Determining your hair's undertone is crucial for choosing the right hair color, highlights, and even styling products. Getting it wrong can lead to a color that washes you out or looks unnatural. Luckily, learning how to identify your hair's undertone isn't as complicated as it sounds. This guide will give you helpful suggestions to master this essential hair care skill.
Understanding Hair Undertone: Warm, Cool, or Neutral?
Before we dive into the how-to, let's clarify what hair undertone actually means. It refers to the subtle, underlying color that sits beneath your hair's surface color. This hidden hue significantly impacts how different colors appear on your hair. There are three main undertones:
- Warm: Warm undertones have hints of gold, red, orange, or copper. Think honey blonde, auburn, or reddish-brown.
- Cool: Cool undertones show hints of ash, blue, violet, or silver. Think platinum blonde, icy blonde, or deep brown with blue undertones.
- Neutral: Neutral undertones are a blend of warm and cool tones, making them incredibly versatile.
Methods to Determine Your Hair Undertone
There are several ways to discover your hair's hidden undertone:
1. The Jewelry Test: A Classic Approach
This simple test involves holding both gold and silver jewelry against your face. Which one makes your complexion look brighter and more radiant?
- Gold looks better: You likely have warm undertones.
- Silver looks better: You likely have cool undertones.
- Both look equally good: You probably have neutral undertones.
Important Note: This test is best done in natural daylight, avoiding artificial lighting that can distort colors.
2. The Vein Test: Checking Your Wrist
Examine the veins on your inner wrist in natural light.
- Blue or purple veins: Suggest cool undertones.
- Green veins: Suggest warm undertones.
- A mix of blue and green: Suggests neutral undertones.
Important Note: This method can be less reliable than the jewelry test, as vein color can be affected by factors beyond undertone.
3. The White Paper Test: A Visual Comparison
Hold a piece of bright white paper next to your hair. Observe the subtle reflections.
- Golden or yellow reflections: Indicate warm undertones.
- Ashen or blue reflections: Indicate cool undertones.
- A balanced mix: Indicates neutral undertones.
4. Consider Your Natural Hair Color: A Helpful Clue
Your natural hair color can often provide clues. However, keep in mind that hair color can change due to sun exposure or chemical treatments.
- Naturally red or golden hair: Often indicates warm undertones.
- Naturally ash blonde or dark brown with blueish tones: Often indicates cool undertones.
Putting It All Together: Choosing the Right Hair Color
Once you've determined your hair undertone, you can choose hair colors that complement it.
- Warm undertones: Look fantastic with warm shades like gold, honey blonde, auburn, copper, and warm browns.
- Cool undertones: Look stunning with cool shades like ash blonde, platinum blonde, icy tones, and cool browns.
- Neutral undertones: Have the advantage of being able to pull off both warm and cool shades.
By following these suggestions, you'll be well-equipped to identify your hair's undertone and make informed decisions about your hair color and styling choices. Remember, consistent lighting is key to accurate assessment!
