Choosing Your Colour
Choosing Your Colour
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What to consider when choosing a colour?
For the most natural hair colour effect it is best to stay within three shades (lighter or darker) of your natural hair colour. In general it is recommended to go with a lighter shade and if necessary you can go with a darker shade next time.
Most home hair colour kits may only lighten a shade or two and there are many different things that can affect how the final hair colour will result. For example, a long build up of hair colour dye, different colours or shades in your hair, the strength or the colour of possible grey in the hair are things which will all affect the final result of the colour. The colour of the box or colour swatch can only give an approximate idea of what colour can be achieved when used – it can never be 100% definite.
Another thing to consider is the undertones of your skin: it is important to determine whether you fall into the WARM or COOL category. You need to look at your skin tone to pick the right hair colour that will compliment your tone instead of clashing with it.
What hair colour will suit my skin tone?
Fair/ Cool skin tones
People with cooler skin should always choose a colour that is neutral or cool-based. Naturigin colours that would suit this skin tone are: 10.2, 10.0, 8.1, 5.0
Medium/ Warm skin tones
People with warmer skin should pick warmer coolers especially hues of gold and copper. Naturigin colours that would suit this skin tone are: 4.6, 6.0, 6.34, 7.0, 7.4, and 10.3
Darker skin tones
People with darker skin tones should choose darker colours, anywhere from medium brown up to black. Naturigin colours that would suit this skin tone are 2.0, 2.3, 3.0, 4.0, 4.6, 5.0 and 5.3.
I think it is most important to what you have naturally when choosing a hair colour. If you stray to far off your natural base it is more damaging the hair and higher maintenance. Look to enhance your natural colour rather than totally changing it.
How do I know what skin tone I am?
There are a number of tests you can do to tell what skin tone you have. This is important not only for choosing the right hair colour but for choosing what clothes and makeup will suit you best. Always perform these tests in natural good light.
Test 1- The Vein Test
Some people like to rely on the colour of their veins: Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear blue/purple you are in the cool-toned (bluish) spectrum. If your veins appear green, you are in the warm-toned (yellow) spectrum. Those with neutral undertones will have difficulty discerning the blue/green colour.
Test 2- The Colour Test
Using some fabric swatches (or whatever is in your wardrobe!) Put some different coloured fabrics up against your skin. Cool skin tones will look better against white, silver, blue and black fabrics whereas warm skin tones will look better against brown, creams, orange and gold fabrics.
Does your natural hair colour affect the outcome of a new colour, even if you are colouring over virgin hair?
We all have underlying hair pigments warm, ash, beige so the amount of underlying pigment will determine the colours outcome even on virgin hair. That's why it is important to look careful at your hair in natural light and always refer back to colour wheel.
Is there any other ways of lightening hair colour without stripping it or bleaching it at a salon?
I would not recommend stripping your colour at home. The only way to do this is by a bleaching process, this one is for the professionals!! Contact your local Natulique salon for safe natural alternatives to stripping hair colour.
There are no at home versions. However if you find your colour is too dark you can wash it in a clarifying shampoo and leave on 10 minutes and rinse. You will notice a slight shift in the colour.
It is important if you are going to colour your hair at home that you do not put colour on previously coloured hair every time. A lot of the time you only need to do the roots and colouring over colour every time will result in a much darker look.
Are our home colours suitable for permed hair, what is your advice about colouring over permed hair?
Yes Naturigin home hair colours can be used over permed hair although if you have highlights you cannot perm and highlight.
Is it possible to mix two Naturigin hair colours to achieve a different colour?
Yes, Naturigin is very easy to use to achieve a unique colour. For example you can mix a 4.0 Brown with a 4.6 Copper Brown to achieve a brown hair colour with a hint of copper by adding 50% of the 4.0 colour tube and 50% of the 4.6 colour tube to one developer bottle. Simply mix and apply as usual.