If you’re blessed with hazel eyes, you know it doesn’t take much more than bronze eyeshadow and a quick coat of mascara to make them pop. However, just like choosing a hair color to flatter your skin tone, you can also choose a shade that perfectly complements your eye color. We teamed up with Alii Wray, Matrix artistic educator, to bring you the ultimate guide to the best hair colors for hazel eyes. Whether you prefer to keep it simple with dark brown hair or go all-out with a fantasy shade, these are the looks you’ll want to ask your colorist about.
What Is the True Color of Hazel Eyes?
Every pair of hazel eyes is different, but most people have a mix of brown, green, and gold hues. Depending on your unique eye color, you may have more of one shade than another. Wearing certain hair, makeup, and clothing colors can dictate which tones appear most visible.
What Color Makes Hazel Eyes Pop?
Warm shades like honey blonde, caramel, and chestnut can highlight the equally warm golden and amber flecks in hazel eyes, creating a balanced look. Deep auburn or copper hair colors, on the other hand, can provide a striking contrast, drawing attention to green and brown hues. Darker strands, like chocolate brown or soft black, can also make hazel eyes stand out. The dark shades serve as a dramatic backdrop for your eyes. With all that said, it’s worth noting that there are no hard-and-fast rules here; work with your colorist to find the color that makes you feel the most beautiful and empowered.
How Do You Care for Color-Treated Hair?
Regardless of the color you choose to flatter your gorgeous hazel eyes, caring for your hue remains the same.
Use color-safe systems
First, stock your shower shelves with a shampoo and conditioner system designed to maintain color-treated hair. We recommend Biolage Professional Color Last Shampoo and Conditioner. Their low pH formulas, which are inspired by nature’s fade-defying orchid flower, help preserve color vibrancy for up to nine weeks when used together.
To extend your wash days, consider spritzing your roots with a dry shampoo, such as Redken’s Deep Clean Dry Shampoo. The oil-absorbing formula is an easy way to keep you from overwashing your hair—a surefire way to dull your hair color more quickly.
Get a hair gloss
Head to the salon for a Redken Shades EQ Hair Gloss to refresh your hair’s hue between color services. This demi-permanent formula gently opens the hair's cuticle to deposit a wash of color that lasts up to 24 shampoos. Glosses are an excellent option to restore vibrancy, deepen and enrich color, and tone brass. Plus, glosses help reduce frizz and restore shine, giving locks a healthy-looking glow.
Ward off brass
When searching for the best hair colors for hazel eyes, blonde is often a top pick. To keep blonde hues brass-free, rotate purple color-toning shampoo and conditioner into your routine once about a week. We recommend Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo and Conditioner to neutralize brassy warmth and correct yellow tones on blonde hair.
Strengthen your strands
When transitioning from dark brunette to blonde, your colorist will need to use bleach to lift your existing color. Bleach will always cause some damage, but a pro will do their best to maintain the integrity of your strands. You can also pick up a bond-repairing haircare range like Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate to help strengthen your hair in the days following your service. Learn more about the line and how it works in our article, Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Review for Damaged Hair.
Now, keep scrolling to discover the best colors for hazel eyes based on your eye color and skin tone.
What Hair Color Looks Best With Hazel Eyes and Light Skin?
Good hair day by @leandrogabanno.
Warm Blonde
If you’re hunting for the best blonde hair color for hazel eyes, Wray suggests warm-toned shades like honey blonde, butterscotch, and cream blonde. The warm glow from your hair will help bring out the green and gold tones in your hazel eyes.
“Since lighter skin typically has less concentrated amounts of melanin, you can add a lot of warmth without worrying about looking washed out,” Wray says.
Good hair day by @_hairbylaurie.
Vanilla Sugar Blonde
No need to choose between warm-toned hues and ashy tones: vanilla sugar blonde offers the best of both worlds. Coined by celebrity hair colorist Laurie Heaps for popstar Sabrina Carpenter, this shade has just enough warmth to make the warm hues in your eyes pop while accentuating cool, pale skin tones.
To create this look, Heaps used Redken’s Flash Lift Bonder Inside to lift Sabrina’s hair to the perfect shade of creamy blonde with minimal damage. Then, she toned her strands with a custom mix of Redken’s 010 VV Lavender Ice Shades EQ Gloss Bonder Inside and Crystal Clear Shades EQ Gloss Bonder Inside–and we think the final result speaks for itself.
Good hair day by @amberm_redken.
Copper
Red and green are a color match made in heaven—and we’re not just talking about Christmas decorations. For fair skin, a warm red hue like copper will instantly bring out the green in your hazel eyes.
“Red and green are contrasting colors, so they work really well with one another,” Wray explains. “This will make the eyes the focal point because the two colors can stand next to one another, but the warm hair color won’t overpower or take away from the eyes.”
Good hair day by @krazy4hair.
Cherry Cola Red
As far as red hair colors and hazel eyes are concerned, the bolder, the better. Wray loves the look of bright red hair paired with fair skin and hazel eyes. If you’re up for the challenge, this cherry cola hue packs a serious punch. Complement the look with an adjacent beauty trend, cherry cola lips, and you’ll be the talk of TikTok.
Good hair day by @hairbycamilaasuarez.
Dirty Blonde
If you’re looking for a slightly lower-maintenance blonde, consider dirty blonde. This stunning blend of blonde and brunette shades will transform your hazel eyes from subtle to stand-out.
Good hair day by @sos.hair.studio.
Dark Chocolate
Don’t be afraid to go dark—especially with a brunette shade like dark chocolate. This sumptuous, rich brown has enough depth and dimension to flatter any skin tone or eye color.
Good hair day by @curtiscolorshair.
Bubblegum Pink
A certain doll-based blockbuster has had us all thinking pink over the past few years (it even inspired the dream doll hair trend). Those with fair skin tones can introduce the whimsical shade to their strands with a pastel version, like bubblegum pink.
Those with blonde to light brown hair can use a color-depositing mask like Redken Blondage Color Depositing Mask for Rose Blonde Hair to try pink hair without the commitment.
Good hair day by @hairbyelm.
Shades of Green
For a cool-toned hair color that’s more experimental, consider green. Green shades like this playful neon money piece can complement your pale skin and highlight the green flecks in hazel eyes.
Good hair day by @_akihiroueno_.
Espresso
When it comes to hair color for hazel eyes, the darker you go, the brighter and bolder your eyes will appear in contrast. A cool-toned espresso allows you to go as dark as possible with your hue without overpowering your fair complexion.
Dark shades always looks best with mega shine, so reach for a hair treatment like Kérastase Soin Acide Chroma Gloss Hair Gloss. This at-home hair gloss strengthens and seals the surface of the hair fiber to protect your color and leave strands with a high-shine finish.
Good hair day by @_serinarenee.
Bright Yellow
We know bright yellow is an unexpected choice, but a vibrant, out-of-the-box hair color like this looks absolutely stunning with golden hazel eyes. Extra style points if you recreate this ombré effect, as the coloring technique is making a comeback.
Good hair day by @jessie_hair_vbbeauty.
Medium Brown
For those who are super pale, medium brown is a great in-between shade of brunette. It will enhance the look of your hazel eyes without washing out your skin tone.
Good hair day by @hairbybritny.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon may be a go-to color for fall, but we can’t deny how wearable it is any time of year—especially for those with hazel eyes. This reddish-brown hue will complement the green and gold flecks in your eyes.
What Hair Color Looks Best With Hazel Eyes and Medium Skin?
Good hair day by @alannaarrington.
Dark Brown
For anyone with naturally dark brown hair and medium skin tones, Wray has some advice to share: Don’t change a thing!
“Keeping the color around the face predominantly darker will help accentuate the eyes,” Wray says.
If you want to make a switch, keep it simple. Ask your colorist to apply chocolate brown lowlights throughout your mane. This will keep your overall hue dark while adding dimension and movement.
Good hair day by @tabethacarns.
Bronde
Go lighter while staying true to your dark roots with bronde hair. The hybrid shade allows you to experiment with both ends of the color spectrum. Plus, the golden blonde tones can make your hazel eyes look brighter. Ask your colorist for a bronde balayage or ombré to prevent your face-framing strands from being too bright.
Good hair day by @wildrevive.lv.
Cranberry
Since medium skin tones already have a lot of warmth, Wray suggests avoiding deep red shades. Instead, opt for a cool-toned hue like cranberry hair to test out a wild hair color.
Good hair day by @createdbyami.
Sandy Blonde
If you’re lucky enough to maintain your summer glow all year, channel your inner beach babe with a sandy blonde shade. This splendid combination of light blonde and sandy brown has just enough brightness and warmth to complement both your eye color and skin tone.
Good hair day by @colorbymarina and @jamiedoesgoodhair
Ash Brown
Ash blonde hair might be better suited to fair skin tones, but we love ash brown for medium skin with hazel eyes. To keep your new hue in tip-top shape, swap your regular shampoo and conditioner for Matrix Brass Off Shampoo and Conditioner. This system keeps brown hair cool and prevents brassiness by depositing blue-violet pigment with every use.
Good hair day by @ambrosiacarey.
Lavender
Stay on-trend with a cool-toned pastel shade like lavender. It’s no secret that fantasy shades can be a bit harder to maintain, but if you’re up for the challenge, add Matrix’s Keep Me Vivid system to your cart. This shampoo and conditioner is specifically formulated to extend the life of high-maintenance hair colors like pastels.
Good hair day by @morellosalvatore.
Twilighting
We’ve already established how well warm tones can enhance hazel eyes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to commit to all-over honey or amber. Instead, ask your colorist about the twilighting technique, a method that involves applying golden highlights throughout your dark base to add depth and warmth.
Good hair day by @ebonyanderberg.
Honey Blonde
Honey blonde will complement both the glow of medium skin tones and the golden notes in hazel eyes.
Good hair day by @pekelariley.
Copper Highlights
Opt for copper highlights if you don’t want a full head of copper hair. A partial head of highlights may be all you need to accentuate your eye color and skin tone.
What Hair Color Looks Best With Hazel Eyes and Dark Skin?
Good hair day by @pekelariley.
Caramel Highlights
You can always go right with caramel highlights and deep skin tones. Wray loves adding caramel highlights to instantly draw attention to hazel eyes.
“For clients with darker skin tones, adding brightness around the face will create light that reflects off of the eyes, giving them a brighter appearance,” Wray says. “This will also add depth and dimension to the hair.”
If committing to a full head of highlights sounds like a full-time job, Wray recommends asking your colorist for a money piece or strobing highlights to add a subtle pop of color around your face. We can help you discover which technique is right for you in our guide, What To Know About Every Popular Highlighting Technique.
Good hair day by @haircolorkilla.
Mulled Wine
We never say no to wine—especially when it looks this good! If you have dark skin and hazel eyes, mulled wine is a red shade you should take under serious consideration.
Good hair day by @janeair_studio_uz.
Violet
Wray recommends giving violet hair color a go to keep things vibrant but cool.
“Cooler, dark hair colors such as burgundy or deep violet will both help to draw attention to hazel eyes without washing you out,” Wray says.
Remember that although violet hair is gorgeous, the shade is not exactly low maintenance. If you commit to violet, your colorist can help you develop a touch-up schedule and hair care routine that best fits your needs.
Good hair day by @cesar4styles.
Burgundy
Burgundy hair might appear bold on lighter skin tones, but the deep red shade look almost neutral against dark skin. If you’re looking for a fiery hair color that makes hazel eyes pop, burgundy might be calling your name.
Good hair day by @haircolorkilla.
Dark Auburn
Auburn is a solid middle ground if you’re split between brown and red. Not to mention, the reddish-brown hue picks up on the green flecks in hazel eyes.
Good hair day by @edgybgirl.
Hot Pink
As far as fantasy hair colors go, it doesn’t get much better than hot pink. We love how the deep shade adds a playful element to buzzed hair.
Good hair day by @tippishorter.
Black
While a black hue may be a bit too inky for fairer skin, it’s ideal for deep skin tones. A shine-boosting hair oil is an easy way to enhance the natural richness of like black hair. We’re partial to the Kérastase Elixir Ultime Refillable Hydrating Hair Oil, which also helps control frizz.
Good hair day by @haircolorkilla.
Sandstorm Blonde
If you have hazel eyes and dark skin, don’t assume you can’t wear a full head of blonde—it’s all about finding a color customized to your skin tone. Case in point: Sandstorm blonde against warm-toned dark skin. To achieve a sandstorm hair color, your colorist will use foil highlights or a balayage technique to add streaks of tawny blonde throughout your mane.
Good hair day by @lautriceshenellcurls.
Chestnut Highlights
If you’re worried that a full head of red will be too much to handle, chestnut highlights can give you the hint of red you’re craving with a fraction of the commitment, upkeep, and damage.
Next Up: Our Guide To Maintaining Color-Treated Hair
Header photo credits (left to right): @tippishorter and @amberm_redken
Interested in a hair color for hazel eyes? Use our salon locator to book an appointment at a salon near you.
