It’s safe to say that in 2020, businesses, economies and every corner of our personal lives were disrupted on an unprecedented scale. Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of social distancing guidelines, salons closed down, and clients took their haircare into their own hands (sometimes with disastrous results!)
Times are, thankfully, shifting and it would seem the world is readying itself to re-emerge from its apocalyptic-like cocoon into a ‘new normal.’ As salons reopen and many of us wake up to the state of our neglected locks, we’re left with the lingering feeling of, well, what now? While we wait for the world to sort itself out, there is at least one thing we can do. We can get our own state of affairs, including the state of your hair, back into order. It can’t help to hit the refresh button and try something new.
If you’re ready to rock your new post-quarantine hair look and re-emerge as a beautiful butterfly, then listen up. Here are 12 of the hottest hair color trends to inspire your next look for the new year. They are low-maintenance, meaning fewer upkeep appointments and less money spent.
1. Do It Like Kim: Mushroom Brown Hair
This cool-toned brunette hue involves subtle shades of gray and brown, just like a mushroom.
To achieve this earthy tint, you start with an ash brown base that is then layered with strategically placed lowlights and balayage ranging from dark mochas to beige blondes. The result is a multi-dimensional finish, just like reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
2. Do It Like Bella: Jewel-Toned Hair
If you’re looking to make a bold statement with your hair and switch up your look, get a jewel-toned hair color.
Jewel tones work with most skin tones, but you have to know what works for you. For those with fair skin or lighter strands, choose a medium or light shade. Think amethyst or aqua.
For those with olive skin or darker locks, darker jewel tones like sapphire, fuchsia, and emerald are your best bet. For those with dark skin, dark jewel tones will pop against your skin color, like ruby and garnet. A lighter hue like topaz will work as well.
If you don’t want to commit to an all-over hue and want something a little more subtle, you can add pops of color using pastel hair extensions. They add just enough color without the permanent commitment.
Pro hair coloring tip: Jewel-toned hair requires a bit of work to keep up the vibrancy and shine. Use shampoos, conditioners, and hair masks that are specially made for color-treated hair. Minimize the use of heat on your strands.
3. Do It Like Izabel: Balayage Hair
Despite being one of the hottest hair color trends in the past couple of years, balayage hair isn’t about to disappear anytime soon.
This French highlighting technique is applied entirely by freehand without any guide or cap. It’s a low-maintenance method used to apply your hue of choice on any hair color. With this coloring method, you can get sun-kissed hair that looks natural, just like Victoria’s Secret Model Izabel Goulart.
Pro hair coloring tip: If you want balayage on darker hair, do it like Selena Gomez and use caramel highlights.
4. Do It Like Margot: Shadow Root Hair
Watching your roots grow in is no longer a cringeworthy experience, thanks to this hair color trend.
Shadow-root hair allows the color of your natural roots to shine by making lightening the rest of your hair. During the coloring process, the roots either remain untouched or colored a different shade darker than the rest of the hair. The result is a stylish, blurred blend between light and dark that creates a shadow effect.
Make a statement with this hair color trend, just like “I, Tonya” actress Margot Robbie.
5. Do It Like Hailey: Nude Beige Blonde Hair
If you want a blonde hair color that looks natural and is the perfect blend of warm and cool tones, then nude beige blonde is the way to go.
Halfway between platinum and ashy blonde, this neutral shade is a fan favorite because it works with almost every skin tone. The nude effect is used to intensify your natural hue by going darker or lighter, cooler or warmer depending on how you want to customize your color.
What you get is a subtly luminous hair color that looks very pretty as it grows out, just like Hailey Beiber.
6. Do It Like Gaga: Silver Blonde Hair
Swap out your warmer caramel, golden tones for something cooler with this hair color trend.
This hair color blends traditional blonde with silver tones to create a cool-toned shade that can range from icy white to warm champagne tones, depending on your skin tone.
Keep your roots dark for a growing out process that’s low-maintenance. Your colorist can use the color melting technique to create a seamless blend from the roots to the ends to achieve a beautiful hue like Lady Gaga.
Pro hair coloring tip: To preserve your hair color, use a sulfate-free purple shampoo and conditioner to get rid of brassiness and neutralize orange and yellow undertones.
7. Do It Like Blake: Strawberry Blonde Hair
For natural blondes considering red, this is the perfect color change that doesn’t require as much upkeep as other red shades.
Strawberry blonde, characterized by orange and golden tones, is a multi-dimensional hue that is not entirely red but is darker than blonde. You can go as light or dark as you want, depending on which shade best flatters your skin.
If your skin has cool undertones, choose a shade that is more on the yellow side. If your skin has warm undertones, choose warm rose golds, just like “Gossip Girl” actress Blake Lively.
8. Do It Like Emma: Gilded Copper Hair
This copper-colored trend is an excellent place to start for those looking to add a bit of drama and flair to their looks.
This hair color looks great on natural redheads and brunettes because of their natural red hues. A red hair gloss treatment is a quick and low-maintenance way to get this hair color.
Color your hair a shade (or two) darker than the hue you want to stretch the time between your salon coloring appointments. What you’ll end up with is a vibrant tint that shows off your highlights and lowlights, just like “La La Land” actress Emma Stone.
Pro hair coloring tip: Use a shampoo that’s safe for color-treated hair and a color-depositing conditioner to preserve the hair color.
9. Do It Like Lana: Glossy Dark Brown/Black Hair
There’s something alluring about simple yet classic dark hair colors like dark brown and ink-black.
Naturally dark hair colors are easy to maintain when compared to hair that has been lightened using dyes. Keep your hair from looking brassy and dull by maintaining its vibrancy and shine. Glosses and glazes that you can use at home will keep your strands looking radiant, just like “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” actress Lana Condor.
10. Do It Like Olivia: Dark + Highlights
If you want to perk up your naturally dark strands without committing to a full dye job, highlights are the perfect way to enhance your look.
Contrary to popular belief, dark hair can look just as stunning with highlights as brunette or blonde hair. Sections of your hair are lightened by two or three shades to get subtle or bright tones.
You can achieve highlighted strands that look natural using caramel and golden hues, just like “Love Wedding Repeat” actress Olivia Munn.
11. Do It Like Paris: Rooted Rose Gold Hair
Rose gold is the perfect balance of gold, light pink, and blonde that works with most skin tones.
This hair color can have more gold or pink tones, depending on your skin tone and your strands’ natural color. Make this hair color your own by doing an all-over tone, dyeing only the ends, or adding strategically-placed streaks all over your hair.
The trick to keeping this color low-maintenance is by using the root smudging technique, where the colorist creates a natural transition of shades at the point where your roots will grow out. This allows you to go longer between salon appointments.
If you’re a natural brunette, add some warmth to your tresses with this hair color, just like singer Paris Jackson.
2. Do It Like Miranda: Twilight Hair
To all the Twihards out there, we’re not talking about vampires that sparkle in the sunlight. While the mushroom brown hair trend adds cool tones to darker hair, this hair color technique uses warm hues like gold, caramel, warm chocolate, and bronze to add movement and depth.
‘Twilighting’ is created using a mix of babylights and balayage to create a natural, multi-dimensional look that will have you looking as gorgeous as supermodel Miranda Kerr.
Pro hair coloring tip: To keep your hair from looking like an outgrown ombré, refresh the color every 12 to 16 weeks.
BIO: Emily Weber works with the popular Swiss hair extension brand, Rubin Extensions. She’s previously worked as a freelance writer in all things beauty, hair and fashion. In her downtime, she loves to travel, bake and the occassional pilates workout to balance it all out.