11 Spring Hair Colours To Inspire Your Next Salon Appointment
Last year we saw coloured roots, bunny tail blonde and earthy rose tones take over salons and Instagram feeds across the globe. This season’s breakout hair colour trends are shaping up to be the most sought-after yet.
Our obsession with multidimensional copper, traditional balayage and nostalgic face-framing highlights doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. But with more of us requesting big changes post-lockdown, those failsafe shades and trends are in for a major upgrade for spring and summer 2021.
Ahead, a handful of London’s most innovative colourists predict the hair shades everyone will be asking for next.
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Sunset Copper
“Burgundy was big for 2020 but for spring and summer 2021, it’s all about grown out copper tones that are low maintenance, glossy and vibrant,” says Francesca Dixon, creative director at HARI’s salon. Francesca adds that the overall look is a lot softer than traditional copper and elevated by the option of warm pops of pink, peach or yellow tones, which give the result a sunset-esque finish. “This is a simple yet effective way to change your colour,” she says, “and we’ll also see this in blondes too, with beautiful strawberry tones coming through.”
Biscuit Blonde
Adam Reed, UK editorial ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel, says that buttery biscuit tones (like this stunning finish created by Alex at Mane Painters in Australia) are going to be everywhere this summer. Richer shades erring on caramel are also favoured by colourists but they can be cooled down with flecks of platinum blonde. Be sure to invest in nourishing colour care to keep breakage to a minimum. Try L’Oréal Professionnel Serié Expert Absolut Repair Gold Shampoo, £13.40, and Conditioner, £14.95.
Beautiful Bronze
According to Vernon François, Redken’s global consultant celebrity hairstylist and educator, bronze is the shade to watch come summer, and it suits all skin tones. “I always use Redken’s Shades EQ colours (demi-permanent hair gloss) and have been doing so for years to enhance gloss, tone and refresh colour with no ammonia,” says Vernon, which is what hair expert Danah at Dstylezyou HairLab used for this look. “It’s all about embracing your individuality while maintaining the integrity of the hair’s structure,” says Vernon, “so be prepared for your desired result to take more than one session. It might mean lifting tones initially (especially if your hair is dark) and gradually going lighter over time.”
Money Pieces
“‘Money piece’ highlights are a mix between chunky highlights and soft face-framing highlights,” says Francesca, “and they are pretty low maintenance, too.” Even Beyoncé is a fan. It’s all about lighting up the front section of the hair, Francesca adds, then toning it so the hair is blended beautifully, without looking harsh or stripy. “This look is so versatile and works on all colours, from redheads (including strawberry blonde highlights) to brunettes having golden sun-kissed tones and blondes with bright pops of colour. This is where we’ll see more crazy creative shades being used, like pastels, rogue blonde and short-term dips.”
Pastel Ombre
“Ombre will be making a comeback as minimum maintenance colour is going to be big,” says Francesca. The two colours are expertly blended or melted into each other, so it’s a low maintenance look which is great for those who don’t want to commit to appointments every eight weeks. “This is because your roots will fade into the rest of your hair, eliminating any regrowth problems,” says Francesca. “I expect people will get creative with it too; pinks, peaches and pastel mint and blue tones are all trending.”
Brunette Mocha
Katie Hale at Charles Worthington Salons says brunettes will show off the richness in their colour this spring but it’s more warm than cool. Expect muted mocha tones, which Katie says are great for brunettes who want to stay dark but ditch the red sheen, which is so often the case with dyed brown hair. Take inspiration from this beautiful look created by colour expert and educator Jaye Edwards on Instagram.
’60s Golden Blonde
Anita Rice and Stephen Buller of northeast London’s favourite salon, Buller and Rice, expect we’ll take inspiration from the beautiful blonde hues of the ’60s. Unlike balayage, which merges lots of different blonde colours together for a shadowy effect, ’60s blonde is a bit more “blocky” as Anita puts it, or closer to one shade. It’s still just as Instagram-worthy, like this look created by Buller & Rice hair expert Robert McPhilomey.
Hair Panelling
“I have found that there is a real move towards bleach panels around the face,” says HARI’s Francesca. “While we’ve seen this a lot already with the trending ’90s vibes, I have also seen these panels work so well on my highlight and balayage clients, who really want to see blonde around their face.” Or you could go all out with a pop of colour, like this bold iridescent blue.
Cool Meets Warm
Katie at Charles Worthington says that clients are celebrating their natural hair texture more than ever before thanks to lockdown. She suggests combining cool and warm flecks of colour, which gives dark hair dimension and shape, much like this “golden sparkle” shade created by Jaye Edwards on Instagram.
French Girl Brown
French girl brown is the goal for brunettes, according to Katie. Take inspiration from Taylor LaShae and Jeanne Damas, whose hair is dark and rich with subtle and natural honey tones dispersed throughout the ends, which catch the light and appear golden.
Toffee Blonde
Anita and Stephen confirm that balayage will never be out of style, and this summer will see it take on a more boho vibe. “There’s such a trend for block colour blonde lately,” says Anita. Think hair bleached by the sun: platinum on the ends with a handful of golden flecks. This look by hair artist Charlotte Mensah illustrates it perfectly.
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