Identification

• Skin tone is the term used to describe your skin's warmth or coolness. For example, warm colored skins have yellow, red or peach undertones, while cool skins have undertones of pink, blue or violet. Although complexions can range from dark and olive to fair and light, basically skin tones are grouped into two categories--warm and cool. While many people can easily determine whether they have a warm or cool complexion, others may not be certain until they consider a few factors.
  
  

Wam Skin Tones

• For warm skin tones, consider these questions. Do you have skin that's mostly tan, gold or peachy? On the other hand, does your skin have greenish or cinnamon undertones? Did your childhood hair color range from strawberry blonde or brown to red or deep brown with golden or red highlights? If so, then your skin tone is considered warm. Other attributes for warm skin tones include eye color. Hazel, golden-brown or reddish-brown eyes or eyes having a gold or brown fleck shows warm skin tone.
  Warm hair colors include those with casts of yellow, gold or amber. Golden shades include colors such as caramel and bronze
  
  

Cool Skin Tones

• People with cool skin tones have arms that appear bluish when held next to white paper. Eye color can range from blue, hazel or gray to exceptionally dark brown. As children, people with cool skin tones may have hair colors ranging from dark blonde, pale blonde to dark and dark medium brown and black without golden highlights when in the sunlight.
  If your skin tone is cool, then cool hair colors will make you look your best. Cool hair colors are ash blondes and browns to black.
  
  

Considerations

• Besides considering your original hair color and skin, another method to decide skin tone is by examining your arm veins. While veins appearing blue go with cool skin tones, veins with a greenish tent belong to people with warm skin tones.
  
  

Misconception

• It's believed by many people that if you didn't have blonde hair as a child you won't look good as a blonde. However, this doesn't mean you can't have blonde hair. If your skin tone complements a blonde shade, then it will work. However, ask a professional for advice before making a decision or choosing a shade.
  
  

Warning

• Don't be deceived by pictures on hair color boxes. Instead, use the color swatches as well as the descriptions.