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Want to upgrade your hairstyle? Ditch the usual brown, black, and blonde hair colors and try unconventional colors like red, blue, and green. If you’re wondering whether unnatural hair colors look great on cool skin tones, don’t worry. We’ll show you all you need to know below.
What Are Unnatural Hair Colors for Cool Skin Tones?
Unnatural hair colors veer away from the traditional black, brown, and blonde hair colors taking on bolder shades like pink, blue, red, purple, and orange, to mention a few.
They come in different forms, including special effects and Manic Panic, and can be used to create different looks on all hair types. The only problem is identifying a hair color that complements your skin tone.
Typically, there are three skin tones — warm, cool, and neutral — and each matches different hair colors. Warm skin tones, for example, have gold, peach, yellow, or orange undertones which go well with rose gold, caramel blonde, and strawberry shades.
However, if you’ve darker skin, dark brown chocolate hair color works best. On the other hand, cool skin tones lean more toward red, blue, or pink complexions, and have dark hair.
Choosing unnatural hair colors for people with cool skin tones is tricky because some colors might not complement them. Hair colors with brown, blue, and taupe shades work best for people with fair skin.
And brown with purple shades and blue-back hair colors work best for those with darker cool-toned skin. Gothic colors like grey or black also complement cool skin tones.
If you still don’t know if you have a cool skin tone, here are some pointers:
- Check the color of your veins: The veins on your wrist should be blue or purple. If they are green, you have a warm skin tone, and if colorless or match your skin, you have a neutral undertone
- Check if your skin reacts to sunlight: If the skin burns easily and turns red, you have a cool undertone, but if it tans, it’s a neutral skin tone. People with warm undertones only tan and never burn in the sun
- Wear jewelry: Silver jewelry looks great on people with cool skin tones, while gold is the best for warm skin tones. However, if you look great on both gold and silver jewelry, you have a neutral skin tone
- Check your natural hair and eye color: People with light eyes and fair hair have cool skin tones, while those with dark hair and eyes have warm undertones
- Wear neutral colors: Neutral colors like white and black look great on cool skin tones. Conversely, warm skin tones look best in off-white shades, while crispy white shades are great for cool skin tones
10 Unnatural Hair Colors for Cool Skin Tones in 2024
Having known how to identify a cool-skin tone, you need to determine unnatural hair colors best suited for you. Here are the best picks.
1. Platinum Blonde
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Blonde has always been a trendy color whether worn as dirty blonde, dark, icy, or platinum blonde. Its cool ashy tones complement cool skin tones, while the platinum hue accentuates your facial features.
Platinum or icy blonde work best for women with brown hair and those who don’t wear much make-up. Be sure to stick to ashy colors as warm shades like yellows and warm golds can be overbearing.
There’s a caveat though, the icy blonde hair color needs tons of maintenance, and if you’re not up for the challenge, consider other shades. Here are a few other rules:
- Touch-ups are necessary every four weeks depending on how fast your hair grows
- Patch test the hair before coloring the hair. If your hair reacts poorly after 24 hours, consider using other shades
- Check your hair level to determine how light your hair will be after coloring. Darker hair has more pigmentation that needs lifting, while light-colored hair, e.g., brown hair is easier to color blonde
- It’s best to seek professional help if coloring for the first time to avoid damaging hair
2. Rose Gold
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Rose gold is the perfect shade to wear during fall. The beautiful copper hues balance out the gold shade complimenting cool skin tones perfectly. There are endless rose-gold options too, as you can wear an all-rose shade or add subtle highlights to your hair.
3. Pearl
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This shade is similar to platinum gold except, it has violet or lilac hues instead of gray highlights. The hair color has white as the dominant color with hints of peach, lavender, pink, and silver, making it perfect for cool-skin-toned women who want to soften their features.
This unique blend of colors provides a vast range of pearl shades to choose from when coloring cool skin tones.
However, the pearl hair color is sensitive, and it’s best to ask a professional to color your hair. Moreover, your hair needs multiple bleaching treatments and strategic placement of color to create the pearly effect.
4. Burgundy
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Hair colors with red hints don’t work well with cool-toned skin, but burgundy is an exception. The wine-like mix of red and purple make it flattering, unlike other red hues.
Burgundy counteracts the cool tones, adding warmth and depth to your hair and skin. The color works best for women with darker cool skin tones who want an elegant and sophisticated look.
5. Blue
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Want to turn heads? Try out the blue family of colors. Blues flatter cool skin tones, highlighting the undertones, and are the easiest unnatural hair colors to maintain. You can wear an all-blue hue like cobalt blue, which is incredibly bold and versatile, or hushed shades like ice blue or blue-black.
Ice blue is also called the dark-blue shade and often has hints of green. It’s the best unnatural hair color for women looking for hair colors that blend into natural hair colors.
However, women with red, greenish-green, mixed-yellow, or pink-yellow hair colors should steer off the ice blue hair color. If you must apply, remove the colors first to avoid damaging your hair.
As for the blue-black shade, it’s the best for women with paler complexions because it adds depth to naturally dark hair. It’s also easy to apply and gentler on your hair strands than the ice blue shade.
6. Eggplant
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This purple shade works great on light and dark skin tones. The cool undertones color hair without overpowering your chilled skin tone, while the red tones add warmth. Eggplant is a low-maintenance hair color, and you can easily apply it at home.
7. Taupe
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Taupe is an excellent color for cool-skinned-toned women who want natural brunette shades. Its earthy hue complements cool skin tones thanks to the neutral gray base highlighting your hair’s best features. Taupe is also low-maintenance hair color, and you can wear it as a light or dark shade.
8. Pink
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For pink hair color, it’s best to choose light-pink hues like pastel. Your hair should be a shade darker than your natural hair for the best results. A light dusty pink shade also works well on cool skin tones but requires multiple bleaching treatments to achieve this shade.
Be sure to do a patch test before coloring the hair to determine how the hair reacts to the dye. Wait for a day or two to observe how long it lasts before washing it out.
9. Violet
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This hair color is the best for women looking for a darker purple shade. The red and blue pigments balance out creating, a soft, lilac color on the tresses as it fades. Violet works well with all skin tones and is a low-maintenance hair color.
10. Mahogany
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This classic shade is an excellent choice for cool-skin-toned women looking for a stylish winter hairstyle. Like other dark hair colors, it doesn’t need much commitment; a simple wash with shampoo and cold water should do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about unnatural hair colors for cool skin tones.
Do I need to bleach hair before applying unnatural hair colors?
Unnatural hair colors work best on bleached hair. Bleaching is particularly important when applying pink or blue hair colors.
Does unnatural hair color damage hair?
If your hair is strong and healthy, hair color won’t damage hair. However, if your hair is already compromised use dark shades as they’re gentle on hair. Moreover, multiple bleaching treatments can damage hair hence the need to use them if your hair can handle it.
Can I color damaged hair?
Semi-permanent or demi-permanent hair colors are the best for damaged hair. They’re gentle on hair but don’t lighten hair as well as permanent dyes. They work best on naturally dark hair.
Does colored hair need much maintenance?
If looking for a hair color that doesn’t need much maintenance, choose colors close to your natural tone. They work with the dark hair roots appearing as hair begins to grow. Dark hair colors like blue, violet, and mahogany also don’t need much maintenance. Monthly touch-ups are all you need to keep your hair looking great.
Does sun exposure cause hair to fade?
Continued exposure to UV rays can cause hair to fade fast. If you’re walking in the sun, it’s best to wear a hat or scarf. Also, adding UV blockers to hair treatment goes a long way in protecting hair from UV radiation.
Which Unnatural Hair Colors are the Best for Cool Skin Tones?
Cool-skin-toned women have a wide selection of unnatural hair colors to choose just as warm and neutral-toned people. Platinum blonde is the best unnatural hair color for cool skin tones because it complements cool skin tones perfectly.
However, it’s a high-maintenance shade so if you’re looking for low-maintenance hair colors, opt for blues, violets, and mahogany. Happy coloring!