It’s officially fall, which means our hair may be due for a seasonal transition from platinum blonde to tones with more depth. “This fall is all about rich, dimensional shades,” master cosmetologist and global education manager at Design Essentials’s McBride Research Laboratories Alicia Bailey tells ESSENCE.
However, the perfect fall hair color isn’t just about the season. As you’re sifting through shades, from mocha mousse to rich mahogany, finding one that works with your skin’s deep tone—and undertones (and no, not all Black women have warm undertones)—is how you find a shade that will never go out of style.
Read on for all the best, most classic fall hair colors for Black women with deep skin tones.
Classic Fall Tones
Rich Chocolate
Rich chocolate, like mocha mousse and espresso, are some of the most classic fall shades we’ve seen year after year. However, “the beautiful thing about deeper skin tones is that an array of colors can be used to complement,” Bailey says.
Deep Cherry
“Golden, red or neutral undertones tend to accentuate deeper skin tones best,” she says, recommending tones like mahogany and deep cherry. Products like the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Moisturizing & Detangling Leave-In Conditioner and Keracare Moisturizing Conditioner can help maintain your color longer.
Gray Blending
Just like our beauty, we’re going through the timeless transition of aging, which means our natural gray hair is one of the most classic hair colors. Not just that, it’s the most economic tone, requiring nothing but your will to age naturally as the weather cools.
Warm Undertones
Golden Blonde
Although it’s fall, we can still expect to see shades of blonde (even if they’re not platinum). “One common myth is that deeper skin tones can’t wear blonde,” she says, projecting golden blonde and warm blonde to be the most popular blondes this season.
Caramel Highlights
Caramel highlights and copper face-framing accents are Bailey’s favorite fall touches to add more dimension and contrast to your base shade. “Consider the undertones of the skin more than the surface color,” she says, when picking the right highlight and base color.
Red Copper
To preserve color and vibrant tones, like red copper and deep cherry, products like Cécred’s Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual, Rita Hazan’s True Color Conditioner, and Bailey’s favorite, the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Moisturizing & Detangling Sulfate- Free Shampoo, all cleanse and condition without stripping color.
Cool Undertones
Ash Brown
Deep skin tones are often all assumed to have warm undertones, which is a myth. For those of us with cool undertones, like olive, blue, or pink, fall shades like ash brown and jet black are some of Bailey’s favorite timeless shades.
Jet Black
Your hair color, but even darker, jet black or blue black are shades that are easy to achieve without as many touch-ups as fall blondes (which will, inevitably, turn into recession blonde).
Plum
Jewel tones, like plum and burgundy, are the perfect pair to deeper skin tones, pulling out all the cool undertones in the most melanated skin. Meanwhile, “those with neutral undertones have the option to wear both warm and cool colors,” Bailey says.