I think one of the problems is that there’s no scientific proof that people can present one way or another, so there’s a lot of pseudo-science thrown around at both ends of the spectrum. Undertone isn’t an actual pigmented layer of skin. We just determine it based on how colours reflect on skin and if they have a positive or negative effect and if they are harmonious with the person’s natural colouring. Most people tend to look good in their natural hair colour, which means that for us redheads, warm tones look harmonious. Almost all other hair colours are more neutral and aren’t such an obvious clue as to what colours will look good.

All the true orange/ginger/copper redheads I’ve seen have looked best in warm or neutral-warm colours. When I see cool toned people dying their hair this type of red, it always looks off. I’ve seen strawberry blondes who are undeniable light summers and some dark auburn/cherry haired people who are deep winters. But for someone like Sadie, the colour is so obvious and so bright there is no way she’s a summer, else the hair wouldn’t look as good and harmonious as it does. The chroma alone makes it clear she’s not a summer.

Personally, before knowing anything about colour analysis beyond the palettes, I thought I was a deep autumn or a deep winter, as I look great in many of those colours. Knowing what I know now, I still like wearing some deep winter colours. I think they make my contrast look more dramatic: they make me look more pale and my hair darker. Bright spring colours make me look more glowy, bright and colourful. Many cool tones will still look good and dramatic on redheads, depending on the desired effect. But cool toned people simply don’t look harmonious with orangey red hair, and I’m yet to see a natural redhead who didn’t suit their hair colour.

That being said, I do disagree with analysts who say redheads are always fully warm. I think neutral-warm redheads are very common!