Color Wheel Antics for the Hair Color Obsessed: Complementary Colors

We all know that having bright, fantasy colored hair is the Best Thing Ever. It's pretty much an instant accessory to anything you wear. However - sometimes we want more than one color. Sometimes we want ALL THE COLORS. How to choose a combination or color scheme? How to customize our look for the best possible results?

For that, we turn to the color wheel.

The color wheel, as a former art student, is one of my favorite tools. Even though most of us can recite ROY G BIV and know our primary colors, using this visual tool can really help anyone step up their game when it comes to co-ordination. There are 6 different ways to use the color wheel:

Complementary, Analogous, Triadic, Split Complementary, Rectangle (or Tetradic), and Square.

Today we're going to focus on Complementary Colors!

First, we need to figure out how to find complementary colors using the wheel.

Complementary colors are found at opposite points on the color wheel. When mixed, these colors make complicated brown mushes, but paired side by side, they work to push each other to their bold limits!

Here we can see how Christina Hendricks paired her gorgeous copper locks with an emerald dress to set off the complementary colors, and how blogger Lizzy Davis put an extreme red and green in her hair for a bold holiday look.

It's easy to introduce complementary color theory into your life! You can dye multiple colors, like Lizzy, or you can introduce via accessories - statement pieces to go with your statement hair, each setting off the other for a truly stand-out look. We've included some of our favorite accessory/hair combinations below!

What other combinations can you guys think of? Got some awesome complementary inspiration? Let us know by tweeting @overtonecolor !

NEXT WEEK: ANALOGOUS COLORS

Great complimentary color accessories for people with red hair:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/hairaccessories/crossing-campus-headband

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/accessories-hair/32343832.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-32343832-_-Regular_34#/

http://m.anthropologie.com/mobile/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24354953&catId=ACCESSORIES-JEWELRY

http://us.topshop.com/en/tsus/product/bags-accessories-1702229/jewelry-70524/green-arrow-rope-necklace-2835825?refinements=Color%7b1%7d~%5bblue%7cgreen%5d&bi=41&ps=20

Great complementary color accessories for people with orange hair:

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/accessories-jewelry/32432411.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-32432411-_-Large_30#/

http://www.express.com/clothing/layered+stone+and+stacked+sequin+bib+necklace/pro/0262226/cat570005

http://www.target.com/p/merona-double-wrap-watch-blue/-/A-14242478#prodSlot=large_2_21

http://us.topshop.com/en/tsus/product/bags-accessories-1702229/jewelry-70524/turquoise-semi-precious-stone-2939174?refinements=Color%7b1%7d~%5bblue%7cgreen%5d&bi=1&ps=20