Why Your Hair Colour Should Work With and Not Against Your Palette
After a Color Analysis, one of the first questions people ask me is: “So what hair colour should I have?”
It’s a great question, and one that doesn’t get enough nuanced answers online. There seems to be an ongoing argument of “your natural color is your best!” and then counter thoughts on those that tend to look better with dyed hair (especially celebrity examples of this like Emma Stone and Margot Robbie).
The truth is, your hair frames your face. When it harmonizes with your seasonal color palette, everything looks intentional: your skin appears smoother, your eyes brighter, your makeup fresher. When it clashes, even great makeup can look “off.”
That’s why, in my 16 Season Color Analysis system, I guide clients not only toward flattering clothing palettes but also toward hair shades that balance undertone, depth, and contrast - and that also work with the style vibe they are going for.
Whether you’re booking an in-person Colour Analysis in Niagara Falls or a Virtual Color Analysis from anywhere, these guidelines will help you make sense of your next salon visit.
The Winter Family
Cool | Deep | Clear
Overall vibe: Crisp contrast. Winters look best in hair that’s rich, cool, and high-impact without warmth or brassiness.
True Winter
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Best hair colours: Jet black, espresso, cool dark brown, or ash brown.
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Avoid: Warm chestnut or golden highlights—they’ll fight your undertone.
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Tip: A deep espresso glaze keeps hair dimensional and shiny without looking flat.
Deep Winter
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Slightly warmer depth works here, but stay neutral-cool.
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Best shades: Espresso brown, dark ash brown, or black with a soft plum undertone.
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If you lighten: choose cool dark mocha lowlights instead of warm caramel.
Bright Winter
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You can handle higher contrast and bold tones.
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Best shades: Cool dark brown or medium ash brown with icy highlights (think espresso with a silver sheen).
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Creative option: Cool burgundy, blue-black, or violet-brown.
Soft Winter
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Cool, but muted.
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Best shades: Smoky brown, soft black, dark ash brown, or charcoal.
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Avoid harsh jet black—it can overpower.
- Tip: Ask your stylist for ashy toners to remove warmth and keep the tone balanced.
Okay now let’s squash the Winter blondes drama. You absolutely can have natural blonde hair or dye it and still be suited to any of the Winter palettes (it’s just a bit more rare). If you’re dying your hair, look for cool, icy blondes or ash-platinum tones that contrast cleanly with your skin. If you lighten darker hair, keep highlights in the silver, pearl, or icy beige range to maintain that crisp Winter clarity. At the end of the day, it’s all about crisp contrast with Winter.
The Autumn Family
Warm | Rich | Earthy
Overall vibe: Depth with golden warmth. Autumns glow in hair that mirrors autumn leaves—spiced, burnished, dimensional.
True Autumn
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Best shades: Rich copper, auburn, golden brown, or chestnut.
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Highlights: Golden caramel or bronze.
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Avoid: Ash or platinum—they’ll flatten your glow.
Deep Autumn
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You can go darker while keeping warmth.
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Best shades: Espresso brown with gold or copper undertones, dark auburn, chocolate brown.
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Highlights: Subtle balayage in bronze or cinnamon.
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Avoid: Anything too cool—it dulls your complexion.
Soft Autumn
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Muted warmth looks best—no harsh contrast.
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Best shades: Soft golden brown, muted copper, or dark strawberry blonde.
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Highlights: Buttery gold or toffee ribbons.
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Avoid: Overly bright red or golden blonde—it’ll overpower your softness.
Light Autumn
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Gentle, sun-touched warmth.
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Best shades: Light golden brown, warm beige blonde, honey, or soft copper.
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Highlights: Warm beige or apricot.
- Avoid: Icy blondes or silvery tones—they’ll drain the warmth from your skin.
Natural or highlighted blondes fit beautifully in the warmer Autumn palettes too — just keep the warmth and softness intentional. Golden, honey, or caramel blondes blend seamlessly when paired with deeper lowlights or copper-gold balayage, creating that rich, sunlit Autumn depth.
The Summer Family
Cool | Soft | Blended
Overall vibe: Misty, muted, romantic. Summers need softness and cool undertones in their hair to maintain harmony.
True Summer
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Best shades: Medium ash brown, soft cool blonde, or muted taupe.
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Highlights: Cool beige or pearl tones—not bright platinum.
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Avoid: Golden or brassy warmth—it clashes with your cool base.
Soft Summer
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Very gentle coloring—no stark contrast.
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Best shades: Dusty brown, soft ash blonde, or medium mushroom brown.
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Highlights: Subtle balayage in silvery beige or cool rose beige.
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Avoid: Jet black or copper—they’ll overwhelm your delicacy.
Light Summer
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Luminous but cool.
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Best shades: Light ash blonde, cool champagne, or baby brown.
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Highlights: Icy pearl or silver blonde for shimmer without brass.
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Avoid: Warm honey tones—they’ll look orange against your skin.
Deep Summer
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Cool base, but with richer depth than other Summers.
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Best shades: Cool espresso, deep ash brown, or muted plum brown.
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Highlights: Subtle charcoal or violet-brown lowlights.
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Avoid: Bright blonde or red—it breaks your natural harmony.
The Spring Family
Warm | Bright | Fresh
Overall vibe: Light, lively, golden. Springs glow in sunlit shades that bring out warmth and clarity.
Light Spring
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Best shades: Creamy light golden blonde, butter blonde, or warm beige.
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Highlights: Soft honey or golden beige.
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Avoid: Ashy or grey-based blondes—they look dull on you.
True Spring
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Vibrant, warm, and clear.
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Best shades: Golden blonde, warm caramel, or coppery gold.
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Highlights: Light gold or apricot for radiance.
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Avoid: Cool or matte tones—they’ll make your skin look sallow.
Bright Spring
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High clarity and contrast—your hair can carry shine and intensity.
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Best shades: Golden brown, copper blonde, bright strawberry, or warm medium brown.
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Fun option: Rose-gold or golden copper balayage.
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Avoid: Muted, ashy tones—they flatten your vibrancy.
Soft Spring
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The “extra warm” palette bridging Spring and Autumn.
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Best shades: Warm light brown, soft copper, or dark honey blonde.
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Highlights: Butterscotch or light gold.
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Avoid: Overly bright tones—keep the warmth gentle and blended.
A Few Ground Rules for Any Season
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Match undertone before anything else. Even the perfect shade can look wrong if it’s on the wrong undertone.
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Depth matters. Go lighter or darker within your palette’s contrast range.
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Gloss is your friend. A cool or warm gloss can fine-tune harmony without a full recolor.
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Work with your stylist. Bring your palette or digital swatches to your colorist—it’s not about copying photos but about balance.
Why This Works So Well With 16 Season Color Analysis
The 16 Season Color Analysis system makes hair color advice more accurate because it accounts for in-between tones and subtleties. Instead of going off tired rules like “blondes can’t be Winter”, each of the 16 subseasons give a variety of different options whether you’re looking to highlight, brighten or deepen your hair (or even do a wild fashion colour).
In both my virtual color analysis and in person colour analysis sessions in Niagara Falls, I give 3 top hair colors that align with your season (and your style vibe) as well as 3 to avoid.
Ready to find out what clothing, makeup and hair colors are best for you? I’d love to work with you on a virtual color analysis!
