Celebrity Hair Color: The Best Star Hues

Looking for a new hair color? Take a hue from these stunning stars.

Celebrities may change their hair color with each new role, but they invariably return to the most complimentary shade that makes their skin glow and their eyes sparkle. Here, we explain the science behind why each tone works, so you you can choose the hair color photo you love and show it to your hairstylist.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Gwen Stefani

Hair color: Platinum blonde

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Gwen’s ever-platinum locks are actually a light blonde, a color that flatters her light complexion instead of washing it out.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors:  Cate Blanchett

Hair color: Sunny blonde

Skintone: Light golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Blanchett’s hair color is more yellow than ash, a warm hue that's optimal for her golden skintone. For light skintones, sticking to a sunny shade is always flattering.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Sharon Stone

Hair color: Golden flax

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: A golden shade just like Stone’s is an ideal color for fair skin.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Gwyneth Paltrow

Hair color: Butter blonde

Skintone: Light golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Paltrow’s shade is as sun-kissed as her fair, glowing skin, allowing both to shine.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Reese Witherspoon

Hair color: Sunny champagne

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: The secret to perfect blonde locks like Reese’s? Keeping the color golden instead of ashy or orange-y to ensure that it flatters her warm skintone.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Carrie Underwood

Hair color: Goldenrod

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Underwood’s color is almost-beige blonde, a cool tone of blonde that flatters her skintone.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Jennifer Aniston

Hair color: Bronde

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones: Warm

Why it works:The more color in your skin, the more color you can put in your hair. Aniston’s beachy tan balances with her depth-creating highlights to create a natural look.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Victoria Beckham

Hair color: Caramel blonde

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: Beckham's medium golden hue perfectly compliments her medium skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Nicole Richie

Hair color: Burnt caramel

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works:Richie sticks to a darker caramel blonde for a natural look that works with her complexion.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Tyra Banks

Hair color: Tawny honey

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: As colorist Kelly Van Gogh says, hair color must be a mix of colors. Banks’ caramel highlights are a perfect blend of dark and medium blond tones, adding depth to her hair.

The science: Read about it in Blonde Hair Color for Your Skintone

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Beyonce Knowles

Hair color: Flaxen toffee

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Beyonce fluctuates between being a dark brunette and a golden blonde, and she pulls off each look by making sure her color always works with her skintone. This shade of blond is flattering because it’s dark enough to complement her skintone but still yellow enough to shine.

Best Blonde Hair Colors: Queen Latifah

Hair color: Bright amber

Skintone: Dark

Undertones: Warm

Why it works:As evidenced by Queen Latifah, golden and caramel highlights are always flattering on dark skin.

Best Red Hair Colors: Nicole Kidman

Hair color: Honey copper

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Kidman's hair moves between strawberry blonde and a more vibrant honey copper, which both compliment fair skin tones. Her trick is using warm red hues, which won't wash out her light, golden skintone.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Karen Elson

Hair Color: Subdued scarlet

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Elson tends to stick with a vibrant red that picks up the bright undertones in her skin, just as Nikki Ferrara of New York's Sally Hershberger Salon suggests.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Marcia Cross

Hair color: Fiery Sienna

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: A bright, cool shade like this one complements Cross's light skin instead of making her look too pale.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Christina Hendricks

Hair color: Fire-engine red

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why this works: Hendricks's color suits her so well because it picks up the rosy tones in her skin, giving her the confident radiance she is known for.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Amy Adams

Hair color: Strawberry blonde

Skintone: Pale warm

Why this works: Strawberry blonde is the perfect color for fair skin, because it complements the skintone without making it look too pale.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Scarlett Johansson

Hair color: Burnished copper

Skin tone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: The pink tones in Johansson's skin can handle this sophistocated, deeper shade of red.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Julianne Moore

Hair color: Burn Auburn

Skintone: Light golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Sometimes, the best hair color is the one that looks the most natural. Here, Moore's auburn hue contains plenty of brown, making the color look especially believable, and stunning.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Julia Roberts

Hair color: Golden copper

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: Roberts' red hair picks up the warm tones in her face to perfectly complement her skin. A brown-based copper hue like this one gives depth and longevity, according to Kelly Van Gogh, of Kelly Van Gogh Hair Color, in our article Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Hayden Panetierre

Hair color: Russet

Skintone: Medium

Undertones:Cool

Why it works: Brown-based pigments tend to look very natural, and Panettiere's medium skintone balances well with this darker color.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Raquel Welch

Hair color: Fiery honey

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Welch's golden red hair color picks up the warm tones in her skin.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Cheryl Cole

Hair color: Ruby Cabernet

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Cole's rich skintone responds well to saturated hues like this deep red.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Red Hair Colors: Rihanna

Hair color: Pure crimson

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Rihanna's bold, bright red color balances with her dark skin so that both shades complement each other.

The science: Read about it in Red Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Mandy Moore

Hair color: Rich mahogany

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Warm red tones like Moore's look great with pale skin.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Natalie Portman

Hair color: Honey brown

Skintone: Light golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Quite often, the light skin requires a light shade of brown, a look that Portman aced.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Anne Hathaway

Hair color: Luminous coffee

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Medium skintones like Hathaway's have a ton of versatility as far as brunette hair colors go. Here, the warm undertones in her skin pick up her caramel highlights perfectly.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Sofia Vergara

Hair color: Chocolate toffee

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Here, Vergara is rocking a neutral brown shade—not too warm, not too cool—that perfectly complements her medium skintone.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Sarah Michelle Gellar

Hair color: Golden acorn

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Though most of us know Gellar as a blonde, her brunette color is equally flattering, thanks to her neutral brown shade and face-framing highlights.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Selena Gomez

Hair color: Subtle russet

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Gomez's rich auburn tone is the perfect complement to her golden complexion.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Jessica Alba

Hair color: Caramel cola

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Alba's skintone is medium bordering on dark, so this richer, darker hue suits her.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Jordin Sparks

Hair color: Sepia cocoa

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: The subtle, deep red highlights in Spark's hair flatter her darker skintone.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Brown Hair Colors: Jennifer Hudson

Hair color: Black coffee

Skintone: Dark

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Hudon's dark skin looks great with this almost-black shade, and the subtle brunette highlights in her hair color compliment her skin's warm undertones.

The science: Read about it in Brown Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Dita Von Teese

Hair color: Sleek Raven

Skintone: Pale

Undertones: Cool

Why this works: Von Teese’s pure black color contrasts beautifully with her flawless skin.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Katy Perry

Hair color: Jet black

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why this works: Perry’s neutral black is a good choice, because the pure color won’t wash her out.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Megan Fox

Hair color: Almost midnight

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: The best black color for medium skintones is a very dark brunette color. Fox’s hair color is just that: this dark, almost-black color compliments her complexion without bringing out yellow tones in her skin.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Angelina Jolie

Hair color: Coal

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Warm

Why this works:Even though this is a wig, the color still works on Jolie because the blueish sheen keeps the color from making her skin look yellow.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Katie Holmes

Hair color: Black-brown

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: By staying away from putting red tones in her hair, Holmes ensures that her glossy locks won't maker her skin look yellow.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Demi Moore

Hair color: Jet black

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones: Warm

Why this works:If you look carefully, you’ll see that Moore’s color actually has a silver sheen, which prevents her warm undertones from looking yellow, which is a common problem.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Priyanka Chopra

Hair color: Deep cabernet

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: Chopra's glossy black mane actually has touches of brown and red, which pick up the warm tones in her skin and prevent her from looking olive.

Best Black Hair Colors: Sanaa Lathan

Hair color: Inky Mahogany

Skintone: Dark Golden

Undertones: Warm

Why this works:Lathan's skintone works beautifully with this bold, brown/black color.

Best Black Hair Colors: Kim Kardashian

Hair color: Black-brown

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Cool

Why this works: Kardashian's cool black locks gorgeously frame her olive skin and dark eyes.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Koena Mitra

Hair color: Black

Skintone: Dark

Undertones: Cool

Why this works: Mitra's dark skin can handle a shade as jet black as the one she's rocking in this photo.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Black Hair Colors: Oprah Winfrey

Hair color: Pitch black

Skintone: Dark

Undertones: Warm

Why this works:Oprah's dark skin looks radiant set against her deep black hair.

The science: Read about it in Black Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Dame Judi Dench

Hair color: Ashen silver

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: Dench's hair color has bits pale blonde woven in with her shiny silver strands, making her hue look very natural.

Kelly Van Gogh, founder of Kelly Van Gogh Hair Color, suggests mixing a bit of dye similar to your pre-gray color to attain a normal-looking hue.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Lady Gaga

Hair color: It's variable, but we're going with her hue in this photo, which is silvery blue

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: It's no secret that Lady Gaga is the queen of versatile hair color. This shade of gray, which is almost pure white, makes her pale skintone pop.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Helen Mirren

Hair color: Heather gray

Skintone: Light

Undertones: Cool

Why it works: For light skin like Mirren's, the best gray is a cool shade that enhances her paleness, like this pure white-gray.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Stacey London

Hair color: Black with a wisp of smoky steel

Skintone: Medium

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: A medium skintone like London's can handle dramatic silver highlights.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Pink

Hair color: Pearlized chrome

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Pink's skin has warm undertones, so this silvery hue is more flattering than a lighter, whiter shade.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skin Tone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Emmylou Harris

Hair color: Icy platinum

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: cool

Why it works: This steely tone is ideal for a medium skintone like Harris'. Medium skintones have a lot of versatility in their suitable gray shades.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Joan Baez

Hair color: Silver dove

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones: Cool

Why this works: Salt-and-pepper hair complements medium-bordering-on-dark skintones like Baez's.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Jamie Lee Curtis

Hair color: Silvery steel

Skintone: Medium golden

Undertones: Warm

Why this works: Curtis has a neutral brown undertone in her hair that makes her silvery color look natural and beautiful.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Paula Deen

Hair color: Powder steel

Skintone: Medium tan

Undertones:Warm

Why it works: Deen's opaque, heather gray hair color complements her warm skintone, which can handle many different shades of gray—the tips of her hair are even dyed a golden yellow!

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Ruby Dee

Hair color: Silvery salt and pepper

Skintone: Dark golden

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: Dark skintones like Dee's can handle the salt and pepper look with flair.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.

Best Grey Hair Colors: Nichelle Nichols

Hair color: Heather dove

Skintone: Dark

Undertones: Warm

Why it works: The tips of Nichols' hair are a lighter color than the rest of her tresses, brightening up her look. This technique is ideal for dark skintones.

The science: Read about it in Gray Hair Color for Your Skintone.