Find the Perfect Hair Color for Your Skin Tone

- People with cool skin tones like Amy Adams usually have eyes that are blue, gray, greenish-blue with gray flecks, or a deep brown that borders on black.
- Your skin looks healthiest in pure white shirts.
- Pink or blue-based red lipsticks are more flattering than corals, terracotta reds, and chocolate browns.
- The veins on your wrist have a blue tint.
- Silver jewelry looks best on you.

- Warm skin tones like Jennifer Lopez's are usually accompanied by green, hazel, amber, or warm brown eyes.
- Your skin looks healthiest in off-white or beige shirts.
- Coral, terracotta red, and chocolate brown lipsticks are more flattering than pinks or blue-based reds.
- The veins on your wrist have a greenish tint.
- Gold jewelry looks best on you.

"The lighter your skin tone, the paler you can go with your hair," says celebrity colorist Rita Hazan, who works with Jessica Simpson. Warm tones like Michelle Williams's look best against hues of butterscotch, strawberry blond, and honey. These shades play up the peachiness of your complexion and cast a soft glow on your face. If you have a cool skin tone like January Jones, look for blue-based colors like platinum, flaxen, and champagne blond to flatter your ivory complexion.

Most blond tones start to fade two weeks after they've been applied, says celebrity colorist Marie Robinson, who works with Scarlett Johansson. Use Pantene Pro-V Blonde Expressions Color-Enhancing Shampoo ($6; drugstore.com) to keep the hue as vibrant as possible.

Not only can this versatile complexion carry a wide spectrum of shades, but it also provides a beautiful backdrop for high-contrast highlights. People with cool skin like Cameron Diaz should stick to ashy tones like sand, wheat blond, or walnut brown to counteract any hint of ruddiness in your complexion. Tawny blond, golden caramel, or copper pick up the buttery tones and prevent sallowness in warm skin like Hilary Duff's.

The lighter you go, the more prone your hair is to brassiness, says New York City colorist Sharon Dorram. Lather up with Phytocitrus Restructuring Shampoo ($24; ulta.com), made with grapefruit extract to keep your tone intact. Also invest in a shower-head filter to remove mineral buildup, which can alter your color.

This sultry skin type can stand up tot he intensity of a deep, rich brown, or an earthy color. "Add some strategically placed highlights in a subtle gold or honey if you want to create depth," suggests Robinson. To balance greenish undertones in cool complexions like Alexa Chung's, try toasty hues like chestnut brown, auburn, and cinnamon. Ebony brown, mocha, and violet-based colors will enhance the natural warmth of tones like Kim Kardashian's.

Any amount of styling damage can make brown hair look dry and drab, so seal in plenty of moisture with a weekly color-preserving product like Rene Furterer Okara Protect Radiance Enhancing Conditioner ($39; beauty.com), recommends San Diego colorist Jet Rhys. To make your darker tone seem even more multidimensional, apply a gloss-enhancing serum to damp hair before blasting with a blow-dryer.

The whole idea here is to create contrast between your hair and your complexion -- whether that means going lighter or darker, explains Dorram. "If your hair color is too close to your skin tone, your features will disappear." Deep, dark tones of espresso and inky black look striking next to blue-based complexions like Alex Wek's. If you have warm skin like Viola Davis, opt for maple brown, mahogany, toffee, and other rich, warm colors to bring out the apricot undertones in your skin.

Darker strands look best when they reflect light, says Los Angeles hairstylist Kimberly Kimble. Stick with products that are free of sulfates, detergents can strip hair of its natural oil. Kimble recommends L'Oreal Ever Creme Deep Nourishing Masque ($9; at drugstores).