6 Hair Colors That Look Great On People With Cool Undertones

When it comes to changing your hair color, the range of options can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are a few key tips that can help you determine exactly what to look for when you're trying to find your perfect color. Because, similar to how you can use color theory to tailor your makeup to suit your skin tone, knowing your skin's undertones can help you pick the hair shade that will be most flattering.

For people with a cool palette, meaning the base notes in their skin are pink, red, or blue, it's best to steer clear of warmer shades. Golds, coppers, and caramels can all look disjointed and unnatural next to cooler skin. But what are some other clues? To help you make an informed decision, Women spoke exclusively with hairstylist Katie Zaharik. She shares that your eye color offers an important clue about what colors are likely to be most flattering, saying, "If you have cool-toned eyes, like blue or green, then choosing a complementary color would make the eyes pop," she explains.

While some blond shades can pull warm, the luminous, silvery tones of pearl blond naturally complement anyone with a cooler color palette. It's an extremely pale shade of blond with a gray-purple sheen that's especially suited to anyone with pink undertones. "I am a firm believer in pearl as a 'perfect on almost everyone' tone," hairstylist Katie Zaharik tells Women, exclusively. "Pearl reads as a cool-toned color with the [main] colors in it being violet and pink to keep it icy without being ashy and dull."

The neutral notes of a beige blond make it a timeless, flattering choice for anyone with pink or blue undertones. It's warmer than pearl or a true cool blond shade, which means it's incredibly versatile and also quite subtle. "It's a soft color that doesn't read as a bold contrast to any natural color that pairs with it," hairstylist Katie Zaharik tells Women, exclusively. "Beige doesn't read as dull or bright but right in the middle, and has a very natural look to it."

If you have darker hair, a gray-leaning shade like mushroom brown adds dimension. "For darker hair colors, introducing the ash and matte tones to brunette shades will complement cooler skin tones," Zaharik shares with Women. This kind of gray-leaning shade of taupe brown incorporates lightness and dimension, and it's the perfect hair color to pump up your basic brunette."It can be a way to spice up your usual highlight appointment by simply playing around with earthy tones a bit more as opposed to rich warmer hues," colorist Natalie Rotger told Byrdie.

One of fall's hottest hair colors is an unexpectedly great match for those with cool undertones: cherry cola hair. That's because this '90s-inspired burgundy shade contains notes of purple, making it far cooler than other shades of red. It's especially flattering for anyone with cool undertones and darker eyes, hairstylist Katie Zaharik tells Women. "The green tones in hazel eyes will pop in contrast to the rich red hair color, and the gold tones in brown eyes will appear brighter and bolder when they're paired with a purple undertone in hair," she explains.

If you prefer a dramatically dark hair color, espresso brunette is the perfectly versatile option. If you like the high-contrast look of dark brown hair, it's adaptable for a wide range of skin tones. Hairstylist Katie Zaharik, in an exclusive interview with Women, explains that it's best to opt for ash and matte tones if your undertones skew cooler. "This is how we get a rich brunette color without 'seeing red' as the primary undertone," she tells us.

Though red hair might initially sound too warm for people with cool undertones, it's actually a hair color that comes in a range of shades. Even better, many of them are incredibly flattering for those with cool-toned skin. Speaking exclusively with Women, Zaharik advises choosing a shade based on your eye color. "Ideally, pairing a light eye color (blue/green/grey) with a warm hair color (copper/ginger/gold) makes for a contrast that looks natural and well balanced," she explains.