The Best Pastel Hair Colors for Every Skin Tone

Pastel hair has been a springtime hair color trend for years, and this year is no different. Opting for a light, bright color during the warmer months is a great way to illuminate up your complexion and get playful with your look.

If you’re considering undergoing a pastel hair color transformation, there are a few things to keep in mind — namely which shade will be most flattering on you. The best way to determine your most flattering shade is to consider your skin tone and undertones. 

Ahead, we’re sharing the best pastel hair colors for your skin tone, and our product recommendations to nail your new hue.

What to Know Before Getting Pastel Hair 

Before you embark on your journey with pastel hair colors, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, it’s hair color so have fun with it — what looks good to one person may not look good to another. Your best hair color choice is the one that makes you feel gorgeous.

With that said, if you’re starting off with a dark base color, you’ll need to significantly lighten your hair with bleach. It’s best to head to a salon for this so a professional can lighten your hair with minimal damage. Keep in mind that getting to a light enough base color could require multiple bleaching sessions. 

Is Pastel Hair Hard to Maintain?

If you opt for a permanent hair dye in a pastel color, you’ll need to use color-safe shampoo and conditioner, like the L’Oréal Paris Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Color Care Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Color Care Conditioner. This is key in order to prevent your hair color from fading. 

This duo is great on pastel hair because it’s gentle on color and it works to strengthen hair damage that can result from bleaching. It’s also important to remember that if you opt for permanent color, you’ll need to maintain your roots as they grow out and create a line of demarcation. 

Does Pastel Hair Fade Fast?

How long it will take for your pastel hair color to fade depends on several factors. If you opt for permanent color and you’re using color-safe products, you should get several weeks out of your color sans fading. However, if you use temporary color, it will fade pretty quickly — depending on the formula of course.  

If you want to experiment with pastel hair color without a permanent commitment, there are options. The L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color comes in several soft shades that will gradually fade with a few shampoo sessions. These lighter pastel hair dyes work best on bleached, light blonde hair or highlighted hair. 

If you crave a look with an even shorter lifespan, perhaps for a special event, try using the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray. Designed to give your mane a burst of color that can be washed out in a single shampoo, each pastel hair dye offering requires zero commitment, so you can play around with all the colors.

The Best Pastel Hair Colors for Fair Skin 

For Fair Skin With Warm Undertones

The best way to accentuate warm, fair skin is to pair it with warmer pastel shades, like light pink and peach. These hues beautifully bring out the warmth in your skin tone. Opting for a cool-toned pink shade is also a nice way to provide subtle contrast to your look. 

Product picks: L’Oréal Paris Féria in Smokey Pink or L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Soft Pink.

For Fair Skin With Cool Undertones

If you have fair skin with cool undertones, your features will look beautiful paired with pastel purple hair and soft blue shades. Shades that lean pink or really warm in tone could bring out redness in your skin. 

Product picks: L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Pastel Blue or L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color in Lilac.

Editor’s note: If you have neutral undertones, you can pull off a variety of colors with either warm or cool undertones. Lucky you!

The Best Pastel Hair Colors for Medium Skin 

For Medium Skin With Warm Undertones

Medium skin with warm undertones requires warmer shades to make your features pop. Pastel colors like rose gold and warm lilac will do the trick. 

Product picks: L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Rosegold or L’Oréal Paris Féria in Rose Gold. 

For Medium Skin With Cool Undertones

Medium skin with cool undertones is best served blue and lavender shades with lots of brightness or saturation. Choosing an ultra-light and bright shade or something with intense pigment ensures that your look has the ideal amount of contrast.

Editor’s note: If you have neutral skin, both warm and cool shades will be flattering on you. But to accentuate your complexion and create contrast, opt for a shade with tons of brightness to it. 

The Best Pastel Hair Colors for Dark Skin 

For Dark Skin With Warm Undertones

Pastels in highly saturated warm tones will be incredibly flattering on people with dark complexions that have yellow and olive undertones. 

Product picks: L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Pink or L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Coral Pink. 

For Dark Skin With Cool Undertones

If you have dark skin with cool undertones you can pull off a variety of different shades — cool-toned pastel shades will be some of the most flattering. Mint and baby blue will pop against your complexion perfectly. If you’re looking for something in the pink family, opt for a cool mauve shade. 

Product picks: L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Pastel Mint or L’Oréal Paris Féria in Dusty Mauve. 

Editor’s note:If you have neutral deep skin, hues in with either undertone will look excellent on you. If you want a bold look with tons of contrast, pick a shade that’s fun and bright without being too saturated. 

Next: 20 Best Blonde Hair Color Ideas for Every Skin Tone

Edited by: Alyssa Kaplan, Photo Credit: IG/@jhair_stylist