- Finding the perfect hair colour 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 colours work just as well — consider emerald green, blonde, or shades of purple.
Choosing the right hair colour is almost as tricky as finding the perfect foundation shade [1]. You'll want to consider a few things: your skin's undertones [2], the seasonal change [3], and lighting are all key factors in getting it just right. Much like with nailing foundation, the nuances of dark skin make hair colour equally tricky to perfect. That's why we asked hair-colour experts to share exactly what are the hair-colour shades that work best for brown skin.
The search for finding your perfect hair colour starts by looking at your skin's undertones. Hairstylist Noel Reid-Killings [4] tells POPSUGAR that as a general rule, ashy, cool-brown, chestnut, and chocolate tones work well on darker skin.
While you can still rock blonde or even vibrant rainbow shades, dark colours [5] are always a safe choice to make hair look thick and healthy. If you want to roll with a new colour trend, shades like turquoise, emerald, and hunter green are on the rise and also happen to be winning options for dark complexions. Read on to see how some of our favorite celebrities with deep skin wear a spectrum colours and found their perfect hair-colour shades for brown skin.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Auburn
The Hair Colour: Auburn
As Seen On: Zendaya [6]
Colour Notes: Warm copper tones have been trending for months, but Zendaya's dark auburn twist on the look strikes the perfect contrast against her warm undertones.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Blond Highlights
The Hair Colour: Dimensional highlights
As Seen On: Ciara
Colour Notes: Cool tones work well with dark complexions. "Warm tones can blend into the skin too much," Reid-Killings says. If you want to do a warmer hair-colour shade for brown skin, 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.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Purple
The Hair Colour: Deep violet
As Seen On: Justine Skye
Colour Notes: If you're a fan of a jewel-toned hair colours, look no further than "The Purple Unicorn" herself, Justine Skye. Purple is a fantastic hair colour for dark skin tones, especially if you want to step away from the traditional browns and blonds. Tish Celestine [7], the stylist and colourist who helped Skye perfect her signature shade, has said that it is still her most requested colour to date.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Soft Ombré
The Hair Colour: Chestnut "sombré"
As Seen On: Gabrielle Union [8]
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, making it a perfect hair colour for brown skin tones that adds just enough of a contrast.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Platinum Blonde
The Hair Colour: Ultrablond
As Seen On: Jodie Turner-Smith
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. But the fact stands: platinum blonde is a fantastic hair-colour shade for brown skin. If you don't want to commit, try a wig.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Red Highlights
The Hair Colour: Auburn streaks
As Seen On: Priyanka Chopra
Colour Notes: Dark skin tones with neutral undertones — meaning not too warm, not too cool — make for the perfect candidates to a multidimensional red highlights. You don't want to overdo it, so be sure to work with your colourist to ensure you get face-framing money pieces with a few additional streaks woven throughout to find your perfect red hair colour for dark skin.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Jet Black
The Hair Colour: Jet black
As Seen On: Janelle Monáe
Colour Notes: Jet black may look quite stark on fair skin tones, but on dark skin, it appears rich and gives hair the look of being healthy. If you need an easy hair colour for brown skin, you can't go wrong with this one.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: 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's a few shades darker than her skin tone. Consider playing with a similar dimension to land on your perfect hair-colour shade for you skin tone.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: Blue
The Hair Colour: Navy blue
As Seen On: Danielle Brooks
Colour Notes: Although it's ever so subtle, Danielle Brooks's blue bob is a soft way to break into more vibrant colours without worrying about too much maintenance or commitment. It's another low-maintenance jewel tone that would make a fantastic hair colour for dark skin.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: 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.
The Best Hair-Colour Shades For Brown Skin: 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 says. "It's important to pay attention to your skin's undertones. Those are the colours you want to bring out. If you have warm undertones, you want to aim for blues and purples as they contrast nicely," she adds. Tip for finding the best hair colours for dark skin: avoid colours that are similar to your undertones, as the look could wash you out.