Unlike dark chocolate or soft, warm brown, ash brown is a gray-leaning shade that will bring out the cool tones in your hair (which of course makes it best for women with cool or neutral skin tones).
First of all, consider your skin tone. Silver grey hair will look best on olive and fair skin with yellow undertones. If you have a pink tone, your skin may appear red and irritated with a cool grey hue. So for you, it's better to go for a peachy colour such as Metallic Rose Gold.
A medium shade of gray will stand out against paler skin, without being overwhelming. Stay away from lighter shades of gray like ash as these will make you look even paler, and dark gray like charcoal will be too dark against lighter skin.
Cool blonde hair colors like ash, sandy and platinum will compliment cool skin undertones by cutting down brassiness, while warm blonde hair colors like golden, strawberry and honey naturally suit warm skin undertones by adding warmth to your look.
Going ashy.
The wrong ones, like ash, can instantly age you. “Warm tones reflect light, while ash tones absorb light. Go with warm tones, so your hair won't be dull and will instead shine, bounce, and look youthful,” says Mary Brambila of Brambila Salon.
Finding the best hair color for your pale skin all depends on identifying your undertones. If your skin has cool undertones, you'll want to stick with ashy blonde, brown, and fantasy hues. If your complexion is on the warmer side, deeper hues such as honey blonde, copper, and caramel will go perfectly with your skin.
Lighter greys flatter darker skin tones.
If you have or bronzed skin, a lighter, soft ash hair grey color is just right for you. You can pick a variation of this shade — cooler or warmer — to suit your skin undertone. Protect an intense shade like this with a shampoo that's formulated especially for color-treated hair.
Smokey ash-grey
A subtle yet novel look, this hair color is perfect for warmer skin tones and for those looking to spice up their usual brown hair look with a twist.
If you want to see what that looks like, just pinch your cheeks and see how pretty that looks (that's the natural color you want from your blush). For the lips, pink, rose, and coral shades are perfect complements to gray hair.
A lot of women find that gray hair makes them look younger because of the flattering glow that silver hair gives to the complexion.
Even if you do have cool-toned skin, don't let it stop you from experimenting with gold. Gold jewellery set against grey hair – both white-greys and dark greys – looks striking and powerful; something worthy of your status.
It's often recommended that those with warm undertones should avoid icy, ashy tones like silver and platinum, blue-blacks, and cool colors. These shades can wash out warm skin and make it appear sallow and dull in comparision.
Use a color-correcting cream
Add warmth. This can be done in a salon by adding a gloss or toner onto the hair. But if you're looking to solve your ashy issue at home, reach for a color-correcting treatment, like the Better Natured Color Refreshing Crème in Rose Gold.
Ash hair colours are on the cool side of the spectrum, meaning it is particularly flattering on those with a cool-toned complexion. The blue/purple pigments in ash blonde and ash brown hair colour are great for counter-balancing any redness in the skin, turning ruddy cheeks into a light rosy blush.
An ash gray mane requires quite a bit of upkeep in order to maintain that dark smoky look. Advise the client to wash their hair with a color-protecting shampoo Opens in a new tab and conditioner like our Colormotion+ Opens in a new tab line that also strengthens the hair after the intensive bleaching process.
What color does ash grey look like? Ash grey is at the darker end of the grey spectrum. It is considered greenish-gray and is a neutral color base that is used extensively in marketing and design. 1 As a hair shade, ash grey is one of the most neutral of greys to take on.
Colors for Cool Skin Tones
More neutral colors that work include bright white, gray and navy. The reason to choose these colors comes down to creating an attractive contrast with your fair skin. As a cool skin tone often means your skin is pale or has light features, you'll want to use darker colors.
Differences Between Gray, White, and Silver Hair Colors
Hair never turns the color gray; however, a person whose natural hair color is a light drab brown can appear to have drab grayish hair. Hair appears to be the various shade of silver when natural cool colored dark hair becomes predominately white.
Who can pull off silver hair? Silver hair might seem like every other beauty trend. It became popular thanks to social media exposure, and then everyone had to try it out. Unlike every other mane craze, however, silver has something unique that sets it apart: the shade looks good on every skin tone.
Find a style that makes you feel confident, whether that means cutting it off to a sassy bob or letting it grow out gracefully." Meagan also recommends finding the right hair products to incorporate into your routine. This includes shampoos or toners which will "cool brassy" tones and "keep you bright and white".
If the idea of going blonde stops you in your tracks, ease your way in with an ash blonde shade. This shade tends to work well with most skin tones, however, if you've got a deeper complexion make sure you have darker roots for a more natural look. Lose the roots and ash blonde could wash out your complexion.
Ash blonde is close to grey in colour. Your clothing and make-up should include bright colours to bring more vibrancy to your style so that the overall look does not appear too dull. Your make-up can be a little more intense or adventurous.
Flip over your arm and take a look at the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear to have a blue or deep purple tint, you likely have cool skin undertones. If they look more greenish, you likely have warm or olive undertones. If you can't tell one way or the other, you may have neutral undertones.