Choosing the right hair color for summer can be tricky, especially if you have a muted complexion. The wrong shade can make you look washed out or emphasize any redness in your skin. The key is finding a hair color that will brighten up your complexion rather than compete with it. As a hair color specialist, I’m going to walk you through how to select the best summer hair color for muted skin tones.
Understanding Muted Skin Tones
First, let’s talk about what exactly a muted skin tone is. Those with muted coloring tend to have relatively low contrast between their hair, eyes, and skin. This means their complexion lacks vividness and appears more neutral. There is an absence of strong cool or warm undertones.
With muted skin, you won’t see a lot of pink, red, or yellow tones. Instead, there is more of a grayish quality. Veins on the wrist often appear blue-green. Tanning ability is low, resulting in little color change when exposed to the sun.
Some common traits of muted skin tones include:
- Fair, olive or medium complexions
- Ashy or grayish undertones
- Low contrast between hair, eyes, and skin
- Surface redness in cheeks
- Veins on wrist appear blue-green
- Minimal reaction to sun exposure
Muted skin is often accompanied by low-contrast features like mousey brown or blondish hair and light eyes. However, those with dark brown or black hair can also have an underlying muted quality in their complexion.
Hair Color Considerations for Muted Skin
The mutedness in your complexion means you’ll want to stick with subtle, low-contrast hair colors for summer. More vivid shades risk clashing with your neutral undertones. Here are some factors to keep in mind:
- Avoid extremes: Steer clear of harsh bleach blondes or inky jet blacks, which create too much contrast.
- Stay close to natural: Stick with color depths that are close to your natural level to keep things harmonious.
- Soften with ash: Ashy tones help mute brassiness and create a cooler effect.
- Add dimension: Go for multi-dimensional shades with highlights and lowlights to avoid a flat look.
- Warm it up: A touch of warmth adds liveliness that flatters muted coloring.
Best Summer Hair Color Shades for Muted Skin
Now let’s get into the specific shades that work best for muted complexions during the sunny season. These colors subtly brighten while seamlessly blending with your skin tone.
Beige and Buttery Blondes
For light muted skin, beige and buttery blonde shades add soft warmth while avoiding harsh contrast. Dimensional highlighting creates a lively yet natural look. Ask your colorist for tones like creamy pale blond, ivory, or barely beige blonde. This flatters muted fair skin while giving you a summer glow.
Brown Sugar Brunettes
Those with olive or medium muted skin often look best in brown sugar brunette hues. This means rich mocha and milk chocolate brown shades that add subtle dimension and warmth. Single process color in a neutral brown or brownish auburn tone will bring out your features. Adding buttery cinnamon highlights also creates nice contrast.
Ashy Chestnut Browns
For dark muteness, try an ashy chestnut brown shade to create low-contrast. This means enhancing your natural color with an ash chocolate hue to neutralize redness or yellow tones. Keep depth levels close to your natural shade and avoid anything too light or vibrant. Sun-kissed ash brown highlights can add nice brightness.
Dusty Light Auburn
Some muted complexions look gorgeous in dusty light auburn shades that subtly pick up on rosiness. The trick is keeping the base a brownish ginger shade with only a touch of red and gold tones coming through. Multi-tonal highlights in shades like pecan and beige blond add dimension while softening the auburn.
How to Do a Hair Color Consult for Muted Skin
Always meet with your colorist for a thorough consultation before making any changes to your hair color for summer. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your appointment:
- Come with clean, product-free hair in its natural state.
- Bring plenty of natural light sources like sunlight from windows so your colorist can assess your skin accurately.
- Provide examples of hair colors you like to give your colorist direction.
- Be open about your lifestyle, maintenance preferences, and budget.
- Have a thorough discussion about your skin tone and undertones.
- Ask your colorist’s advice about shades and techniques that will complement your complexion.
- Request to see swatches of possible hair colors against your face before deciding.
- Agree on a gradual color change plan if significantly altering your shade.
With the right consultation, your colorist will be able to determine the perfect summer hair hue to liven your look while harmonizing with your muted skin beautifully. Be sure to schedule several weeks out to allow time for strand tests if needed.
Maintenance Tips for Summer Hair Color
Summer sun, saltwater, and chlorine can be damaging for color-treated hair. Here are some tips to keep your new muted skin-flattering shades looking fresh:
- Wash in cool water and rinse with cold to seal cuticles.
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner for color-safe cleansing.
- Apply a UV protective product before sun exposure.
- Reduce wash frequency to 2-3 times per week.
- Use a bonding treatment or hair mask weekly.
- Avoid over-washing and aggressive heat styling.
- Get a gloss refresh between full color appointments.
With proper at-home care and touch-up appointments every 4-6 weeks, you can keep your summer hair color looking vibrant and fresh all season long.
How to Transition Your Hair Color in Fall
As summer winds down, you’ll want to start adjusting your hair color to suit fall’s cooler weather. Here are some tips for seamlessly transitioning your summer shade:
- Gradually gloss in chestnut tones for brunettes or neutral beige for blondes over a few appointments.
- Use a color-depositing mask or conditioner to subtly darken.
- Ask your colorist to add lowlights and tone down highlights.
- Replace bright babylights with more natural-looking face-framing highlights.
- Apply a semipermanent toner like ash to reduce unwanted warmth.
- Switch to richer conditioning products as humidity decreases.
With the right adjustments over time, you can smoothly take your hair from summer to fall while remaining flattering. Always consult your colorist before making any major seasonal changes.
Conclusion
Finding your ideal summer hair color when you have muted skin comes down to choosing soft, low-contrast shades. Stick with hues close to your natural level that add subtle brightness and dimension. Avoid anything too extreme. The right nuanced hue can make you look lively and sun-kissed without competing with your complexion. Just be sure to protect your color and make gradual adjustments as the seasons change. With the perfect summer shade, you can rock gorgeous hair that flatters your skin tone beautifully.
| Skin Tone | Best Summer Hair Colors |
|---|---|
| Fair/Light Muted | Beige Blonde, Ivory Blonde, Creamy Pale Blonde |
| Olive/Medium Muted | Mocha Brown, Milk Chocolate Brown, Ashy Chestnut Brown |
| Dark Muted | Ash Brown, Neutral Medium Brown |