There are two ways to approach your pre-fall hair color appointment: You can opt for a subtle, low-maintenance tweak (in the interest of staying out of the salon for the next few months), or finally go for the big color change you’ve been mulling over since the start of quarantine. However you’re feeling about your current color — loving your natural roots or feeling drained by dullness — there’s a highlight or balayage trend that will serve as inspiration for a fresh fall look. From the chic new take on brunette balayage to a bright-white platinum that will pop up on Zoom screens everywhere come September, Refinery 29 has found five budding hair color trends to bring to your next (safe) salon appointment.
Chocolate Chai. Like the cooler version of “cold brew” brunette updated for 2020, NYC-based colorist Stephanie Brown calls this remix “chocolate chai.” Brown explains that the dark root color lends itself to the chocolate reference, while the swirls of chai are the painted pieces of pale brown placed around the hairline — but off the root — for low-maintenance, lived-in color.
Vacation Blonde. Even if summer 2020 didn’t include a terrycloth towel and a cabana, you can pretend it did with the help of your colorist. Bring them this color visual by Bre Trupiano, a colorist out of L.A.’s Andy Lecompte Salon, who calls the sandy and sun-bleached highlight trend “vacation blonde.” For application, Chicago-based colorist Karissa Schaudt tells us the blonde highlights should be placed all around the hairline, with a little root smudging for depth and a purposeful grow out.
Honey Copper. If you have black hair and are looking for a fall highlight that won’t go brassy in two weeks, consider a honey-tinged tone. According to Vida, the colorist at NYC’s Devachan Salon, a subtle honey highlight used in conjunction with DevaCurl’s No-Poo Blue Shampoo cancels out orange-y undertones and delivers a natural-looking warm highlight over dark hair.
Zoom Platinum. For the change-seekers, Brown tells us she’s been seeing a lot of people turning to peroxide. “Maybe it’s the Zoom screen or just quarantine in general, but I’m finding a lot of clients are itching to do something bold, either chunky face-frame highlights or a really light platinum,” says Brown. Model Kaia Gerber recently transitioned from summer blonde to even blonder (which gave her a lifted base to try a semi-permanent pink).
Golden Topaz. If the vibe you’re going for is rich fall color, golden topaz is it. According to celebrity hairstylist Ruslan Nureev, there are two important factors at play: the soft highlight blending and glossy shine. For the former, consider a mid-light that connects your darker root color to the brighter ends and makes the tonal transition smooth, not ombréd. For the shine factor, Nureev recommends at-home hydrating treatments, like Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, to keep the golden tones shimmery. Though the overall effect of a golden topaz color might be solid from afar, Schaudt tells us there should be a mix of different tones happening up close. “You want a mix of golden highlights and copper mid-lights using your natural color as the base,” she explains. “The look is also pretty low-maintenance and easy to wear because everyone’s natural hair lifts warm.”
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