If you’re working with fair-as-can-be skin, don’t despair! The world of hair color for pale skin is vast, and if you need help deciding which one to try, we’re here to help. From ash blonde shades to dark brown hair and vibrant reds, here are the best hair colors for pale skin.
What are the best hair colors for pale skin?
Finding the best hair color for your pale skin all depends on identifying your undertones. If you’re skin has cool undertones, you’ll want to stick with ashy blonde, brown, and fantasy hues. If your complexion is on the warmer side, deeper hues such as honey blonde, copper, and caramel will go perfectly with your skin. To find out more about our favorite hair colors for pale skin, keep scrolling for 20 of our favorites.The Best Blonde Hair Colors For Pale Skin
Honey Blonde
If you have a pale complexion with warm undertones, you’re going to want a blonde shade that pairs best with the warmth in your skin. We recommend trying a honey blonde hair color that will give your skin tone that instant sunkissed glow.
Platinum Blonde
Platinum blonde and cool-toned fair skin is a match made in heaven. The icy blonde hue will perfectly complement your porcelain complexion—particularly if you have blue or green eyes.
If you decide to go platinum, be sure to invest in a quality anti-brass purple shampoo like the Kérastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet Purple Shampoo. Since your colorist will need to use bleach to achieve platinum blonde, you’ll want to pick up a weekly hair treatment to minimize the look and feel of damaged hair. We recommend the Kérastase Blond Absolu Cicaflash Intense Fortifying Treatment. It instantly restores, softens, and protects hair from breakage.
Champagne Blonde
Where mushroom blonde is a moodier take on blonde, champagne blonde is the life of the party. When done right, the multidimensional, creamy blonde shines like a freshly opened bottle of bubbly—not to mention it works for just about any skin tone.
Bronde
If you’re stuck somewhere between sticking to your brunette roots and wanting to go blonde, bronde hair is always a good idea.
Mushroom Blonde
If you’re looking to go lighter but keep your ash hair color, why not give mushroom blonde a shot? This multi-dimensional, cool-toned blonde can be worn lighter or darker, making it customizable to fit any shade of pale skin.
Cream Blonde
If you’re looking for a blonde hue that’s not too warm and not too ashy, cream blonde falls perfectly in between. Whether you’re working with cool or warm undertones, this buttery hue can be customized to complement your pale complexion.
Strawberry Blonde
Torn between keeping your blonde strands or going red? Strawberry blonde can give you a little taste of both! Though strawberry blonde hair is unique, the hue is neutral enough to flatter just about any skin tone.The Best Brunette Hair Colors For Pale Skin
Mushroom Brown
This ashy brunette shade that incorporates notes of light gray and deep brown is the trend that started a wave of mushroom-inspired hues. Whether your skin has cool, warm, or neutral undertones, mushroom brown hair is sure to look stunning against your fair skin. For ashy brunettes, we recommend picking up the Matrix Total Results Color Obsessed Brass Off Shampoo to neutralize brassiness.Caramel Brown
Ladies with pale skin: If there’s one rule to coloring your hair, it’s that going too deep with your hue will make your skin look washed out. If you have a naturally dark base, ask your colorist to paint caramel highlights throughout your mane using a balayage technique. This will allow you to keep your dark brown hair color while notes of caramel frame your face, enhancing your skin tone.
Chocolate Brown
It’s true that going too deep with your brunette hue can sometimes wash you out, but we can make an exception for a shade as dimensional and delectable as chocolate brown. Ask your colorist to add hints of red, honey, or gold throughout your chocolate brown hue to complement your fair skin tone.
Milk Chocolate
Thinking chocolate brown hair is a bit too dark for you? Opt for a milk chocolate hair color for a lighter shade that’s just as sweet!The Best Red Hair Colors For Pale Skin
Light Auburn
For those with light brown hair, making a subtle transition to red hair is easy. Ask your colorist for light auburn hair, a shade that perfectly combines brunette and red for a fiery hue that works for all skin tones.
Dark Auburn
Looking to go a bit deeper with your auburn hair color? Show off your inner vixen and ask your colorist for a darker variation of this fiery shade.
Burgundy
If light auburn is just a bit too neutral for you, you might be looking to play on the deeper side of the red color spectrum. For a red hue that’s dark and bold, turn to burgundy. Burgundy hair colors complement every shade of fair skin, so you really can’t go wrong!
Since red hair colors are notoriously difficult to maintain, you’ll need to make a few changes to your hair care routine. Step one: Switch out your regular shampoo and conditioner for a system with a formula for color-treated strands like the Pureology Reviving Red system for color retention and radiance of red or copper color-treated hair.
Copper
Ladies with pale skin and blue eyes, listen up: No color will flatter both your skin and your eye color like copper. Since orange and blue are complementary colors on the color wheel, orange-toned hues and blue eyes are basically a match made in heaven.The Best Fantasy Hair Colors For Pale Skin
Charcoal
No fantasy hair color is more on-trend than gray. Not sure which shade of gray hair is right for pale skin? We vote charcoal! Since the dark gray shade is so cool-toned, it works particularly well if you have cool undertones in your skin.
Smoky Lilac
We recently dubbed smoky hair colors one of the top trends of 2019. Combined with a trending hair color like lilac, how could you go wrong? If you have pale skin with cool undertones, this one’s for you!
Pastel Blue
If we’re talking about pastel hues for cool-toned skin, pastel blue hair simply can’t be ignored. After all, the icy shade is on-trend and wearable for any time of the year!
Pink
If you have a pale complexion with warm undertones, it’s time to start thinking pink—and we mean really pink! If you’re committed to trying hot pink hair, we recommend the Matrix Total Results Keep Me Vivid Shampoo and Conditioner System to maintain the vibrancy of fast-fading hair colors.
Rainbow
When combining pale skin with wild hair colors, the sky’s the limit. If you’re dreaming of the ultimate fantasy color combo, go bold with a rainbow hair creation.
Looking for more hair color ideas for pale skin? Use our salon locator to book an appointment at a salon near you.
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