How to Determine Hair Temperature

Hair highlights are a common way to make your color more interesting and multidimensional. It's important, though, to pick the color and tone that's right for you.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Find out whether your skin tone is warm or cool. Warm-colored people have olive-golden or dark skin and dark eyes. Cool-colored people tan less easily and tend to be paler with blue or green eyes.

2. Match your new hair highlight color to your skin tone. If your skin is warm-colored, choose a golden or bronze color. Cool-toned people look good with ash-blond or cool-brown hair highlights.

3. Pick the right shade of blond. People with brown hair should choose a darker blond, while those who had blond hair as a child will usually do better with a lighter blond hair color.

4. Get red hair highlights. Red hair color works on just about everybody, but you've got to pick the right tone. Cool-skinned people look best in bright red, while warm people might want to try a darker, more muted shade.

5. Try an unusual hair highlight color, like a bright red, green or pink. These colors are a funky change from everyday blonds or brunettes.

Tips & Warnings

• Those with warm skin tones should be careful when using blond highlights. Make sure they're not brassy. Aim instead for an ash-blond.