Is your natural color always the best match for your skin tone?

[blue_eyes]

I apologize if this has been brought up before. I've always read that your natural color suits your skin tone best, and that if you are going to dye it you need to figure out whether your skin is "warm" "cool" or "neutral" in tone. Once you've figured out your skin tone, you should only go two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color.

My personal experience doesn't seem to follow this "rule". I hate my natural hair color (it's like a dark blonde with lots of gold flecks in it). My skin is very pale, and I've had a nightmare of a time trying to figure out my tone (although now I'm pretty sure it's on the cooler side). Anyway, I basically broke all the rules and was dyeing it a warm, very dark brown that nearly looked black...and I loved it, and I got endless compliments. Even hair color experts were telling me that I suited really dark hair. So how can that be, when it is many shades darker than my natural color?

In my opinion, my natural color really washed me out and didn't suit my skin tone at all. Is that possible or have I got it wrong? It just seems to go against nature to feel like your natural hair color doesn't suit you haha.

[Anje]

I think it usually is, at least until you go gray. That said, I suspect that people can pull off colors they had at other ages usually. (I hope so; I lightly henna my hair because my red has faded toward brown since my college days, and I'd rather remain a redhead.)

[tbonita]

I read once to carry a picture of you from childhood to your colorist's, and THATS the color you want. Of course, I've never subscribed to that theory, I've been every color under the sun, and I'm now a proud henna-head! Which I think suits my personality since it's really my natural color with a bit of flair, like me ;)

[Amapola]

I don't think there is some kind of "law" about what color goes with what color. It all depends on what you, personally, prefer. I paint and when I go to a class I'll hear stuff about how cool colors and warm colors should not be mixed or this color does not go with that color etc. yet it is so easy to find a really good painter who breaks that particular rule, no matter what rule it might be, and creates beauty and harmony in their work.

The only reason I can think of, off the top of my head, why it might be a little easier to go with your natural color is all the other hairs on your body (lashes, eye brows etc.) will be the same color as your natural color, generally speaking. The little hairs on my arms, for example, are about the same color as my hair but just a lot fainter.

But I firmly believe you should do what makes you happy, and not worry about some rule or other.

[chen bao jun]

Your natural hair color always suits you best and makes it easiest to figure out what colors to wear for clothes and makeup and jewelry, in my opinion. HOWEVER, people who don't like it CAN successfully find other colors that suit them also that they like better. Sometimes it takes some doing and I quite often see women (usually bottle blonds, sometimes redheads) who have nothing else about them that matches their hair and look, to me, unattractive solely because of hair dye. Muddy looking skin, washed out appearance, etc. I am very visual and picky, though.
I think that most people don't look that closely and if you manage to approximate a look that is stylish at the time, people are not picky and will accept you as attractive. Many, many Hollywood stars have done this, in my opinion. They are very slender, as is the style and have very groomed looking hair of some striking color and are very well dressed and people don't care about anything else and are not (like me) sitting there nit picking about what obviously does not go with what and how fake they look. I have been told that this is a personality flaw of mine, hypercritical and perfectionist and I'm sure it's true (so rarely if never voice my opinions aloud).

[ExpectoPatronum]

Like Amapola, I believe people can do what they want regardless of the rules.

Considering genes come together at random, it's very possible to have a skin tone and hair color that don't mesh well together. Take myself for an example. My family and I are all of similar skin tones. However, everyone in my family has gorgeous dark brown almost black hair and I'm sitting here with a reddish brown that's considerably lighter everyone else's. I believe it comes down to genetics. People of the same skin tone can all have different hair colors, some more flattering than others.

[walterSCAN]

In my opinion, my natural color really washed me out and didn't suit my skin tone at all.

This has been my experience as well. I feel like I need a LOT of makeup when I've got my natural color, and don't when I've dyed it. I also dye my hair a drastically different color than natural (dark henna red vs light brown/red-ish/blonde-ish "woodland creature" color).

It's never made a lot of sense to me that your natural colors would necessarily suit you best. I mean, genetics are fairly random and while it is evolutionarily advantageous to be born with complimentary natural coloring, it doesn't seem likely that it would always work out that way. I mean, it would also be evolutionarily advantageous to be born with good, or even decent, eyesight, but I'm legally blind several times over without correction, and so are a lot of other people. And, to be crass, less attractive/ evolutionarily dis-advantaged people are born every day. I don't think genes care much about what color-combos we end up with. :shrug: They do in that certain characteristics are often selected for when it comes to reproduction, but beyond that not so much.

Tl; dr : If you feel attractive with a hair color/ like a color on yourself, go for it!! And if you're getting positive feedback from others, so much the better! Don't worry so much about what is 'supposed' to work and focus on what does work.

[Lyv]

I look washed out with my natural color so it may be a rule for some people but it's not one that works for me. I look better with red or auburn hair.

[swearnsue]

There are exceptions to every rule. They are just guidelines.

[Arwenlily]

I think that what might look best to one person can look the opposite to another. We all have different tastes, so is there really a perfect shade? Probably not. I actually love my natural color and when I used to dye it I went one shade darker which was black. It looked good but to me my natural was always best.

[HylianGirl]

There are exceptions to every rule. They are just guidelines.

This ^-^

I think the reason why these rules were created could be because our perception of beacuty evolved from what we see on other people, and since during most of human evolution we saw certain hair colours paired with certain skin/eye colour and so we got used to consider beautiful those combinations, and when we see something we're not used to it may seem a little off, but that's not necessairly true all the time. That's just a theory though, during different times of history that idea varied, like how in the 18th century having light hair was pretty much always better than dark, no matter the skin tone. Ok, so I started a thought, and now I don't know how to finish it xD

[Ms. Littlefish]

I think there are many hair color choices someone can make and they will compliment them in different ways. I'm very, very warm in the skin and my hair is a blonnette that is on the neutral side. It doesn't sing in perfect harmony with the rest of my coloring but there is certain quality to it that really is lovely with my complexion. I dyed my hair red for years and not a single person questioned whether it was my natural hair color. It was perfection with my coloring, really brought out the gold in my skin and made my green eyes pop. It complimented me in a way that was electric but there is something soft and well, natural, about my natural color.

[blue_eyes]

@ Anje & tbonita

You might be onto something regarding hair colors you had at other ages/childhood. When I was young my hair was much blonder and from photos I've seen, it looked really pretty. As it darkened it started looking less attractive with my skin tone. In my opinion, a lot of people look fantastic with hennaed hair. I guess there is no reason that one skin tone can't look good with a variety of hair colors.

@ Amapola

I love your painting analogy! It's funny how these "laws" come up, and yet people can create works of art by breaking them. I'm glad that happens though, it keeps life interesting. Art wouldn't be the same if everyone conformed to rules :P I completely agree with doing what makes you happy...I guess I just worry that by not following the rules I might THINK I look good, when in reality I look awful haha.

@ chen bao jun

You bring up a really interesting point! I think being a bottle blonde is REALLY hard to get right. I remembered seeing this video on youtube where a girl is trying to make a point of how easy it is to fake looking like a hot blonde. She basically said to bleach your hair, wear clothes that are in style, and pile on the makeup. When you saw her from afar she really stood out as being the standard of "hot" woman. Up close, she looked like a mess (and that was the point she was trying to make). I don't think it's a personality flaw of yours :P you just sound like you've got a good eye and are very perceptive.

@ ExpectoPatronum, walterSCAN, & Lyv

I had the same thought about genetics when I started this thread. I don't understand why your natural color will necessarily be the perfect color for you when genes come together randomly. I've never liked my natural color, I think it's really ugly, so it was frustrating to think that the best color for my skin tone would be a color I hate lol. It's good to know I'm not the only one being washed out by my natural color :P

@ swearnsue & HylianGirl

Yeah you're right. It just seems like this is what I read everywhere I look and there aren't any helpful types outside these guidelines.

@ Ms. Littlefish

It's funny that happened to you, I had a similar experience. I had dark red hair for two-ish years and everyone loved it. They asked me if it was natural because it suited me so well. I was kind of like "...nobody has natural hair this color :S" but I guess that goes to show that unnatural colors can look perfect with your skin tone.

[spidermom]

I guess it depends on what you're going for as a personal look. As a young adult, my hair color (mid-range golden blonde) and my skin color (sort of a golden beige) almost matched so that even the most subtle makeup could look garish on me. The more contrast you have, the more dramatic your makeup can be. As a natural kind of hippie "mother earth" girl, my colors were great. But when I wanted to glam it up, it didn't work; I needed more contrast between hair and skin. I used to either bleach my hair out to be a lot lighter or use a shade of red to increase the contrast.

[blue_eyes]

I guess it depends on what you're going for as a personal look. As a young adult, my hair color (mid-range golden blonde) and my skin color (sort of a golden beige) almost matched so that even the most subtle makeup could look garish on me. The more contrast you have, the more dramatic your makeup can be. As a natural kind of hippie "mother earth" girl, my colors were great. But when I wanted to glam it up, it didn't work; I needed more contrast between hair and skin. I used to either bleach my hair out to be a lot lighter or use a shade of red to increase the contrast.

Excellent point! I'm more into the tattooed, rock music scene lol. I love really dramatic eyes, and I think that's one of the reasons I love having dark hair. There is no way I could pull off dramatic makeup with my natural hair color.

[Ashflower89]

I went through a dying phase after high school, going through all shades of red, purple, black, brown, blonde, etc. At first it was just for fun, but then it became a quest to find my "perfect color". Every time I changed it up, I'd get comments that the new color "fits you so well", or the opposite of "aww but you looked so much better with the last color". When I went black, people said I looked dead or tired or older, and my blond eyebrows looked almost invisible. When I went red, I noticed the redness from my acne breakouts were way more obvious, and I looked like I had straight up rosacea, but on the other hand my green eyes popped and I almost pulled off an Irish look. When I went brown, I got a lot of compliments that it went well with my green eyes as well. When I went blonde, I looked more tan and couldn't put on as much makeup without it looking overdone.

Long story short, after utterly ruining my hair several times and getting stuck in awkward phases with two-tone hair, I finally decided to go natural, which is dark ash blonde for me. I cut off my dyed hair into a pixie, and trimmed it off until my natural color was the only thing left. I was amazed at how well it went with my complexion, how I didn't look over the top, my makeup never looked weird, my eyebrows matched perfectly, and I didn't look aged or tired. I agree that it's just a guideline and not a "rule", but going natural was a huge improvement for me.

[blue_eyes]

I went through a dying phase after high school, going through all shades of red, purple, black, brown, blonde, etc. At first it was just for fun, but then it became a quest to find my "perfect color". Every time I changed it up, I'd get comments that the new color "fits you so well", or the opposite of "aww but you looked so much better with the last color". When I went black, people said I looked dead or tired or older, and my blond eyebrows looked almost invisible. When I went red, I noticed the redness from my acne breakouts were way more obvious, and I looked like I had straight up rosacea, but on the other hand my green eyes popped and I almost pulled off an Irish look. When I went brown, I got a lot of compliments that it went well with my green eyes as well. When I went blonde, I looked more tan and couldn't put on as much makeup without it looking overdone.

Long story short, after utterly ruining my hair several times and getting stuck in awkward phases with two-tone hair, I finally decided to go natural, which is dark ash blonde for me. I cut off my dyed hair into a pixie, and trimmed it off until my natural color was the only thing left. I was amazed at how well it went with my complexion, how I didn't look over the top, my makeup never looked weird, my eyebrows matched perfectly, and I didn't look aged or tired. I agree that it's just a guideline and not a "rule", but going natural was a huge improvement for me.

Your natural color is really pretty! :) (I just read your latest blog entry, you're hair is looking really great!). I know what you mean about searching for that perfect color, I've been doing that too for about 10 years. I'm so sick of searching and just want to be certain I've got the right one, natural or not. I guess it's hard to tell what's "perfect" when there are so many colors out there to choose from. I think ultimately, if your hair looks like a fried/tangled/destroyed mess then it won't look good regardless of what color it is. I learned that the hard way!

[RedRooster]

My natural color is a dull, mousy brown peppered either gray. I think my hennaed hair looks MUCH better.

[Decemberrose]

For me personally, my natural colour have not seen the light for 15 years! :D
I have very pale skin and my natural colour is a sort of ash/dark blond. (the colour that is unexplainable)
I feel washed out and if I don't colour my eyebrows, I would simply disappear into the background!

My mother had dark brown hair when she was young and brown eyes. My father has the same ash as I have. I don't get it.
Should my mothers dark hair not be the first choice? I can't help but thin, that I should have had dark hair from the beginning.
I colour mine dark I feel there has to be some sort of a contrast between skin and hair. It's just more attractive. ;)

So no, I don't think your natural colour always shold be the best match :)
Thankfully there is the free will.. I will colour till the day I die... if I don't get blessed with dark silverhair!

[chen bao jun]

I think that dramatic is stylish right now and that hence many women with soft coloring 'feel' they look bland when its not true. Especially blonettes. I feel this color is not valued currently in society while it is actually very beautiful and I totally disagree with the idea that blonettes look better with the hair color they used to have as kids. It's my strong opinion, but of course its just an opinion. Few adults look good with hair as light as children, who tend to have rosier and more delicate skin and a whole lot of differences from adults.
I agree that genetics can take startling turns. I am an example of that as I have got very black hair, skin that is not very dark for a black person but that you rarely, if ever see on a white person (maybe some Mediterranean types are close) and eyes that can be very, very green in certain lights and are always a yellowish hazel. It used to be very much what no one expects to see and people would be honestly shocked when I looked up or turned around. I don't think that I'm more attractive than other people but I WOULD constantly get more notice. Nowadays, this look is often faked, especially on models and tv personalities as green or blue contact lenses are common and many celebrities fake a 'mixed race' look if they are black and can manage it. It is a strange thing, but I can always tell who is faking it. something doesn't go together. It is very odd. My sister is very, very close in appearance to me in skin and hair color but has the more 'normal' dark eyes and even she, close as we are would not look right with the different eye color. And we cannot wear the same clothes.
She actually is the better looking sister (seriously, she is a former beauty queen). It's not looking striking that makes you prettier and for the softer looking girls, I always feel they may take longer to get noticed but they often have a quality that makes you stay attracted once you do notice them. Striking is mainly an asset if you need to stand out as one in a million Hollywood starlets (and actually, they are not strking at all, they have made what used to be striking look very 'cloned' and plastic and odd).

[Ambystoma]

I think we have the same aesthetic preferences, chen bao jun - I would have written much the same thing myself. I always prefer the look of high fashion models as opposed to more mainstream "hot girls" and if you take a look, there isn't much noticeable (aside from when doing dramatic editorial looks for magazines) fake tanning, contacts or obvious hair colouring going on, everything tends to be kept very close to that persons natural colouring - I see tons of blondettes and light ash browns striding down the runway at haute couture shows, and it makes me sad that a lot of people colour over these shades because they feel like they aren't glamorous enough when, you know, clearly they are :laugh:

I've tried every "natural" colour under the sun when I was younger and I can definitely say that my own colour or only two shades darker/one shade lighter, provided I keep to the same basic warm tone is the most flattering look for me by far.

[biogirl87]

blue_eyes, I firmly believe that natural hair color is almost always better since the natural hair color is the hair color that harmonizes best with your skin tone. Theoratically, seasonal color analysis experts (from whom I have learned a lot about how to put colors and clothes together when getting dressed in the mornings) say that natural hair color is always better. Yes, skin tone does need to be taken into consideration when choosing hair dyes. The reason being that what good is a hair color and the compliments you may get if it makes your face look blotchy or makes you look jaundiced (as warm hair colors do on a cool skin undertones) or makes you look deathly pale (like too cool or too dark colors on someone who is a warm neutral or does not dark coloring - Lyv in my opinion is a classic case of this since in my opinion henna makes her face look deathly pale). I think that when people say that they do not like their natural hair color they are not wear the clothes colors that compliment/complement their skin tone. With your description of your natural hair color and how you think you have a cooler skin undertone, you may be a soft summer when it comes to seasonal coloring. I think that once you start wearing cool, slightly muted colors in clothes and make-up, you will start liking your natural hair color a lot more.

[Wisé]

Just my 2 cents for the genetic stuff:
Yes, genetic is random, but as I am told the genes we have are just a construction kit out of which the complex human is formed. 1 genome is used in many different places and as such it's not impossible for hair and skin color to match more often than not if one genome has influence on both.

I guess the usefulness of the advice may lie somewhere else.
Take a starting color that suits you (for most the natural color is one, but there are many possible others), go a bit darker or lighter and chances are it will suit you well.

Think of the HSV color scheme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hue/saturation/value). If you take a starting color and only travel in the value direction the new color will match well in most cases. Same for saturation. But if you change the hue only slightly the result may look pretty strange.

So for hair this means: If you wear e.g. a dark, cool brown suiting you well, most likely a shade darker or lighter will still suit you. But if you exchange the color for a warm brown with exactly the same darkness it might make you look pale or s.th. depending on whether your skin is cool or warm.

That's why I love henna and think most henna heads look good! If not overdone the henna will always leave a hint of your own color and thus match the skin. I guess that's the origin of the "it looks so natural" comments.

[MaryO]

I have also heard that your natural colour suits your skin tone best but I haven't been able to figure out whether it's true. I tend to think that what makes you happiest looks best on you! ;-)

[MandyBeth]

My natural color does not work. I'm very cool, if I'm color typed, it's a glance and I'm strongly winter. My hair however is very warm. It looks hideous with my coloring. That's not on color, that's just warm vs cool.

I really don't care if anyone thinks natural is always better. My color may look better in it's natural range if I just drastically cool it to a ash or neutral, but on it's own, it's a very harsh clash.

Granted, I really prefer having the dark, dark 1N blue black Little Miss Scare All color. Which actually blends with the rest of my hair nicely, vs my natural being far lighter than other hair.

Nature isn't perfect anywhere else, so why should it always be in hair?

[blue_eyes]

My natural color does not work. I'm very cool, if I'm color typed, it's a glance and I'm strongly winter. My hair however is very warm. It looks hideous with my coloring. That's not on color, that's just warm vs cool.

I really don't care if anyone thinks natural is always better. My color may look better in it's natural range if I just drastically cool it to a ash or neutral, but on it's own, it's a very harsh clash.

Granted, I really prefer having the dark, dark 1N blue black Little Miss Scare All color. Which actually blends with the rest of my hair nicely, vs my natural being far lighter than other hair.

Nature isn't perfect anywhere else, so why should it always be in hair?

I can relate to you very much. I have always felt that my skin type was probably closest to winter, but my hair has very warm coloring to it. I think dark colors look pretty good on me too, much better than lighter ones. Based on my experience, I find it really hard to believe that my natural color is what will look perfect with my skin tone.

Part of my issue with my natural color is that I just don't like it. Even if it was perfect for my skin, I just hate the color. If it was lighter or darker I'd probably be okay with it, but not with the way it is. As many people have said, do what makes you happy!

[browneyedsusan]

I'm a "warm" to the core. I like warm makeup, clothes, and my house is even "warm" (orange kitchen, anyone?) My hair has been "cool" since my mid-20's: changed from strawberry to medium ash brown. IMHO, henna is a little dark for me, but it's WAY better than mousey brown.

[Ms. Littlefish]

I'm a "warm" to the core. I like warm makeup, clothes, and my house is even "warm" (orange kitchen, anyone?) My hair has been "cool" since my mid-20's: changed from strawberry to medium ash brown. IMHO, henna is a little dark for me, but it's WAY better than mousey brown.

This happened to me. I was strawberry blonde up until my late teens. The rest of my coloring is warm as well. I figured it would lose intensity and go more golden blonde as I aged. But it went completely ashy. I'm trying to be OK with it. I definitely want to grow my virgin hair but I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it. I would henna if I decide to color. Probably just a gloss to give a dose of strawberry. I figure I just need to give the natural color an honest shot, and a few inches of it isn't fair.

[MandyBeth]

See, I've never tried getting to a cool ash/neutral/blue based color in my natural shade. So I can't swear I'd really hate it on it's own. I don't like my natural color, but it's because it runs warm/hot. Not because there's a lack of contrast or it looks soft. Realistically, I'm probably a 5-6 shade naturally. My medication has lightened me up drastically and I have bands of near white blonde at times. Which isn't horrible on it's own - but it's still warm/hot and it looks like hell on me. Seriously, I look very jaundiced and sick with my natural tone. That's from the extreme contrast of cool skin/eyes/coloring and warm/hot hair. It doesn't look soft or natural or even meh ok. It looks harsh, very fake and bad. Flat out bad.

Because I'm very fair, without heavy freckling - the extreme contrast of 1N blue black is intense. But, erm, my eyebrows match exactly without the navy/blue hint. I don't dye my eyebrows. So I can't say this is a totally unrealistic or unnatural color on me. I can get to a 4N which looks fine, tho' it's a little light compared to my eyebrows and doesn't look quite right. It's better, but it's not great. A 2N would probably be "best", but I want 1N blue black Little Miss Scare All and there's not a huge leap from 2 to 1.

I love my color. And that's all that matters. DH loves it also, and that makes it even better. Now, show people who have only seen me with the dark blue black shade of hair older pictures of me with natural color - they will question why was I bleaching my hair that much because the natural black is a perfect fit. The very visual art teacher at my kid's school honestly does not think my natural color was natural, she honestly thinks it was bleached and not toned. She thinks my hair is tinted a shade darker, but nothing extreme.

So despite claims, not all dye jobs look fake and not all natural color looks real.

[Mizumi]

For me, it is. I have pale yellowish face, blue-green eyes and my cool-toned hair works with them quite nice. I used to search a lot for different color, just to try it, but I realized I would look poor, almost invisible with any blonde, and any warm tone in my hair make my face look.. gray? :mad: I would still try black, but it's too outstanding, so yes, my natural colour seems the best. But there are people that look good with many different colours and they look completely natural. I think it's still the best to follow natural tones and not to change colour like golden blonde to blue-black, but work with individual warm-cool or dark-light tone.

[MandyBeth]

The gold blonde to blue black isn't a good point really. Gold blonde is a warm tone. Blue black is a cool tone. They both won't work on the same person. One is going to make them look very ill and sallow toned skin. One is going to look better.

Now, the better looking color may still not be the best because it's too dark or light of color. But if the light color looks sallow, it doesn't matter if you go to a dark warm shade, it'll stay sallow because you still have the warm tones. If the light color looks good but not right, then go up or down the range until it's right.

7.5 gold/warm blonde does NOT look good on me. At all. Ever. The lighter it goes, the worse it gets because the warm tones show up more. Now instead of a 5 warm looking like death warmed over, I look like death warmed over with a side of Ebola.

Nor is it odd that the extreme difference looks best on me. It does in color typing for clothes also, I look best in the very strong cool colors with high contrast. Cool muted colors look ok, even nice, but not as good. Blue and gray very cold ice tones can work, provided they are true cool shades without any warmth. My best friend with cool coloring, light eyes, fair skin, mid brown hair looks ok in the very strong contrast colors, but she's amazing and beautiful in the muted colors that look meh on me. Her 5N hair is right for her. If she went to the extreme dark or light, it'd not work.

[ravenreed]

I don't think that your natural color is always the most flattering. I know so many people who look better with dyed hair than they did with their natural color.

[Firefox7275]

I apologize if this has been brought up before. I've always read that your natural color suits your skin tone best, and that if you are going to dye it you need to figure out whether your skin is "warm" "cool" or "neutral" in tone. Once you've figured out your skin tone, you should only go two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color.

My personal experience doesn't seem to follow this "rule". I hate my natural hair color (it's like a dark blonde with lots of gold flecks in it). My skin is very pale, and I've had a nightmare of a time trying to figure out my tone (although now I'm pretty sure it's on the cooler side). Anyway, I basically broke all the rules and was dyeing it a warm, very dark brown that nearly looked black...and I loved it, and I got endless compliments. Even hair color experts were telling me that I suited really dark hair. So how can that be, when it is many shades darker than my natural color?

In my opinion, my natural color really washed me out and didn't suit my skin tone at all. Is that possible or have I got it wrong? It just seems to go against nature to feel like your natural hair color doesn't suit you haha.

No it definitely is not. Genetics is not 'smart' and does not consider aesthetics: you can get skintone from one parent and hair colour from another. Different racial groups evolved not to look pleasing to the eye but to survive/ thrive in a given climate.

I can wear clothing in black and jewel colours, hair is currently bright pink-red and elicits compliments. My natural hair is dark mouse (no blonde or warm brown in there like some). I look jaundiced or otherwise sick in clothing in neutral or sludgy colours, I don't feel my natural hair suited me tho admittedly I haven't seen the full effect in years. It did suit me way more when sun damaged which is partly why I first went blonde.

[askan]

This is interesting.. I'm not quite sure about my own colours. In cold lighting my natural hair colour is a cool ashy blonde but more golden in warmer lighting and I'm pale and get pink in the summer. Blonde as in bleached suits me, but also the copper dye i've used the last couple of years.

I think there is a difference between haircolours that are supposed to look natural and haircolours that don't necessarily look natural but can suit you anyway.. I wouldn't look very good in a rich chocolatey brown, while I think I could rock a brilliant henna red. The black wig I tried on once made me look awful though!

[blue_eyes]

No it definitely is not. Genetics is not 'smart' and does not consider aesthetics: you can get skintone from one parent and hair colour from another. Different racial groups evolved not to look pleasing to the eye but to survive/ thrive in a given climate.

I can wear clothing in black and jewel colours, hair is currently bright pink-red and elicits compliments. My natural hair is dark mouse (no blonde or warm brown in there like some). I look jaundiced or otherwise sick in clothing in neutral or sludgy colours, I don't feel my natural hair suited me tho admittedly I haven't seen the full effect in years. It did suit me way more when sun damaged which is partly why I first went blonde.

I haven't had a full head of natural color in years either, but what struck me recently was looking at some photos. The last photo I have with my natural hair color, compared to a recent photo of me with very dark hair. My face looked totally washed out with my natural color, I looked sick and lifeless. With the dark hair my features stood out (in a good way). It actually made my eyes a sparkle, rather than making them look dull (like my natural color did). I was surprised, after reading so much about how your "natural hair color always suits you best" to find how lifeless it made me look, compared to my much darker dyed hair.

[TiffanieJean]

I think that finding out your undertones would be important. An easy way to tell is to look at the veins on your wrist in bright sunlight. If they look blue, you have cool undertones. If they are greenish, you have warm undertones. Half and half then you are neutral and can go either way - I’m guessing this might be the category for you.

I’ve never dyed my hair but in general from observing others I would say that your natural hair color is best for your skin tone. If you want to dye it don’t stray too far from what you naturally have. A few shades darker or lighter with highlights or under lights to get it another shade in either direction. There are always exceptions. Sometimes a color that gives you more of a contrast looks better.

[HintOfMint]

Normally, I would say yes, and then I remember Dita von Teese. So I'm going to go with, no, nature doesn't always know best. And there are plenty of blondes out there who make stunning redheads.

Granted, I don't think that every person who dyes their hair dyes it the most fitting color for their skin tone. Lots of people get bored and want a more glamorous or "done up" look and it usually involves peroxide. So it's not done to look better, but to have something done for its own sake. I'm Indian and I have yet to see a fellow South Asian young woman's appearance truly be improved by a few "brightening" highlights. It's usually pretty unnecessary in that respect.

[Ms. Littlefish]

Dita Von Teese makes me so jealous that black hair would probably look a nightmare on me.

[Crumpet]

Everyone should do what makes them most happy. Its your hair.

That being said, my personal aesthetic runs more in line with Chen. Certain hair colours have become desirable, so everyone gets them (bright blonde, certain reds, dark black). People often choose a colour because it is in style and not because it suits them in particular (I'm not saying anything about anyone on here, mind you, but what I seen IRL). Moreover, I love darker blondes, browns, orange-reds etc. These colors have become somewhat unexpected so I particularly admire them. My own hair got darker blonde and I didn't like it at first but now I do because of the way natural highlights pop up. I even have a rare streak of red in there (both of my grandmothers had different shades of red and it reminds me of them). I love those unexpected natural touches.

Again, just my own taste. Do what works for you and makes you happy!

[blue_eyes]

I think that finding out your undertones would be important. An easy way to tell is to look at the veins on your wrist in bright sunlight. If they look blue, you have cool undertones. If they are greenish, you have warm undertones. Half and half then you are neutral and can go either way - I’m guessing this might be the category for you.

You might be onto something there, in regards to the neutral undertone, and perhaps that's why I've struggled so much to figure out whether I'm warm or cool. I've tried the 'wrist-vein' test so many times; I'd say that a little over half the time they look blue, but other times they look green. Sometimes I look at my skin and it seems to have a yellowish/golden undertone to it, other times it looks very pink. I've tried a variety of different colored clothing as well, and the only thing that doesn't look too good on me is yellow.

I realize that everyone is different and therefore can't just be easily lumped into one of three categories, but it sure would make life easier for me! So if I do have neutral undertones does mean that I can have both warm and ashy hair colors?

[redtuss]

Hmm.. to date I have not seen a person in real lift that does not look the best in their natural hair colour :) So I will have to say that in most cases your natural colour is the best match.
Most natural colours are very versatile; they don't consist of one single colour but there are variations in the hair strands. Add to it natural highlights and the way it reflects the light and you've got a bigger chance to have it flatter you then a dyejob - but that is just my opinion!

Of course there will be some people that is more flattered by another colour then whats in their hair naturally and it's harder to find someone with all natural hair then coloured nowadays. In the cases where I've seen both I always think the natural colour is the best one!


When I look back on old pictures of myself I can see that my natural colour is the best for my skin, it makes my skin glow like nothing else! Coloured hair looks good but not as good, I rocked my pink mohawk all the same ;)


Crumpet - well said, everyone should do what makes them happy!


You might be onto something there, in regards to the neutral undertone, and perhaps that's why I've struggled so much to figure out whether I'm warm or cool. I've tried the 'wrist-vein' test so many times; I'd say that a little over half the time they look blue, but other times they look green. Sometimes I look at my skin and it seems to have a yellowish/golden undertone to it, other times it looks very pink. I've tried a variety of different colored clothing as well, and the only thing that doesn't look too good on me is yellow.

I realize that everyone is different and therefore can't just be easily lumped into one of three categories, but it sure would make life easier for me! So if I do have neutral undertones does mean that I can have both warm and ashy hair colors?

Just had to chime in here, I recognise the difficulty with skin tone! What you say about your veins on you wrists, they being both blue and green from time to time is exactly my problem too :) It's a hassle! Sometimes I can't even tell if they are blue or green, they just look greenish-blue.. :rolleyes:

It's a lot harder finding "your" colours that really make everything pop, but as a treat we can get away with quite a lot..

[Mayflower]

I have 'blonette' hair as a natural color (from being very blonde as a kid) and have found that to be a boring color for the better part of my youth; I always wanted a very rich, dark brown.
So I dyed it with henna and indigo, and while my family commented that it was too big of a contrast with my pale skin, strangers never knew it wasn't my natural color! They always thought it looked great: pale skin, icy blue eyes and dark brown (sometimes soft black) hair. I had the added benefit of having very dark eyebrows and lashes so it never looked odd.

Then the upkeep got too much of a hassle for me and I've been growing it out natural since around 16 months or so. I don't think my dark blonde/light golden brown looks better with my skin tone per sé, but it isn't as boring as I remember it to be! It has very pretty natural highlights. My hair's got an interesting reverse ombré going on at the moment, but if it all grows out and it looks too bland for my taste, I'll do dip dyes or something, but always keeping my natural color.

So. I don't think natural is always the best, and I think what looks 'best' is very personal. Some people think they look best with purple or orange hair, and that's fine.
Also: henna and indigo always look way more flattering and natural to me than chemical box dyes. Those always have that.. fake-ness I suppose. There's nothing wrong with that but it does scream "dyed" to me. Henna (and indigo) tend to throw me off more, because they adapt to one's natural tones.

[glittergloss]

My natural hair is very very dark blackish/brown. I'd always thought that lighter hair looked best because I used to get good compliments and it brightens my face like Kim K/ Beyonce. I'd been colouring my hair lighter for many yrs since 13 yrs old. I recently decided to colour my hair darker and I am very surprised that dark hair actually suits me the best. Now I'm growing out my natural dark hair colour and just hennaing my hair to have some colour tint in the light.

[spidermom]

I think an individual is not always the best judge of what does or does not look best on her (or him) because individual opinion is always colored by what she (or he) prefers. I'm thinking of an individual in the distant past who posted blonde pictures of herself to prove that black is much better, and I could not agree. I thought the black looked very harsh and aged her, but she did not see it.

But personal preference counts. Whether or not a color suits, if you love it, go for it.

[MandyBeth]

Manic Panic doesn't go to a flat single color either. But yay, it's a cool color unlike the vile crap known as henna.

I'm keeping my black hair.

[askan]

Then there is the difference of what YOU consider to be the best match and what others' opinions are! There is no right answer or absolute truth.

And also, how can you tell for sure that other people have dyed their hair or if they're wearing their natural colour? I mean, a lot of dyed hair is quite obvious but a really good, supposed-to-look-natural dye job would look natural, wouldn't it? I guess if that's the case I would presume it to be natural unless someone told me otherwise and that makes it hard for me to say that people's natural colour always is the most suitable because sometimes I just can't tell.
I had to ask a girl I know who has gorgeous long, ash brown hair with a very much warmer blonde ombre effect halfways up. Her eyes are dark brown. She told me the colour was all natural (sun bleach) but that she had had a perm. I could never have guessed because it is two completely different tones.

[UP Lisa]

I think a lot of times a person thinks they don't look good in their natural color, but if they were to ask other people, they would find out that they do.

My skin is absolutely Cool, but my hair is a Golden Blond. Also, my body hair has always been much darker than the hair on my head. I have tried Red, which I loved, but I'm keeping my natural color because it's the easiest, and the best for my hair.

[spidermom]

Also, to go with my above post, analyzing color on a computer monitor is faulty; I realize that. What we see on our screens isn't necessarily what other people see on theirs or in the mirror.

[blue_eyes]

I have 'blonette' hair as a natural color (from being very blonde as a kid) and have found that to be a boring color for the better part of my youth; I always wanted a very rich, dark brown.
So I dyed it with henna and indigo, and while my family commented that it was too big of a contrast with my pale skin, strangers never knew it wasn't my natural color! They always thought it looked great: pale skin, icy blue eyes and dark brown (sometimes soft black) hair. I had the added benefit of having very dark eyebrows and lashes so it never looked odd.

Then the upkeep got too much of a hassle for me and I've been growing it out natural since around 16 months or so. I don't think my dark blonde/light golden brown looks better with my skin tone per sé, but it isn't as boring as I remember it to be! It has very pretty natural highlights. My hair's got an interesting reverse ombré going on at the moment, but if it all grows out and it looks too bland for my taste, I'll do dip dyes or something, but always keeping my natural color.

So. I don't think natural is always the best, and I think what looks 'best' is very personal. Some people think they look best with purple or orange hair, and that's fine.
Also: henna and indigo always look way more flattering and natural to me than chemical box dyes. Those always have that.. fake-ness I suppose. There's nothing wrong with that but it does scream "dyed" to me. Henna (and indigo) tend to throw me off more, because they adapt to one's natural tones.

Wow you sound like me twin haha (pale skin, blue eyes, blonette dyeing their hair dark brown lol). I got the same comments from my family about the dark hair being too drastic with my pale skin, but everyone else liked it on me. Anyway I've been growing out the dye for about 4 months now so it's hard to say what I think about my natural color right now, just based on my roots. So far I'm not a huge fan, and I'm very tempted to grab the dye again. I think that if I do manage to grow out my dark hair, and I find my natural color boring, I'll probably go ombre and have very blonde ends. At least that way my roots can keep growing, my hair won't have tonnes of chemical damage, and it won't be boring.

Congrats on going 16 months dye free! I'm finding this process horrible so far, I don't know how I'll last that long! :P

[Mayflower]

Wow you sound like me twin haha (pale skin, blue eyes, blonette dyeing their hair dark brown lol). I got the same comments from my family about the dark hair being too drastic with my pale skin, but everyone else liked it on me. Anyway I've been growing out the dye for about 4 months now so it's hard to say what I think about my natural color right now, just based on my roots. So far I'm not a huge fan, and I'm very tempted to grab the dye again. I think that if I do manage to grow out my dark hair, and I find my natural color boring, I'll probably go ombre and have very blonde ends. At least that way my roots can keep growing, my hair won't have tonnes of chemical damage, and it won't be boring.

Congrats on going 16 months dye free! I'm finding this process horrible so far, I don't know how I'll last that long! :P

You do sound like my twin lol! I was also thinking about having blonder ends once it's all natural, just to have something interesting going on.
And thank you! It's easier than I thought it would be, in some lights it's more obvious than in others. Also, wait 'till your roots are about jaw or chin length to judge! At the beginning it looks incredibly bland in contrast with the dark hair, but it's only possible to see the natural highlights and such when it's a bit longer.

Good luck!

[Lissandria]

I think that dramatic is stylish right now and that hence many women with soft coloring 'feel' they look bland when its not true. Especially blonettes. I feel this color is not valued currently in society while it is actually very beautiful and I totally disagree with the idea that blonettes look better with the hair color they used to have as kids. It's my strong opinion, but of course its just an opinion. *snip*

I have to say I think the dramatic look is on its way out and has been for some time. You only need to look at Gen Y kids to see a lot less of them these days are dying their hair dramatic tones ie darker brown/black, bleach bottle blonde or red. Especially because the boho look has been in for some time. TV shows like GIRLS highlight this perfectly- nearly all the characters have natural blonette hair and softer complexions.
I always dyed my hair to a level 3 dark brown and now I've grown out natural level 5 brown- I LOVE IT! As I said previously, a lot more of my peers have virgin hair these days too!

[Ms. Littlefish]

I have to say I think the dramatic look is on its way out and has been for some time. You only need to look at Gen Y kids to see a lot less of them these days are dying their hair dramatic tones ie darker brown/black, bleach bottle blonde or red. Especially because the boho look has been in for some time. TV shows like GIRLS highlight this perfectly- nearly all the characters have natural blonette hair and softer complexions.
I always dyed my hair to a level 3 dark brown and now I've grown out natural level 5 brown- I LOVE IT! As I said previously, a lot more of my peers have virgin hair these days too!

I agree with this. All the girls at work are younger than me and only one of them dyes there hair. Most of them have soft coloring. Also, any look in a fashion magazine today and I'm seeing a lot more models with soft and natural looking hair colors.

[blue_eyes]

I agree with this. All the girls at work are younger than me and only one of them dyes there hair. Most of them have soft coloring. Also, any look in a fashion magazine today and I'm seeing a lot more models with soft and natural looking hair colors.

I have noticed this as well, especially in terms of models. Their hair, if not natural, looks very natural. LOTS of blonettes, or natural looking blondes. I'm seeing fewer will very dark hair, unless they naturally have very dark hair. I don't see many platinum or overly bleached blondes either. I think the blonette color is becoming increasingly popular, however I personally love the dark hair/dramatic look, but I definitely see a change of style within fashion that is gearing towards a naturally pretty type look.

[Lissandria]

I have to agree with spidermom that if people always secretly wish/want to be for example light blonde when they are naturally blonette; or perhaps If they were light haired as a child- they are going to believe this hair colour suits them best whether it truly compliments them or not.
I find it interesting that people with blonette hair think their hair colour is boring 'tis a lovely colour.

I of course thought for years that level 2/3 flat brownish black suited me better than my natural copper tones and level 5 brunette. While my skin tone overall is definitely cool, I have warmer aspects to my colouring such as golden flecks in my green eyes and warm toned freckles. Flat, cool very dark hair didn't look as good as I thought it did. I had dyed my hair for so long I had forgotten my natural colour and assumed it was ashy blonette as that's how it looked as re-growth.
I look back now at pictures and cringe at my too dark hair and how washed out it made me look.

[RubyTuesday]

After chopping all my hair off into a pixie cut 22 months ago I grew out what was left of the blonde and went natural. I assumed I would look fine and it would suit me as it is my natural colour. I was very wrong. The colour had darkened with age and what was once a reddy gold colour was now a browny red colour and it made me look tired and haggard.

At the beginning of this post someone wrote that they had read to take a picture of yourself as a child along to the hairdressers and I can see why this would be. Often the lovely colour you have as a child and a teenager fades or deepens into something else entirely by adulthood.

I have now gone back to blonde, but highlights rather than an all over block colour. I look so much better. I just look more alive and attractive.

I wish I did not have to highlight my hair as it would save me a lot of money and time, but such is life. Not all of us are lucky enough to suit what we have.

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

I'm very pale with yellow undertones but blue veins and naturally blonde/light brown hair, which I dye black. Everybody I've met says that I look better with black including a few hair dye haters. It really just depends on what makes you happy.

[Lissandria]

^^ your avatar pic is gorgeous! Black hair suits you really well :)

[martyna_22]

I'd say my hair is too light for me. I'm a blondette and even though many women with hair like mine look good in lighter hair, I certainly would not.. The thing is, my face looks way better when e.g. my hair is wet or when there is no strong light around. It washes me out a lot. Sadly, I can do nothing about that just yet.

[tigereye]

My natural hair suits me quite well. It was a dark reddish brown, and I just went a few shades redder with henna. I have near identical colouring to my sister, except for her blond hair. It turned ashy in adulthood. She dyes it more golden (currently with deposit-only pink streaks) and it suits her much more. I think the key for our colouring is warmth.

It's odd though. I suit mostly cool-coloured clothes. Blues and the like. I might get away with warm colours if it's a bright scarlet red, or really pale pastel pink, but everything else seems to clash horrendously with my colouring. Except for my ginger-toned hair.

[Foxylocks]

I don't think that one's natural color will always suit their skin well. It is quite subjective. Personally, my natural color suits my skin very well: a pale blonde with a silver sheen. My skin is medium/fair toned. I look like a forest elf or a fairy or something. I used to dye my hair copper red with henna, which I thought was a nice complement for my fair-ish skin. My mother said it was beautiful, but my grandmother told me it looked terrible and artificial. Like I said, very subjective. I liked the red, but I will always prefer my natural color. I am now growing out the henna.

[Ambystoma]

I don't know what to think about your childhood colour also suiting you as an adult since I have two very different examples in my life: my partner has had the same lovely blondette shade his entire life, even in his baby and toddler photos he has the exact shade back then as he does now as a grown man, and it has looked very beautiful throughout the whole journey. Me on the other hand - well as you can see, mine changed a ton, and if I walked into a hairdressers toting one of my childhood pictures, I'm sure they would try and talk me out of it!

http://i.imgur.com/muMwP96l.jpg?1<--- 3 years old http://i.imgur.com/MA8Q2pAl.jpg?1<--- taken last week :laugh:

[Lissandria]

My natural hair suits me quite well. It was a dark reddish brown, and I just went a few shades redder with henna. I have near identical colouring to my sister, except for her blond hair. It turned ashy in adulthood. She dyes it more golden (currently with deposit-only pink streaks) and it suits her much more. I think the key for our colouring is warmth.

It's odd though. I suit mostly cool-coloured clothes. Blues and the like. I might get away with warm colours if it's a bright scarlet red, or really pale pastel pink, but everything else seems to clash horrendously with my colouring. Except for my ginger-toned hair.

Red and pink are not necessarily "warm" colours, though warmer than blue. Warmth generally refers to yellow, peachy, golden or orange tones. I suggest you check out http://www.thechicfashionista.com/your-best-perfect-colors.html

[truepeacenik]

I have noticed my freckles have the same red tone as my hair. Different intensity, of course.

[blue_eyes]

I don't know what to think about your childhood colour also suiting you as an adult since I have two very different examples in my life: my partner has had the same lovely blondette shade his entire life, even in his baby and toddler photos he has the exact shade back then as he does now as a grown man, and it has looked very beautiful throughout the whole journey. Me on the other hand - well as you can see, mine changed a ton, and if I walked into a hairdressers toting one of my childhood pictures, I'm sure they would try and talk me out of it!

http://i.imgur.com/muMwP96l.jpg?1<--- 3 years old http://i.imgur.com/MA8Q2pAl.jpg?1<--- taken last week :laugh:

Whoa I can't believe how much your color darkened! I was light blonde as a child too, and while it's hard for me to be certain about my color now (I've got about 2 inches of roots) I can tell it's definitely darkened, although not as much as yours!

I don't know what this means in terms of the best match for your skin tone. Is natural childhood hair the best color, or does it get better as it changes, or are they both fine? Or is one better than the other? Haha. I suppose it all comes down to what makes you the most happy, but just in terms of the perfect hair color, I'm very curious.

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

^^ your avatar pic is gorgeous! Black hair suits you really well :)

Thankyou :) The points you've made in this topic are very interesting; I was very pale blonde as a child (for a few years people didn't think I had hair because it was wispy and light): it went black at 12 then blonde again at 16. I don't think it ever made it's mind up. It's great that you're rocking your natural colour. I quite like Blonette, and I think my natural colour would look great on others, it just does nothing for my face for whatever reason.

[tigereye]

Red and pink are not necessarily "warm" colours, though warmer than blue. Warmth generally refers to yellow, peachy, golden or orange tones. I suggest you check out http://www.thechicfashionista.com/your-best-perfect-colors.html

Hmm. The colours that suit me best seem to be the "cool winter" shades, only not much else fits. (blue-grey eyes with a yellow circle in them that change majorly in different lights, warm dark brown with a fair amount of red, and milky-white skin with pink cheeks and blue veins (though green in places)) cool winter shouldn't have any warm colours in their hair or eyes, but I've been told by hairstylists and people in general that the redness of my hair suits me. I can wear about half the clear spring palate, but not all. I also suit silver more than gold, but I can still wear gold easily enough.
I always get confused with this thing since I never seem to fall into the categories.

[Lissandria]

^^Perhaps you're a "clear spring" or very likely if you suit silver over gold a "clear winter"?

ETA: The "clear winter" allows for more warm characteristics than a "cool winter" but it's not as "warm" as a "clear spring". If you have a lot of contrast in your colouring with striking, bright eyes this could be you.
Eg I am most definitely a clear winter. Winter being a cool tone overall but warmer than a "summer" (ironically summers have little to no warmth in their coluring) or a "deep" or " cool" winter. I have neutral med brown hair with some warmer tones. I have Translucent very pale skin with blue veins, bright green eyes and yellowish freckles. I have dark features so therefore a lot of contrast in my colouring which makes me a "clear".

[tigereye]

^^Perhaps you're a "clear winter" or very likely if you suit gold over silver a "clear spring". I'm a clear winter- I have aspects of warmth in my colouring but overall my skin is cool.

I guess I might be a clear winter. I suit most of those colours, and I definitely wear silver a lot more than I do gold.

[Lissandria]

I guess I might be a clear winter. I suit most of those colours, and I definitely wear silver a lot more than I do gold.
Sorry I ETA my post! I read gold more than silver! Lol. It's possible you are a clear winter but I would need to see pics :) colours can be tricky.

[Lilli]

1. Skin coloring changes with age, so your childhood color might not suit you. As a child, I was cool-toned, with bluer eyes, ashier blonde hair, and pinker skin. I looked good in icy pastels. My 5 year old daughter is similarly slightly cool-toned. You would label her a soft summer if she were an adult, but from experience, I know she will end up like me: soft autumn (slightly warm skin, hair and eyes.) I now look terrible in clear cool colors, and mainly wear peach, soft sage green, plum and soft gold. It is easy to see my season by draping me with soft coral vs hot pink. Coral makes me glow with creamy skin, because it is warm like me; hot pink makes my skin look orange and red because hot pink is so cool.

2. Whether or not your hair dye choice looks good depends on the strength and contrast of your "season." So, being a SOFT autumn, I am not super-warm, just a bit warm, therefore, my golden blonde suits me, but I could also pull of an ashier brown just fine. I could also pull off a warm copper or strawberry. However, if your season is bright or clear with a lot of contrast, or very cool, or very warm, it will be harder to deviate. For example, my sister has very cool-toned hair, skin and eyes (picture Brooke Shields with that cool, tan skin, blue eyes, dark brown hair.) She has dyed it maroon red many times and it looks really bad because she is just too cool for such a warm red. She can pull off an ashy bleach blonde, though it is not ideal.

3. If you are going to pull off a "non-matching" hair color, you will need to adjust your makeup and clothes accordingly. If I want to wear something cool-toned, I have to use a lot of redness-reducing powder to try to chill my skin's warmth. The worst match I see so often is someone with dyed red hair that makes their skin look sallow. That never looks good.

4. You tend to cool off in old age.

For the best swatch images, try Cardigan Empire - she has all the hair, eye, skin and color combos in nice arrays so you can see what would look good. Here is me (soft autumn): http://www.cardiganempire.com/2012/08/color-analysis-3-degrees-of-warm-rich.html

[Rosetta]

This is something I've been wondering most of my life... As I've mostly been of the opinion that it doesn't. I'm a natural blonette (or dark blonde) who was blonde as a child, and have nearly always dyed my hair some way or other, mostly red (for years with henna). But as I'm found out I'm a Soft Summer (Deep), and thus soft looks would suit me best (and definitely *not* red, though I've always felt myself it does), I'd really want to find out if it's true. All the seasonal colour analysts do say the natural colour is always the best match, it's just that society doesn't these days much appreciate natural... Or, as Chen bao jun said so well:


I think that dramatic is stylish right now and that hence many women with soft coloring 'feel' they look bland when its not true. Especially blonettes. I feel this color is not valued currently in society while it is actually very beautiful and I totally disagree with the idea that blonettes look better with the hair color they used to have as kids.



I don't think that your natural color is always the most flattering. I know so many people who look better with dyed hair than they did with their natural color.
See, this depends on how one defines "flattering" and "better"... As often these days it's considered the same as "striking" (see above).

I'm now thinking that maybe natural colour is always the best match, but people may not always feel themselves that it is... (And if that's the case, of course they are free to do as they want.)
Let's see if my view changes when I grow more of my natural hair out ;)

[Rufflebutt]

No, it's not true. My natural hair color looks alright on me, and it's kind of a medium or light brown color. But I MUCH prefer my hair to be darker.

[Enrapture]

I think my natural hair colour washes my skin out. My skin is light, but warm and I have medium/dark ash brown colour and ash + warm = doesn't really suit me.

[Lissandria]

*snip*
See, this depends on how one defines "flattering" and "better"... As often these days it's considered the same as "striking" (see above).
I'm now thinking that maybe natural colour is always the best match, but people may not always feel themselves that it is... (And if that's the case, of course they are free to do as they want.)
Let's see if my view changes when I grow more of my natural hair out ;)

I think there is a real shift away from the dramatic look right now with current fashion and softer, less dramatic palettes are definitely becoming popular (see previous posts). I would agree though that to now and in the past couple of years, many still think a certain hair colour may suit them better because its "striking" rather than their natural which may not be as "striking" but may be more "flattering" - as you said so eloquently they are not necessarily the same thing but are viewed as such.

ETA: it will be interesting to see how you like your natural colour in the coming months :)

[Rosetta]

It sure is, Lissandria, especially as I remember not liking it very much during my earlier tries to grow it out ;) But maybe I'll like it better now, after reading all those writings about how natural is the best match and how you can never artificially create something like that...

And softer looks coming more into fashion sounds great, but to be honest it doesn't seem to have reached here yet, not in the mainstream at least... Unfortunately, in most people's minds there still seem to be basically three categories for hair colour to fit into - blonde (which means level 10 or lighter), red, and dark (black & dark brown), and all others are seen as bland and "mousy"... :rolleyes:

[Avital88]

i never believe in this rules, my hair is a lighter medium brown too and really dark hair suits me the best, as my complexion is olive but w freckles and blue eyes. im really hard to type, thnx to a red haired freckled dad and a middle eastern asian mom i guess.
just go for what suites you best.

[LadyCelestina]

I would just like to point out what season you look like like plays almost zero role in seasonal colour analysis.It's about what colours you look good in. You are a ,say,Bright Winter because you suit high contrast,bright colour,not because you have blue eyes and black hair.
Often people don't know what colours to wear,or don't like the colours,or they throw themselves into a bad colour category and then have to adjust their hair to fit their colour choices.

Also I believe there are hair colours which are just less aesthetically pleasing,not the colour by itself,but in combination with the rest of the face.Humans aren't perfect,we have flaws.

[Lissandria]

I would just like to point out what season you look like like plays almost zero role in seasonal colour analysis.It's about what colours you look good in. You are a ,say,Bright Winter because you suit high contrast,bright colour,not because you have blue eyes and black hair.
Often people don't know what colours to wear,or don't like the colours,or they throw themselves into a bad colour category and then have to adjust their hair to fit their colour choices.

Also I believe there are hair colours which are just less aesthetically pleasing,not the colour by itself,but in combination with the rest of the face.Humans aren't perfect,we have flaws.

I would have to agree with you on the seasonal colour analysis being what you suit rather than your particular features. There is absolutely no point in identifying with being a soft autumn in appearance if the soft autumn colours don't actually flatter you. However it is necessary as a general guide as to what complexions suit a certain colour group and without the complexion guide it would be pretty impossible to find a season/colour group. I have other palettes outside my season colour groups that I can definitely "borrow" colours from. It's good to have options and if you understand your features you will have a better idea overall about what looks good.

[Rosetta]

I agree with Lissandria; I think they both play a role. For example, if I went only by which colours I feel suit me (best), I'd probably have thought I was a Deep Winter...
But my natural hair & eye colours are way too light for anyone to ever classify me as Deep Winter. And I now also realize some of those old favourite colours *may* be too harsh for me, a Soft Summer (Deep) :)
(ETA: Though I guess it is possible I'd actually belong to this new category of Deep Winter Soft, or Soft Winter, which is very close to Soft Summer...)

[LadyCelestina]

I respect your opinion on what colours suit you,it's probably legit as you know yourself better than I do,but Rosetta,this

...But my natural hair & eye colours are way too light for anyone to ever classify me as Deep Winter.
Is exactly the confusion I'm talking about.You feel you look good in a certain group of colours.
"I don't look like Snow white,I can't be a Winter season.",it doesn't work that way.Then there would be 12 types of people.
There are definitely blonde Winters.Redhead Winters.
I'm not saying you are not the season you feel you are (Soft summer),though :blossom:.You might well be.

Lissandria,in my opinion,it creates far more confusion than help.ETA: Some colour analysis work with drapes of different colours.Because there is such a huge variety in complexions,there,of course,will be some colours that work better,some that don't work so well,some completely unexpected,but good.I know not everybody has access to drapes in different colours.Especially if you seem to only have clothes in one palette.It's a lot of trial and error.And probably better to really do it,than to buy an entire "Autumn" wardrobe,only to discover you look better in soft and cool,despite not having ashy hair,blue eyes or whatever.

ETA:Out of curiosity,what are these new categories? :) Is it something like the Kibbe types?
And just to add my own experience,I was thrown into the Autumn bucket,because of my auburn hair,brown/green eyes and yellow skin.Guess what? I'm a Deep Winter.It might not sound so extreme,as Deep Winter is an Autumn influenced season,but just look at the palettes,how completely different they are!

[Rosetta]

LadyCelestina, trust me, I'd love to be a Deep Winter :), but almost every single seasonal analysis site I've seen starts with analysing your natural colouring, and divides you into seasons based on those, and always a necessary pre-requirement for Winter is medium to dark hair and eyes... No dark blondes. (Though some say there are blonde winters, but they are light cool blonde, not dark blonde...)
And somewhere I read Deep Winters must be able to wear very dark lipstick without looking like a goth (which I would look like), so I guess that rules out belonging to that season, no matter how much I like the colours... But as to being a Soft Summer, I must admit I am a bit confused, as light & muted colours don't do much for me; I thrive in the dark Soft Summer colours only. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm one of the "cool neutral" seasons, not purely cool ones (as gold and silver are about equal to me, and I can pull off red hair, among other things)...

Oh, and these new categories (also called the 4 x 4 system) is just one more category added to each season, so each would be divided into 4; here's how one site explains it: http://www.prettyyourworld.com/16-season-color-analysis.html and with examples http://www.prettyyourworld.com/celebrity-seasons.html.

[blue_eyes]

LadyCelestina, trust me, I'd love to be a Deep Winter :), but almost every single seasonal analysis site I've seen starts with analysing your natural colouring, and divides you into seasons based on those, and always a necessary pre-requirement for Winter is medium to dark hair and eyes... No dark blondes. (Though some say there are blonde winters, but they are light cool blonde, not dark blonde...)
And somewhere I read Deep Winters must be able to wear very dark lipstick without looking like a goth (which I would look like), so I guess that rules out belonging to that season, no matter how much I like the colours... But as to being a Soft Summer, I must admit I am a bit confused, as light & muted colours don't do much for me; I thrive in the dark Soft Summer colours only. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm one of the "cool neutral" seasons, not purely cool ones (as gold and silver are about equal to me, and I can pull off red hair, among other things)...

Oh, and these new categories (also called the 4 x 4 system) is just one more category added to each season, so each would be divided into 4; here's how one site explains it: http://www.prettyyourworld.com/16-season-color-analysis.html and with examples http://www.prettyyourworld.com/celebrity-seasons.html.

I think I'm having the same struggle as you. The colors that look best on me are 'winter' colors, but according to my natural hair and my eyes, there is no way I can be a 'winter'. I can't wear dark lipstick either :P Light and muted colors don't do much for me either, but according to my eyes and natural hair, they should be the best on me. I find it so frustrating/confusing trying to figure out which category fits me...there is something that always doesn't match up, but I guess that's what makes people all unique! :P It's just annoying when trying to figure out what color to dye your hair.

[MandyBeth]

Yeah, I'm a deep winter with some summer tendencies, I want to say clear summer but I'm not sure. But - here's my "list" - very pale skin, freckles are still light also, starkly blue veins, star patterned blue eye with the other colors going on, cool brown eye stars also but not as visible, freaking hot blondette color hair. Nothing works with all the parts.

Natural - it's not a soft contrast, it's the very limited contrast but add in the very sick looking hot and cool contrast. It doesn't work. At all. If my hair was cool, it might, I don't know.

Even if I go to a 3N, it's slightly too muted for what works otherwise. However, I've bought clothes and work on the extreme contrast because it's what worked years ago before the clear/cool/deep additions were made to color typing. It's not bad, it's just not as good as it can be.

1N works. Extreme contrast works because it helps balance my eye odd coloring. Plus, the clear pale skin tone (0-1 mix with Meow cosmetics pale) makes most colors have some pretty heavy contrast. Middle looks good, if I dress for it, but extreme looks better with less work. Because unless I'm walking around right before I need to redo my roots, no one thinks I dye my hair IRL. I've been asked before how I bleach just the roots. Erm, wha?

[LadyCelestina]

ETA: Rosetta,I just checked the new categories and it makes sense! Thank you for the link!


I do recommend this site too http://12blueprints.com/. :o

MandyBeth,you described something similar to what I have going on! I too got very bright and crisp colours to look good on me when I had black hair for a while.Back then I already knew I was not an Autumn like the system of Colour Me Beautiful and such wanted me to be,but a Winter.I just didn't know if I was bright/true/deep.I went with what seemed to go with how my skin was affected by the black hair surrounding my face.It looked ok,a bit too pale and ghostly looking,but not completely unnatural.I had to wear some makeup,though.
As my natural colour grew in,I realized the colours I wore were way too bright for me,and somehow,without really thinking about it,I bought things in the DW palette.And suddenly,I didn't have to wear make up.My face looked good.Clear,no undereye circles,no blotchiness.

I am still looking for ways how to redden/darken up my colour,for similar reasons-my hair,in some lights and depending on what mood it is in, can get too ...*weird*...yellow and colorless,like you can see from my roots in profile picture.Plus, I like red hair,but don't want to deal with roots and such.I figured if I can pull off what I have,I can pull off slightly redder.And use tea rinses to get a slight boost.

[MandyBeth]

Yeah, if you go on my coloring - I'm a summer, and probably a light summer. I'm not.

To me - if you are really up in the air on what you lean - put on lipstick. How dark can you wear it and look healthy? If you're stuck in mid and lighter pinks - probably going to be summer. If you can wear a nearly black wine color and not look like too goth - probably going to be a winter. I wear a pretty neutral mid pink, and I look washed out, have major dark circles, wrinkles are way more visible. I put on a dark wine lipstick - or even black - healthy looking, no dark circles, very limited wrinkles if any. Sure, black looks goth or off, but I'm not wearing that 99% of the time.

[LadyCelestina]

True true...Winters usually can't pull off nude or light lips,or can,but look better with more saturated or darker or at least not corpse/concealer.

[Rosetta]

I think I'm having the same struggle as you. The colors that look best on me are 'winter' colors, but according to my natural hair and my eyes, there is no way I can be a 'winter'. I can't wear dark lipstick either :P Light and muted colors don't do much for me either, but according to my eyes and natural hair, they should be the best on me. I find it so frustrating/confusing trying to figure out which category fits me...there is something that always doesn't match up, but I guess that's what makes people all unique! :P It's just annoying when trying to figure out what color to dye your hair.
Oh yeah, tell me about it! :D



To me - if you are really up in the air on what you lean - put on lipstick. How dark can you wear it and look healthy? If you're stuck in mid and lighter pinks - probably going to be summer. If you can wear a nearly black wine color and not look like too goth - probably going to be a winter.

True true...Winters usually can't pull off nude or light lips,or can,but look better with more saturated or darker or at least not corpse/concealer.
I definitely can't pull off nude or light lips, but on the other hand, wine is slightly too dark... At least if opaque.

After more reseach, I've starting to believe I *might* be a Bright Winter (if not a DW)... So many things match.

Ah, I used to think maybe there's something wrong with me as others can look great in light beige, light blue and grey (clothes), whereas I just *need* more colour (or saturation, as black is fine too) not to look completely washed out... But guess I'm just not made for those kind of colours ;)

[Stray_mind]

I have light brown/dark blonde hair as my natural colour. I dyed it dark brown last summer because i wanted a change, but never wanted to go lighter than my natural hair and it just looked way too dark for my skin, it looked allmost black. My skin is quite pale and my lips are light pink, allmost white, so i had to put make up on all the time, so my face wouldn't be overwhelmed by the darkness on my hair. When the colour faded a bit and turned more brown than black it suited me better, but still not the same. Now i have hennaed hair and people say that it suits me, but recently the more i look in the mirror, the more i miss my natural colour.. With my blonette colour i didn't even had to put make up on. Everything looked good the way it was, because the colour of my eyebrows and even eyelashes is allmost the same as my haircolour. So in my case-my natural colour suits me the best.

[blue_eyes]

To me - if you are really up in the air on what you lean - put on lipstick. How dark can you wear it and look healthy? If you're stuck in mid and lighter pinks - probably going to be summer. If you can wear a nearly black wine color and not look like too goth - probably going to be a winter. I wear a pretty neutral mid pink, and I look washed out, have major dark circles, wrinkles are way more visible. I put on a dark wine lipstick - or even black - healthy looking, no dark circles, very limited wrinkles if any. Sure, black looks goth or off, but I'm not wearing that 99% of the time.

I tried this lipstick test and can only get away with light pinks, anything dark makes me look pale & sick. I think that I'm a summer...but there are definitely colors I wear that should suit winters, but look good on me too. All those jewel tones (and black) look best on me.

[LadyCelestina]

I tried this lipstick test and can only get away with light pinks, anything dark makes me look pale & sick. I think that I'm a summer...but there are definitely colors I wear that should suit winters, but look good on me too. All those jewel tones (and black) look best on me.
Light and bright or light and muted (muted usually means slightly browned in lipsticks)? How saturated? Fuchsia or coral pinks?

Do be aware that if you dye your hair,or wear any foundation when doing this test,it slightly alters how you perceive your skintone :).

[blue_eyes]

Light and bright or light and muted (muted usually means slightly browned in lipsticks)? How saturated? Fuchsia or coral pinks?

Do be aware that if you dye your hair,or wear any foundation when doing this test,it slightly alters how you perceive your skintone :).

I didn't wear any makeup, but my hair is dyed dark brown. I can't get away with bight/fuchsia pinks at all! The best looking ones are light, soft pink lip glosses. Lipstick seems to harsh on me, the glosses look much better. My skin in very fair and my eyes blue, it seems like all my features fade away whenever I wear strongly colored lipstick (both dark colors, and the bright 'electric' pinks). Light pinks or sheer glosses are the only colors that make my features stand out, in a good way :P

Does that help place me in a skintone category?

[Rosetta]

I didn't wear any makeup, but my hair is dyed dark brown. I can't get away with bight/fuchsia pinks at all! The best looking ones are light, soft pink lip glosses. Lipstick seems to harsh on me, the glosses look much better. My skin in very fair and my eyes blue, it seems like all my features fade away whenever I wear strongly colored lipstick (both dark colors, and the bright 'electric' pinks). Light pinks or sheer glosses are the only colors that make my features stand out, in a good way :P

Does that help place me in a skintone category?
To me at least it sounds like you're either Soft Summer, Light Summer, Light Spring or Soft Autumn - depends on whether cool or warm colours suit you best? :)

[vanillabones]

I think my hair color is very 'blah'... it has taken me a long time to get used to it but it is so worth it to not have to bother with coloring anymore.

[blue_eyes]

To me at least it sounds like you're either Soft Summer, Light Summer, Light Spring or Soft Autumn - depends on whether cool or warm colours suit you best? :)

I'm on the cooler side (silver jewelry looks best, but I can wear gold. My veins in my wrist usually look blue, sometimes they look bluish-green).

[ArienEllariel]

My hair is naturally a light ash brown. Heavily ashy. I don't like it with my coloring at all. Much prefer the henna red. :)

[Rosetta]

I'm on the cooler side (silver jewelry looks best, but I can wear gold. My veins in my wrist usually look blue, sometimes they look bluish-green).
That would narrow it down to either Light Summer or Soft Summer, then. Maybe you could compare their palettes and see if either fits? :)

[blue_eyes]

That would narrow it down to either Light Summer or Soft Summer, then. Maybe you could compare their palettes and see if either fits? :)

Thank you so much for your help! I will definitely take your advice. I've been struggling with this forever so it's nice to talk it through with someone helpful! :)

[Rosetta]

Glad to be of help, blue-eyes :D

[LadyCelestina]

^ Also Bright spring.

ETA:If you look good in jewel colours it is unlikely you are a summer.Summer colours are soft and muted.

[Rosetta]

^ Also Bright spring.

ETA:If you look good in jewel colours it is unlikely you are a summer.Summer colours are soft and muted.
But she said she can't take bright makeup colours, so that would rule Bright Spring out :) (eta: Also, she seems to be predominantly cool, which Spring is not.) And only Soft Summer is predominantly muted, really.

[blue_eyes]

^ Also Bright spring.

ETA:If you look good in jewel colours it is unlikely you are a summer.Summer colours are soft and muted.

Thanks for adding that! I'll compare it with the other ones. I find it a challenge because I can wear earth tones and look good, and I know I can wear jewel colors and look good, I can also wear black and look good. I don't own any pastel colored clothing so it's hard to say. The only colors I know, for a fact, look awful on me are orange, yellow, and white. (I do wear white, it just isn't very flattering). I read somewhere that soft summers look awful in orange, so I thought that's what I might be., but I'll compare it to bright spring. :)

[LadyCelestina]

But she said she can't take bright makeup colours, so that would rule Bright Spring out :) (eta: Also, she seems to be predominantly cool, which Spring is not.) And only Soft Summer is predominantly muted, really.
Yes,but she also said she can wear jewel tones a few posts back :hmm: ETA: Looking at the swatches all together,yes you were right,she can be a Summer as well...The tones can look "jewel" on a person with a soft coloring.

Bright Spring (more spring than winter) is a winter-infused season,much like Bright Winter (more winter than spring).The colours are bright,can be worn in more "wild" combinations that most Winters would get lost in, and patterns are more random as well.
http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/236x/7b/d1/bd/7bd1bd51071cd67ec1a44c845b2776a5.jpg

While Summer colours are
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9eEUekWIogQ/UdfrH9dZJiI/AAAAAAAABBE/mZ2XgiwfAlE/s1600/Soft%2BSummer%2BDark%2BWinter.png
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nngdOlaPbCI/USOvj-Ntt_I/AAAAAAAAK7I/S0fw4esh6Ws/s1600/light+summer.jpg

The dark winter is here because it is one picture.ETA: Replaced Light summer pic with a better one

[spidermom]

I think that it's pretty difficult to do our own color analysis because our perceptions are always colored by our preferences.
It takes a completely objective eye, I believe.

I was "done", identified as a clear spring. I would never have seen that.

[blue_eyes]

Yes,but she also said she can wear jewel tones a few posts back :hmm: ETA: Looking at the swatches all together,yes you were right,she can be a Summer as well...The tones can look "jewel" on a person with a soft coloring.

I think you're right about that. Looking at the 'clear spring' palette, I think those colors are too strong for me, I tried a lipstick in one of the pink shades from that palette and it was pretty awful haha. The light summer palette suits me better than the soft summer, and I could see why the light summer tones would appear jewel to me when wearing them.

@ LadyCelestina & Rosetta

You've helped me so much, I can't even tell you how much I appreciate this! I've been struggling with this for years and would get so confused and frustrated whenever I was trying to figure it out for myself. I think the struggle is finally over :P Now I just need to see what hair colors look best on light summers!

[LadyCelestina]

I didn't wear any makeup, but my hair is dyed dark brown. I can't get away with bight/fuchsia pinks at all! The best looking ones are light, soft pink lip glosses. Lipstick seems to harsh on me, the glosses look much better. My skin in very fair and my eyes blue, it seems like all my features fade away whenever I wear strongly colored lipstick (both dark colors, and the bright 'electric' pinks). Light pinks or sheer glosses are the only colors that make my features stand out, in a good way :P

Does that help place me in a skintone category?
I'm sorry I somehow overlooked this :( .
Spring is a very delicate coloring,so is summer.Winter and Autumn are more heavy to striking,but definitely powerful.If sheers look good,it can indicate two things,either you are not very comfortable with wearing a lot of make up,or you could be a spring,or a summmer or a blend.
Glossy is good on all springs and spring blends.
Summer is less gloss,more of a pearly shine.Matte or close to matte might look good on soft summer.


Thanks for adding that! I'll compare it with the other ones. I find it a challenge because I can wear earth tones and look good, and I know I can wear jewel colors and look good, I can also wear black and look good. I don't own any pastel colored clothing so it's hard to say. The only colors I know, for a fact, look awful on me are orange, yellow, and white. (I do wear white, it just isn't very flattering). I read somewhere that soft summers look awful in orange, so I thought that's what I might be., but I'll compare it to bright spring. :)

Oh it's okay,I like to play with colour analysis,I hope I'm not boring or bothering you ! :o

[LadyCelestina]

I think you're right about that. Looking at the 'clear spring' palette, I think those colors are too strong for me, I tried a lipstick in one of the pink shades from that palette and it was pretty awful haha. The light summer palette suits me better than the soft summer, and I could see why the light summer tones would appear jewel to me when wearing them.

@ LadyCelestina & Rosetta

You've helped me so much, I can't even tell you how much I appreciate this! I've been struggling with this for years and would get so confused and frustrated whenever I was trying to figure it out for myself. I think the struggle is finally over :P Now I just need to see what hair colors look best on light summers!
Oh! I'm glad ! That's really great :cheer:
ETA: Also,just a little tip :) . The journey isn't really over here.If you decide to make some changes to your wardrobe,do it slowly,gradually,over the time.From now you might find yourself more sensitive to what looks good and what looks *great* on you,eventually over time change your thoughts on the season you are.
:D One more thing,when and if you decide you only want to shop for colours that are in your palette,there will be times when they won't have anything that would really work :D

Also,Rosetta,thank you for showing me that you can make progress in analysis,even by looking at what season does a person look like :flower: It's definitely something new for me to accept ever since the incident with identifying myself as an Autumn.

[blue_eyes]

Oh! I'm glad ! That's really great :cheer:
ETA: Also,just a little tip :) . The journey isn't really over here.If you decide to make some changes to your wardrobe,do it slowly,gradually,over the time.From now you might find yourself more sensitive to what looks good and what looks *great* on you,eventually over time change your thoughts on the season you are.
:D One more thing,when and if you decide you only want to shop for colours that are in your palette,there will be times when they won't have anything that would really work :D

You are not bothering me at all, I've found your so incredibly helpful! :D Your updated version of the light summer palette is bang on in terms of the colors that I've always thought look best on me. I'll take your advice and start trying things out gradually.
You also mentioned my makeup previously. I usually wear a lot of makeup (can't get enough of the stuff haha), particularly around my eyes. I think this is one of the reasons I stick to light glosses because dark lips and dark eyes are too much. The shimmering, pink glosses always look best though (with or without makeup). Even without any eye makeup on the heavier lipsticks didn't look very good. I don't think I'd ever have figured out all this on my own, I can't even tell you how much you've helped! :D

[Rosetta]

@ LadyCelestina & Rosetta

You've helped me so much, I can't even tell you how much I appreciate this! I've been struggling with this for years and would get so confused and frustrated whenever I was trying to figure it out for myself. I think the struggle is finally over :P Now I just need to see what hair colors look best on light summers!
I'm so glad to hear this, too! :D



Also,Rosetta,thank you for showing me that you can make progress in analysis,even by looking at what season does a person look like :flower: It's definitely something new for me to accept ever since the incident with identifying myself as an Autumn.
You're welcome, and thank you for showing me that one's colouring doesn't necessarily have anything to do with one's season (though it might play a role) - that has helped me to finally realize I may be a Winter, which, as I said, would've been very hard to imagine otherwise (as every place to identify your seasons starts with "dark hair and eyes" for Winters)... :flower:

Btw, for everyone interested, this page, where you can see the palettes side-by-side, helped me a lot (also to realize I'm definitely not Soft Summer...):
https://www.pinterest.com/lorrainessufn/12-seasons/



I think that it's pretty difficult to do our own color analysis because our perceptions are always colored by our preferences.
They are, and it does take some time and practicing to fight/ignore those preferences, but imo it is possible (though maybe not for everyone) :) At least, I think it's fairly easy to determine whether you're predominantly cool or warm, to start with, by comparing a cool red to orange (for example) against your face. Of course, from that it's still some way to go to narrow it down to one season.

[diddiedaisy]

I'm a natural blonde turned mousey/dark blonde/light brown. I'm now a bottle blonde as with my pale skin I look a bit witchey with dark hair.

Colour wise I can wear jewel, pastels, anything really but orange, yellow and maroon.

[Willowyn]

For me personally, my natural colour have not seen the light for 15 years! :D
I have very pale skin and my natural colour is a sort of ash/dark blond. (the colour that is unexplainable)
I feel washed out and if I don't colour my eyebrows, I would simply disappear into the background!

My mother had dark brown hair when she was young and brown eyes. My father has the same ash as I have. I don't get it.
Should my mothers dark hair not be the first choice? I can't help but thin, that I should have had dark hair from the beginning.
I colour mine dark I feel there has to be some sort of a contrast between skin and hair. It's just more attractive. ;)

So no, I don't think your natural colour always shold be the best match :)
Thankfully there is the free will.. I will colour till the day I die... if I don't get blessed with dark silverhair!
Yes, THIS. I'm 56 and I've been coloring my hair since I was 30. First hennas (in the 80s), and then frosts, and now blonde with um, "natural" highlights due to my whites and grays. So much more flattering to my skin tone. I have a great relationship with my hair stylist and joke that he owns my hair and I merely rent it from him.

[blue_eyes]

I'm a natural blonde turned mousey/dark blonde/light brown. I'm now a bottle blonde as with my pale skin I look a bit witchey with dark hair.

Colour wise I can wear jewel, pastels, anything really but orange, yellow and maroon.

You sound a lot like me. I think I'm going to try blonde once my dark dye has all grown out, my family has told me I look witchey with dark hair (even though my friends seemed to like it). I can't get away with orange or yellow either, but everything else seems to work. What shade of blonde did you go for?

[ravenreed]

My skintone is so weird though! I look horrible in orange, yellow, and warm reds. They make me look seriously ill. However, one of the most flattering colors on me is khaki or army green, which is warm. Cooler greens don't look at all flattering. I don't look good in warm browns, but cool browns look great... I gave up on seasons and I just pick what I know won't make me look like I am on death's door.


I'm so glad to hear this, too! :D


You're welcome, and thank you for showing me that one's colouring doesn't necessarily have anything to do with one's season (though it might play a role) - that has helped me to finally realize I may be a Winter, which, as I said, would've been very hard to imagine otherwise (as every place to identify your seasons starts with "dark hair and eyes" for Winters)... :flower:

Btw, for everyone interested, this page, where you can see the palettes side-by-side, helped me a lot (also to realize I'm definitely not Soft Summer...):
https://www.pinterest.com/lorrainessufn/12-seasons/



They are, and it does take some time and practicing to fight/ignore those preferences, but imo it is possible (though maybe not for everyone) :) At least, I think it's fairly easy to determine whether you're predominantly cool or warm, to start with, by comparing a cool red to orange (for example) against your face. Of course, from that it's still some way to go to narrow it down to one season.

[LadyCelestina]

I gave up on seasons and I just pick what I know won't make me look like I am on death's door.

[/B]
That's the spirit! :D

Anyway,just guessing for fun,Deep autumn? Leaning towards winter but still warm and heavy colours.

[MandyBeth]

Here's how I got to Winter -

Veins - blue, always blue, even with liver tantrums turning me pumpkin. That right there means I'm starkly cool. Orange plus blue equals green on most people. I stay blue, so I really don't have warm tones at all. Which means I have to ignore my natural color which is warm to hot. My natural skin and hair colors clash.

Then lipstick - since I'm ignoring hair, this was easiest to tell between summer and winter for me. My natural lip color is actually darker than what a lot of good summer colors are.

Then I just picked colors from all three levels. And Deep Winter won. It's the strongest cool of all to me, and that's what works. Now, not all the colors work, reds are very hard and greens are iffy. Even with no hair, the very starkly cool colors are best.

But, real life tell. I got my interview because I was wearing heavy black eyeliner, black lipstick, black hair, black clothes. My boss saw me and was trying to find why it looked off but realized I didn't look off or demented and that's why he couldn't find the negatives. He was trying to for reason on why his daughter shouldn't go the black route. Since I had no shame in asking him why he was looking at me, then I talked to his daughter on why black doesn't look good on her - she's got beautiful soft, warm coloring. So he figured I had big enough brass ones, so he wanted to hire me.

[MandyBeth]

Oh -

Nature isn't perfect. It loves to snicker at people. So, if nature creates platypus and aye-ayes, I think it's not a stretch that natural hair color doesn't suit someone at times.

[ravenreed]

*snort* There is that.


Oh -

Nature isn't perfect. It loves to snicker at people. So, if nature creates platypus and aye-ayes, I think it's not a stretch that natural hair color doesn't suit someone at times.

[ErinLeigh]

My current natural color does not suit my skin tone best. I always read it is your color as a child that suits you best and for me personally I agree with that. I had sandy blondish with red tones. It changed to dark dark brown (no a pretty color either, that zero shine almost greyish black color)
If I were to leave my hair its natural color my skin would pick up a gray hue, and circles or lines on face become more pronounced and I look bleak. I dye mine to match my childhood photos.

[blue_eyes]

Has anyone else ever noticed their hair (in my case it's just my roots at this point) at the front of their hairline, right where your hair meets your face, to be lighter than the rest of your natural hair? I'm asking because my roots that frame my face are a very light blonde, while the rest of my roots are a dark blonde/blonette color. The light blonde around my face seems to look very pretty with my skin/eyes, so I'm frustrated that my natural color isn't all like that. Is that normal?



My current natural color does not suit my skin tone best. I always read it is your color as a child that suits you best and for me personally I agree with that. I had sandy blondish with red tones. It changed to dark dark brown (no a pretty color either, that zero shine almost greyish black color)
If I were to leave my hair its natural color my skin would pick up a gray hue, and circles or lines on face become more pronounced and I look bleak. I dye mine to match my childhood photos.

That's really interesting! You're only the second person I've ever heard saying that our childhood color may suit us best. I'm really curious about that because I had very light blonde hair which has definitely darkened to a dull blonette color. It made my skin look very dull. I dyed it much darker, but I'm wondering if light blonde would have been better now.

[Rosetta]

^ I really, really don't think that childhood colour always suits us best - it may be so for some, but definitely not for everyone. I was light blonde as a child, and it doesn't suit me at all these days, blonde completely washes me out etc., everything that the wrong colour does to you...



Has anyone else ever noticed their hair (in my case it's just my roots at this point) at the front of their hairline, right where your hair meets your face, to be lighter than the rest of your natural hair? I'm asking because my roots that frame my face are a very light blonde, while the rest of my roots are a dark blonde/blonette color. The light blonde around my face seems to look very pretty with my skin/eyes, so I'm frustrated that my natural color isn't all like that. Is that normal?
For me it's almost the same but not quite - my hairline is almost platinum at the temples only (and those hairs are much finer than elsewhere), the rest of natural colour being dark blonde. (And no, it's not grey hair, there is a difference ;)) (And one reason I love to dye my hair is that the light blonde/platinum, as I said above, doesn't suit me at all...)

[Springlets]

That's really interesting! You're only the second person I've ever heard saying that our childhood color may suit us best. I'm really curious about that because I had very light blonde hair which has definitely darkened to a dull blonette color. It made my skin look very dull. I dyed it much darker, but I'm wondering if light blonde would have been better now.


I think it's supposed to mean that if you do dye your hair, go for the color you had as a child, not that it is everyone's best color. Childhood hair is usually lighter, brighter, and has more highlights. From my experience though, this is mainly because children spend more time outside in the sun. I also had very light blonde hair as a child and when I went into high school, I thought it had darkened a lot. It had, but that was also because I spent pretty much all of my time inside. Now I just try to dry my hair in the sun once a week, when the weather permits. My hair is just a shade darker than it was when I was 12. It also helped me to look through some of my childhood photos to see that even though my hair was quite light, I also had times (likely in the winter) when my hair looked darker.

I'm also in favor of natural color always complementing you. Natural color stands out to me in a sea of dyed hair, particularly blonette hair.

[ravenreed]

Are you out in the sun enough for that to lighten your hair in that area? My lightest hairs are on my nape. In fact there is a noticeable demarcation where my hair naturally gets lighter.


Has anyone else ever noticed their hair (in my case it's just my roots at this point) at the front of their hairline, right where your hair meets your face, to be lighter than the rest of your natural hair? I'm asking because my roots that frame my face are a very light blonde, while the rest of my roots are a dark blonde/blonette color. The light blonde around my face seems to look very pretty with my skin/eyes, so I'm frustrated that my natural color isn't all like that. Is that normal?




That's really interesting! You're only the second person I've ever heard saying that our childhood color may suit us best. I'm really curious about that because I had very light blonde hair which has definitely darkened to a dull blonette color. It made my skin look very dull. I dyed it much darker, but I'm wondering if light blonde would have been better now.

[ZombieTeddybear]

Has anyone else ever noticed their hair (in my case it's just my roots at this point) at the front of their hairline, right where your hair meets your face, to be lighter than the rest of your natural hair? I'm asking because my roots that frame my face are a very light blonde, while the rest of my roots are a dark blonde/blonette color. The light blonde around my face seems to look very pretty with my skin/eyes, so I'm frustrated that my natural color isn't all like that. Is that normal?*snip*
I've noticed that as well. My arm hair, nape hair and big, triangular patches at my temples are a very light blonde, whereas the rest of my hair grows in a darker brown. I'm thinking it may be because I was blonde as a child.

[blue_eyes]

I had wondered if those hairs were lighter because of being in the sun, but when I styled my hair as it normally is when I go outside, those pieces are entirely covered. It might be remnants of childhood color, who knows? :P I don't see that going on at the nape of my neck though, mostly just at the temples and along my forehead. I guess since there are a few of us with this that it might be more common than I realized. It's been very deceiving as I'm watching my natural color come in.

[tbonita]

Now that I've decided to grow in my natural color, I'll definitely give (photo) updates to see if my natural hair color IS best for my coloring! I've just decided to put down the henna and I'm excited to see the answer of the original post :)

[blue_eyes]

Now that I've decided to grow in my natural color, I'll definitely give (photo) updates to see if my natural hair color IS best for my coloring! I've just decided to put down the henna and I'm excited to see the answer of the original post :)

I'd love to see your photos! I'm doing the same thing at the moment. I gave up the dye last August and am just starting to see my roots get long enough to frame my face a little. At this point I still don't know how I feel about my natural color.

Since it would take about 3+ years to reach my goal length with my natural color, I sort of hope I still think my natural color looks awful on me so I have a reason to keep dyeing haha. I don't like the idea of having to wait another 3 years to be happy with my hair.

[Celebrian]

Fascinated, and find Mandybeth's comments very helpful.

I diagnose myself as Deep Autumn, but did this only recently, and realised that I lay very close to Winter palette, but warmer if deep.

All this just to say that my hair color is a very quiet rust mid brown, which is sweet but frankly dull. I personally believe that I look my best when my hair is a very dark rich brown - and have consistently had compliments over how it suits me from all ages and both genders for the last few years.

My skin is light with a warmish undertone (warm ivory foundation), eyes are dark green with gold flecks and blue-grey outer rim, cream looks better than white - but mid jewell colors suit me best. Muted colors make me look boring and washed out.

Atm, I have medium brown top half of hair and ombred medium blonde on bottom half - and I have come to the conclusion (not for the first time) that blonde is rubbish on me, unless it's a few brilliant statement highlights on a dark base! I would love to find a dark brown deposit only color to test run my theory that I look best darker not lighter, but they all seem to be semi's or permanents.

L'oreal 'Brasillia' Color Preference looks amazing on me: http://tinyurl.com/pfs3u7x but I don't want to dye again with a permanent color, too damaging. :rolleyes:

Btw, I look terrible in pale lipsticks (would love to wear them) but look better in rich warm reds, the deeper the better. I look stunning in deep brown reds, regardless of hair color at the time. It just does a lot for me. I used to think it looked so good because I must be a very boring looking person, hence needing a deep, dark lipstick, lol!

[tbonita]

I'd love to see your photos! I'm doing the same thing at the moment. I gave up the dye last August and am just starting to see my roots get long enough to frame my face a little. At this point I still don't know how I feel about my natural color.

Since it would take about 3+ years to reach my goal length with my natural color, I sort of hope I still think my natural color looks awful on me so I have a reason to keep dyeing haha. I don't like the idea of having to wait another 3 years to be happy with my hair.

Me too!! (Re goal). It does feel like a loooong time to go! I have like a cm root so far, looks darker than I remembered haha...

[blue_eyes]

Me too!! (Re goal). It does feel like a loooong time to go! I have like a cm root so far, looks darker than I remembered haha...

My roots seemed pretty dark at first too, now that they are getting longer I can see why everyone says to not judge your color based off of your roots. My natural hair is definitely lighter than it initially seemed. Compared to the dark dye in my hair, my natural color looks so blonde!


L'oreal 'Brasillia' Color Preference looks amazing on me: http://tinyurl.com/pfs3u7x but I don't want to dye again with a permanent color, too damaging. :rolleyes:

Btw, I look terrible in pale lipsticks (would love to wear them) but look better in rich warm reds, the deeper the better. I look stunning in deep brown reds, regardless of hair color at the time. It just does a lot for me. I used to think it looked so good because I must be a very boring looking person, hence needing a deep, dark lipstick, lol!

Haha I'd been using exactly the same dye, but I believe my skin tone is a light summer. I look awful in dark lipstick, which I think was a major clue as to why I'm not a winter (I thought I was for a while). I'm sure you aren't boring though! You can just rock dark lips better than most! :)

[Rosetta]

Atm, I have medium brown top half of hair and ombred medium blonde on bottom half - and I have come to the conclusion (not for the first time) that blonde is rubbish on me, unless it's a few brilliant statement highlights on a dark base! I would love to find a dark brown deposit only color to test run my theory that I look best darker not lighter, but they all seem to be semi's or permanents.
Adore has several dark brown deposit-only colours - the 'original' ones: http://www.creativeimagesystems.com/adore/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=60 (scroll down), and Adore plus: http://www.creativeimagesystems.com/adore/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=61 :)



Btw, I look terrible in pale lipsticks (would love to wear them) but look better in rich warm reds, the deeper the better. I look stunning in deep brown reds, regardless of hair color at the time. It just does a lot for me. I used to think it looked so good because I must be a very boring looking person, hence needing a deep, dark lipstick, lol!
Hah, I used to think in a similar way, too, as I also look terrible in pale or muted colours, both in make-up and clothes ;) And only now I've come to realize it's because I'm probably a (Bright) Winter, something very hard to grasp for someone as naturally (relatively) light-coloured as me (especially with everyone saying you *can't* be a Winter)...

[Arciela]

the seasonal color thing is pretty cool! I am apparently a clear winter...I guess its correct because when I wear the colors they suggest I always get compliments :)

thanks for sharing it :flower:

[Celebrian]

Rosetta, thank you for those 'Adore' links, but I am in England and don't really want to import from US - or are they in Europe? Must go have another look!

Btw, I am in the second day of removing the patchy brown and overtoned blonde stuff in my hair, with a view to recoloring to my rich autumnal deep warm brown! Atm, I look AWFUL, because I am (temporarily) a bright yellow blonde all over (hair I mean, lol)! I can't wait to cover this up with a deeper shade. Ugh,I feel disorientated! :no:

[tbonita]

Adore has several dark brown deposit-only colours - the 'original' ones: http://www.creativeimagesystems.com/adore/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=60 (scroll down), and Adore plus: [URL]http://www.creativeimagesystems.com/adore/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid
Thanks for these links... I just ordered some adore plus in medium brown to try to tone down my henndigo red while I grow my natural color :) I've never known these types of dyes come in natural colors! I got mine from amazon btw but used the color chart on the above site. Medium brown looked nice and ashy from the chart. I'll post results!

[Rosetta]

Glad to be of help, tbonita :) Hope it works for you!


Rosetta, thank you for those 'Adore' links, but I am in England and don't really want to import from US - or are they in Europe? Must go have another look!
Yes, there are a couple UK sellers of them on ebay (e.g. http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Health-in-the-Post?_trksid=p2047675.l2563), and some online shops too (e.g. http://www.pakcosmetics.com) :)

[Sofialu]

I apologize if this has been brought up before. I've always read that your natural color suits your skin tone best, and that if you are going to dye it you need to figure out whether your skin is "warm" "cool" or "neutral" in tone. Once you've figured out your skin tone, you should only go two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color.

My personal experience doesn't seem to follow this "rule". I hate my natural hair color (it's like a dark blonde with lots of gold flecks in it). My skin is very pale, and I've had a nightmare of a time trying to figure out my tone (although now I'm pretty sure it's on the cooler side). Anyway, I basically broke all the rules and was dyeing it a warm, very dark brown that nearly looked black...and I loved it, and I got endless compliments. Even hair color experts were telling me that I suited really dark hair. So how can that be, when it is many shades darker than my natural color?

In my opinion, my natural color really washed me out and didn't suit my skin tone at all. Is that possible or have I got it wrong? It just seems to go against nature to feel like your natural hair color doesn't suit you haha.

I don't know, I've read that cool tones can pull off platinum blonde or blue-black hair so it throws the sticking within two shades of your natural colour out the window. I'm beginning to grow out my dye and have small root growth so as yet I'm not sure if I'll like my natural colour since I've not seen it for 16 years. What I do know is that the pale blonde hair I had as a child does not now suit me as an adult and made me very washed out. I'm quite fair skinned and think my true colour is a dull ash blonde but a milk chocolate colour is what I've had on my hair for a while now and my husband thinks it suits me so well, I'm wondering if my natural colour will suit me quite so much too?

[Celebrian]

Oh dear, this is all so muddling, isn't it? I can't help thinking that if someone looks just ok with their real coloring - but looks great with a dye job - then the dye job is the way to go. However, I'm going to suggest that that would really only hold true if you look best with a dye job and no makeup! But then, if you look a lot better WITH hair dye PLUS makeup than you do raw - go for it!!!

Can you tell I am going round in circles here???

Let's see. I'm naturally medium rust brown, with dark brown eyebrows and darkish green eyes. I think I look nice but boring with my natural hair color, and so I definitely need a reasonable dose of make up.

When I dye my hair a darker (sometimes very dark) brown, I feel I need LESS make up, certainly not more. Perhaps it's because the darker hair looks more striking on me, that I don't feel I need more cosmetics to make me pop. Not saying I don't need my black mascara and deep lipstick - but just that the same amount of make up works just as well on me with the darker hair (at least 2 + shades deeper than I naturally am), where' as I should look more washed out.

Shouldn't I? Or is my brain overloading here!? :brickwall Oh well...

[Sofialu]

Lol I've been thinking like this too but I am committed to growing out the dye and am at least giving my natural shade a go at a good length. So it might take me a few more years to find the answer. This brown I've got on now is a really nice colour but it gets a tad bit lighter each time I wash my hair. The under layers of my hair are more or less the same colour as my roots now and I do quite like the colour but the top layer is still darker so I can't see the full effect yet. I know what you mean re the darker colour meaning you feel you don't need as much make up for features to stand out. I've worn so much less make up since I had this brown colour put on. I felt too washed out with the bleach blonde and oddly enough my brown eyes seem to stand out more against the darker hair rather than the pale hair. Funny isn't it?

[Celebrian]

Lol I've been thinking like this too but I am committed to growing out the dye and am at least giving my natural shade a go at a good length. So it might take me a few more years to find the answer. This brown I've got on now is a really nice colour but it gets a tad bit lighter each time I wash my hair. The under layers of my hair are more or less the same colour as my roots now and I do quite like the colour but the top layer is still darker so I can't see the full effect yet. I know what you mean re the darker colour meaning you feel you don't need as much make up for features to stand out. I've worn so much less make up since I had this brown colour put on. I felt too washed out with the bleach blonde and oddly enough my brown eyes seem to stand out more against the darker hair rather than the pale hair. Funny isn't it?

Yes, I too look very washed out if I attempt to go blonde (well, apart from highlights). And, yes, my eye's look far more brilliant against darker hair. Weird isn't it. Well, I am thinking of giving the deep brown a go tomorrow: just wait for the cries of 'oh, why did I do it' from this corner!

[blondecat]

I read once to carry a picture of you from childhood to your colorist's, and THATS the color you want. Of course, I've never subscribed to that theory, I've been every color under the sun, and I'm now a proud henna-head! Which I think suits my personality since it's really my natural color with a bit of flair, like me ;)

Hmmm I was absolutely White haired as a child.

Now sitting at Strawberry Blonde.

[Leise22]

I have chestnut-brown natural hair.
My natural colour tends to wash me out, makes me appear very pale because of the contrast dark hair and fair skin, and makes my eye circles appear way worse than they are. People used to call me "ghostie" and anything along that line, and it went on for years, shaking my self-confidence.

I've started dyeing my hair red two years ago, and since then i received lots of compliments, people saying i look glowing and asking if it's my natural colour...which is kind of easy to tell, my eyebrows are still dark. But anyways, now I feel happier and more confident.

So i think it depends, everyone is different and some experimenting might be needed to find what suits you best.

[Celebrian]

Well, I tipped a bottle of dark brown on my lightish warm brown with blonde ends - and I think it's a little too dark myself. Different lights make it range from just a reasonably dark brown with a few warm lights throughout and nearly black in other lights! What should I believe?

Anyway, went out today and got several comments in passing that people really liked it, thought it suited me darker - and, no, it didn't look too dark to them. So we'll see.

[SkyChild]

I suit my natural dark brown exactly as well as when I dye it red-ginger. I've never been blonde.
My wardrobe and make-up changes slightly with red hair.
I do think most people suit their natural hair colour best. I think you can suit other colours. I think the "rules" about going 2 shades either way and finding the right tone are tosh, frankly. Loads of people I know look great with all different colours of hair.

[Sofialu]

Well, I tipped a bottle of dark brown on my lightish warm brown with blonde ends - and I think it's a little too dark myself. Different lights make it range from just a reasonably dark brown with a few warm lights throughout and nearly black in other lights! What should I believe?

Anyway, went out today and got several comments in passing that people really liked it, thought it suited me darker - and, no, it didn't look too dark to them. So we'll see.

When I first went dark acquaintances were very complimentary and my husband thought it suited me too but my mum, dad and aunt were less accepting and clearly didn't like it. I think its because they had always seen me with blonde hair since I was a baby and it has taken them time to adjust. If I'd have had any doubts about changing my colour then their negativity would have made me second guess my decision but I was more than sure about it before I did it. I think you can dye your hair whatever colour makes you happy and only you have to love it.

[Celebrian]

I suit my natural dark brown exactly as well as when I dye it red-ginger. I've never been blonde.
My wardrobe and make-up changes slightly with red hair.
I do think most people suit their natural hair colour best. I think you can suit other colours. I think the "rules" about going 2 shades either way and finding the right tone are tosh, frankly. Loads of people I know look great with all different colours of hair.

I think you might be right - but how many of the big colour changes you've seen have had to rely on makeup to make it work? I ask, because I wear makeup, but I also want my dyed hair colour to work with my bare skin - and if it doesn't (i.e. if I either look washed out or too ruddy) then that's when I get a bit unsure of my look!

[Celebrian]

When I first went dark acquaintances were very complimentary and my husband thought it suited me too but my mum, dad and aunt were less accepting and clearly didn't like it. I think its because they had always seen me with blonde hair since I was a baby and it has taken them time to adjust. If I'd have had any doubts about changing my colour then their negativity would have made me second guess my decision but I was more than sure about it before I did it. I think you can dye your hair whatever colour makes you happy and only you have to love it.

See my reply to SkyChild (above your last), but I was asking about needing makeup in order to match dyed hair. Now that mine is pretty dark, I can't work out whether I am too pale skinwise! Strangely, when I put some of my usual 'warm ivory' foundation on, I thought it looked quite orangey against the darker, cooler brown. That suprised me, because I thought it would be too light against the new hair. Hmm... the case continues! :eye:

[Mai Gloeckchen]

Changeing my haircolour to a darker or lighter shade is not difficult. Both suits me: more blond or more brown, but there is one thing I cannot shange: is has to be the same intensitiy of ash respectively red. My haircolour at the roots is quite neutral, bleaching downwards golden coppery. Such a golden, or even copper tone right next to my skin looks horrible as well as super ashy shades.

[Sofialu]

Sorry Celebrian I missed the bit about makeup. I've found I wear less now I've got darker hair as my features seem to stand out more now on heir own. Funnily enough I had this peachy coloured eye base which I'd have never put on when I was blonde but somehow it seems to blend in now - bizarre! When I first had my dark put on it was really too dark for me and my skin was too light for it but with each wash it faded and is now a light brown and my skin looks a healthy colour rather than pale or pasty.

[earthnut]

I think one's natural color always looks best. However, I think that one can dramatically change the lightness and darkness of their hair and still look great. It really depends on you, and your coloring, and the hair color you choose. It's not always easy to determine beforehand what hair color will look good on you either. Many times it takes some trial and error.

Also I think, a lot of times when people think their natural color makes them look washed out, they aren't choosing the right clothing and makeup colors for themselves either. Clothing and makeup can dramatically change how flattering the overall look looks. For instance my MIL can look very mousey if she is wearing certain colors, and in other colors her hair shines like gold. It's all a matter of contextual color.

[MandyBeth]

Again - my natural color is very, very warm - nearly hot. Everything else with my coloring is starkly cool. While slightly warm with slightly cool may be stunning, the extreme difference looks like crap. It's why so many dye jobs are bad, very warm with very cool.

I know a 7N runs warm on me, but if I do full makeup and careful dressing, it's ok. Nothing great, but it's not liver failure looking.

Yes, 1N with cool added is very dark. It is extreme. It can, and frequently looks off if not careful. But, I can go out in no makeup at all and it's not slightly blah, it's far better than just ok, despite my dark circles and redness, those fade away to nothing without makeup.

If I work enough, 10C to white - the opposite color extreme - is equally as attractive and flaw reducing as the black. It's just way too much work.

Nature is not without oddities - aye-ayes and platypus anyone? - and human genetics love throwing oddities also. So, why is it illogical to find natural hair color isn't the best? The dye looking poor relates to picking a bad color, not to natural being perfect.

Big tell for me -

Dr saw me with natural color. I was having an autoimmune flare and felt like crap. Dyed my hair to the current black, saw doctor again when I was clinically worse. Doctor was shocked because I looked so much better. I just pointed out the color change. She, a very observant doctor who knew me very well, did not see the hair color change.

[blue_eyes]

I've been growing out my dye and didn't really know what my natural color looked like anymore (I haven't seen it in 10 years). I've got about 3 inches now so I've been eyeing the color and I'm pretty surprised...it's definitely darkened down from the blonde I was as a child, but what strikes me is how grey the tones are in it. I don't mean that my hair is actually graying, because it is definitely a dark blonde/light brown kind of color, but the undertones are so grey looking (I guess that just means I have ash blonde/brown hair?) The only problem with that is I feel like it makes me look old. It's like it takes all the color out of my face and I look very pale, dull, and old. I'm only 24! That's not right.

It will be interesting to see what I think as it gets longer, but I certainly don't like it so far. I can't honestly believe that my natural color is the best color for my skintone. The lighter hairs framing my face are like a light, sandy blonde color and look MUCH better. When I pull my hair back and only see my face with the light blonde hair my skin looks so illuminated and my eyes stand out. I wish all my natural hair looked like that.

[Sofialu]

I've been growing out my dye and didn't really know what my natural color looked like anymore (I haven't seen it in 10 years). I've got about 3 inches now so I've been eyeing the color and I'm pretty surprised...it's definitely darkened down from the blonde I was as a child, but what strikes me is how grey the tones are in it. I don't mean that my hair is actually graying, because it is definitely a dark blonde/light brown kind of color, but the undertones are so grey looking (I guess that just means I have ash blonde/brown hair?) The only problem with that is I feel like it makes me look old. It's like it takes all the color out of my face and I look very pale, dull, and old. I'm only 24! That's not right.

It will be interesting to see what I think as it gets longer, but I certainly don't like it so far. I can't honestly believe that my natural color is the best color for my skintone. The lighter hairs framing my face are like a light, sandy blonde color and look MUCH better. When I pull my hair back and only see my face with the light blonde hair my skin looks so illuminated and my eyes stand out. I wish all my natural hair looked like that.

Blue_eyes have you been on the blonette pride thread? There's a lot of people on there with hair colour that sounds similar to how you describe yours. I'm growing my natural colour out now and have only 2cm of roots which do look ashy/grey however a few people have told me that they look this way compared against the vibrancy of the hair dye and that when mine is at a longer length and lightened naturally in the spring/summer, it should bring out the natural warm tones. Given that the front section of your hair is already lightening I would say your hair colour will be warmer once it grows more

[blue_eyes]

Blue_eyes have you been on the blonette pride thread? There's a lot of people on there with hair colour that sounds similar to how you describe yours. I'm growing my natural colour out now and have only 2cm of roots which do look ashy/grey however a few people have told me that they look this way compared against the vibrancy of the hair dye and that when mine is at a longer length and lightened naturally in the spring/summer, it should bring out the natural warm tones. Given that the front section of your hair is already lightening I would say your hair colour will be warmer once it grows more

I've taken a look through the blonette pride thread a few times, though not through all of it because it is quite long :P I think my bad reaction to my nature color also stems from the last photo I have of my hair before I began dyeing it, in which it has that same greyish hue to it overall. I do realized that the time of year it was taken was during the winter months and the lighting in the room will also have some affect, but I look very bland and boring in the photo. I'll try to resist coming to any snap judgements, so far it has mostly been observation in terms of 'is my natural color really the best for me?' I do agree with the comparison between natural color and dye though. At first my roots were incredibly drab and dark looking. I can definitely see little gold flecks and highlights in them now. There is way more dimension to my nature color than I had initially thought when my roots first began coming in.

I wish you luck with growing out your dye! It has definitely not been easy for me. It's like trying to quit an addiction! :P

[Sofialu]

I've taken a look through the blonette pride thread a few times, though not through all of it because it is quite long :P I think my bad reaction to my nature color also stems from the last photo I have of my hair before I began dyeing it, in which it has that same greyish hue to it overall. I do realized that the time of year it was taken was during the winter months and the lighting in the room will also have some affect, but I look very bland and boring in the photo. I'll try to resist coming to any snap judgements, so far it has mostly been observation in terms of 'is my natural color really the best for me?' I do agree with the comparison between natural color and dye though. At first my roots were incredibly drab and dark looking. I can definitely see little gold flecks and highlights in them now. There is way more dimension to my nature color than I had initially thought when my roots first began coming in.

I wish you luck with growing out your dye! It has definitely not been easy for me. It's like trying to quit an addiction! :P

Thank you :) I'm done with hair dye now, I was fed up of the brassiness, dark roots and grey hairs all at once - it looked gorgeous ;) Joking aside, my situation sounds very similar to yours in that the last time I saw my natural colour was over 16 years ago and the last photo I seem to have of it, it looks shocking but I've come to realise that it was probably not a true reflection of my actual colour as it was taken indoors at night, in a short bob style flat against my head so I can't really go by that photo anymore. I'm looking forward to when its grown a few inches - hopefully I'll still feel enthusiastic about it once I've seen more. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with yours, your flecks of gold sound like they could be wow in the sun :)

[Celebrian]

Again - my natural color is very, very warm - nearly hot. Everything else with my coloring is starkly cool. While slightly warm with slightly cool may be stunning, the extreme difference looks like crap. It's why so many dye jobs are bad, very warm with very cool.

I know a 7N runs warm on me, but if I do full makeup and careful dressing, it's ok. Nothing great, but it's not liver failure looking.

Yes, 1N with cool added is very dark. It is extreme. It can, and frequently looks off if not careful. But, I can go out in no makeup at all and it's not slightly blah, it's far better than just ok, despite my dark circles and redness, those fade away to nothing without makeup.

If I work enough, 10C to white - the opposite color extreme - is equally as attractive and flaw reducing as the black. It's just way too much work.

Nature is not without oddities - aye-ayes and platypus anyone? - and human genetics love throwing oddities also. So, why is it illogical to find natural hair color isn't the best? The dye looking poor relates to picking a bad color, not to natural being perfect.

Big tell for me -

Dr saw me with natural color. I was having an autoimmune flare and felt like crap. Dyed my hair to the current black, saw doctor again when I was clinically worse. Doctor was shocked because I looked so much better. I just pointed out the color change. She, a very observant doctor who knew me very well, did not see the hair color change.

Thank goodness, someone like me who mixes warm and cool in their coloring! Now I've been dark again for a couple of weeks, I just breathe a sigh of relief when I look in the mirror. I also look best without foundation now (but plenty of black mascara, lol!), and have been told i look even younger by several people - so, once again (as before) snooks to those who say that darker hair is aging. It 'ain't neccessarily so!

[Celebrian]

Sorry Celebrian I missed the bit about makeup. I've found I wear less now I've got darker hair as my features seem to stand out more now on heir own. Funnily enough I had this peachy coloured eye base which I'd have never put on when I was blonde but somehow it seems to blend in now - bizarre! When I first had my dark put on it was really too dark for me and my skin was too light for it but with each wash it faded and is now a light brown and my skin looks a healthy colour rather than pale or pasty.

Sorry I'm late replying. I've just been telling MandyBeth about the fact that I've settled to the dark hair again - and wear no foundation (touch of concealer around nose perhaps) as I look better that way. I am very suprised but pleased. Also told I look younger... :eye:

[blue_eyes]

I'm very jealous Celebrian! :P I loved having dark hair, and while I got lots of compliments on my appearance, everyone also agreed that it made me look a few years older than I actually was. I could get away with it now while I'm still in my twenties if I wanted to, but I was worried that when I was in my 30s I'd look 40.

If your hair color ages you does that mean it isn't the right match for your skin tone? I feel like the right hair color wouldn't do that... :S

[Sofialu]

Blue_eyes I'd say if you feel you look older wearing a certain hair colour then it isn't the right one for you unless you wish to look older I suppose. I was told I looked younger with my hair a milk chocolatey colour but not when it was a dark brown and now it has faded to a dark blonde the compliments have stopped so somewhere in the middle seemed right for me.

[ErinLeigh]

My current natural color is not best. It is a dark dishwater brown, almost black. Very greyish toned and dingy unless sun lightened.
The dark hair brings out grey in my skin tone, highlights every shadow, and makes my features look distorted.
I have a very non symetrical face and the lighter hair helps hide that somehow.

I have always read the best color is the color you had as a child.
I had reddish blond and that is what suits me best, go figure.

[HazelBug]

I'm not exactly fond of my natural hair color. I like thinks with more contrast. If I wear anything brown then I blend into the wall. I have dark blond/nearly brown hair kind of neutral to slightly reddish toned. I have very light skin with pink undertones. When I dyed my hair black, and even when I dyed it a medium brown my green eyes really popped.

But keeping up the dye is not something I feel compelled to do for a long time. It's too much work. And now that I'm pregnant again, I really don't want to bother with hair dyes. The smell is way too strong for my sensitive nose.

I figure that as long as you are all right with your color then it's fine to do whatever you like with your hair.

[blue_eyes]

Since I started growing out my dark dye my SO (who has never seen me with my natural color) has begun to make comments that it looks like it will suit my skin tone better, and that black hair sometimes made me look too pale.

I don't really want to believe that my natural color is the only hair color that will look good on me because I hate my natural color. When I sit in the sun and see myself in the mirror, my hair can look very light blonde with natural highlights and it looks wonderful against my skin & makes my eyes stand out. But when I see the majority of it all laying flat against itself it's like it loses all it's blondness and natural highlights, and looks like the most boring, dull shade of brown. I absolutely hate it. I'll give it a shot as it grows out & see if I still feel that way...but I'm really doing it as a fresh start. Maybe it will surprise me and look beautiful with my skin tone and I'll come to love it.

@ HazelBug

Congrats on being pregnant!! :D

[Celebrian]

My current natural color is not best. It is a dark dishwater brown, almost black. Very greyish toned and dingy unless sun lightened.
The dark hair brings out grey in my skin tone, highlights every shadow, and makes my features look distorted.
I have a very non symetrical face and the lighter hair helps hide that somehow.

I have always read the best color is the color you had as a child.
I had reddish blond and that is what suits me best, go figure.

I had medium honey blonde hair as a child, and that looks nice on me - but the deep brown looks better. Go figure. I can't work that one out: just saying. Maybe that rule about hair color as a child is another one that isn't always correct. :cheer:

[queenovnight]

I actually agree that ones natural color always looks best. I'm not too fond of my dark hair, but everyone says how much better my hair looks now that I've stopped trying to be every hair color but my own.

[RancheroTheBee]

I have no idea if my natural colour suits me best or not. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really make sense that your body would align your skintone and hair colour because it probably doesn't care (or know) the colour wheel/tones. Even if my colour does suit my skintone, I'd rather not have to deal with it. It's that dark, ashy blonde with a silvery cast on it, which is probably very nice on some people, but my eyes are a pale grey, my skin is cool and light and when you combine all those things, I kind of look dead.

[Chamomile betty]

I highlight my blonde hair light on top and at the sides. My natural hair color is underneath. I used to bleach all my hair but quit that in 2007. I still like the brightness of light blonde around my face. It's just a personal preference I guess.

[veryhairyfairy]

Much like RancheroTheBee, my natural color combined with my skin and eyes makes me look a little corpse-ish. My natural color is a neutral-beige-blonde with ashy overtones and golden undertones (what?!), and it really just sits there looking bland on me. There's almost no contrast between my skin and hair when it's my natural color, and I see a lot of sick-yellow overtones on my skin, too.
I look A-MAZE-ing with black hair, which is interesting because my grandfather was 1/2 Native American, and he had pale skin, black hair, and blue-green eyes. I really should have been born a redhead, though. Red hair brings out the peachy tones in my skin, contrasts with my eyes to make them look more green (and less grey/slate), and fits my identity and personality to a T.
The first time I put red into my hair, I came home. I'll be dying my hair red until I can no longer reach my arms up to apply it! :)

[Juniper.]

Lately I've been looking in the mirror and thinking my face looks a little different, more tired and worn. I've always had a young, childish face and it was just looking older so I looked at my eyes for dark circles or wrinkles but couldnt see any, nor any new frown lines or anything. Then I lifted my hennad length up to my face - bingo! My face instantly looked brighter, fresher and younger, just how I'm used to it.

My natural hair is a blonette shade and my roots are now at my ears and I guess with the natural hair now framing most of my face, and with the colour being its duller winter shade, it's draining my face a bit. There's no way I'll be going back to henna though (definitely, definitely over that) and I really want all-natural hair so I will just have to wait for summer so my hair can lighten up and my cheeks can get some colour.

Maybe in the meantime I could do some chamomile rinses to brighten up the natural hair and add some warmer tones. I've been wanting to try catnip for ages (for splits), does that add similar golden tones?

[blue_eyes]

I have no idea if my natural colour suits me best or not. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really make sense that your body would align your skintone and hair colour because it probably doesn't care (or know) the colour wheel/tones. Even if my colour does suit my skintone, I'd rather not have to deal with it. It's that dark, ashy blonde with a silvery cast on it, which is probably very nice on some people, but my eyes are a pale grey, my skin is cool and light and when you combine all those things, I kind of look dead.

I never understood why it would be a given that your body would properly match your skintone and hair color either. I also think my skin/eye/natural hair color combo makes me look very grey/sick/dead-looking lol.


Much like RancheroTheBee, my natural color combined with my skin and eyes makes me look a little corpse-ish. My natural color is a neutral-beige-blonde with ashy overtones and golden undertones (what?!), and it really just sits there looking bland on me.

Your hair sounds kind of similar to mine haha. My hair is very ashy looking, but when I look at it closely it definitely has a lot of gold tones in it (how does that make any sense?). When I play with it and run my hands through it, it all looks very blonde. But when I'm not touching it it just sits there looking like a dull, boring ashy brown color. Even if it is the ideal color for my skintone, I can't stand it.

[Lady Mary]

I don't really agree that my natural color suits me best, nor would my childhood hair color. My natural color is kind of a weird mix of black and red, but it's more ashy and not very warm toned. If my hair is dyed/hennaed red, everyone thinks it is natural and looks wonderful. If my hair is black, warm black, everyone thinks it is natural and looks great. My natural color is not attractive at all and washes me out. If I had my childhood color, it would have been a mousey blonde, which would be absolutely terrible. Maybe if someone's heritage was only one ethnicity (Just Italian or just French or something) the statement could be true but when you're a mutt of genetics, you get weird mixed stuff sometimes.

[MadeiraD]

My jet black hair flatters me better than my natural color

[truepeacenik]

I've seen tones of blue and green that look great on certain people.
I'm pretty sure it's not the born with shade. :)

[Rosetta]

Lately I've been looking in the mirror and thinking my face looks a little different, more tired and worn. I've always had a young, childish face and it was just looking older so I looked at my eyes for dark circles or wrinkles but couldnt see any, nor any new frown lines or anything. Then I lifted my hennad length up to my face - bingo! My face instantly looked brighter, fresher and younger, just how I'm used to it.
That sounds so familiar to me, had that experience several times ;)


Maybe if someone's heritage was only one ethnicity (Just Italian or just French or something) the statement could be true but when you're a mutt of genetics, you get weird mixed stuff sometimes.
All today's nations (like the ones you mentioned) are actually a mix of genes, there's no such things as unmixed ethnicity :) Or, only an isolated tribe in the Amazon jungle can be one, but otherwise not.

[Lady Mary]

All today's nations (like the ones you mentioned) are actually a mix of genes, there's no such things as unmixed ethnicity :) Or, only an isolated tribe in the Amazon jungle can be one, but otherwise not.

I know, I just meant that being four or eight things gets you really wonky mixes of genetics rather than being only "one thing." My Irish relatives genetics look a bit more on purpose, rather than mine which look a bit mixed up.

[veryhairyfairy]

<snip> :)

Maybe in the meantime I could do some chamomile rinses to brighten up the natural hair and add some warmer tones. I've been wanting to try catnip for ages (for splits), does that add similar golden tones?

I think that most people find catnip gives them a more neutral blonde color, so it may not brighten your color any. But I really love to use it as my styling spray in my mister bottle (I posted recently about my experience with it in the catnip thread if you're interested).

By the way, I totally sympathize because I've been exactly where you are. I caved and went back to henna, but I admire your determination (and I'm envious of your root-less life)! If you're interested in some non-tea lightening techniques, I can fill you in on my experience with hydrogen peroxide as a blonette. :)


I never understood why it would be a given that your body would properly match your skintone and hair color either. I also think my skin/eye/natural hair color combo makes me look very grey/sick/dead-looking lol.

Your hair sounds kind of similar to mine haha. My hair is very ashy looking, but when I look at it closely it definitely has a lot of gold tones in it (how does that make any sense?). When I play with it and run my hands through it, it all looks very blonde. But when I'm not touching it it just sits there looking like a dull, boring ashy brown color. Even if it is the ideal color for my skintone, I can't stand it.

Goodness, I just don't get the ashy-gold-silvery-blonde thing... it's almost like my hair clashes with itself! :lol:
The crazy thing is, I've seen plenty of people with this natural color look absolutely stunning in it. Maybe it's just a seasonal color thing? (you know, winters and autumns and all that?)



I don't really agree that my natural color suits me best, nor would my childhood hair color. My natural color is kind of a weird mix of black and red, but it's more ashy and not very warm toned. If my hair is dyed/hennaed red, everyone thinks it is natural and looks wonderful. If my hair is black, warm black, everyone thinks it is natural and looks great. My natural color is not attractive at all and washes me out. If I had my childhood color, it would have been a mousey blonde, which would be absolutely terrible. Maybe if someone's heritage was only one ethnicity (Just Italian or just French or something) the statement could be true but when you're a mutt of genetics, you get weird mixed stuff sometimes.

I totally get the bolded, that's a great point! I've got so many different (and clashing) kinds of ethnicity running through my veins, it's no wonder that I used to find pale blonde hairs, red hairs, black hairs, straight hairs, zig-zag hairs, curly hairs etc etc. I used to call my hair color 'calico cat' because I had so many contrasting strands. :lol:

My sister (technically half sister) is half Italian and her hair, skin, and eyes are perfect together! *angry fist shake* :p

[Rosetta]

I just had to get back to this, as this is what was discussed earlier in this thread:


I think that it's pretty difficult to do our own color analysis because our perceptions are always colored by our preferences.


They are, and it does take some time and practicing to fight/ignore those preferences, but imo it is possible (though maybe not for everyone) :) At least, I think it's fairly easy to determine whether you're predominantly cool or warm, to start with, by comparing a cool red to orange (for example) against your face. Of course, from that it's still some way to go to narrow it down to one season.
I've since found out I'm a Bright Spring, and in this case my advice above wouldn't actually have resulted in the correct season - for a Bright Spring, hot pink & fuchsia look way better than orange (which is quite an Autumn colour anyway), though it's a warm season (warm-neutral), and those may be seen as cool(ish) reds :) So I just wanted to correct this, so as not to mislead anyone, as I now know better.

[Of the Fae]

I don't know if I agree, I am a natural pale ash golden blonde, quite light in color, and I henna to a deep copper red.
In spite of my cool skin tones, I seem to pull it off so well people assume I am a natural red.
Though I must say that my skin is so white that it is hard to distinguish wether it is cool or warm :P

[blue_eyes]

I don't know if I agree, I am a natural pale ash golden blonde, quite light in color, and I henna to a deep copper red.
In spite of my cool skin tones, I seem to pull it off so well people assume I am a natural red.
Though I must say that my skin is so white that it is hard to distinguish wether it is cool or warm :P

I've got very fair cool skin as well and dyed my hair a dark red, almost burgundy (but it lightened to more of a natural red), for years and everyone thought it was natural! Even though the dark red was a very unnatural color. I was surprised when looking at my color analysis that red hair was not recommended. Honestly, the dark red color suited me best out of anything else I've ever tried (not just in my opinion, others have told me this as well). I'd never got so many compliments in my life! haha. The upkeep is why I stopped dyeing it red. It would be beautiful for a week and by the next week it was practically orange; I didn't want to continuously dye my hair. Not to mention, when I finally did want a change it was impossible to get the red out.

My skin is incredibly white too, and it was difficult for me to determine whether or not I was warm or cool, so you might be right about that. Maybe we can sometimes look good in warm colors because of our fair skin. :)

[Rosetta]

^ Burgundy/dark red is actually a cool colour, or more cool than warm :) Also, most people are actually neutral, not solely cool or warm, and usually those suit both to some extent, but one dominates. Like my season Bright Spring is warm-neutral (i.e. one of the neutral seasons but predominantly warm), and if you're a Light Summer, blue_eyes (as I seem to remember, but I might be wrong?), you'd be cool-neutral :) But that's difficult (if not impossible) to tell from skin alone.

[blue_eyes]

^ Burgundy/dark red is actually a cool colour, or more cool than warm :) Also, most people are actually neutral, not solely cool or warm, and usually those suit both to some extent, but one dominates. Like my season Bright Spring is warm-neutral (i.e. one of the neutral seasons but predominantly warm), and if you're a Light Summer, blue_eyes (as I seem to remember, but I might be wrong?), you'd be cool-neutral :) But that's difficult (if not impossible) to tell from skin alone.

Oh that's cool! (no pun intended lol). You're right, I am a light summer. I just recall seeing red, orange, and yellow listed as the worst colors for me to wear. I look awful in orange and yellow, but I can wear red (although if it is bright red it is a bit overpowering). None of the dark reds/burgundy colors were listed on the 'cool color' chart that I saw, so I guess I wrongly lumped them into the red category.

Your insight has been really helpful! I can't believe how complex color analysis is. Just when I think I have it figured out I learn something new! :)

[Larki]

Well, I don't know if it's ALWAYS the best match, but it is for me! I have fair skin and blue eyes, I would look awful with dark hair.

[Rosetta]

Oh that's cool! (no pun intended lol). You're right, I am a light summer. I just recall seeing red, orange, and yellow listed as the worst colors for me to wear. I look awful in orange and yellow, but I can wear red (although if it is bright red it is a bit overpowering). None of the dark reds/burgundy colors were listed on the 'cool color' chart that I saw, so I guess I wrongly lumped them into the red category.

Your insight has been really helpful! I can't believe how complex color analysis is. Just when I think I have it figured out I learn something new! :)
Thanks! :) Light Summer has in fact several reds (as well as some yellows, though you're right about orange), see here http://www.pinterest.com/lorrainessufn/12-seasons/.

And as for the hair colour, red seems to be quite an attention-grabbing one, as I've also got most compliments with red hair, though I now prefer a kind of honey/caramel blonde (at least for the time being ;)). So it may not necessarily be the best colour, but does tend to get more compliments (for many).

[ExpectoPatronum]

I've already posted here but...what I said still holds true only now I have anecdotal evidence coming from myself.

My natural color was a medium dark brown with red and gold undertones. It was a nice color and did look good with my skin tone.

However, I've now dyed my hair a much black-brown (and now black) and honestly? This is so much better for my skin tone and coloring than my own natural color ever was. It makes sense as this is the color hair both my parents have and, I'm similar in coloring to them. (Where I got the lighter hair from I don't know). I've gotten so many compliments on my new color from friends, roommates, and even my family who all say the color suits me very well. The darker color works better not only for my skin color, but also for my brown eyes, and for my eyebrows which are almost black anyway.

I will admit, though, that black isn't as best a match as a brown-black is and I'll probably stick to brown-blacks from here on. It was a fun experiment either way :)

So, my stance on this is still the same. Natural hair color doesn't give a damn about what your coloring is and sometimes a better match is found in a box or a salon. This isn't true for everyone, though.

Then again, it all really boils down to preference. What hair color does someone prefer one themselves may not line up with their natural hair color and that's the case with me.

Saw something about "mutts": I'm kind of a mutt. I'm mostly Sicilian and have the 'Mediterranean' coloring. So maybe that's why (I think) that darker hair works for me. It goes with the whole Mediterranean thing a lot more than a brown did.

[Rosetta]

Resurrecting this, as it's such a fascinating topic :) And I've been pondering this a lot again lately.

On the other hand, for example in this video (of how a colour remover works), I have to say the artificial black does in my opinion suit the girl better than the medium reddish brown (that's probably her natural one):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v7X51xfCtc (Obviously not the only example, but one with link easily available.)

And on the other hand, e.g. this site (probably the best on colour analysis & theory) says this:
http://www.12blueprints.com/can-natural-hair-colour-ever-be-wrong and http://www.12blueprints.com/can-eye-hair-and-skin-colours-conflict (a very long but interesting article.)

[blue_eyes]

That video was really interesting, and I totally agree that she looked better with the black hair. It was very striking and made her eyes look stunning.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I've finally got about 7 inches of natural roots, so I've been able to get a good look at how my natural works with my skin tone. I feel very 'blah' about it. It definitely isn't anything special. When I had black/dark brown it was very striking and made my eyes pop(much like the girl in the video). I don't feel the same way about my natural color. The only thing I notice is that my skin (which is very fair) does not look as extremely pale as it did with black hair...which I guess was to be expected.

I definitely don't see myself keeping my virgin hair once I've grown out all the dye & damage. I'll probably go lighter, since my skin tone is supposed to work well with blonde hair & I've always wanted to go blonde.

[Jac]

I definitely agree that the black hair looks amazing on her, but I don't think it necessarily looks better than her natural color. It's just a different style; the black is sleek and intense, while her natural hair color is softer and, well, more natural, for lack of a better word haha. I think it's more about an individual's own style and how they want to present themselves. Maybe they prefer a sleeker style in general so their natural hair color doesn't seem to "suit" them? I definitely think it's more complex than just what colors go with what skin tone.

[blue_eyes]

I definitely agree that the black hair looks amazing on her, but I don't think it necessarily looks better than her natural color. It's just a different style; the black is sleek and intense, while her natural hair color is softer and, well, more natural, for lack of a better word haha. I think it's more about an individual's own style and how they want to present themselves. Maybe they prefer a sleeker style in general so their natural hair color doesn't seem to "suit" them? I definitely think it's more complex than just what colors go with what skin tone.

I had actually thought of this after I wrote my previous response, haha. Maybe it's just my personal taste, and I'm sure that plays a huge factor when it comes to what I (or anyone else) thinks looks best. When I dyed my hair dark I loved it, my SO loved it, but all the older people I know (parents, grandparents) didn't like it at all & told me to go lighter. I also like the rocker/biker-chic look, while they typically think all girls should wear floral dresses, hahaha. So maybe it's impossible to achieve the "perfect" hair color because there will always be someone who doesn't like it. For all I know my natural color is "perfect" for me, but I personally can't stand it.

[lilin]

I apologize if this has been brought up before. I've always read that your natural color suits your skin tone best, and that if you are going to dye it you need to figure out whether your skin is "warm" "cool" or "neutral" in tone. Once you've figured out your skin tone, you should only go two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color.

My personal experience doesn't seem to follow this "rule". I hate my natural hair color (it's like a dark blonde with lots of gold flecks in it). My skin is very pale, and I've had a nightmare of a time trying to figure out my tone (although now I'm pretty sure it's on the cooler side). Anyway, I basically broke all the rules and was dyeing it a warm, very dark brown that nearly looked black...and I loved it, and I got endless compliments. Even hair color experts were telling me that I suited really dark hair. So how can that be, when it is many shades darker than my natural color?

In my opinion, my natural color really washed me out and didn't suit my skin tone at all. Is that possible or have I got it wrong? It just seems to go against nature to feel like your natural hair color doesn't suit you haha.

Well, keep in mind, it's a radical change, so if it looks good of course people will say so! That doesn't mean your natural color was worse, necessarily. But they were used to your natural color, and not the new darker one, so it stands out.

Same thing happens to me with my hair up or down. If I've been wearing it only one way for a while, and suddenly I do it the other way, I get comments that it looks really good. Overall, I get these comments whether it's up or down -- but if someone's only seen me one way and not the other, it's new to them, and they let me know it suits me. :)

That said, if YOU like it better, then wonderful! I have found that a lot of fairer people can do light and super dark equally well as long as their eyebrows aren't too light (or if they dye them as well). It's your hair, and you should do what makes you happy and feel good.

It may just be that some of your color preferences didn't play nice with your skin and hair tone, and the darker hair gives you the options you want.

Me personally? I'm pretty much stuck in my color range. I'm mostly Mediterranean ethnically, and kind of chestnut brunette. My eyebrows and lashes are solid black, my eyes are very dark, and although my skin isn't super dark (I can actually get pretty pale in winter -- maybe that bit of British peaking through), I do have that strong olive undertone. If I was gonna dye my hair, I can really only go darker, or totally unnatural colors. I'd look ridiculous as a blonde.

But that's fine, because I like being a brunette. :)

[tokugawa.miyako]

In the video I can see good things in both the brown and black hair colors, but the black was the most striking of the two. I think it's because it creates a strong contrast with her fair skin and that adds some interest to her look, whereas the brown is rather plain. Ultimately, I think the color that suits a person best is the color that makes them happy and that makes them feel confident.

Its at times like these, though, that I feel fortunate to have neutral undertones to my skin. It tends to go with more (according to conventional color "rules") than other undertones.

[LongHairLesbian]

Disclaimer: It's your hair, you need to be happy with it, it doesn't matter what my opinions are, and I'm a natural hair girl for life so I probably don't understand the desire for changing up your colour. I hold no judgement against people who dye their hair any colour under the sun, and as someone who has only ever used a rinse out dye at the age of 9, I'm in no position to judge anyway. On to the actual post:

This has been brought up earlier in the thread, and I totally agree: I think your (OP) dilemma has less to do with your natural colour not matching your skin tone or not making your eyes "pop" or whatever, and more to do with the fact that you hate your natural colour. You say in a few comments that even if it was perfect for you, you would still hate it. And honestly, I think this is the heart of the issue. I don't buy that anyone's natural hair colour looks objectively terrible on them, but that certain folks prefer dyed hair and prefer how they look with dyed hair, based on their own biases, personal style, cultural influences, etc. Again, nothing wrong with that, do whatever makes you happy. But I can't help but notice that the people commenting on this thread who say that their natural colour doesn't suit them/makes them look dead/makes them look old are almost exclusively dark blonde or ashy coloured folks. No one with a "societally coveted" natural hair colour like light blonde or rich dark brown or black seems to think badly about their hair colour, and I don't think that this is a coincidence. I feel like (western) society has sorted out various skin and hair colours/tones into "good" and "bad" categories; tanned is almost universally seen as a good thing, and everyone seems to think that tanned skin looks good with any hair colour. If you are pale, you better go for the "striking" look (bright red or dark brown/black hair) otherwise you are deemed to be "washed out" and "dead looking". Oh, and bottle blonde or natural light blonde hair are the only true shades of blonde, dark or medium blonde is just "mousey" or "dishwater". Dark/medium blonde is constantly put down; your own relatives will bemoan the fact that your pretty light blonde hair is all gone, and now you have this "mousey" colour that you should probably dye over. Basically, I think it's all BS. Nature isn't screwing with you by giving you pale skin and dark blonde hair, because there's nothing intrinsically unflattering or ugly about that colour combo. It's all down to personal preferences and tastes-and what society has influenced us to believe is beautiful or flattering. Blue eyes, I went to your profile and looked at your natural colour growth. The natural highlights and sparkle are beautiful, and the colour looks soft and delicate against your features. Simply gorgeous. But your happiness is obviously more important than my brazen opinions, and judging by your pics, you would look gorgeous no matter what you choose. :blossom:

[Kat]

Rules, schmules.

When I was a little kid, my hair was quite blonde. The older I get, the more it darkens toward brown (it's currently a light brown with gold overtones, and definitely more than two shades darker than it was). Which "natural color" suits me best? (Personally I like it darker, but my mom is always after me to lighten it closer to the shade I had as a kid.) Not to mention that it depends on the light-- in fluorescent light, it looks more like a cool ashy dishwater brown; in incandescent or natural light the gold really comes out. Which is supposed to work best for my skin tone? Then there's the fact that my natural color is a mix of everything from pale blonde to red to brown to black.

Too, none of the rest of the hair on my body has ever matched the hair on my head. My arm hair is pale blonde. Everything else, from my eyebrows to my leg hair and... other stuff... is dark dark brown, nearly black, and was even when my hair was light, which probably looks like I've been dying my hair lighter all my life.

Currently my hair is henna'd reddish (again, how much so depends on the light I'm in), and that works for me too...

That doesn't mean I could pull off dyeing my hair black or something, or pale blonde, but since my natural color can't even decide what it wants to be, I don't feel bad dyeing it the way I want and I'd laugh at anyone who'd tell me that's wrong because I wasn't born that way.

[Rosetta]

That video was really interesting, and I totally agree that she looked better with the black hair. It was very striking and made her eyes look stunning.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I've finally got about 7 inches of natural roots, so I've been able to get a good look at how my natural works with my skin tone. I feel very 'blah' about it. It definitely isn't anything special. When I had black/dark brown it was very striking and made my eyes pop(much like the girl in the video). I don't feel the same way about my natural color. The only thing I notice is that my skin (which is very fair) does not look as extremely pale as it did with black hair...which I guess was to be expected.
Yeah, I've felt the same for most of my life about my hair, too; for me it's been red (coppery red) that's made my eyes pop, got me compliments etc. Sure, natural colour doesn't usually have that striking quality we get with a, well, striking colour like that ;) (If you haven't happened to be born with such a colour.)

But lately I've noticed, to my surprise, that when I use a temporary copper or red dye, I soon want to remove it and itch to see my natural roots again... :eek: They just look better against my skin, though I wouldn't have believed saying so... It also gives a kind of "chic" look which the dyed red never could, I think.

Also, some very interesting quotes from one of the articles I linked to above that have made me think:
"3/4 of women would say their natural hair colour is bland. Not remotely true but media has taught us that it is so they could sell us hair colour. The hair industry, ay?"
"Until you are wearing your best clothes and makeup, your natural hair colour will not appear as beautiful and perfect as it is."
"Your eyes need time to readjust to the real original you and to absorb how your better colours affect your apparent hair colour by making it look perfect and ideal."


I don't buy that anyone's natural hair colour looks objectively terrible on them, but that certain folks prefer dyed hair and prefer how they look with dyed hair, based on their own biases, personal style, cultural influences, etc. Again, nothing wrong with that, do whatever makes you happy. But I can't help but notice that the people commenting on this thread who say that their natural colour doesn't suit them/makes them look dead/makes them look old are almost exclusively dark blonde or ashy coloured folks. No one with a "societally coveted" natural hair colour like light blonde or rich dark brown or black seems to think badly about their hair colour, and I don't think that this is a coincidence. I feel like (western) society has sorted out various skin and hair colours/tones into "good" and "bad" categories; tanned is almost universally seen as a good thing, and everyone seems to think that tanned skin looks good with any hair colour. If you are pale, you better go for the "striking" look (bright red or dark brown/black hair) otherwise you are deemed to be "washed out" and "dead looking". Oh, and bottle blonde or natural light blonde hair are the only true shades of blonde, dark or medium blonde is just "mousey" or "dishwater". Dark/medium blonde is constantly put down; your own relatives will bemoan the fact that your pretty light blonde hair is all gone, and now you have this "mousey" colour that you should probably dye over. Basically, I think it's all BS. Nature isn't screwing with you by giving you pale skin and dark blonde hair, because there's nothing intrinsically unflattering or ugly about that colour combo. It's all down to personal preferences and tastes-and what society has influenced us to believe is beautiful or flattering.
I totally agree about the society's attitude towards dark blonde; it's telling that most people consider "dirty blonde" a neutral colour term... (This has actually been discussed at length in the Blonette pride thread.) Unsurprisingly, it's my natural colour too ;)

[curlylocks85]

I have never met anyone whose natural hair color did not suit their skin tone. I think people who change their hair color other shades can look good as well but I stick by natural hair color suiting any shade of skin tone.

[leilani]

Everything longhairedlesbian said!

[Kat]

"Until you are wearing your best clothes and makeup, your natural hair colour will not appear as beautiful and perfect as it is."


I say "meh" to that article. And if I don't want to take the time to dress to the nines all the time just to make my hair color look "exciting"? (Besides, to me it seems a little silly to tell someone they have to pile on a bunch of fancy clothes and makeup to make their "natural" color not look crappy. If you have to do a bunch of stuff to make it look good on you {and "beautiful" and "perfect"}, then no, "nature" didn't "naturally" make it look good on you, did it?)

I mean, I look prettier when I put on a bunch of fancy stuff and a bunch of makeup, too, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I was naturally pretty. It's just that, short of plastic surgery, nothing will ever make me pretty-- but my hair I can easily change, to a color that looks nice and striking *no matter what I wear*, so why not do it??

[browneyedsusan]

Heck No!

Silvers looks great, but it doesn't always come in that way! My natural color is "raccoon grizzle (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Raccoon_(Procyon_lotor)_3.jpg)", and it doesn't suit me at ALL. I'd guess that most women my age have some variation of this color, and a lot of them have touched it up. (And gotten stylish haircuts.) IMHO, women in their 40's, 50's, 60's+ have bigger fish to fry than hair color, cut.

You do what makes you feel beautiful. Even if your eyesight/bloodpressure/whatever isn't what it used to be. :)

[LadyCelestina]

I say "meh" to that article. And if I don't want to take the time to dress to the nines all the time just to make my hair color look "exciting"? (Besides, to me it seems a little silly to tell someone they have to pile on a bunch of fancy clothes and makeup to make their "natural" color not look crappy. If you have to do a bunch of stuff to make it look good on you {and "beautiful" and "perfect"}, then no, "nature" didn't "naturally" make it look good on you, did it?)

I mean, I look prettier when I put on a bunch of fancy stuff and a bunch of makeup, too, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I was naturally pretty. It's just that, short of plastic surgery, nothing will ever make me pretty-- but my hair I can easily change, to a color that looks nice and striking *no matter what I wear*, so why not do it??

I think they mean clothes in colours that suit you ('your best'),not fanciest outfits you have.:)


ETA: Hehe,I like the red-brown on the girl better than the black.The black sure does make her eyes pop but it looks like a wig and makes her skintone look sickly pale( meaning greenish/blue).You can also see her blush clash with the colours,unless they re-did it which is also quite possible.

[Rosetta]

I think they mean clothes in colours that suit you ('your best'),not fanciest outfits you have.:)
Yeah, exactly that :) As the quote was from a seasonal colour site, so yes, with "best" the writer meant clothes in your own season's colours (from the 12 seasonal groups).


ETA: Hehe,I like the red-brown on the girl better than the black.The black sure does make her eyes pop but it looks like a wig and makes her skintone look sickly pale( meaning greenish/blue).You can also see her blush clash with the colours,unless they re-did it which is also quite possible.
IMO, the black actually made her skin look more luminous, in addition to the eyes popping. It's so interesting how differently different people see things :)

[Athena61]

This is an interesting topic. I had been a dark brunet my whole life albeit dyed the last 20 years. I have light skin and dark eyes. As I began my transition to silver I had my hair lifted to a honey brown. Talk about an identity crises, but after I got used to it I really felt the color was all wrong for me. I had my stylist tone it towards the cooler side where I think it compliments my skin tone much better. Eventually as the silvers grow longer I think it's going to really brighten my face up and my dark eyes will still provide a contrast. I plan on keeping my eyebrows dark.

[meteor]

Genes certainly do not consider our current aesthetics, fashion and customs. Our concepts of beauty change, and to say that "natural hair color is best fit" would require an absolute, unequivocal understanding of what's deemed "best", which is simply not something that exists in our aesthetics.
Some people love striking, dramatic contrast, others prefer muted, soft harmony... That's also why models and celebrities are famous for changing hair color a lot: it's not that their current colour is "unflattering", it's just that there are so many different, beautiful looks out there to try.

Not to mention that lots of people have changing hair color throughout their lives (many blondes go much darker, and almost everybody gets gray hair if they live long enough). So what would be their most natural color then?

[Angel Barchild]

Genes certainly do not consider our current aesthetics, fashion and customs. Our concepts of beauty change, and to say that "natural hair color is best fit" would require an absolute, unequivocal understanding of what's deemed "best", which is simply not something that exists in our aesthetics.
Some people love striking, dramatic contrast, others prefer muted, soft harmony... That's also why models and celebrities are famous for changing hair color a lot: it's not that their current colour is "unflattering", it's just that there are so many different, beautiful looks out there to try.

Not to mention that lots of people have changing hair color throughout their lives (many blondes go much darker, and almost everybody gets gray hair if they live long enough). So what would be their most natural color then?

I was just about to write this exact same thing, though you said it more eloquently than I was going to.
The idea that your genes are trying to make you match the ever changing standard of beauty is just silly.

[Rosetta]

Genes certainly do not consider our current aesthetics, fashion and customs. Our concepts of beauty change, and to say that "natural hair color is best fit" would require an absolute, unequivocal understanding of what's deemed "best", which is simply not something that exists in our aesthetics.
Some people love striking, dramatic contrast, others prefer muted, soft harmony... That's also why models and celebrities are famous for changing hair color a lot: it's not that their current colour is "unflattering", it's just that there are so many different, beautiful looks out there to try.

Not to mention that lots of people have changing hair color throughout their lives (many blondes go much darker, and almost everybody gets gray hair if they live long enough). So what would be their most natural color then?
I think that's just the point - natural transcends any current aesthetics, fashion, customs etc...
Also, what I've noticed is that models nearly always have their natural colour (don't know about celebrities though).

And at least according to the seasonal color theory, every natural hair colour is the best for each person, even when (naturally) changing. (I would never think that of about grey though, but that's just my personal aesthetics.)

It's kind of funny though for me to be speaking like this, as I've never been of the "natural is best" school of thought ;) But recently I've just had this sneaking suspicion there may be something in it after all...

[LadyCelestina]

Genes certainly do not consider our current aesthetics, fashion and customs. Our concepts of beauty change, and to say that "natural hair color is best fit" would require an absolute, unequivocal understanding of what's deemed "best", which is simply not something that exists in our aesthetics.
Some people love striking, dramatic contrast, others prefer muted, soft harmony... That's also why models and celebrities are famous for changing hair color a lot: it's not that their current colour is "unflattering", it's just that there are so many different, beautiful looks out there to try.

Not to mention that lots of people have changing hair color throughout their lives (many blondes go much darker, and almost everybody gets gray hair if they live long enough). So what would be their most natural color then?

The idea isn't about aesthetics,fashion,or customs,or about genes conforming to our concepts of beauty.

If you look at a deep brown horse,would you considered calling it's mane unflattering, even if it was,say, white? Do you consider blue eyes on an otherwise brown eyed dog breed ugly?
It's not that no other colour will ever suit you,but your natural.That horse would look just as ok with a black mane.It's just that it doesn't look 'off',just like most things in nature don't look 'off',unless they are supposed to look like that (spiders maybe,rotten things and such).

I mean you don't look at a pic of a beautiful landscape only to say it would look better if the trees were more emerald :D

[Pseudoavatar]

If you have dark blonde hair with golden undertones, you might also be neutral in your tone. Did you have yellowish blonde hair as a child?

My hair color is dark blonde that looks almost grayish with a surprising amount of hidden red pigment (shows up as yellow shine in natural light and makes my hair turn brassy really quickly if I dye it blonde). I've dyed my hair dark brown, platinum blonde and deep red, and all of these tones have suited me pretty well. But it took me ages to realize that it's because I have a neutral-warm skin tone. The different hair colors made my skin look a little different in tone, but nearly all suited it pretty well.

You might be neutral-cool in skin tone, and can probably pull off nearly any color you choose, but look better in cooler shades.

The thing is, I think dyed hair often does make your skin look better. But only if you've dyed it the right color. So if you're very warm and go for a cool color, it will clash. I don't buy into the whole 'you look the best in your natural shade' thing, but I do think that you need to know what you're doing before dyeing, and if you don't, it's best to go to a hairdresser that does (and stick to a more natural shade at first).

[Eastbound&Down]

I'm always on and off with my natural hair color. There are times when I love how the mousy-medium brown looks with my skin and how the natural highlights look when pulled back. And then other times I see the lovely hennaed red hair of the ladies in these threads and I have to fight myself from keeping away from the dye aisle. It's a constat struggle.

[meteor]

I don't buy into the whole 'you look the best in your natural shade' thing, but I do think that you need to know what you're doing before dyeing.

^This. :)
There are MANY ways of looking great, some can be high-contrast, some can be low-contrast. You kind of need to know what you are doing and what kind of look matches your personality and what you want to channel.


Also, what I've noticed is that models nearly always have their natural colour (don't know about celebrities though).

And at least according to the seasonal color theory, every natural hair colour is the best for each person, even when (naturally) changing. (I would never think that of about grey though, but that's just my personal aesthetics.)

The seasonal color theory really takes into account all inputs, including the artificial ones. The best way of figuring out if you are "warm spring" or "soft autumn", for example, is by using color swatches against your face - and they will work differently if you get a tan or if you change your hair color or start greying - your "type" can really change with that.

Models very, very often have hair color that was "done", it's just that the "model off-duty" look is supposed to appear natural and changeable, like a clean canvas, not too intense and pigeon-holed. So it's a lot of highlights/lowlights, lots of subtle ombres - think Gisele Bundchen, Kate Moss, Daria Verbowy, Cara Delevigne, Adriana Lima... the list goes on and on. I understand that not everybody notices those subtle highlights, because they tend to be well done, but since I am very used to highlighting, I tend to see it clearly.

Lots of actresses have created a specific look, which is completely unnatural, but seems to have worked well for them: the natural dark blondes Eva Green and Angelina Jolie, the natural redhead/brunette Marilyn Monroe, the list is endless...

There are lots of ways of being beautiful, and not all of them are natural. Aesthetics are quite subjective.
I tend to love the natural look the most, but I always appreciate the striking beauty that can be achieved through artificial means, too. :D

[ghost]

In my opinion, my natural color does nothing for me. I have neutral-toned, very fair skin and cool-toned green eyes. I guess my natural light brown /blonette looks okay with that but it isn't really stunning or anything. I dye my hair black, and I think it's much more flattering on me.

[Adiro]

I have that kind of dark blonde/medium brown of ash like color, and hazel eyes. My hair is sometimes almost green-ish or my eyes turn brown-ish. and I am pale with undereye dark circles too ( genetic + chronic lack of sleep) So I color. and I always did. and I was everything from platinum blonde to black to flame red, henna, blue streaks and everything in between.
Now I tried to lighten a near black job since two years ago, and it didn't work. Not much. So half of my hair is still chestnut brown, and the top is dark blonde, and when I have roots they are ash brown with some grays. and so what. I try to look natural but who am I fooling I use Loreal Preference ( or Excelence, whichever is on sale) and only the innocent believe I am a natural color, but I know it's not true.

You have one life, and we are not in the dark ages. You are allowed to experiment, to find new colors, to self express, to be natural with blue or pink or green hair, or whatever color suits your nature at the moment! it's part of the enjoyment in life, part of growing and part of getting to know yourself
:)

[NaClH2O]

Personally, I think no.

I spent my first 2 years here listening to the common knowledge here and growing out my natural color of ashy/strawberry/blonette. It really doesn't do anything for me and washes out my skin tone or makes it look patchy red.

I look better and I am happier with some auburn fire to my hair, so I use 30% henna/70% cassia to enhance my natural red undertones. Everyone in my real life circle thinks it's natural, and honestly, it looks like a natural red-head color. It makes my green eyes pop and makes my skin look more evenly creamy and provides nice contrast. Also, henna provides nice conditioner benefits.

Plus, coloring my hair makes me happy. :o

[Rosetta]

The seasonal color theory really takes into account all inputs, including the artificial ones. The best way of figuring out if you are "warm spring" or "soft autumn", for example, is by using color swatches against your face - and they will work differently if you get a tan or if you change your hair color or start greying - your "type" can really change with that.
At least according to the Sci/ART school of color analysis, your type doesn't change, ever. Artificial hair colour can only distort the result arrived at (i.e. you might be typed a wrong season), but it doesn't change your actual season. (That's also why I'm wondering whether I've actually had too warm-toned hair most of my life...)


Models very, very often have hair color that was "done", it's just that the "model off-duty" look is supposed to appear natural and changeable, like a clean canvas, not too intense and pigeon-holed. So it's a lot of highlights/lowlights, lots of subtle ombres - think Gisele Bundchen, Kate Moss, Daria Verbowy, Cara Delevigne, Adriana Lima... the list goes on and on. I understand that not everybody notices those subtle highlights, because they tend to be well done, but since I am very used to highlighting, I tend to see it clearly.How do you know they're not natural highlights? ;)

But as I said, I'm still on the fence about this (natural being always "better") myself ;)

[animetor7]

I don't think so. I mostly enjoy my natural color and if I want a change have only ever tinted it. But I have a cousin who's natural hair color nearly matches her skin, sort of a coffee mixed with cream color and she dyes her hair a rich dark brown. It looks lovely on her and makes her nearly black eyes more dramatic. This color honestly looks better than her natural color. That being said, I think that certain colors only look good if you have them, or are pretty close to them naturally. In particular I think this is true of red and blonde hair. I think that both when dyed rarely look good. However appearance is a very personal choice, so if it makes YOU happy to dye your head red or blonde, then go for it!

[sofo]

I think that the natural color almost always is a very good match, but everything can be improved. I do see a lot of women with the wrong color on their hair though, they would have been better of with their natural color.

[meteor]

How do you know they're not natural highlights? ;)

But as I said, I'm still on the fence about this (natural being always "better") myself ;)

In cases of super-models, magazines start talking about their recent colour changes for runway season or for a specific campaign. Often, their hairstylists will mention how they worked on their colour, sometimes with details. And sometimes it's really visible anyway, like here (http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/SG-HnZQqv2U/0.jpg)and here (http://www.elle.pl/gfx/00/01/12/38/image-17nxdxu_jpg/thumb_900x800_10.jpg/__/gisele-bundchen-fot-eastnews.jpg)or here (http://studiorksalon.com/nails-hairstyles/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/gisele-bundchen-hair-1.jpg)on Gisele, who was an equally stunning brunette (see here (http://images.quebarato.com.br/T75x75/revista+marie+claire+inglesa+3+1998+gisele+bundche n+baixo+guandu+es+brasil__74B3E3_4.jpg)) at the beginning of her career. :)
Of course, there are some models who love to do extreme makeovers, like Linda Evangelista, MariaCarla Boscono, Natasha Poly...
But even models with signature hair that don't seem to change it, still often have it "enhanced" - highlights can be used like "make-up" for hair. :)

Generally, natural is a great and safe bet, it's a lot less likely to ever be garish or tacky. But I also really admire some people's artistic skills that allow to enhance and improve that. :)

[Rosetta]

A great Pinterest board on this topic: http://www.pinterest.com/christinescaman/know-your-best-hair-colour/

Nicely illustrates with examples what too light, dark or warm hair colour does to the skin, features etc.. Just some quotes from there (for those who don't want to bother browsing all of the page ;)):


Hair that's too warm creates a host of problems. It dulls feature definition. Makes skin look waxy. Erases lip and eye intensity.

Nobody can wear hair that's darker or more saturated than their natural darkest level. The skin can't back it up and make it look real so it's a bit like a wig.

...and a mistake to lighten the entire head away from its own darkness level. Few women are truly flattered. Features are blurred and the facial architecture gets weak.

[blue_eyes]

Thanks for sharing Rosetta! It's very interesting. I can tell I'm going to spend a lot of time reading that board. :P

Update:

Having read through a lot of the board I feel really overwhelmed, haha. I'm definitely a summer but didn't see much advice for summers. It's interesting to read her critiques of celebrity hair. I feel like people usually put celebrity hair & style on a pedestal; since they are in the public eye and have access to the best of everything I guess I typically assume that they're doing it right. According to her that isn't necessarily the case.
I wonder if most people actually notice some of the minute details she mentions. Unless hair is obviously way too dark or light, I don't think anything looks bad. She had a pretty harsh critique of Adriana Lima...I thought she looked gorgeous but apparently her hair color was all wrong for her.

I'm so conflicted about the whole subject. On the one hand I feel like everyone should be free to do whatever they like and not be restricted to the range of hair colors dictated by their skin tone. On the other hand, I wonder if that's a mistake and can lead to looking truly bizarre or horrible. I really want to go blonde in the future...I guess I'll just have to go about it carefully (or stop trying to find the "ideal" color for me). :P

[Rosetta]

Nice that you found it interesting (hope you're not the only one!). Funny that you say there wasn't much advice for Summers, as to me most of it is about Summers! ;) Especially Soft and Light Summers. And about Winters, almost nothing... (I'm fairly convinced I'm a Bright Winter now.)

And yeah, I don't necessarily agree about her critique of Adriana Lima either, but for most other things, yes. And intriquing to know that most celebrity photos you see are actually photoshopped, that explains a lot ;) That Lady Gaga one was truly glaring... And she's so right that all that all-over yellow blonde hair looks so flat and truly flatters very few people. (If you really want to go blonde, highlights are supposedly great for Summers! :))

And I'm a bit conflicted about that too, like you, though more and more swerving to "her" view (not just hers, of course, but the Sci/art view). I've probably had too warm hair colour for most of my life, and although I did get a lot of compliments when I had red/copper hair especially, I'm now wondering whether that obviously too warm hair really did do those things she mentions, like dull feature definition and erase lip and eye intensity...

[tigress86]

My natural hair color is a level 7 ash blonde, really ashy, almost grey. I really dislike it and have been dyeing my hair for many, many years. As I child, I was very light blonde. Tried to go blonde this summer, didn't suit me at all. From many experiments with my hair color, I've noticed that I look really bland when I go lighter than level 5. Golden tones also don't suit me. I've been trying to figure out if my skin is cool, warm on neutral, and I have no idea. Some of my veins are blue, some are green. Gold and silver jewellery both suit me. So i guess I might be neutral? I have dark blue eyes and pale skin with a yellow undertone. I compared my skin to my boyfriend's, he had just been to a vacation and gotten a nice tan, but as we compared our skin, his was kind of reddish/pink and mine was clearly yellow, although really pale. I've learned from experience that chocolate brown is the color that suits me best. Everyone says it looks really striking on me, so I'll be sticking to that.

[RubyTuesday]

I struggle with this 'rule' too. I used to have hair that was really quite golden red and it really suited me. I am fair skinned with green eyes and used to get a lot of compliments on it.

I went blonde in my early twenties because I wanted something more glamorous and for a change.

When I eventually decided to try my natural colour again in my thirties, I was shocked to find my hair colour was no longer the same. It has gone much darker and the reddy golden is now browny reddy. It looks really drab on me.

I would happily have gone back to my original colour but my original colour has vanished! Now what???

[blue_eyes]

Nice that you found it interesting (hope you're not the only one!). Funny that you say there wasn't much advice for Summers, as to me most of it is about Summers! ;) Especially Soft and Light Summers. And about Winters, almost nothing... (I'm fairly convinced I'm a Bright Winter now.)

And yeah, I don't necessarily agree about her critique of Adriana Lima either, but for most other things, yes. And intriquing to know that most celebrity photos you see are actually photoshopped, that explains a lot ;) That Lady Gaga one was truly glaring... And she's so right that all that all-over yellow blonde hair looks so flat and truly flatters very few people. (If you really want to go blonde, highlights are supposedly great for Summers! :))

And I'm a bit conflicted about that too, like you, though more and more swerving to "her" view (not just hers, of course, but the Sci/art view). I've probably had too warm hair colour for most of my life, and although I did get a lot of compliments when I had red/copper hair especially, I'm now wondering whether that obviously too warm hair really did do those things she mentions, like dull feature definition and erase lip and eye intensity...

Oh my gosh, the Lady Gaga photo was pretty shocking! I never realized how yellow her hair was, usually I see it platinum (or it's a wig). I've noticed a lot of blonde celebrities lately have very all over yellow-blonde hair. It never looked very good. My skin tone and yellow absolutely hate each other, so I know I could never do that kind of blonde anyway. I think I need to stick to the cooler tones (maybe I'll get some cool blonde highlights! :) I find myself swaying to the "science" view as well, because I don't want to have a hair color that makes me look horrible...but I'm also not willing to have a hair color I hate just because it will be most flattering.

She definitely argues that our natural color is the perfect hair color for us, but I'm still not sure I agree with that. Also, since our natural color changes over the years...which of those colors would truly be "the best"? :S


My natural hair color is a level 7 ash blonde, really ashy, almost grey. I really dislike it and have been dyeing my hair for many, many years. As I child, I was very light blonde. Tried to go blonde this summer, didn't suit me at all. From many experiments with my hair color, I've noticed that I look really bland when I go lighter than level 5. Golden tones also don't suit me. I've been trying to figure out if my skin is cool, warm on neutral, and I have no idea. Some of my veins are blue, some are green. Gold and silver jewellery both suit me. So i guess I might be neutral? I have dark blue eyes and pale skin with a yellow undertone. I compared my skin to my boyfriend's, he had just been to a vacation and gotten a nice tan, but as we compared our skin, his was kind of reddish/pink and mine was clearly yellow, although really pale. I've learned from experience that chocolate brown is the color that suits me best. Everyone says it looks really striking on me, so I'll be sticking to that.

You sound really similar to me! I'm very fair skinned, blue-green eyes, and it is very hard to tell whether my veins are blue or green. I think I'm neutral but a tad on the cool side (I think silver looks best on me, but I can get away with both). I also had light blonde hair when I was a kid, but now I'm a level 7 blonde but it has a lot of golden and red tones in it! I was dyeing my hair black/dark brown but going too dark made me look pale & sick. I've never tried chocolate brown, I kind of wish I had now. :P I'm glad you found a color that looks good on you. I think picking one can be very overwhelming.


I struggle with this 'rule' too. I used to have hair that was really quite golden red and it really suited me. I am fair skinned with green eyes and used to get a lot of compliments on it.

I went blonde in my early twenties because I wanted something more glamorous and for a change.

When I eventually decided to try my natural colour again in my thirties, I was shocked to find my hair colour was no longer the same. It has gone much darker and the reddy golden is now browny reddy. It looks really drab on me.

I would happily have gone back to my original colour but my original colour has vanished! Now what???

It's like I said in my reply to Rosetta, if our natural color is supposed to be "ideal" for us, then what happens when it changes? :S I have no idea. Mine has changed too and I do not find it attractive at all.

[lady mechanic]

My natural color is blonette. Like the op I am also very fair skinned. I feel that for me personally my hair looks better darker

[UP Lisa]

Skin tone can also change over time.

[Rosetta]

She definitely argues that our natural color is the perfect hair color for us, but I'm still not sure I agree with that. Also, since our natural color changes over the years...which of those colors would truly be "the best"? :S
Well, as she writes on that Pinterest page: "We are given our perfect silver hair by Nature, just as we are given our perfect colour in our early years. Nature plans the most flattering and harmonizing colours in our entire being. Every person. Every age. Automatic. Guaranteed." ;)

So there's not necessarily one that's "best", all colours given by nature are supposed to be the best (for that particular time) for the person in question.

[tigress86]

You sound really similar to me! I'm very fair skinned, blue-green eyes, and it is very hard to tell whether my veins are blue or green. I think I'm neutral but a tad on the cool side (I think silver looks best on me, but I can get away with both). I also had light blonde hair when I was a kid, but now I'm a level 7 blonde but it has a lot of golden and red tones in it! I was dyeing my hair black/dark brown but going too dark made me look pale & sick. I've never tried chocolate brown, I kind of wish I had now. :P I'm glad you found a color that looks good on you. I think picking one can be very overwhelming.

I think that maybe I'm on the cooler side of neutral as well, silver might just look a little bit better on me than gold. I used to dye my hair the darkest brown and black as well, it looked okay but sometimes without makeup made me look pale and sick too, the contrast between skin and hair was just too much. I'm sticking to mid brown now and I think chocolate tones are very flattering on many people.

[fiðrildi]

I'm not sure about my type (summer or spring). I have little contrast between my skin (very fair, with a bluish undertone), my hair (blonette) and my eyes (greyish green).

I disagree about the natural colour always being the most flattering match for the skin tone. I used to have light blonde hair as a child, and it looked pretty with my skin and face features, but I doubt it would suit me now (most likely, I would look completely washed out).
Definitely, I think that the most flattering match for me would be the one which created a contrast between my hair and skin. Therefore, a darker hair colour would suit me better (and would make me a winter).

Even though, I agree with Rosetta's statement: "there's not necessarily one that's "best", all colours given by nature are supposed to be the best (for that particular time) for the person in question." I've always thought that nature is wise, and it's simply not possible to look "wrong" with your natural hair, while it's more than possible to go wrong by dyeing it a different colour.

[Rosetta]

I'm not sure about my type (summer or spring). I have little contrast between my skin (very fair, with a bluish undertone), my hair (blonette) and my eyes (greyish green).

I disagree about the natural colour always being the most flattering match for the skin tone. I used to have light blonde hair as a child, and it looked pretty with my skin and face features, but I doubt it would suit me now (most likely, I would look completely washed out).
Definitely, I think that the most flattering match for me would be the one which created a contrast between my hair and skin. Therefore, a darker hair colour would suit me better (and would make me a winter).

Even though, I agree with Rosetta's statement: "there's not necessarily one that's "best", all colours given by nature are supposed to be the best (for that particular time) for the person in question." I've always thought that nature is wise, and it's simply not possible to look "wrong" with your natural hair, while it's more than possible to go wrong by dyeing it a different colour.
Oh, it wasn't really my statement, I was just paraphrasing what Christine Scaman wrote on the Pinterest page I linked to at last page. (Though I tend to agree with a lot of what she says these days.)

Actually, if you had light blonde hair as a child but not anymore, then it's not your natural colour anymore :) Your natural colour being what grows out of your scalp, at any given time. (Though I'm not sure if I'd include grey/white in that myself...) I have the same, light blonde hair as a child and now some kind of dark blonde/light brown (based on my roots). And blonde definitely doesn't suit me now, at least in my own opinion.

Oh, and you can't actually change your season by changing your hair colour, your season always stays the same (in the Sci/Art colour system). So there's no way to make you a Winter if you're not one :)

[fiðrildi]

Oh, it wasn't really my statement, I was just paraphrasing what Christine Scaman wrote on the Pinterest page I linked to at last page. (Though I tend to agree with a lot of what she says these days.)

Actually, if you had light blonde hair as a child but not anymore, then it's not your natural colour anymore :) Your natural colour being what grows out of your scalp, at any given time. (Though I'm not sure if I'd include grey/white in that myself...) I have the same, light blonde hair as a child and now some kind of dark blonde/light brown (based on my roots). And blonde definitely doesn't suit me now, at least in my own opinion.

Oh, and you can't actually change your season by changing your hair colour, your season always stays the same (in the Sci/Art colour system). So there's no way to make you a Winter if you're not one :)

Oh, haha, I see, actually I had never heard about seasons before, so I have no idea! :p
Yep, I know that light blonde is not my natural colour anymore, but blonette :wink:
I was talking about my current features, so to know in which season category I would fit (I would say I'm a summer, but I'm not sure!)

I think I'm even more confused now, so I can't change my season by changing my hair colour? (so I guess the season is just related with the skin tone and eye colour? does it mean that if I was a summer as a child, I'm still a summer?)
I was basing my thoughts on this website: http://into-mind.com/2013/09/24/colour-analysis-part-i-finding-your-type/

Oh well, thanks for the explanation! :)

[Sharysa]

I've never been able to sort out "warm" versus "cool", or all the "seasonal" looks. According to the vein test, though, my veins are purple/blue and therefore I have cool tones. My coloring is pretty much like most Filipinos: Black hair, dark eyes, medium-brown skin. Oddly enough, my hair would technically be warm since it's brown/red black, but my skin seems to be the cooler side of brown since my veins are blue/purple.

I look good with both extremes of the color spectrum, as well as the obvious neutral shades (gray, brown, black). Dark, rich colors and gemtones look really good on me unless they're cool-tones. I can wear the maroon/red side of purple, but blue-purple just weirds me out. Light and pastel shades contrast with my skin and hair really well, obviously. Orange and yellow clash with my skin unless they're on the really rich/dark side.

Basically, my hair and skin look good together because they're both neutral.

[Rosetta]

Oh, haha, I see, actually I had never heard about seasons before, so I have no idea! :p
Yep, I know that light blonde is not my natural colour anymore, but blonette :wink:
I was talking about my current features, so to know in which season category I would fit (I would say I'm a summer, but I'm not sure!)

I think I'm even more confused now, so I can't change my season by changing my hair colour? (so I guess the season is just related with the skin tone and eye colour? does it mean that if I was a summer as a child, I'm still a summer?)
I was basing my thoughts on this website: http://into-mind.com/2013/09/24/colour-analysis-part-i-finding-your-type/

Oh well, thanks for the explanation! :)
I really recommend this website: http://www.12blueprints.com :)

There are in fact several "schools" of colour analysis, and the one I'm basing my thoughts on (and the only one that makes sense, imo) is the Sci/art one. According to that, any hair, eye or skin colour could basically be any season; the only way to know it is to see how you react to the various colours and their shades (ideally have a PCA done, i.e. personal colour analysis session). Though as I couldn't afford a PCA, I've done lots of research on the matter and have now arrived to Bright Winter for myself. (It's surely either that or Bright Spring.)

Most other schools of seasonal colour analysis usually categorize based on hair, eye or skin colours alone (like that website you mentioned), which imo is very simplistic and also misleading - that method categorized me incorrectly for most of my life (as a summer, yes), so understandably I'm not too fond of it ;)

There's another good (Sci/art based) website that has several tools to try to figure out your season, if you want to try it yourself: http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/what-season-are-you.html. (At least it's fun, even if you wouldn't figure it out 100% sure ;))

It also has a good article regarding that method used on the site you mentioned, maybe that will explain it better than I can: http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/the-dominant-trait-method-of-personal-color-analysis As she writes: "Season can't reliably be determined by identifying the "dominant trait" in someone's appearance. It can only be determined by identifying the traits that characterize the best colors for that person."


I've never been able to sort out "warm" versus "cool", or all the "seasonal" looks. According to the vein test, though, my veins are purple/blue and therefore I have cool tones. My coloring is pretty much like most Filipinos: Black hair, dark eyes, medium-brown skin. Oddly enough, my hair would technically be warm since it's brown/red black, but my skin seems to be the cooler side of brown since my veins are blue/purple.
Yeah, most people are actually neutral, a mix of cool and warm elements. So no wonder if most can't figure it out, and that old method is surely not helping (as that's what most websites are full of), on the contrary :)

[fiðrildi]

Thank you so much, Rosetta. Those links are very helpful! I'll be doing some research :)

[tigress86]

Thank you so much for the links, Rosetta! I took the color quiz and it said I'm a Bright Winter. I also always thought I was a Summer based on the simplistic method, but that just didn't seem quite right!

[dancingrain91]

My natural color suits me best but I have what sounds like the samish color hair as you (kinda a tawny blonde color, like a lion) with pale warm toned skin. It works well and I don't need much make up. Based on other people in my family though I could probably pull off a really dark almost black color also. I'm the only blonde in a dark headed family. I've never bought the "go two shades in either direction. Two shades lighter washes me out and I don't like the brown dyes two shades darker.

[Lis]

I think close to natural usually works for most people but Zi find myself adding some highlights to blend in my new found grays (not quite ready to embrace them yet.)

[Bettina]

It's something I've thought about a fair bit lately - especially since I've spent most of my adult life colouring my hair. I always said I should have been born with darker hair, and rejecting the dark blonde/light brown wishy-washy colour I have naturally.
Except now, I'm really starting to think that naturally does suit my skin best.
People always say you have to adjust your makeup when you change your hair colour - but not if you keep it natural.
I'm really excited to be growing out my natural shade(s) and see what it's like.

[maborosi]

I have very soft coloring, and my natural color looks, well, natural. I used to think it was ugly. Well, now I don't really think it's ugly, or bad, or makes me look sickly or washed-out, but it's very...well it almost blends in with my skintone.

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/natural%20color_zpsa4adkybq.jpg

It's not bad. It looks fine.

But I don't necessarily want to harmonize- I want to contrast and have certain features of mine stand out. This is my hair now- it's henna red

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/redhair1_zpskvumqkgk.jpg
http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/redhair2_zpsmxxqk6qk.jpg
http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/haircolor_2015_3_zpss0ry39ux.jpg

I feel like it really, really brings out my eyes, contrasts well with my pale skin, and brings a bit of 'warmth' to my coloration. It doesn't necessarily look better- it's just different- but I like what it does for me. It's like wearing a bold makeup or shirt or accessory- it 'pops'. I think it's a fashion choice, really.

[MINAKO]

For me the theory definitely applies. Considering the fact that i only dye my hair to keep up with the fading i still kind of wear my natural color, slightly enhanced but still... I could never pull off anything above a level 2, just no way it would look better on me. I do want silber hair at some point but i dont think it will suit me more than black does.

[UP Lisa]

I have very soft coloring, and my natural color looks, well, natural. I used to think it was ugly. Well, now I don't really think it's ugly, or bad, or makes me look sickly or washed-out, but it's very...well it almost blends in with my skintone.

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/natural%20color_zpsa4adkybq.jpg

It's not bad. It looks fine.

But I don't necessarily want to harmonize- I want to contrast and have certain features of mine stand out. This is my hair now- it's henna red

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/redhair1_zpskvumqkgk.jpg
http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/redhair2_zpsmxxqk6qk.jpg
http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah14/happyhairdays/haircolor_2015_3_zpss0ry39ux.jpg

I feel like it really, really brings out my eyes, contrasts well with my pale skin, and brings a bit of 'warmth' to my coloration. It doesn't necessarily look better- it's just different- but I like what it does for me. It's like wearing a bold makeup or shirt or accessory- it 'pops'. I think it's a fashion choice, really.


You have very beautiful hair, and either color suits you well.

[Emanon]

^Agree.

My hair suits my overall colouring, but my face does not reflect my age. I used to either dye my hair black because it slightly aged me (unfortunately at the cost of giving me an unhealthy pallor) or try being a redhead cause it felt more reflective of my personality, but the tones I picked always looked fake on my skin.

[elsieivy]

I have very soft coloring, and my natural color looks, well, natural. I used to think it was ugly. Well, now I don't really think it's ugly, or bad, or makes me look sickly or washed-out, but it's very...well it almost blends in with my skintone.


It's not bad. It looks fine.

But I don't necessarily want to harmonize- I want to contrast and have certain features of mine stand out. This is my hair now- it's henna red


I feel like it really, really brings out my eyes, contrasts well with my pale skin, and brings a bit of 'warmth' to my coloration. It doesn't necessarily look better- it's just different- but I like what it does for me. It's like wearing a bold makeup or shirt or accessory- it 'pops'. I think it's a fashion choice, really.

That's a pretty good way to put it and also the way I view my hair color. I'm naturally an ash brown and it looks nice (especially in the summer) but I really like the warmth and intensity that I get with henna. I think they both suit me pretty well.

[endlessly]

When I was younger, I didn't think my natural color suited me at all, which is why I started coloring it in the first place. From what I remember of my natural color, it's a mousy brown with golden highlights and in the right light, a slight reddish tone. As far back as I remember (courtesy of Titanic), I've always wanted red hair and it's taken me years to find the right tone and have my hair the color I had always envisioned. Because I was so pale, red hair just seemed to suit me best, especially if it was a rich, warm red. Suddenly, my cheeks looked rosier, my dark grey eyes looked brighter, I needed a lot less makeup to enhance my features (a huge bonus in my opinion), and I received dozens of compliments. But, like anyone who has colored their hair knows, red fades ridiculously fast and in order to maintain my idea of the "perfect color", I was having to dye it every 6-8 weeks and causing quite a bit of damage.

I stopped using chemical hair dye in early February, coloring it one final time to match my roots, then swearing off chemicals altogether, and as far as I could tell, the color seemed to suit my natural coloring. I started missing the red, though, and attempted henna to give myself a bit more of a reddish-brown.

[butter52]

"suiting" is a subjective perception, and therefore can not obey laws.

[Rosetta]

^ It is, obviously, but the "best match" (as in the thread title) is a little bit more objective :)

Interesting to see this thread revived; I've posted here a lot in the past, as anyone can see browsing the tread back, ;), and now I can only say that the more my natural colour grows out, the more I'm of the opinion that it really is the best match for me :) Which wasn't my opinion before. Let's see if it stays that way ;)

[Alex Lou]

I think I'm the example of how one's natural color can look bad. My haircolor has changed throughout my life, but here's how it was when I was a teenager:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17538&d=1433458065
Wearing makeup and with some shaded lighting in the top left photo I actually look nice. But in the bottom right photo (sorry it's small), where I'm not wearing any makeup, my skin is pink and my hair is copper. Ugh!

[tigress86]

One thing I have noticed is that my eyes look dull and you can't even tell what color my eyes are when my hair color is warm. That's why I hate when it starts to get brassy. Right now when I pull my hair back so that my only my ashy virgin roots are framing my face, I can see that my eyes really pop out and are truly blue.

[UP Lisa]

I think I'm the example of how one's natural color can look bad. My haircolor has changed throughout my life, but here's how it was when I was a teenager:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17538&d=1433458065
Wearing makeup and with some shaded lighting in the top left photo I actually look nice. But in the bottom right photo (sorry it's small), where I'm not wearing any makeup, my skin is pink and my hair is copper. Ugh!


So you are a natural Redhead? I think it's normal for them to have pink skin.

[Nimia]

Maborosi's first photo could have come from one of my own albums. I'd have to dig it out, but I have a 5th grade photo taken post-PE with the same hairstyle, even. :)

The golden blonde I had as a kid looked good with my pale, yellow-toned skin, and my mother had the wisdom to dress me in warm tones like rust and gold that, of course, I hated -- and it was the 70s, so there was plenty of rust and gold to go around. Looking back at the photos, I can see that she had the right idea. In my teens my hair started ashing-out and I started highlighting and wearing cool-toned colors, all of which made me look bleh, although I couldn't figure out why.

Jump ahead a couple decades, and I've gone the henna route in search of low-maintenance warmth and drama. I know it's time to henna my roots when I look in the mirror and wonder why I look sickly, and then realize it's because of the 1/4" of ash grow-out. My wardrobe has been re-vamped to warmer colors, too.

So, in my case, my childhood natural color looked good, but my adult natural color does not.

[Alex Lou]

So you are a natural Redhead? I think it's normal for them to have pink skin.

Natural to have pink skin, yes. The best look for my skin? No. I look awesome with less bright colors like chocolate brown, light brown/auburn, dark strawberry blond.

[Hairkay]

For me yes it is. Black hair goes well with dark skin.

[teal]

For me, my natural hair colour is an alright fit for my skin tone but it's more disparate than I generally see on most people. My skin is extremely pale, especially in winter, cool for certain - it looks almost blue in some lights. My natural hair is darker than you would expect for my skin tone, and I would get asked if I dyed it. My eyebrows and lashes are black. My eyes are a hazel which basically looks brown from any distance, and it's lighter than my hair, which is a bit of a jolt.

My hair has red undertones and I have some freckles, so when I started to henna my hair, people said nothing (unless they were close to me and noticed the change), because it looks like it could be my natural hair colour - in fact, I get less questions about dye now than before. :lol: Though I don't see how that could possibly be the case now; my lengths are hennaed to saturation with Red Raj, there's no way that's natural - LOL.

It's kind of eerie how my roots don't really show up that well, though - I mean hey, I'm not complaining! - but they aren't obvious. I regularly go over two months between henna sessions, the roots are clear to me when I look for them, but I guess there's enough natural red in my hair to fool most everyone else. Even one of my friends asked me if I'd just hennaed... 2.5 months after the last henna session. :lol:

[blue_eyes]

When I was younger, I didn't think my natural color suited me at all, which is why I started coloring it in the first place. From what I remember of my natural color, it's a mousy brown with golden highlights and in the right light, a slight reddish tone. As far back as I remember (courtesy of Titanic), I've always wanted red hair and it's taken me years to find the right tone and have my hair the color I had always envisioned. Because I was so pale, red hair just seemed to suit me best, especially if it was a rich, warm red. Suddenly, my cheeks looked rosier, my dark grey eyes looked brighter, I needed a lot less makeup to enhance my features (a huge bonus in my opinion), and I received dozens of compliments. But, like anyone who has colored their hair knows, red fades ridiculously fast and in order to maintain my idea of the "perfect color", I was having to dye it every 6-8 weeks and causing quite a bit of damage.

I stopped using chemical hair dye in early February, coloring it one final time to match my roots, then swearing off chemicals altogether, and as far as I could tell, the color seemed to suit my natural coloring. I started missing the red, though, and attempted henna to give myself a bit more of a reddish-brown.

You could be my twin, haha. My natural color sounds a lot like yours, and I hated it as well. I also started dyeing my hair red because of Titanic (Rose's hair is literal perfection). And as you said, the upkeep was causing way too much damage. I didn't know about henna back then (I have red hair about 10 years ago), other wise I'd likely be married to it right now. I ended up dyeing it black and maintaining that for years, but I've since given it up and am almost 2 years dye free now.

I'm also really pale, and people used to ask me if my dyed red hair was my natural color. Even now I get asked if I'm naturally a redhead (and my hair isn't even dyed!). I liked the black, it was very dramatic, but I do think it aged me a bit. Now that I've grown it out I've had a lot of people tell me I look better with lighter colored hair.
I still don't like my natural hair color, but it isn't terrible. I can make do for now.

[butter52]

^ It is, obviously, but the "best match" (as in the thread title) is a little bit more objective :)



Is it? how can you quantify it in any other way that the subjective taste of the viewer?

[aspartame gram]

Well, I have pale skin, blue eyes, and yellow tones to my skin. I'm blonde, really blonde and I find it boring. There's zero contrast to my skin and it's gotten worse because where we live it's perpetually sunny so my hair is even lighter. Cue my foray into henna... And I tell you I loved it! I loved how my hair felt, the shine. And the color! I could wear the colors I loved and pull off a bright lip, no problem. Maintaining it though, ooof. My eyebrows are blonde so I had to go over those with brown pencils and eye shadow daily, and my roots were showing by the end of the week to two weeks.

It was my fault for not diluting the henna and going for a strawberry blonde, but the upkeep still sounds like it would take a lot of time. I also have a lot of orange/pink in my skin, so I don't know if it looked as good as I thought. I'll just keep admiring anyone else who can pull it off. :( Needless to say, it's not fun being this washed out.

[Kiiruna]

I've always loved how blonde hair, light eyebrows, white eyelashes and pale eyes go together.

I've always had cool shade 7 hair, so I don't cling to my childhood hair colour. However, I've heard how hair like mine was described to be "dishwater" or "dirt road" or even "sh*t brown", and look "boring" or "dull". That kind of attitude makes a lot of people feel bad about their natural hair colour - or even hate it. I can see it here too. A lot of things is a matter of attitude - if you tell yourself you look boring, you start to look boring. If you tell yourself that you look gorgeous or cute or whatever, you start to look like it.

I have dyed my hair with a lot of colours - blonde, dark brown, red. Dark brown and red looked good on me. I didn't see my natural colour for years, believing that it was boring and grey and ugly. Then I got tired of dyeing and grew my natural colour back. It looked good - it's not very extraordinary, but does it matter? Does everything always have to be so special and unique? Nah. I'm happy with my natural hair colour nevertheless. I look good with it, partially because I want to see myself that way.

[*ReiKa*]

No, not true.
I am strongly convinced that my hair color and skin tone don't match.
I have a pale, pretty fair skin tone and my brown hair is just too dark! it makes me look even paler and washed out, I would be lost without makeup and especially bronzers. It's not a coincidence that when I get a tan I look a thousand times better.
I should have had a darker skin tone or a lighter hair color.