- Finding the perfect hair color for darker skin tones is easy with the help of an expert.
- Shades of brown, including chocolate and chestnut tones, have proven to complement the skin best.
- Vibrant and bold colors work just as well – consider emerald green, blond, or shades of purple.
Choosing the right hair color is almost as tricky as finding the perfect foundation shade. Undertones, seasonal shifts, and lighting are all key factors in getting it just right. Much like with nailing foundation, the nuances of darker skin make hair color equally difficult to perfect. That’s why we asked hair-color experts to share exactly which shades look best on warm brown skin.
The search for finding your perfect hair color starts by looking at your skin’s undertones. Hairstylist Noel Reid-Killings told POPSUGAR that as a general rule, ashy, cool brown, chestnut, and chocolate tones work well on darker skin.
While you can still rock blond or even vibrant rainbow shades, dark colors are always a safe choice to make hair look thick and healthy. If you want to roll with a new color trend, shades like turquoise, emerald, and hunter greens are on the rise and also happen to be winning options for darker complexions.
Read on to see how nine celebs with deeper skin nailed a spectrum of shades.
Getty / Maury Phillips
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Mahogany
The Hair Colour: Vibrant reddish brown
As Seen On: Taraji P. Henson
Colour Notes: If you’re going to go red, stick with a more vibrant variation like Henson has here. It’s still a bit more on the brown side, but the red pops enough so that the brown doesn’t just blend into her skin tone.
Getty / Mike Marsland/BFC
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Purple
The Hair Colour: Deep violet
As Seen On: Justine Skye
Colour Notes: If you want to know how to do a unicorn hair colour on darker skin, look no further than “The Purple Unicorn” herself, Justine Skye. Tish Celestine, the stylist and colourist who helped Skye perfect her signature shade, has said that it is still her most requested colour to date.
Getty / Taylor Hill
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Platinum Blond
The Hair Colour: Ultra blond
As Seen On: Monica Brown
Colour Notes: According to Celeste, “Light blonde to platinum blonde does work on dark skin in shorter styles. That’s the rule.” Since textured hair tends to be more fragile and dries out a lot faster, getting to this level of light takes a lot of processing that can compromise longer ends.
Getty / George Pimentel
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Lilac
The Hair Colour: Light lilac
As Seen On: Keke Palmer
Colour Notes: Deep jewel tones (think amethyst and emerald) work best on dark skin, as the colours complement a rich complexion. “Pastels can sometimes make for too harsh of a contrast or wash you out,” Reid-Killings said. “It’s important to pay attention to your skin’s undertones. Those are the colours you want to bring out. If you have warmer undertones, you want to aim for blues and purples as they contrast nicely,” she added. Avoid colours that are similar to your undertones as the look could wash you out.
Getty / Venturelli
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Dimensional Blond
The Hair Colour: Dimensional blond
As Seen On: Ciara
Colour Notes: Cool skin tones work well with dark complexions. “Warm tones can blend into the skin too much,” said Reid-Killings. If you want to do a warmer shade, Reid-Killings suggests getting balayage or lowlights to add dimension.
Browns, chestnuts, and chocolate colours work well as long as they have cool undertones. These darker shades can make your hair look thicker and healthier.
Getty / Paul Archuleta
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Soft Ombré
The Hair Colour: Chestnut “sombré”
As Seen On: Gabrielle Union
Colour Notes: If you’re looking for a more subtle colour upgrade, try a soft ombré (sombré) in a warm chestnut brown. The darker roots and lighter tips help frame the face on deep skin and add just enough contrast.
Getty / Kevin Mazur
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Caramel Blond
The Hair Colour: Caramel swirl
As Seen On: Beyoncé
Colour Notes: Beyoncé’s perfectly distributed high and lowlights are a perfect contrast to her warm hair colour base that is a few shades darker than her skin tone.
Getty / Gonzalo Marroquin
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Navy Blue
The Hair Colour: Navy blue
As Seen On: Danielle Brooks
Colour Notes: Although it’s ever-so-subtle, Danielle Brooks’ blue bob is a soft way to break into more vibrant colours without worrying about too much maintenance or commitment.
Getty / Taylor Hill
Best Hair Colours For Dark Skin Tones: Black
The Hair Colour: Jet-black
As Seen On: Janelle Monae
Colour Notes: Jet black may look quite stark on fair skin tones, but on darker skin, it appears rich and gives hair the look of being healthy.
