Hair color for green eyes

Shades that suit green eyes

These six don't all do the same job, so here's what each one is good for.

• Golden brown adds warmth to your face and brings the gold flecks in your eyes forward.
• Honey blonde lifts light green eyes when your skin is fair and warm.
• Chestnut brown has a gentle red tint that makes green eyes look clearer.
• Espresso brown gives pale green eyes a crisp frame on cool or olive skin.
• Rich auburn uses deep red tones to make green eyes stand out right away.
• Copper red makes the green look stronger when you're after a bolder, warmer style.

Why do warm and deep shades work so well on green eyes?

Gold and red run through most of these shades, and that warmth gives green eyes a backdrop to shine against. If your eyes have gold flecks, golden brown and honey blonde pick up on them. The red in chestnut, auburn and copper sharpens the green and makes it look more intense.

Your undertone plays a part as well. By undertone we mean the warm or cool cast underneath your skin's surface, and it doesn't change with a tan or a lack of one. Warm colors settle in most naturally on warm skin.

The deeper shades get their effect from contrast. Contrast means the gap between the lightest and darkest colors on your face, your skin, eyes and hair included. Espresso brown creates a lot of contrast, which is why it works so well with pale green eyes and cool or olive skin.

Choosing a shade: skin and eye color

Two questions will cut the list down fast: is your skin light or deep, and is the green in your eyes light or deep?

If more than one row describes you, try both shades next to each other. Usually the better pick is the one that brightens your eyes most in daylight.

Words to use with your colorist

Shade names change from one brand to the next, so tone words say more to a colorist than a name does. These three cover the basics.

• Golden or warm: a dye mixed with yellow or red. Use it for honey blonde, golden brown and the reds: chestnut, auburn and copper.
• Neutral: a dye that's neither warm nor cool. It can suit a deep shade such as espresso brown when your skin is cool or olive.
• Ash: a dye tinged with grey, green or blue that pulls the warmth out of hair. Mention that ash isn't for you, because flat ash can dull green eyes.

A photo of the shade you want gives your colorist a clear target.

Shades to skip and why

These 3 can fight with green eyes, mostly by stripping away the warmth that lets the green show.

• Flat ash blonde can leave your skin and eyes looking grey.
• Jet black with blue tones can make the area under your eyes look shadowed.
• Icy platinum toned with violet takes the edge off the green you've got. A toner is a translucent color put on after bleaching to shift the hair's tone, and violet does the cooling.

How to test a shade before committing to dye

A permanent color won't wash out, so a quick test first keeps you from being stuck with a shade that isn't right.

1. Get a wig or a clip-in piece in the shade you have in mind.
2. Stand near a window in daylight, since indoor bulbs and phone cameras skew the way colors read on skin and hair.
3. Lift the hair up next to your face and check a mirror.
4. See if your eyes seem brighter, or if dark circles show up beneath them.
5. Still torn? Request a semi-permanent gloss in that shade from your colorist before going permanent. A gloss like that is a light dye that washes out gradually instead of sticking around until it grows out.