How To Know If A Hair Color Suits You

Hair color beyonce Source: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Ever looked back at your hair color in an erstwhile snap and thought "WTF was I thinking?" Well, if you've been victimized past the #10yearchallenge, and then it's definitely a possibility – that yellow blonde of the 09s has been haunting us all week! But all jokes aside, your hair colour tin can completely change the vibe of your look so there are a few things to consider before taking the colour plunge. For instance, are yous willing to bargain with the upkeep if you're going drastically darker (or lighter)? Does your hue of choice piece of work with your electric current texture, pare tone, and level of pilus health? These can be life-changing questions – okay so maybe that's a little dramatic – but these are pretty major dazzler questions, so nosotros turned to the pros for their peak hair coloring tips to help you in your journey to #LivingYourBestLife and #HairGoals.

Rule 1. Start With Your Peel Tone

what hair color looks best on me Source: Taylor Colina/Getty Images

Earlier you rush into the salon armed with saved Instas of your celeb hair color crush, but hold on a hot second. According to Courtney Goebel, eSalon expert colorist, and education atomic number 82, the most important thing when choosing a hair color is making sure the shade(south) complement your skin tone. "To make up one's mind what volition work, you need to know if have a warm, absurd, or neutral peel tone and one easy way to detect out is to look at your veins," she advises. If your veins are purple or blue, you're cool; if they're light-green, y'all're warm; if you're seeing both, you're most likely a neutral tone. Still dislocated? Check out our guide to figuring out your undertone here.

"Once you know your skin's tone, choice a hair color that'due south the opposite – so for cooler skin, we recommend ash, absurd biscuit, or coppery-crimson tones to bring out your natural chroma and for warmer skin, try golds, warm beiges, chocolatey brunettes, and mahogany reds to get that glowy, highlighted finish," she adds. If you accept a neutral peel tone – you're lucky, you can easily transition from cool to warm, and vice versa.

Rule 2. Accept the Seasons Into Account

Jennifer lawrence hair color Source: Dave Benett/Getty Images & Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Marie-Antoinette Martinez, a colorist at Frédéric Fekkai Salon at The Marking Hotel in NYC, is quick to point out the need for seasonal awareness when information technology comes to dyeing your locks. "How much sun your hair is exposed to offers clues as to what type of processes your hair tin can handle," she says. Then sun worshippers beware, if your mane is already fried, you may not be able to do a complete overhaul. If your hair is on the good for you side, notwithstanding, Martinez's rule of thumb is usually to go for "richer warmer tones in the winter and brighter and lighter in the warmer months." Later on all, if your hair already looks unhealthy, dying or bleaching it will never improve it.

Dominion 3. Schedule Your Cut Before Color

"Color e'er looks more impactful on freshly cut, well-maintained hair, and your texture plays a big part in deciding what blazon of service to perform," says Martinez. "Some haircuts might look corking with a solid color with little dimension, while others with a lot of dimension, enhance layers." Translation: cut before colour always, and brand sure you speak to your stylist and colorist prior to both services so everyone's on the same folio. For example, if you have your hair cut and colored to work with a naturally curly land, simply always style it directly, those are things they should know up front.

Rule 4. Be Consistent With Maintenance

Kim K hair color Source: Jason LaVeris/Getty Images & Donato Sardella/Getty Images

"The upkeep for highlights really depends on how far you deviate from your natural base," says Amelie Lemoine, a stylist, and colorist at Yves Durif Salon in Manhattan, New York. "For instance, if you already have a dark starting base color that drastically contradicts the brighter highlights, you lot will demand to get to the salon for more frequent impact-ups every three to iv weeks." And if you have grays (damn you, crumbling!) then yous'll also have to get your roots touched up every two to three months.

As for which color techniques Lemoine loves for their depression-maintenance appeal, she'south a big fan of the ombre-balayage wait. "Kickoff you lot can utilize your natural colour with the enhancements of highlights strategically located on the ends to complement your peel tone, and if you lot're budget-witting, this is the perfect type of color as it doesn't crave frequent touch-ups," she adds.

Rule 5. Use Color Safe Products

Garnier celebrity colorist Nikki Lee works with mega babes similar Sarah Hyland, Hilary Duff, and Emma Roberts, and nothing annoys her more than not protecting your new colour at home, after shelling out large bucks for it in the salon. "A heavy conditioner/ deep workout mask volition exist your new best friend afterwards color, then be sure to use one every time you wash, simply likewise effort to eliminate how many times you wash per week with actually light hair," she advises. "Those oils you produce will actually help your hair stay healthy." Lee'due south mask pick is Garnier Fructis Impairment Repairing Care for 1 Minute Hair Mask + Papaya Extract, $5, which she says "is great for colored-treated hair because it'due south super nourishing and helps boost color vibrancy."

Peak TIP: Remember the Rules For Coloring Your Pilus at Habitation

If y'all choose to take matters into your own hands and get to dying in the comfort of your own bathroom, we wouldn't arraign you lot. Non simply is it seriously cheaper, but at-abode color solutions are a lot more than advanced these days. Just brand sure you know what y'all're doing before you lot whip out the latex gloves.

"When coloring your pilus at home, we recommend going no more than than a shade lighter or darker at a time and avert coloring over previously colored hair so y'all don't overlap," explains Goebel. "This will aid prevent going overly dark, seeing unwanted banding, dryness, or possibly even breakage." If you're not looking to commit and want to effort a few different shades, Goebel suggests going with a demi-permanent hair colour that lasts betwixt 24 to 28 shampoos, enhancing your allover color without the commitment. "For anyone with more than than 25 percent grays, demi won't requite you total gray coverage, merely it's a squeamish way to play with tones until you decide which looks best," she says.

Our 3 Fave Hair Colour Apps

Hair color Source: YouCam Makeup

Ok, so now we've covered everything you lot demand to consider before you dive into the world of color, information technology's time for the fun part – testing out new colors without the commitment, aka using an app. We realize they may not be the exact color y'all're looking for, but information technology'll give y'all a much better idea of what the finished color will look like against your skin tone. Here are our three go-to apps:

YouCam Makeup: This app has And then many color options, nosotros've been playing around with our color all day! It also lets yous try out makeup looks. Plus, information technology's complimentary to download.
Hair Color App: This app is amazing as it gives you a actually realistic finished look. All you need to do is upload a photograph and outline your hair to create a template then you color abroad.
Hair Color Booth App: This 1 is similar to pilus colour, but information technology lets you experiment with some insane shades. So, if you lot've always wondered what your hair would wait like in hot pink, then this is the app for you!