Hair Color Ideas: Find the Right Natural Dye Color for Your Complexion

Once you've got the right haircut, it's time to consider color. Hair color is a fun fashion option because you can change it with the season or with your mood. With modern products, it's simple to be a redhead for a day or a blond for six weeks, with shades you can get at any drug store and easily put on at homeHair color doesn't require a professional stylist, but when you're choosing a product, keep in mind that most of them are made with dye that can cause allergic reactions in some people. If you have trouble with sensitive skin, you may want to try a natural hair color made of henna. Henna comes in a variety of shades, but it's ammonia and dye free, and much gentler to the scalp than other hair colors.

Choosing the Right Shade for Your: From Dramatic to Subtle

What's the right hair color for you? Part of it depends on your skin coloring, but a large part of it relies on your attitude. If you've always wanted to try the Goth look, black hair is a necessary part of your style and it doesn't matter how it goes with your skin or eyes. In fact, the more jarring, the better, so if you're an ice blond with cool blue eyes, you'll get a huge effect from black Goth hair color.

But some people just want a nice color, nothing too dramatic, that they can wear to work, that will cover gray hair, with maybe a few highlights for summer. In this case, you'll want to choose a shade that's very close to your own natural hair color, maybe a shade or two more red or brown. Add caramel highlights for a slightly streaky, sunkissed look. If gray hair is turning your own color drab, consider going blonder. If you want to go blond as naturally as possible, choose a shade that matches your skin tone in warmth. If the undertones in your skin are bluish instead of yellowish, you are a "cool" blond and should get ashy, silvery shades, or even platinum. If your skin tones are reddish or yellow, you are "warm" and should try golden-hued blond colors instead. If you have very ruddy skin, try even redder hair: it can help tone down the redness in your skin.

Explore Different Dye Styles and Colors

And don't be afraid to experiment to find the best color. If you want to try a brunette look but aren't sure you want to commit, get one of the temporary hair colors that wash out in six or eight shampoos. Funky, chunky highlights can be rectified nearly overnight with another color, as long as you use the wash-in-wash-out type that aren't made to last. If you're going to play with your hair color on the weekends, never use the "permanent" variety and then try to reverse it in less than several weeks. The harsher chemicals in the permanent hair colors, if used too frequently can turn your hair to straw, and may even turn it a scary and unexpected color if you try to set more color on top of a recent dye job.

For Blondes or Wannabe Blonds

Blonds can have more fun with reverse-highlighting; adding deeper shades in wide or narrow streaks to their natural color. For bored brunettes, streaking or foiling is a great option, being dramatic and playful without going over the edge. Try streaking your brown hair with coppery red, or even a combination of red and gold highlights.

Wanna Go Red"

Fiery redhead, or a wannabe? People make assumptions about redheads that may or may not be true, but what is true is that if you go red, you may feel a burst of power. The new shades come in colors from strawberry blond to shriek red, to a plummy, deep, unbelievable purple red. If you're feeling nervous, choose an auburn or a reddish brown that won't scare you and work your way up to brighter shades as your boldness increases.