Are you a natural blonde?

It’s important to note that if you’re a natural blonde, your only real concern is the condition of your hair. If you have damaged hair, avoid any color or stick with a semi-permanent color. I recommend using Olia Oil Powered by Pureology ($17). It’s formulated specifically for chemically treated hair and is gentle on color-treated tresses as well.

If you have healthy locks but want to go ahead and experiment with a bolder shade than your natural hue, consider using Just for Me 10X volume hair care products ($11). They’ll give you extra voluminousness at home so that when it comes time to get colored professionally (or just between salon visits), the results will be even more dramatic!

Is your hair naturally dark?

If you have dark hair, it can be tempting to jump right into the lightest color of your dreams. But if your natural color is dark, go too light and you’ll end up with an unflattering yellow-orange tinge—and possibly even look like a carrot. For many people with darker hair tones, it’s better to stick with a more subtle shade of blonde or brown (like caramel or sandy) that will accentuate the natural warmth in your locks and play off of your skin tone and eye color.

If you want to go lighter but don’t have dark hair yet, consider waiting until after summer when it’s time for a cut and style so that your stylist can help make sure that any new growth is healthy before applying any chemical processes onto them. When choosing which shade(s) of colored dye would look best on you now vs later down the road keep these tips in mind:

Do you have fine, thin hair?

If you have fine hair, you know the struggle of trying to style it. It’s prone to breakage and flyaways and will not hold certain hairstyles. And if you decide to color your hair? Well, then you’re in for even more trouble.

In short: If you have fine hair, your best bet is to keep its natural texture intact.

Do you have thick, coarse hair?

Do you have thick, coarse hair?

If so, then it’s best to go with a color that is darker than your natural hair. This could be a shade or two darker or it could be a color that is quite a bit darker because the thicker your hair is the easier it will be for you to get highlights and lowlights. If you want a lighter color then avoid cool colors and go with warm instead as they will look much better on you.

Do you want a cool shade? (As in, cool tones, not temperature)

• Do you want a cool shade? (As in, cool tones, not temperature)

Cool shades are ashy or beige. They’re often popular during the winter months and can be flattering on darker skin tones. If you’re going for a youthful look or want to appear younger than your years, this is your color.

Do your eyes have flecks of gold?

You should also consider the color of your skin and how it will react to the color you are thinking of. For example, if you have a yellow undertone, and you dye your hair a cool shade (ash blonde, for example), you will look washed out and tired.

Instead, try choosing a warm brown with some red or copper in it. This will compliment your skin tone nicely!

If your eyes are dark brown with no gold flecks, what are you focusing on when determining your color?

The next step is to determine your hair color. The first thing you want to consider is your skin tone. If you’re fair or light, then it’s best not to go too bold with the blonde (although if that’s what you want, who are we to say?). Darker complexions can handle a little more contrast and still look fabulous!

Next, take into account how your eyes match up with each other. If one eye has a lot of gold flecks and the other one doesn’t have any, then go for something flattering for both sides here. You don’t want one side looking completely out-of-place in relation to the other side; otherwise it will be distracting for viewers as they look at your face. This isn’t always an issue but having two different colored eyes is quite common these days so try not overthink this part!

Also think about what type of hair texture you have: curly? wavy? straight? fine? coarse? thick? thin? medium density etcetera… These all affect how well certain colors work on various people because each individual has their own unique set of characteristics so feel free explore all options before deciding which ones work best for YOU!