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If your complexion has blue, pink or green undertones, congratulations. You’re a bona fide Cool Chick. Cool undertones show up across the complexion spectrum -- from porcelain on the light side, to olive in the middle and ebony on the darker end. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, the right hair color can make or break your look. Before you do the dye deed, find yourself a shade that keeps its cool.
Play it Cool
If you’re not sure whether your complexion has cool undertones, check out the veins at the inside of your wrist. If they look completely blue, without any greenish cast, you’re officially one of the cool kids. Opt for hair dyes with ash, beige, blue or fawn undertones to play up your cool coloring. For another clue to your perfect hair color, get lost in your own eyes for a minute. The lighter your eye color, the lighter the hair hue you can pull off.
Best Blond Shades
Lighten up, will you? Blonde hair gives cool-toned skin a clear, luminous look. Just avoid those warm golden shades, which can leave cool-skinned gals looking sallow. For a soft, natural vibe, stick with cool ash or beige-based blondes. Think pale, creamy yellow a la Marilyn Monroe or subtle light-to-medium ash blonde. If your skin is on the fair side, go ahead and get your blonde bombshell on with gleaming moonlight blonde or icy white -- you can totally get away with these sexy, dramatic shades. If your complexion is darker, a velvety apricot blond is the way to go.
Best Brunette Shades
From the lightest icy brown to the darkest mahogany, a range of brunette shades look sumptuous on cool-toned skin. Just make sure you’re rocking a hue with ash or fawn tones. Any shade of ash brown – whether light, medium or dark – will look completely natural with your cool complexion. Light sandy brown, creamy fawn and glossy coffee shades provide a richer, more dramatic effect. When you’re ready to take a walk on the dark side, try a ravishing deep sable shade. The key to sultry brunette style is always contrast – you never want a shade that’s too similar to your skin tone.
Best Red Shades
When a cool-skinned babe is a natural redhead, she usually has rosy or berry hues in her hair, so choose similar tones if you want the world to think you were born with that fiery mane. Strawberry-blonde hair adds radiance to light skin, while deeper shades of auburn look natural on darker complexions. Of course, you don’t have to aim for the natural look. Cool complexions make the perfect canvas for the loudest, most luscious shades of red. Go for broke with a bright, blue-based red: Scarlet or ruby for light skin, sherry or crimson for dark skin. Olive skin is one exception to the rule -- bright-red tresses clash with a true olive complexion. Striking shades of burgundy or deep berry will look far more flattering.
Best Extreme Shades
Don’t feel like you have to stick with those Mother Nature-approved hair hues if you’re in the mood for something wilder. Your complexion is perfect for edgy, intense hair color. Cool skin tones can pull off a true blue-black hair color, so go ahead and get your goth glam on. Or try a racy remix of purple, red or blonde. If you have a medium-to-dark complexion, dial up the drama with a glimmering jewel-toned mane – think garnet, plum or black cherry. Light-skinned ladies can go all-out with a stunning silvery shade of beyond-blonde platinum.
