Experts Agree: These Are the 11 Best Hair Colors For Dark Skin Tones

Updated on 2/26/2024 at 4:15 PM

Choosing the right hair color for Black and brown skin tones is almost as tricky as finding the perfect foundation shade. You'll want to consider a few things: your skin's undertones, seasonal changes, and lighting. These are all key factors in getting it just right. Much like with nailing foundation, the nuances of dark skin make hair color equally tricky to perfect. That's why we asked hair-color experts to share exactly what are the hair-color shades that work best for brown skin.

Again, the search for finding your perfect hair color starts by looking at your skin's undertones. Hairstylist Noel Reid-Killings tells POPSUGAR that as a general rule, ashy, cool-brown, chestnut, and chocolate tones work well on dark skin tones.

While you can still wear blond or even vibrant rainbow shades, dark colors are always a safe choice to make hair look thick and healthy. If you want to roll with a new color trend, shades like turquoise, emerald, and hunter green are on the rise and also happen to be winning options for dark complexions. Read on to see how some of our favorite celebrities with deep skin wear a spectrum colors and found their perfect hair-color shades for brown skin.

Auburn

The Hair Color: Auburn

As Seen On: Zendaya

Color Notes: Warm copper tones have been trending for months, but Zendaya's dark auburn twist on the look strikes the perfect contrast against her warm undertones.

Blond Highlights

The Hair Color: Dimensional highlights

As Seen On: Ciara

Color Notes: Cool tones work well with dark complexions. "Warm tones can blend into the skin too much," Reid-Killings says. If you want to do a warmer hair-color shade for brown skin, Reid-Killings suggests getting balayage or lowlights to add dimension.

Browns, chestnuts, and chocolate colors work well as long as they have cool undertones. These darker shades can make your hair look thicker and healthier.

Purple

The Hair Color: Purple

As Seen On: Justine Skye

Color Notes: If you're a fan of a jewel-toned hair colors, look no further than "The Purple Unicorn" herself, Justine Skye. Purple is a fantastic hair color for dark skin tones, especially if you want to step away from the traditional browns and blonds. Tish Celestine, the stylist and colorist who helped Skye perfect her signature shade, has said that it is still her most requested color to date.

Soft Ombré

The Hair Color: Chestnut Soft Ombré

As Seen On: Gabrielle Union

Color Notes: If you're looking for a more subtle color upgrade, try a soft ombré (sombré) in a warm chestnut brown. The darker roots and lighter tips help frame the face, making it a perfect hair color for brown skin tones that adds just enough of a contrast.

Platinum Blond

The Hair Color: Platinum Blond

As Seen On: Monica Brown

Color Notes: According to Celestine, "Light blond to platinum blond does work on dark skin in shorter styles. That's the rule." Since textured hair tends to be more fragile and dries out a lot faster, getting to this level of light takes a lot of processing that can compromise longer ends. But the fact stands: platinum blond is a fantastic hair-color shade for brown skin. If you don't want to commit, try a wig.

Red Highlights

The Hair Color: Red Highlights

As Seen On: Priyanka Chopra

Color Notes: Dark skin tones with neutral undertones — meaning not too warm, not too cool — make for the perfect candidates to a multidimensional red highlights. You don't want to overdo it, so be sure to work with your colorist to ensure you get face-framing money pieces with a few additional streaks woven throughout to find your perfect red hair color for dark skin.

Jet Black

The Hair Color: Jet black

As Seen On: Janelle Monáe

Color Notes: Jet black may look quite stark on fair skin tones, but on dark skin, it appears rich and gives hair the look of being healthy. If you need an easy hair color for brown skin, you can't go wrong with this one.

See more jet black hair ideas here.

Caramel Blond

The Hair Color: Caramel Blond

As Seen On: Beyoncé

Color Notes: Beyoncé's perfectly distributed high and lowlights are a perfect contrast to her warm hair-color base that's a few shades darker than her skin tone. Consider playing with a similar dimension to land on your perfect hair-color shade for your skin tone.

Blue

The Hair Color: Navy blue

As Seen On: Danielle Brooks

Color Notes: Although it's ever so subtle, Danielle Brooks's blue bob is a soft way to break into more vibrant colors without worrying about too much maintenance or commitment. It's another low-maintenance jewel tone that would make a fantastic hair color for dark skin.

BesMahogany

The Hair Color: Mahogany

As Seen On: Taraji P. Henson

Color Notes: If you're going to go red, stick with a more vibrant variation like Henson has here. It's still a bit more on the brown side, but the red pops enough so that the brown doesn't just blend into her skin tone.

Lilac

The Hair Color: Light lilac

As Seen On: Keke Palmer

Color Notes: Deep jewel tones (think amethyst and emerald) work best on dark skin, as the colors complement a rich complexion. "Pastels can sometimes make for too harsh of a contrast or wash you out," Reid-Killings says. "It's important to pay attention to your skin's undertones. Those are the colors you want to bring out. If you have warm undertones, you want to aim for blues and purples as they contrast nicely," she adds. Tip for finding the best hair colors for dark skin: avoid colors that are similar to your undertones, as the look could wash you out.