While sometimes it might seem like this is hard to achieve, especially on those days when your hair is so uncooperative it's too hard to even get a simple ponytail to look right, the truth is that the secret to having a great hairstyle and hair color is knowing exactly what will suit you.
Your Skin Tone and The Right Hair Color
For those who regularly color their hair, whether it's every few months or even years, more than likely there was one color choice along the line that was just absolutely wrong. It could have been that the color was too bright, too dark, faded too quickly or just made you look washed out. Either way, it wasn't the right hair color for you. The best way to avoid such a thing from happening again (or at all for those applying hair color for the first time) is to do a little research and work out your skin tone.
Your skin tone has a big impact on how your hair color will look, and a color that clashes will be evident against your skin right away. On the flip side, a hair color that matches your skin tone will light up your face and complement your complexion. Put simply, it'll look flattering and natural- which is what great hair color is all about!
To help you work out your skin tone, see our hair color article Choosing Your Skin Tone and Enhancing Your Hair Color. It'll provide info that'll help you decide if your skin tone is warm or cool and also give you some great examples of how skin tone works with warm and cool hair colors.
As for finding a hair color, our virtual hairstyler has 53 hair color options that list handy info such as if the color is suitable for warm or cool complexions. You can even print out the colors so that your hairstylist knows exactly what you mean when you say "ruby red" or "honey blonde"! For those looking to go one step further, there is also an option to upload your photo and try the colors on before hitting the salon or splurging on a home hair color kit (this is especially important for those coloring at home as you can't always tell if a color is right for you by looking at the box).
Your Face Shape and The Right Hairstyle
While your skin tone can't help with your hairstyle, your face shape can!
Though it might seem odd that you have to look to your face shape to find the right hairstyle, it actually does make a difference. For example, if you have a long face, a hairstyle that combines bangs and tousled locks (such as Reese Witherpoon's pictured hairstyle) is a good style as it won't add extra length or width to the face. If you have a round face shape though, you'll want something that does add length, such as a sleeker style that gives that illusion and adds some narrowness to the face.
The ideal face shape is oval and should be the shape you're looking to achieve with the help of your hairstyle. To establish what your face shape is and to get an idea on the type of styles to look for, take a look at our The Right Hairstyle for Your Face Shape hairstyles article. Then, when it comes to looking for styles, all of the hairstyles available at TheHairStyler.com feature suitability information which includes what face shape the style will work with.
By establishing your face shape and combining this knowledge with your skin tone, you'll have all the essential information that you'll need to find the right hair color and hairstyle for you. After that, it's just a matter of deciding what hair color or hairstyle to try out next!