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10 Spring Hair Color Trends, From Honey Blonde to Coral

Photo-Illustration: by Stevie Remsberg; Photos: Getty

“Out with the old and in with the new” can apply to more than just spring cleaning. If you’re looking to change your hair this season, there’s no shortage of fresh ideas to choose from. To find out what’s trending, the Cut spoke with ten sought-after colorists from Los Angeles to Paris. Their answers ranged from graphic brights to variations on low-key blonde. Read on for a guide to the ten biggest spring hair color trends, plus tips on how to choose what’s best for you.

Honey Blonde

Marissa Terranova, Bumble and Bumble
I am most excited about brightening and lightening, but in a warmer, more golden way. The past few years were all about cool icy tones, which can make certain skin colors look sallow and washed out. Now I’m seeing a shift to buttery blondes, warm caramels, and golden coppers which flatter everyone. Allowing some warmth in the hair is much more maintainable, too.

At-home maintenance: I always advise a UV-protectant like Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Leave-in Conditioner Spray. It has UV filters and can be easily sprayed at the beach or before a blow-dry. I also recommend putting your hair in a bun or braids while at the beach or pool, so it doesn’t get wet, and always using a color-treated shampoo and conditioner.

Living Coral

Rona O’Connor, Lukaro Salon
So many of my clients are coming in wondering if they should try red. I’m loving coral washes over blonde, which suit every skin tone. I add pigments of orange for warm-toned skin or pink for cooler complexions. Hermès-inspired orange hues flatter gingers, and a more neutral Irish-setter auburn is great for all skin tones. My personal favorite is a new, cooled strawberry that is the palest of blushed blondes. It’s especially beautiful on cool complexions with blue eyes.

At-home maintenance: My biggest advice is to use shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair that’s specifically labeled anti-fade. A weightless leave-in conditioner is also a must for everyone with fine to coarse hair. It guarantees 24/7 hair-color protection.

By keeping the surface layer of the hair filled with nourishing ingredients, you protect the interior of the hair and its ability to reflect light. Doing a mask once a week during the summer is also a good idea.

Retro Blonde

Corinne Danchaud, Serge Normant at John Frieda salon
The hair trend for the new season is very blonde and very glamorous. It’s a more blended color with some very bright pieces that bring light to the face. It seems like over the last two years, women are more focused on voluptuous, healthy-looking hair inspired by the most glamorous time — the ‘50s — when the colors were platinum blonde like Marilyn or rich brunette like Elizabeth Taylor. If you’re naturally brunette going blonde, you will have to be patient. Start with lots of all-over highlights and a color lift. It’s a process, but in order to have healthy hair, you can’t rush it.

At-home maintenance: Conditioning treatments keep bleached hair healthy and shiny.

Crayola Hair

Aura Friedman, Sally Hershberger Salon
For spring, everyone is going bold with graphic, cheerful colors — red, orange, yellow, green. I’m also into millennial pink for a softer look. I think a bold color trend is for anyone who wants to express themselves in a happy way. It’s been a long winter, so let’s burst out in rainbows like the flowers.

At-home maintenance: I recommend R+ Co. Analog Cleansing Foam Conditioner, Unwash Conditioner, Davines Minu Hair Mask, and always Olaplex if the hair has been bleached.

High-Contrast Blonde

George Papanikolas, Matrix celebrity colorist
I love beach blonde, the kind that’s inspired by what the sun would do to your hair, because it’s effortlessly cool. What makes it current for spring is the contrast. Technically, it can be tailored to any tone and base color. The lighter pieces are just as important as the darker pieces because they bring attention to each other.

The highlight placement should be focused around the face frame, natural part, and ends, leaving a lot of negative space as the backdrop. It’s a great way to go lighter without a huge time commitment. Prepare for a refresh about every three months, and a toner/gloss every four to six weeks.

At-home maintenance: I highly recommend using Matrix ColorSync Fast Toners to help maintain blonde. The toners keep the highlights at their ideal shade, giving you the desired warm or cool tones. I also always suggest getting a haircut before a highlight appointment so that your colorist can tailor the highlights to the cut; this will give your color the most longevity.

Baby Blonde

Stephanie Brown, IGK Salon
The hair color trend I’m most excited about is baby blonde. It’s a very light, neutral blonde that’s a union of the snow-bunny blonde and the creamy blonde that we’ve been seeing all winter. The key is a warm base color with almost white highlights, like what we see on Dove Cameron, Margot Robbie, and Lili Reinhart. Since this is a mixture of warm and cool tones, it works well with all skin tones.

For natural blondes, ask your stylist for paler and fine highlights and to warm up your base color. For those with darker natural hues, your stylist will need to lift your color to a warm/neutral blonde first.

At-home maintenance: Avoid extremely hot showers and stay out of the sun or wear a hat. A good purple shampoo like Kevin Murphy Angel Wash fights brassiness, or you can use a purple additive to your styling products like IGK Mixed Feelings Leave-in Blonde Drops.

Rosy Brown

Greg Ruggeri, Salon Ruggeri
I’m seeing brunettes asking for rosy brown with flecks of caramel, strawberry, or peach. The result reminds me of washes of watercolors. I like this variation of brown because it’s moving away from the dark roots and platinum ends into a more relaxed, lived-in look.

For brunettes who want to go lighter, this is an easy transition. When your hair is faded, ask your colorist to do either balayage or foils on the ends, then gloss all over with either caramel, strawberry, or peach tones on top.

At-home maintenance: Moisture, moisture, moisture. Hydration is the key after a long winter.

Sandy Blonde

Maddison Cave, David Mallett salon
Bright piece-y blondes are having a real moment, but really when is blonde ever out? The shade of blonde changes from tone to tone, but I would describe it as more “sandy” than golden. Ask your colorist for bright “money” pieces around your face, but to shadow your roots with a slightly darker demi-permanent color. If your hair is super dark, you may not be able to be too light without going orangey or damaging your hair, so defer to your colorist for best results.

At-home maintenance: Wash your hair every other day to ensure your hair looks healthy. Use a color-safe shampoo like David Mallett Shampoo No. 3 La Couleur to protect your blonde from fading and getting brassy from natural elements.

Brightened Brunette

Nikki Lee, Garnier hair color expert
The hair color trend that I am most excited about is warm, sunlight brunette. It’s a great color option for spring because it is light, fresh, and not overdone. The base can stay warm and the ends can stay neutral to accommodate your skin tone, which makes it a pretty universal shade. Ask for a warm-rooted base with some light golden balayage ends. I recently did this for Lea Michele.

At-home maintenance: Overall, this color is easy to keep up. To avoid going brassy, I recommend getting Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color Nourishing Anti-Brass Treatment. I also advise a leave-in conditioner like In Common Magic Myst elixir to keep the hair healthy.

… Or Forego Trends Altogether

Christophe Robin, Christophe Robin salon
I am very much into natural, healthy tones right now. We like colors that we can find in nature that don’t look artificial. The perfect hair color is the one you don’t notice. Stay true to yourself and find the color that looks best for you — enhancing your features, complexion, and eyes naturally.

Before going to the salon, find photos of what you like and dislike. It’ll be easier to communicate with your colorist and will help avoid mistakes. I also always recommend not washing your hair for two to three days before a salon appointment. The natural oils will protect the fiber.

At-home maintenance: I always compare hair care with skin care. If you take good care of your skin, you don’t need to touch up your makeup all the time, and same goes for hair. If you take good care of it with the right nutrients, your color won’t oxidize as quickly. My Christophe Robin Shade Variation Care Masks are a great way to maintain your color and to eliminate unwanted tones or brassiness. My Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt is formulated to soothe scalp itchiness (which often happens after a coloring service) and remove all the color residues left behind. I recommend doing it no more than once a week.

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10 Spring Hair Color Trends, From Honey Blonde to Coral