It's Friday night, and you're at the bar tapping your nails on the counter waiting for your next gin and tonic. Your eyes land on the girl standing next to you. Well, not so much her as her hair: bright blonde curls tossed over her shoulder that, to the untrained eye, would read as God-gifted or sun-bleached. But you know the truth: It's the work of a good colourist.
Even if you can't afford the crème de la crème when it comes to your salon — because hey, we're all on a budget — you can have that kind of enviable cool-girl colour, so long as you do your photo research and bring the visuals to your next appointment. To that end, we've rounded up the breakout hair-colour trends out of L.A. and NYC's hottest salons right now.
Whether it's white-blonde babylights, or face-framing copper brunette pieces, scroll through to find the colour that will have you feeling fresh and cool for spring — even as you wait on another drink for what feels like forever.
Bright Blonde
Bright, not-quite-platinum blonde will come back into continual rotation this spring, according to Linda de Zeeuw, master stylist at NYC's Rob Peetom Salon. "This spring, hair colour will be fresh and shiny, and we'll see a resurgence in bright blonde," de Zeeuw tells us. She explains that there are many different ways to take your hair a few shades lighter, even if you don't want to go double-process platinum. "Highlights and foilyage techniques are amazing ways to achieve this look and bring out the brightest blonde in the hair," de Zeeuw says says.
Photo: Courtesy of Rob Peetom Salon.Light-blonde babylights look cool painted on top of naturally dark curls, and even more so when contrasted by a purposefully grown-out root.
Double-process platinum is undoubtedly a huge commitment, but if anyone can convince us to jump on board (with a bottle of Olaplex in hand), it's Vanessa Hong, with her bright, shiny lob and terracotta long-sleeve maxi.
As de Zeeuw explained, you can infuse white blonde into your hair via super-fine highlights. That said, no matter how light you go, it's vital to commit to a maintenance plan to keep the blonde tones fresh. de Zeeuw recommends stocking a colour-protecting shampoo and conditioner, like Davines Alchemic Silver line, and a repairing hair mask for once a week use. She likes the Davines Nourishing Building Pak, which you can buy on Amazon.
Copper Brunette
Another big colour trend for spring is going to be a warm, blended copper brunette, like a muted version of the fiery copper hair trend we've been seeing recently. Los Angeles-based hair pro Cherin Choi of Nova Arts Salon tells us she's been recommending the shade to all her natural brunette clients looking for a change. "I've found that copper highlights complement most skin tones and add a nice dimension and contrast to dark brown hair," she says. "If you have naturally dark hair and you're craving a change, copper and warm gold accents bring some lightness to your hair to get you one step closer to your summer colour."
You can take your copper-tinged highlights more red or bright orange in tone, depending on how drastically you want to contrast your brunette base.
Here, Choi shows us how to give your copper brunette more of a gold effect, another choice for those who want to accent their dark roots with a warmer shade somewhere between blonde and burnished copper.
Photo: Courtesy of Nova Arts Salon.You can get wild with your blending by combining rich red with pale blonde strands and golden brunette face-framing pieces for a gorgeous multi-tonal effect.
Cream Blonde
Blondes are going both cool white and more yellow-tinged cream in tone, according to colourist Cassie Cohen of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger Salon. "I love a soft, creamy blonde for spring," Cohen says. "For the most natural look, ask your stylist for ribbons of cream-toned highlights on the top layers, right where the sun would hit." The best part, Cohen tells us, is that the upkeep is pretty relaxed: highlights every 3 to 4 months, adding a gloss in between to refresh the shine and tones.
Photo: Courtesy of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger Salon.Colourist Morgan Parks tells us that a subtle cream highlight will be easier to maintain than an white blonde. "I find that this type of neutral blonde is a universal shade that works on every base shade, and gives a natural, warm glow to the hair without being super obvious," she says.
You can blend your cream blonde accents into just the ends of your curls for a look that reads like a warm gold tint, not a streaky blonde highlight.
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