Best Hair Colors For Women To Achieve A Trendy Hair Transformation

To do or dye? Colouring your hair can give you a radical makeover but at the same time, can also open the doors to regret so it’s natural to be sceptical, especially if you’re taking the plunge for the first time. Can’t decide between throwing in subtle hues of peachy pink or going full throttle with auburn?

Things To Consider Before Buying A Hair Colour

Before you find the perfect hue for yourself, start by understanding your skin tone and colour theory. The colour you choose for your hair can either take years off your face or do nothing at all for you. Basically, if you think that a purple mane would look just as great on you as it looked on a model on that magazine cover, we hate to break it to you but that’s not how it works.

For the confused souls, let’s help you identify your skin tone first so you can identify the best hair colours for your tresses. Also, to avoid a bad hair colour decision but let’s not say that out loud.

First, find a naturally lit spot. Try the window, maybe. Checking your skin tone under lightbulbs or artificial light could give you an incorrect idea.

Now check for the colour of the visible veins on your hand.

• If your veins appear green, you’re a part of the dusky skin tone fam.
• If your veins appear purple or blue, you’re a part of the cooler skin tone fam.
• If your veins appear both green and blue, you probably have a neutral skin tone.

Hair Colours For Fair Complexion

1. Ash Brown

Your naturally black tresses would pair well with diffused notes of silver and brown. Also known as mushroom brown, ash brown is a variant of brunette hair that is inclined towards the many shades of grey, making it the best hair colour for women with fairer complexion. Think of it as a love affair between the brown and silver highlights on the cool side of the spectrum. We feel inspired, already.

Colour Mate: Streax Professional Argan Secrets Hair Colourant Cream - Light Ash Brown 5.1

2. Auburn

How about tricking people into thinking you’re a natural redhead? After all, like they say, fake it till you make it. Try weaving in brown-based auburn if you’ve got fairer skin with pink undertones. What good does that do? It won’t wash out your complexion by counteracting paleness or extreme redness.

Colour Mate: L'Oreal Paris Excellence Fashion Hair Color - Shade 5.54 Intense Warm Auburn

3. Golden Ombre

Want to take a walk on the golden side without going all the way in? Golden ombre could be your answer. When you weave in sun-kissed hues of butter, gold and honey they create magic for fairer complexions, while creating a dramatic transition from black to gold. This hair colour is the best hair colour for women in India because it’s officially the most popular first colour choice among Indian women. Need we say more?

Colour Mate: Streax Hair Colour - Golden Blonde 7.3

4. Platinum Blonde

‘Tis (always) the season to flaunt platinum blonde tresses! Following the week up to the big theatrical release, Barbie – we saw the stunning Margot Robbie flaunt her voluminous blonde locks in a couple of hairstyles. From wearing it wavy to donning it in an artistic updo, the hair colour against her light skin tone really popped on the pink carpet. If you have a light skin tone, this cool shade with a silver or pearlescent tincture won’t create a harsh contrast against your face – and will instead hug it!

Colour Mate: Streax Hair Colour - Golden Blonde 7.3

5. Light Copper

If you don’t want to commit to red, opt for a muted shade of copper. The perfect meld of crimson’s fierceness accompanied by golden and brown undertones – this colour will adeptly enhance your natural features. This on-trend hue has received the stamp of approval from Hollywood celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Sydney Sweeny – and is bound to change your hair game forever.

Colour Mate: Indus Valley Organically Natural Hair Color - Copper Mahogany

Hair Colours for Wheatish Complexion

1. Honey Blonde

If you want to ease into the blond universe but tactfully, you can test the waters with honey blonde. What’s that you ask? A mix of amber brown and golden yellow that gives you an instant sunbaked look. Bookmark this for a major hair upgrade that’s highly significant yet so subtle. Well, we think it resembles a cup of lightly brewed coffee. So if you go ahead with this one, you should know your decision already smells good.

Colour Mate: Paradyes Highlighting Kit - Honey Blonde

2. Chocolate Brown

A call to all the olive-skinned beauties! Ever thought that your idea of an ideal dessert could also be your idea of a perfect hair colour? Think chocolate. Chocolate brown is a deliciously trending take on brown. Velvety hues of chocolate brown can make your face look younger with its summery, glossy finish. Maybe your hair has a sweet tooth too, eh?

Colour Mate: Naturigin Permanent Hair Colour - Light Chocolate Brown

3. Burgundy Red

If you’re looking to take on the red-hair-don’t-care challenge but are far from ready to commit (which happens to the best of us), try some wine. And by that we mean – try the universal favourite, wine-inspired colour, straight from France. Burgundy red leans toward brown with overpowering hues of red and purple but still isn’t as in-your-face as the rest of the red family. Safe and chic, right?

Colour Mate: LOreal Paris Excellence Creme Hair Color - 3.16 Burgundy

4. Mahogany

A rich deep brown with a hint of subdued purple – Mahogany, a warm meld that looks beautiful on folks with wheatish or tan skin. The colour is powerful, sophisticated, and never goes out of style. It also captures the natural light, enriching and elevating your overall look and appeal. To make this hair colour pop further, opt for intricate layering or tight coils and see the magic unfold.

Colour Mate: BBLUNT Salon Secret High Shine Creme Hair Colour Mahogany Reddish Brown. No Ammonia

5. Rich Plum

If you want to add a hint of colour to the monotony, pick a vibrant shade of plum for your hair makeover. Albeit, the versatile plum caters to the spectrum of skin complexion, a deep purple boasting brown undertones looks the best on people with warm colouring. Don’t take our word for it—learn from celebrities like Nicole Richie and Vivica Fox how to wear plum with aplomb.

Colour Mate: Streax Professional Hold & Play Funky Colours - Crazy Violet

Hair Colours for Dusky Complexion

1. Chestnut Brown

What happens when you unite the warmth or reds with the waves of browns? Chestnut brown strands will give your hair the #JustGotBackFromVacay look. Talk about vacation glow without having to book a plane ticket. This is an easy way to add warmth to your locks without getting too dramatic. Get that hair flippin’, girl.

Colour Mate: Schwarzkopf Simply Color Permanent Hair Colour - 4.65 Chestnut Brown

2. Peachy Pink

Not for the faint-hearted, the peachy pink is a rather fashion-forward hair makeover. Think of it as a nostalgic reminder of all the pink-haired Barbie dolls that you adored when you were little. So, if a head full of head-turning pink locks has secretly been on your bucket list for a while now, here’s a cue to throw caution to the wind and go for it ‘cause #YOLO.

Colour Mate: Anveya Semi Permanent Hair Color - La Pink

3. Midnight Blue

Dusky-skinned beauties, you don’t have to shy away from the blues any longer. For all you know, the sultry midnight blue could end up being your colour mate for life. It scores for its subtlety with the ‘less is more’ look. Think dark hues of the night sky. Wait, that sounds so exotic, we are already sold.

Colour Mate: Buti Pure Temporary Hair Color - Midnight Blue

4. Caramel Highlights

The perfect fit for all skin tones, Caramel highlights add character and nuance to your look. The gorgeous shade – an amalgamation of honey and brown with a golden touch can be further enhanced with multi-layers or a textured bob! Alternatively, you can give the world a sneak peek into the colour by donning a flattering French fringe or tapered bangs.

Colour Mate: L'Oreal Paris Casting Creme Gloss Ultra Visible Conditioning Hair Color - 634 Caramel Brown

5. Espresso Brown

If you are a coffee lover, chances are you'll be psyched to flaunt the Espresso Brown hair colour. It is a low-maintenance shade that eliminates the stress of bleaching your tresses. Featuring undertones of black and brown, this fall-inspired hair trend looks 10X pronounced, with an added shine to the tresses.

Colour Mate: Biotique Herbcolor Hair Color 4N - Brown

Hair Colours for Dusky Complexion

Gone are the days when you had to go to a salon to get purple hair. With these tips, become your own hair colourist and enter your #RedHairDontCare phase the right way.

• Do a strand test
  It’s a crucial step you can’t skip while colouring your hair at home. Since we are not experts in hair colouring, test the colour on a small strand of your hair to see the results before applying it to your whole head of hair. Colouring our hair is adventurous enough, we don’t want more surprises there.
• Don’t DIY your shades
  Leave it to the experts to curate the perfect shade you want. When it comes to hair colouring, find the right colour and do a patch test instead of creating your concoction.
• Gear up first
  Colouring your hair at home is a task but one that can be easily executed with the right tools and gear. Cover the bathroom sink and floor with disposable items, like newspaper or dustbin bags, to avoid stains. Wear a robe or old clothes that can be discarded if stained, and finally, wear rubber gloves while colouring to protect your hands as well.

There you go, with a few things in mind, you can colour your hair in the comfort of your home like a profesh!

Hair Care For Coloured/Bleached Hair

Bleached or coloured hair needs more love, care, and attention, compared to natural hair. As coloured or bleached hair is more porous in nature making it prone to breakage and damage. Here are a few ways you can care for your coloured hair.

• Use a colour-protect shampoo
  The more you wash your hair, the lighter your hair colour gets. But that doesn’t mean we can’t wash our hair, right? So opt for a colour-protect shampoo that retains most of the colour while cleansing your hair.

Nyka Recommends: L'Oreal Paris Colour Protect Shampoo With UVA & UVB For Colour-Treated Hair

• Don’t skip on conditioning
  Form a protective barrier around your fragile, coloured hair with the right conditioner. Select a hydrating, protective conditioner that helps repair your damaged hair from within.

Nyka Recommends: BBlunt Colour Protect Conditioner

• A mask is a must
  Coloured or bleached hair loses a lot of its natural moisture making it fragile and prone to breakage. Along with conditioning, we also recommend taking 15–20 minutes a week and applying a mask to retain moisture and increase strength.

Nyka Recommends: Bare Anatomy Colour Protect Hair Mask for Dry and Frizzy Coloured Hair Retains Colour Upto 8 Weeks

FAQS:

1. What is the best hair colour for brown skin?

If you’re looking for the best hair colours for females with brown skin, take a pick from dark lilac blonde, silver blonde, champagne blonde, dark auburn, chestnut and red copper. These colours would look surreal against your complexion.

2. What are the best hair colours for Indian skin?

The best hair colours for women in India are shades of brown, red and burgundy. Although it’s been a crowd-puller for years, we’d recommend you avoid the golden hair shade if you have pale skin. An easy recipe for disaster, just saying.

3. What is the new hair colour trend twilighting all about?

Twilighting is a blend of balayage and baby highlights to achieve a dimensional look. Think of it as a brunette with warm undertones, the best hair colour for ladies who want to do a trial before committing fully.

4. What are the most suitable hair colours for warm skin tones?

If you’ve got a warm skin tone, you need a hair colour that can give your skin a natural glow. Rich browns, reddish tones or ash tones are the best hair dyes for women with warm skin tones.

5. What are some hair colour ideas to follow while choosing the best hair colour?

While we understand the urge to blindly follow new hair colour trends, you need to account for your unique features while choosing a hair shade that suits you. For example, not all hair colours for medium skin tones could go well even with duskier skin tones. So, here are a few pointers:

• One or two shades lighter or darker

Select a colour that is either one or two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair colour.

• It agrees with your eyes

Yes, the colour of your eyes can also help you decide the colour of your hair. Go for shades closer to that of your eyes.

• Warm goes with warm, Cool goes with cool

If you’ve got warm undertones you should ideally opt for warm colours. Similarly, go for cool colours if you’ve got cool undertones.

6. Is it fine to style coloured hair with heat styling tools?

The last thing you would want to do is damage your coloured hair (it’s been through a lot already) by subjecting it to heat-styling tools. But like we always say, if you do give in to the temptation, use the best, long-lasting hair colour and effective heat protectant first.

Nykaa Recommends: Wella Professionals EIMI Thermal Image Heat Protection Spray