal fun hair colors include warm, medium value/intensity colors such as: deep coral, warm navy, warm purple, light orange. Cheryl should avoid cool, overly deep and overly light hair colors.
Cheryl above is pictured holding the Warm Seasonal Color Flag
Here is Katie Fontana.
She has a cool undertone and her best colors fall within the cool seasonal color palette (flow between Winter and Summer seasons).
Katie's optimal, more natural hair color(s) include: cool deep brown or blue-black.
Her optimal fun hair colors include cool medium intensity colors such as: charcoal gray, deep raspberry, red violet, purple magenta, blue plum, burgundy, hunter green. Katie should avoid warm (like orange), overly intense and overly soft hair colors .
Katie above is pictured holding the Cool Seasonal Color Flag
Here is Melissa.
She has a neutral undertone (leaning warm) and her best colors fall within the muted seasonal color palette (flow between Autumn and Summer seasons).
Melissa's optimal, more natural hair color(s) include: soft, muted browns.
Her optimal fun hair colors include softer colors such as: soft gray, soft teal green, celery, soft navy blues, rose beige, soft burgundy, grape. Melissa should avoid bright, high intensity hair colors.
Melissa above is pictured holding the Muted Seasonal Color Flag
Here is Billie.
She has a cool undertone and her best colors fall within the True Winter seasonal color palette.
Billie's optimal, more natural hair color(s) include: cool deep brown-black.
Her optimal fun hair colors include high intensity colors such as: magenta, true pink, blue-green, pine green, true blue, bright violet. Billie should avoid muted, low intensity hair colors.
Billie above is pictured holding the True Winter Seasonal Color Flag
Here is Ashley.
She has a neutral undertone (leaning cool) and her best colors fall within the Light seasonal color palette (flow between Summer and Spring seasons).
Ashley's optimal, more natural hair color(s) include: blonde.
Her optimal fun hair colors include lighter colors such as: pearl gray, pink ash, soft lemon, denim blue, pastel turquoise, lilac. Ashley should avoid overly warm (like orange) or overly cool hair colors.
Ashley above is pictured holding the Light Seasonal Color Flag
OK, so if I signed up my colleagues to do this, I must be willing to do it too!...
Here is Carol (me).
I have a cool undertone and my best colors fall within the True Summer seasonal color palette.
My optimal, more natural hair colors include: ash browns or ash blonde.
My optimal fun hair colors include toned colors such as: most grays, pink ash, rose, raspberry, lavender, powder blue, steel blue, smokey green. I should avoid high intensity, tints, shades and warm (like orange) hair colors.
Carol (me) above is pictured holding the True Summer Seasonal Color Flag
Now you have 2 steps with a few examples to help you reveal which trendy and fun hair colors will work with you to give off your best.
You can either wear your hair color or have your hair color wear you. My choice is always for you to wear your hair color so we see the best and most vibrant you.
I hope this blog post inspires you to wear your authenticity!
Carol Brailey is an Image Consultant, Color Analysis Professional and Hair Colorist based in Toronto, Canada. More of her blogs can be found at carolbrailey.com and virtualcoloranalysis.com. Carol is a member of the Studio Fontana team located in the Fashion District of downtown Toronto.