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What Hair Color Suits Me?

This hair color quiz matches your skin, eyes and natural hair to one of 12 color seasons, then shows the shades that will flatter you before you book the appointment. It takes about a minute and asks for nothing but honest answers in daylight.

Seven questions about your natural coloring. We match you to one of the 12 color seasons and take you straight to the hair colors that suit it, and the ones to skip.

About 1 minutes 7 questions

Before you start

  • Answer for your natural hair color, the one at your roots or from photos before you colored it.
  • Use daylight, and judge your skin on the inside of your arm.

Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is saved or sent.

How skin tone and season guide hair color

Hair frames your face more than any piece of clothing, so it follows the same three rules as your palette. Temperature comes first: golden, copper and honey shades suit warm undertones, while ash, beige and cool brown shades suit cool ones. Neutral undertones can usually go either way if the shade is not extreme.

Depth matters next. A shade within two or three levels of your natural color looks believable. Going much lighter or darker raises contrast, which suits high-contrast seasons like the Winters and Bright Spring but can overwhelm a soft, low-contrast face.

Chroma decides the finish. Bright seasons carry glossy, clear color; soft seasons look best in blended, multi-tonal color with no harsh lines.

What hair color suits me, by season family

Springs suit warm, light-catching color: golden blonde, strawberry, honey and caramel. Summers suit cool, soft color: ash blonde, beige, mushroom and cool light brown. Autumns suit rich, warm color: copper, auburn, chestnut and golden brown. Winters suit cool, deep or crisp color: espresso, blue-black, cool dark brown and, for the brave, icy platinum.

Each season page lists five shades to try and the ones to skip, with a note on why. Your result takes you straight there.

Before you dye: three quick checks

Hold a wig, hair extension or a photo filter in the shade next to your face in daylight. Look at your skin, not the hair: the right shade makes your skin look even, while the wrong one shows redness or makes you look grey.

Check your eyebrows. Brows within a couple of shades of your new hair color look natural; a big gap draws attention.

Ask your colorist about undertone as well as level. "Warm" and "cool" mean different things in different brands, so bring a photo of the shade you want and one you don't.

Hair color questions

It depends on your undertone. Fair skin with pink undertones suits ash blonde, platinum and cool light brown. Fair skin with peach or golden undertones suits strawberry blonde, honey and golden light brown. Very dark shades can work on fair skin with dark eyes and brows, but test them first.

Olive skin tends to look best in rich browns, chocolate, espresso and soft caramel highlights. Very ashy shades can make olive skin look grey, and very yellow blondes can make it look sallow. Keep any highlights close to your natural level.

It does not need to match exactly, but brows within about two shades of your hair look most natural. If you go much lighter, a brow tint or lighter brow product keeps your face balanced.

Grey hair lowers your contrast and cools your overall look. Many people find that soft, blended color, such as lowlights or a gloss close to their new natural shade, looks fresher than a solid dark dye. Your season page has notes for grey hair where they apply.