The right colour match follows the hair the extensions will sit beside. That often means paying more attention to the mid-lengths and ends than to the roots.
A shade name is a useful starting point, but it cannot describe every highlight, shadow and change of tone in your own hair. Before choosing an extension colour, look at the overall blend and decide which parts you want to preserve.
Start where the lengths meet
Hair is not always the same colour from scalp to tip. Natural regrowth, a root shadow or a balayage technique can leave the upper section noticeably deeper. Matching only that area may produce extensions that look too dark through the lengths.
Photograph your hair loose from the back, then compare the area around your shoulders with the ends. If you want the extensions to continue your existing colour, these are useful references. If you want a different result, explain the change rather than simply sending a current photograph.
Separate depth from undertone
Depth describes how light or dark the hair looks. Undertone describes its warmth or coolness. Two blondes can appear similarly light while one looks golden and the other more muted. A match that gets the depth right but misses the undertone can still look disconnected.
Look at your hair in indirect daylight. Avoid judging it only in a bathroom mirror or under warm salon lights. Our guide to blonde undertones explores this distinction in more detail.
For a deeper colour, compare the Classic Dark collection with the depth through your own lengths. The Platinum Collection offers another set of individual colour references; use each product photograph as your starting point rather than the collection name alone.
Send photographs that explain the whole picture
- Take a rear view with the hair down and the full length visible.
- Add a side view and a closer photograph of the lengths.
- Use a plain background and avoid filters, direct flash and very strong sunlight.
- Mention recent colour work and any appointment you have planned.
- Include the names of the Solestré shades you are considering.
A reference image of someone else can explain the finish you like. Keep it separate from your own photographs and describe the particular feature that appeals to you: a cooler blonde, a softer root or a brighter ribbon through the ends.
Allow for dimension
Highlighted hair may contain several tones. The aim is to understand how those tones work together, not to find one strand that matches a screen image exactly. Your stylist can help assess whether a ready-made shade, more than one tone or a bespoke blend would suit the intended placement.
Screen settings and lighting affect what a photograph shows. For a close match, ask whether a physical reference or sample would be appropriate before committing to an order.
Choose after your colour plan is clear
If you intend to change your own colour, make that decision with your colourist first. Choosing extensions for today’s hair can complicate a different shade planned for next week. Bring your fitting professional into the conversation so the colour, cut and placement can be considered together.
Ready to narrow the options? Start a Solestré colour match enquiry. If the required blend sits beyond the current collection, explore custom colour.