How To Pick Hair Colors For Pale Skin

Pro tips for a glamorous hair makeover that complements your skin tone.

Reviewed by Madison Dufour, Barber & Cosmetologist
Written by Arshiya Syeda, BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma
Edited by Asmita De, MA (English)
Fact-checked by Aparna Harry, MA (English Literature)  • 

What are the best hair colors for pale skin? Keep in mind that hair coloring can be both exhilarating and frightening. While you are excited about the transformation, you must also consider whether you should throw caution to the wind and leave your hair alone. What if the color does not look nice is a concern for many people.

What about if I promise a technique to choose a color that will always look fabulous on you?

Choosing a hair color can be very easy if you consider a few important aspects, such as your skin tone and eye color. Therefore, we have created this guide to simplify choosing the best hair colors for the pale complexion.

How To Pick The Right Hair Color For Pale Skin?

Step 1- Determine Your Skin Tone

Determine your skin tone for the right hair color for pale skin
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Image: Shutterstock

This is the most important factor when it comes to picking a hair color. Even the most gorgeous of colors can look awful when it is not paired with a complementing skin tone. There are three ways in which you can determine your skin tone:

  1. Go out in the sun and hold your arm out with your palms facing up. Observe the color of your veins. If they look blue/purple, you have a cool skin tone whereas if they look green, you are warm-skinned. If you cannot tell whether your veins look blue or green, it is likely that you have a neutral or olive skin tone.
  2. In a well-lit area, stand facing a mirror. Now, hold up a piece of white paper against your skin. If your skin looks yellow in comparison to the paper, you have warm-toned skin. If it looks rosy and pink, you have cool-toned skin. If you cannot tell, it is likely that you have a neutral or olive skin tone.
  3. Another way to determine your skin tone is to get a piece of gold and silver foil each. Hold the foil in a way that it reflects light onto your face. Observe to see if it makes your face glow, or makes it look washed out. If the gold foil makes your skin glow, you are warm-toned, and if the silver foil makes your skin glow, you are cool toned. If both are flattering, you have an olive/neutral skin tone.
  4. Determine what jewelry flatters your skin – gold or silver? If gold looks better, you are warm-toned whereas if silver looks better, you have cool-toned skin. If both look good, you have an olive/neutral skin tone.
protip_icon Quick Tip
It is recommended to follow the rule of thumb where the right hair shade needs to be opposite to your skin tone. It makes the hair color look vibrant and complements the skin tone.

Step 2- Consider Your Eye Color

Considering eye color also helps to pick the right hair color for pale skin
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While your eye color does not affect your hair color choice as much as your skin tone, taking your eye color into consideration when making a decision can give you a major hand in stepping up your hair color game. This can help you pick the best hair color for pale skin.

Brown Eyes
Most hair colors go well with brown eyes
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Image: Instagram @nataliekogan

While most hair colors look gorgeous on people with brown eyes, colors with cool undertones create a beautiful contrast with the rich, warm brown tones in your eyes.

Hazel Eyes
Dark hair colors go well with hazel eyes
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Image: Instagram

Hazel is one of the most versatile eye colors. It has both warm and cool undertones, allowing it to pair well with a myriad of different hair colors. But the colors that suit it best are dark brunettes, ashy blondes, and black.


protip_icon Quick Tip
Hair shades such as berry tones, auburn, caramel blonde, platinum blonde, and dark golden also enhance the gold flakes in hazel eyes.
Blue/Gray Eyes
Blue and gray eyes go well with warm-toned hair color
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Image: Instagram @hungvanngo

Both blue and gray eyes are cool-toned and so pair amazingly well with warm-toned hair colors. Warm blondes, golden browns, and reds are some colors that look great on people with blue or gray eyes.

Step 3- Pick A Color For Your Skin Tone

Now that you have your skin tone and eye color down, you are well on your way to finding the right hair color. Keep reading to see what colors suit the different skin tones.

Hair Colors For Warm-Toned Pale Skin

Golden Blonde
Golden blonde hair color for warm-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @michalnaomi

The yellow undertones in golden blonde complement warm-toned skin, making it appear as though it is glowing. This color is the closest you can get to yellow without going brassy. It is the perfect blonde for those with pale warm-toned skin. Lighter shades of this color pair well with blue eyes.

Strawberry Blonde
Strawberry blonde hair color for warm-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @colorbycate

This brassy blonde has subtle orange tones and no one can carry it off better than people with warm-toned skin. It pairs well with light eye colors like hazel, blue, and gray.

Golden Brown
Golden brown hair color for warm-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @goldwell_ita

It can’t get better than this sun-kissed brown for those with pale warm-toned skin. The golden tones in the brown pair beautifully with the yellow undertones in warm skin. This color further complements brown and hazel eyes.

Expresso
Expresso hair color for warm-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @laelannmarie

This color has rich red and yellow undertones, just like freshly brewed coffee. It looks gorgeous on warm-toned skin and pairs extremely well with brown eyes.

Auburn
Auburn hair color for warm-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @gingeredgirls

Like all orange-toned shades, auburn suits people with warm-toned skin best. It looks especially good on people with blue and hazel eyes.

Plum
Plum hair color for warm-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @hairbyjaniefrancis

This rich purple-based color looks amazing on people with warm skin. The rich red hues in this shade create a gorgeous balance with the yellow undertones in warm skin. This versatile hair color complements all eye colors.

Hair Colors For Cool-Toned Pale Skin

Platinum Blonde
Platinium blonde hair color for cool-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @tabiolophotography

If you have pale skin and light hair, platinum blonde might be the shade for you. This stunning hair color looks gorgeous on women with cool-toned pale skin. While platinum blonde pairs well with all eye colors, this hair color and blue eyes make a killer combination.

Ash Blonde
Ash-blonde hair color for cool-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram

This darker shade of blonde also has cool tones with light brown that complement cool-toned skin. While it complements all eye colors, it pairs especially well with hazel and brown eyes.

Dirty Brown
Dirty brown hair color for cool-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram

While most browns usually have rich, warm tones, this one has cool honey tones that balance out the rosiness in your face. This color pairs especially well with hazel and brown eyes.

Deep Brunette
Deep brunette hair color for cool-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram

This deep dark color is dark enough to complement the red undertones in your face without creating an unsightly contrast with your light skin. This shade pairs well with all eye colors but looks especially gorgeous when paired with blue eyes.

Pastel Blue
Pastel blue hair color for cool-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram

Shades of blue look perfect on people with cool-toned skin. The pink undertones create a perfect contrast with the cool blue color. This shade looks good with all eye colors.

Em Ford, a blogger, shared she accidentally dyed her hair purple after an incident with a purple shampoo. She states in one of her blog posts, “In the few days that the colour lasted in my hair, I began to love having it.” Inspired by this look, she decided to try out a pastel hue by mixing silver, lilac, and blue semi-permanent dyes. She further adds, “Although having blue hair isn’t what I had in mind for my new do – I’m going with it and having fun with it until I settle on a new style (i).”

Mermaid Green
Mermaid green hair color for cool-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @arcticfoxhaircolor

This color, unlike most greens, has strong aqua undertones that look beautiful on cool-toned skin. The color looks especially pretty on people with blue eyes.

Hair Colors For Olive-Toned Pale Skin

Baby Blonde
Baby blonde hair color for olive-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram

This shade of blonde falls right in between platinum and golden blonde, making it the perfect shade for people with olive skin. It pairs extremely well with all eye colors.

Dirty Blonde
Dirty blonde hair color for olive-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram

This cool toned color looks best on people with olive skin and conveniently enough, it goes well with all eye colors.

Chocolate Mauve
Chocolate mauve hair color for olive-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @honeyloveestudios

This color is a perfect blend of warm and cool tones, with undertones of a dirty brown and cherry. Chocolate mauve looks gorgeous on all eye colors.

Black
Black hair color for olive-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @antoine_salon

While black looks good on most people, jet black can very easily go wrong on pale skin. All eye colors complement the black hair and olive skin combination.

Lavender
Lavender hair color for olive-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @arcticfoxhaircolor

The lavender hair trend can never get old. And how could it when it looks so gorgeous – especially on olive skin. Lavender hair and blue eyes make a great combination.

Purple
Purple hair color for olive-toned pale skin
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Image: Instagram @arcticfoxhaircolor

Because of the combination of blue and red undertones in purple, it looks best on people with olive skin. This shade looks great with all eye colors.

Infographic: 3 Simple Steps To Find The Right Hair Color For Pale Skin

Choosing a new hair color can always leave you unsure if it will match your skin tone. Selecting the right hair color for pale skin can be a challenge as you never know how it will appear on you. However, considering certain crucial factors, like your skin tone or eye color, can make things simple. Here, we have outlined a few easy steps to assist you in selecting the appropriate hair color. Check out the infographic below.

3 simple steps to find the right hair color for pale skin (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Experimenting with different hair colors can be an exciting and scary experience. To make sure you pick the right hair color for pale skin, follow the simple tips mentioned in this article. Understanding your skin tone and eye color will help you pick the right hair color that will bring out your features. If you have pale skin, you can try fun hair colors such as platinum blonde, mermaid green, or ash brown. If you are not sure about what hair color suits you, consult a professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does burgundy hair look good on pale skin?

A deep burgundy hair color can look just as good on pale skin as a rich espresso. A burgundy plum is a lovely alternative if you have olive skin and green eyes. As with any dye job, some maintenance is necessary to avoid any brassy fading, but if you are prepared to maintain your burgundy hair, it will be worth it!

Does gray look good on pale skin?

It is recommended to use a darker gray if you have pale skin because light gray can wash you out. Gray will also look great on you if you have a fair complexion with warm undertones. A medium gray will contrast with paler skin without being overpowering.

Does white look good on pale skin?

No, white will only make you appear too pale. Shades that are overly bright and light should be avoided if you have pale skin.

Key Takeaways

  • You can determine your skin tone by observing the color of your veins or holding a piece of white paper against your skin. You can also determine it by observing whether gold or silver jewelry flatters your skin tone more.
  • Brown-eyed people should choose hair colors that have cool undertones. And if you have blue or gray eyes, mahogany, golden browns, reds, copper browns, and warm browns are preferable.
  • If you have hazel-colored eyes, you can try hair colors with both warm and cool undertones such as dark brunettes, ashy blondes, and black.
  • For warm-toned pale skin, colors such as golden blonde, strawberry blonde, plum, and auburn are recommended. For cool-toned pale skin, colors such as ash blonde, lavender, pastel tones, and black are recommended.
Hair Colors For Pale Skin

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Struggling to find the perfect hair color for your pale skin? Check out this video exploring a range of hair color swatches tailored to complement your cool skin tones effortlessly!

Personal Experience: Source

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