Choosing a hair color is not like picking out a shade of nail polish for your pedicure. It generally involves a more nuanced, conceptual frame of reference.
Whether we like it or not, we often come to certain opinions about people from their appearance. The term “fiery redhead” doesn’t generally refer to the person’s color choice, but rather to their disposition.
Choosing your hair color can be for somewhat lighter reasons. Done well, the proper shade can brighten your look, improve your complexion, and draw attention to your best features.
But all those considerations simply work better when done within the context of examining you as a person, and determining what color goes well with your personality, and sense of style.
There are many guidelines to help you make this decision, but they are only guidelines. The rule never darken or lighten your hair more than two shades can be broken with certain women, an experienced stylist, and attention to details like matching eyebrows.
The guideline is “warm tints for warm skin tones and ash tints for cool skin tones” but today the trend is very much towards warm tones, unless you are one of the people that it simply will not work for.
In the end, while hair color can be nothing more than the accessory of the season, it can also be much, much more than that — more like a signature staple of your wardrobe, and something to be decided on with care and attention.