Looking for a new hair color? Take a hue from these stunning stars.
Celebrities may change their hair color with each new role, but they invariably return to the most complimentary shade that makes their skin glow and their eyes sparkle. Here, we explain the science behind why each tone works, so you you can choose the hair color photo you love and show it to your hairstylist.
1Gwen Stefani
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Gwen Stefani
Hair color: Platinum blonde
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Gwen’s ever-platinum locks are actually a light blonde, a color that flatters her light complexion instead of washing it out.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
2Cate Blanchett
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Cate Blanchett
Hair color: Sunny blonde
Skintone: Light golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Blanchett’s hair color is more yellow than ash, a warm hue that’s optimal for her golden skintone. For light skintones, sticking to a sunny shade is always flattering.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
3Sharon Stone
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Sharon Stone
Hair color: Golden flax
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: A golden shade just like Stone’s is an ideal color for fair skin.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
4Gwyneth Paltrow
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Gwyneth Paltrow
Hair color: Butter blonde
Skintone: Light golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Paltrow’s shade is as sun-kissed as her fair, glowing skin, allowing both to shine.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
5Reese Witherspoon
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Reese Witherspoon
Hair color: Sunny champagne
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: The secret to perfect blonde locks like Reese’s? Keeping the color golden instead of ashy or orange-y to ensure that it flatters her warm skintone.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
6Carrie Underwood
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Carrie Underwood
Hair color: Goldenrod
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Underwood’s color is almost-beige blonde, a cool tone of blonde that flatters her skintone.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
7Jennifer Aniston
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Jennifer Aniston
Hair color: Bronde
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones: Warm
Why it works:The more color in your skin, the more color you can put in your hair. Aniston’s beachy tan balances with her depth-creating highlights to create a natural look.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
8Victoria Beckham
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Victoria Beckham
Hair color: Caramel blonde
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: Beckham’s medium golden hue perfectly compliments her medium skintone.
9Nicole Richie
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Nicole Richie
Hair color: Burnt caramel
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works:Richie sticks to a darker caramel blonde for a natural look that works with her complexion.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.
10Tyra Banks
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Tyra Banks
Hair color: Tawny honey
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: As colorist Kelly Van Gogh says, hair color must be a mix of colors. Banks’ caramel highlights are a perfect blend of dark and medium blond tones, adding depth to her hair.
The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone
11Beyonce Knowles
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Beyonce Knowles
Hair color: Flaxen toffee
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Beyonce fluctuates between being a dark brunette and a golden blonde, and she pulls off each look by making sure her color always works with her skintone. This shade of blond is flattering because it’s dark enough to complement her skintone but still yellow enough to shine.
12Queen Latifah
Best Blonde Hair Colors: Queen Latifah
Hair color: Bright amber
Skintone: Dark
Undertones: Warm
Why it works:As evidenced by Queen Latifah, golden and caramel highlights are always flattering on dark skin.
13Nicole Kidman
Best Red Hair Colors: Nicole Kidman
Hair color: Honey copper
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Kidman’s hair moves between strawberry blonde and a more vibrant honey copper, which both compliment fair skin tones. Her trick is using warm red hues, which won’t wash out her light, golden skintone.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
14Karen Elson
Best Red Hair Colors: Karen Elson
Hair Color: Subdued scarlet
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Elson tends to stick with a vibrant red that picks up the bright undertones in her skin, just as Nikki Ferrara of New York’s Sally Hershberger Salon suggests.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
15Marcia Cross
Best Red Hair Colors: Marcia Cross
Hair color: Fiery Sienna
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: A bright, cool shade like this one complements Cross’s light skin instead of making her look too pale.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
16Christina Hendricks
Best Red Hair Colors: Christina Hendricks
Hair color: Fire-engine red
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why this works: Hendricks’s color suits her so well because it picks up the rosy tones in her skin, giving her the confident radiance she is known for.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
17Amy Adams
Best Red Hair Colors: Amy Adams
Hair color: Strawberry blonde
Skintone: Pale warm
Why this works: Strawberry blonde is the perfect color for fair skin, because it complements the skintone without making it look too pale.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
18Scarlett Johansson
Best Red Hair Colors: Scarlett Johansson
Hair color: Burnished copper
Skin tone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: The pink tones in Johansson’s skin can handle this sophistocated, deeper shade of red.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
19Julianne Moore
Best Red Hair Colors: Julianne Moore
Hair color: Burn Auburn
Skintone: Light golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Sometimes, the best hair color is the one that looks the most natural. Here, Moore’s auburn hue contains plenty of brown, making the color look especially believable, and stunning.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
20Julia Roberts
Best Red Hair Colors: Julia Roberts
Hair color: Golden copper
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: Roberts’ red hair picks up the warm tones in her face to perfectly complement her skin. A brown-based copper hue like this one gives depth and longevity, according to Kelly Van Gogh, of Kelly Van Gogh Hair Color, in our article Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
21Hayden Panetierre
Best Red Hair Colors: Hayden Panetierre
Hair color: Russet
Skintone: Medium
Undertones:Cool
Why it works: Brown-based pigments tend to look very natural, and Panettiere’s medium skintone balances well with this darker color.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
22Raquel Welch
Best Red Hair Colors: Raquel Welch
Hair color: Fiery honey
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Welch’s golden red hair color picks up the warm tones in her skin.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
23Cheryl Cole
Best Red Hair Colors: Cheryl Cole
Hair color: Ruby Cabernet
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Cole’s rich skintone responds well to saturated hues like this deep red.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
24Rihanna
Best Red Hair Colors: Rihanna
Hair color: Pure crimson
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Rihanna’s bold, bright red color balances with her dark skin so that both shades complement each other.
The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.
25Mandy Moore
Best Brown Hair Colors: Mandy Moore
Hair color: Rich mahogany
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Warm red tones like Moore’s look great with pale skin.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
26Natalie Portman
Best Brown Hair Colors: Natalie Portman
Hair color: Honey brown
Skintone: Light golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Quite often, the light skin requires a light shade of brown, a look that Portman aced.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
27Anne Hathaway
Best Brown Hair Colors: Anne Hathaway
Hair color: Luminous coffee
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Medium skintones like Hathaway’s have a ton of versatility as far as brunette hair colors go. Here, the warm undertones in her skin pick up her caramel highlights perfectly.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
28Sofia Vergara
Best Brown Hair Colors: Sofia Vergara
Hair color: Chocolate toffee
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Here, Vergara is rocking a neutral brown shade—not too warm, not too cool—that perfectly complements her medium skintone.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
29Sarah Michelle Gellar
Best Brown Hair Colors: Sarah Michelle Gellar
Hair color: Golden acorn
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Though most of us know Gellar as a blonde, her brunette color is equally flattering, thanks to her neutral brown shade and face-framing highlights.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
30Selena Gomez
Best Brown Hair Colors: Selena Gomez
Hair color: Subtle russet
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Gomez’s rich auburn tone is the perfect complement to her golden complexion.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
31Jessica Alba
Best Brown Hair Colors: Jessica Alba
Hair color: Caramel cola
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Alba’s skintone is medium bordering on dark, so this richer, darker hue suits her.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
32Jordin Sparks
Best Brown Hair Colors: Jordin Sparks
Hair color: Sepia cocoa
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: The subtle, deep red highlights in Spark’s hair flatter her darker skintone.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
33Jennifer Hudson
Best Brown Hair Colors: Jennifer Hudson
Hair color: Black coffee
Skintone: Dark
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Hudon’s dark skin looks great with this almost-black shade, and the subtle brunette highlights in her hair color compliment her skin’s warm undertones.
The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.
34Dita Von Teese
Best Black Hair Colors: Dita Von Teese
Hair color: Sleek Raven
Skintone: Pale
Undertones: Cool
Why this works: Von Teese’s pure black color contrasts beautifully with her flawless skin.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
35Katy Perry
Best Black Hair Colors: Katy Perry
Hair color: Jet black
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why this works: Perry’s neutral black is a good choice, because the pure color won’t wash her out.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
36Megan Fox
Best Black Hair Colors: Megan Fox
Hair color: Almost midnight
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: The best black color for medium skintones is a very dark brunette color. Fox’s hair color is just that: this dark, almost-black color compliments her complexion without bringing out yellow tones in her skin.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
37Angelina Jolie
Best Black Hair Colors: Angelina Jolie
Hair color: Coal
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Warm
Why this works:Even though this is a wig, the color still works on Jolie because the blueish sheen keeps the color from making her skin look yellow.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
38Katie Holmes
Best Black Hair Colors: Katie Holmes
Hair color: Black-brown
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: By staying away from putting red tones in her hair, Holmes ensures that her glossy locks won’t maker her skin look yellow.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
39Demi Moore
Best Black Hair Colors: Demi Moore
Hair color: Jet black
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones: Warm
Why this works:If you look carefully, you’ll see that Moore’s color actually has a silver sheen, which prevents her warm undertones from looking yellow, which is a common problem.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
40Priyanka Chopra
Best Black Hair Colors: Priyanka Chopra
Hair color: Deep cabernet
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: Chopra’s glossy black mane actually has touches of brown and red, which pick up the warm tones in her skin and prevent her from looking olive.
41Sanaa Lathan
Best Black Hair Colors: Sanaa Lathan
Hair color: Inky Mahogany
Skintone: Dark Golden
Undertones: Warm
Why this works:Lathan’s skintone works beautifully with this bold, brown/black color.
42Kim Kardashian
Best Black Hair Colors: Kim Kardashian
Hair color: Black-brown
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Cool
Why this works: Kardashian’s cool black locks gorgeously frame her olive skin and dark eyes.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
43Koena Mitra
Best Black Hair Colors: Koena Mitra
Hair color: Black
Skintone: Dark
Undertones: Cool
Why this works: Mitra’s dark skin can handle a shade as jet black as the one she’s rocking in this photo.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
44Oprah Winfrey
Best Black Hair Colors: Oprah Winfrey
Hair color: Pitch black
Skintone: Dark
Undertones: Warm
Why this works:Oprah’s dark skin looks radiant set against her deep black hair.
The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.
45Dame Judi Dench
Best Grey Hair Colors: Dame Judi Dench
Hair color: Ashen silver
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: Dench’s hair color has bits pale blonde woven in with her shiny silver strands, making her hue look very natural.
Kelly Van Gogh, founder of Kelly Van Gogh Hair Color, suggests mixing a bit of dye similar to your pre-gray color to attain a normal-looking hue.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
46Lady Gaga
Best Grey Hair Colors: Lady Gaga
Hair color: It’s variable, but we’re going with her hue in this photo, which is silvery blue
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: It’s no secret that Lady Gaga is the queen of versatile hair color. This shade of gray, which is almost pure white, makes her pale skintone pop.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
47Helen Mirren
Best Grey Hair Colors: Helen Mirren
Hair color: Heather gray
Skintone: Light
Undertones: Cool
Why it works: For light skin like Mirren’s, the best gray is a cool shade that enhances her paleness, like this pure white-gray.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
48Stacey London
Best Grey Hair Colors: Stacey London
Hair color: Black with a wisp of smoky steel
Skintone: Medium
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: A medium skintone like London’s can handle dramatic silver highlights.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
49Pink
Best Grey Hair Colors: Pink
Hair color: Pearlized chrome
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Pink’s skin has warm undertones, so this silvery hue is more flattering than a lighter, whiter shade.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skin Tone.
50Emmylou Harris
Best Grey Hair Colors: Emmylou Harris
Hair color: Icy platinum
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: cool
Why it works: This steely tone is ideal for a medium skintone like Harris’. Medium skintones have a lot of versatility in their suitable gray shades.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
51Joan Baez
Best Grey Hair Colors: Joan Baez
Hair color: Silver dove
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones: Cool
Why this works: Salt-and-pepper hair complements medium-bordering-on-dark skintones like Baez’s.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
52Jamie Lee Curtis
Best Grey Hair Colors: Jamie Lee Curtis
Hair color: Silvery steel
Skintone: Medium golden
Undertones: Warm
Why this works: Curtis has a neutral brown undertone in her hair that makes her silvery color look natural and beautiful.
53Paula Deen
Best Grey Hair Colors: Paula Deen
Hair color: Powder steel
Skintone: Medium tan
Undertones:Warm
Why it works: Deen’s opaque, heather gray hair color complements her warm skintone, which can handle many different shades of gray—the tips of her hair are even dyed a golden yellow!
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
54Ruby Dee
Best Grey Hair Colors: Ruby Dee
Hair color: Silvery salt and pepper
Skintone: Dark golden
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: Dark skintones like Dee’s can handle the salt and pepper look with flair.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.
55Nichelle Nichols
Best Grey Hair Colors: Nichelle Nichols
Hair color: Heather dove
Skintone: Dark
Undertones: Warm
Why it works: The tips of Nichols’ hair are a lighter color than the rest of her tresses, brightening up her look. This technique is ideal for dark skintones.
The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.