Going blonde or changing your hair color is a bold move. Before reaching for the dye and bleach, you should carefully consider the different tones of blonde to find one that compliments your complexion. By learning about your skin’s undertones, you can better know how certain hair colors will look on you before making the transition.
Find out your skin undertone to learn which blonde tones suit you best and how you can completely change your look by understanding your undertone.
What is an undertone?
Your skin undertone refers to any underlying color beneath the surface of your skin that affects your overall hue. This isn’t to be confused with your skin tone, which refers to the surface skin color. While skin tone can change over time due to various factors, your skin undertone remains constant.
Everyone falls under one of three undertones: cool, warm or neutral. Skin with hints of blue or pink is often associated with a cool undertone, while a warm undertone refers to skin with a golden or peachy glow. If neither of these matches you, you probably have a neutral undertone.
What undertone am I?
Source: Healthline
Determining your skin undertone is easy. In fact, here are three quick tests you can do to get a sense of your skin undertone and which blonde hair colors suit you best:
Test #1: vein color
Looking at your veins in natural light is the easiest way to determine your skin's undertone. Veins with a blue or purple hue indicate you likely have a cool undertone, while greenish veins mean you probably have a warm undertone. If your veins are in between these colors, then you may have a neutral undertone.
Test #2: silver or gold
Have you noticed you have a preference for either silver or gold jewelry? Silver often looks better against cool undertones, while gold favors warm undertones. Neutral undertones get the best of both worlds and can pull off gold and silver equally well.
Test #3: sun exposure
What happens when you spend extra time in the sun? If you usually get pink or burn, you likely have a cool undertone. If you tan easily, you’ll likely have a warm undertone. There are exceptions to this rule, so make sure to do the other tests to better understand your undertone.
Why you should consider skin undertone when choosing a hair color
Knowing your skin undertone can help you determine which hair colors compliment your skin tone before going through the dyeing process. This is especially important for people considering going blonde to prevent damage from the bleaching process. Instead of trying variations of cool and warm blonde shades, use your undertone to choose the perfect color before you visit a salon.
Pro tip: If you are already blonde but considering dyeing to a lighter shade, make sure to use a color-safe toning Purple Shampoo to help keep your hair bright and cool.
What color blonde for my skin undertone?
So now you know why skin undertone is important when choosing a new hair color, but which shade of blonde should you choose?
Stylists recommend choosing a blonde hair color that matches your skin undertone. Cool blonde hair colors like ash, sandy and platinum will compliment cool skin undertones by cutting down brassiness, while warm blonde hair colors like golden, strawberry and honey naturally suit warm skin undertones by adding warmth to your look. If you have a neutral skin undertone, you can choose any shade of blonde and it will almost certainly work well.
Source: Pinterest
Warm blonde vs. cool blonde
While different tones of blonde will cater to certain skin undertones, you can also use a shade that contrasts with your undertone to warm up or cool down your complexion.
People with a cool undertone can add color and warmth to their skin tone by going for a warm hair color such as golden blonde or strawberry blonde. On the other hand, people with a warm undertone can use a cool hair color such as platinum or ash blonde to balance out warm tones. Do this in conjunction with a new hairstyle to really change up your look!
Blonde hair colors for cool skin tones
If you have a cool undertone and are looking for a hair color that will naturally suit you, check out these blonde shades:
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Source: Pinterest
- Ash blonde
- Sandy blonde
- Platinum blonde
- Champagne blonde
- Beige blonde
- Pearl blonde
- Wheat blonde
- Greige blonde
- Dust blonde
- Frosted blonde
- Cool greige
- Violet blonde
These cool blonde shades contain blue, purple or pink undertones that will compliment your natural skin undertone and prevent any brassy color issues since they don’t contain yellow hues. You can also go for a warm hair color such as peachy or golden blonde to add brightness and complement your skin with a natural glow.
Blonde hair colors for warm skin tones
If you have a warm undertone and want a blonde hair color to match, consider the following options:
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Source: Beauty and the Blonde
- Golden blonde
- Peachy blonde
- Strawberry blonde
- Butterscotch blonde
- Honey blonde
- Rose gold blonde
- Bronde
- Caramel blonde
These warm blonde hair colors feature red orange and golden undertones so they’ll flatter those with warm skin undertones by enhancing your natural glow. You could also opt for a cool hair color such as ash blonde or platinum to reduce some of the redness that naturally radiates from your warm skin tone.
Blonde hair colors for neutral skin tones
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Source: Beauty and the Blonde
Neutral undertones are often known as the people who can pull anything off, as all hair colors suit them. In fact, you can even blend multiple shades together through highlights or a balayage to create a completely unique shade. The key is to use a cooler base that’s a few shades lighter than your natural hair color.
If you opt for a cooler tone, make sure to use products formulated for lighter blonde hair including Purple Mask and Purple Shampoo. These products are designed to help keep color-treated blonde hair light and bright by neutralizing brassy yellow hues. If you go for a warm blonde shade, consider using Hydrate Shampoo and Hydrate Conditioner to help add extra hydration after the color-treatment process. Follow up with our Hydrate Leave-In-Conditioner to boost hair hydration after your wash.
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Don’t forget about blonde haircare
Once you’ve decided on your best shade of blonde, make sure you know how to care for it. Bleaching or dyeing hair can lead to dryness that makes your locks more susceptible to damage from external factors if not properly hydrated.
Check out our guide on brassy hair to learn tips for preventing color mishaps during the dyeing process along with additional advice on maintaining your beautiful blonde color in the following weeks. Most importantly, make sure to use our Purple Mask and Purple Shampoo to help enhance color for blonde, silver or platinum hair. (Read our guide here if you’re not sure whether you need blue or purple shampoo for your color.)
Have more questions about blonde hair? DM us on Instagram @verbproducts and we’ll answer all your haircare concerns.
If you want more product recs for your unique hair type, texture, concerns and goals — check out our hair quiz for personalized recommendations.
