There’s nothing quite like the feeling of walking out of the salon with freshly colored hair—the kind that earns compliments, somehow makes your skin look brighter, and makes your eyes look more awake. But that magic doesn’t just come from a good gloss or a trendy shade. More often than not, it depends on how well your hair color plays with your skin’s undertones.

If you’ve ever tried a hair color that looked amazing on someone else but felt off on you, undertones were likely the culprit. While your skin tone describes the depth—fair, medium, deep—your undertone is all about the subtle shades beneath the surface. Cool undertones have hints of pink or blue, while warm undertones skew golden or peachy. And those with cooler undertones may want to opt for a lighter hue, like platinum or ash blonde, while folks with warmer undertones should lean toward deeper, more neutral shades.

When your hair color aligns with your skin's undertone, everything clicks, bringing a natural balance and glow that even the best filter can’t replicate. If you're not sure where to start, don't fear—we broke down the best shades that are made to complement cool skin tones.

There’s a certain elegance to tones that feel lived-in, effortlessly expensive, and quietly cool. That’s exactly the energy behind ash brown, the shade Lily-Rose Depp wears as her signature hue. With its smoky, muted base and barely-there highlights, it flatters cool-toned skin by softening contrast and dialing up dimension. “The key to this shade’s magic is its soft, blended highlights that mimic the natural lightening of hair, creating a fresh, expensive-looking finish,” says celebrity stylist and IGK Hair Care co-founder Chase Kusero. It’s understated, yes, but it does the job well.