Honey golden blonde is perfect for transitioning from summer to fall and is relatively low-maintenance for people with medium brown and blonde hair. “Honey-gold hair is a warm, golden blonde shade with hints of honey and caramel tones,” says Nicole. “It’s a perfect combination of natural and bright hues that can perfectly complement any skin tone, and it’s versatile enough to work for both summer and fall.” It's rich vibrance also brings warmth and radiance to the overall look, she says.
“When selecting the perfect shade of blonde, I prefer using the modern technique of balayage for highlighting the hair,” says Abby. “Balayage allows for a variety of blonde shades, creating a beautiful blend. It works particularly well on a blonde base, enhancing individual strands and adding movement.” Abby’s favourite take on balayage blonde is a light golden base and bright pieces of Balayage highlights, as seen on her client Olivia Palermo.
“Hair lifted to the lightest shade of blonde without using a toner is very popular right now,” Alex Brownsell, celebrity hairstylist and cofounder of Bleach London, tells Glamour. “The maintenance for this bleach is low, but the key is to keep the roots fresh. A colour top-up at your salon or at home every five to six weeks is a must, as waiting longer can cause banding and turn the raw colour into yellow, ruining the effect.” Alex suggests Bleach London Silver Conditioner for maintaining the look. (Also of note? This looks so cool with short hair.)
Nineties blonde is back, baby! “A nod to the ’90s, this bright blonde is achieved with lots of highlights and is left ‘untoned’ to give a slightly raw, bleached look,” says Tom Smith, celebrity colourist and Evo Hair creative director. “Thanks to modern hair care, this colour can be achieved while keeping the hair in tiptop condition, which is important to keep this looking like an intentional fashion choice.”
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One of the most popular takes on blonde is expensive honey blonde, which counts Jennifer Lawrence as a fan. “Expensive honey is a warm blonde hair colour trend that looks and feels expensive,” hairstylist Jennifer says. “Expensive honey has a redder and browner undertone, creating a multidimensional and rich-looking hair colour.”
Temperatures may be rising, but hair colour shades are cooling down, says Gregory Patterson, celebrity hairstylist and DIY expert for Sally Beauty, pointing to champagne blonde as a prime example. “We’re looking at very cool tones, but the good kind – think very cool, smoky, oaky ash blonde,” he says to achieve what we’re now calling a chardonnay-inspired cool blonde.
Emily Boulin, hairstylist and Sally Beauty DIY colour and styling expert, points to blended contrast blonde as an up-and-coming trend. “It’s natural, softly dimensional, on the higher scale of hair levels,” she says of the shade. To get the warm blonde look, she suggests using Wella Colour Fresh Mask Golden Gloss. This look also looks good as creamy blonde balayage paired with a darker root.
Since hair colours are cooling down, it’s no surprise we’re seeing so many more icy blonde and platinum blonde colours. “Hair colours, just like anything else in beauty and fashion, go through trends, and hair colours and styles usually ride next to fashion trends,” Patterson says of the bright blonde tone.
Rita also created Beyoncé’s summery blonde shade, which she coined as sun-washed blonde. She says her inspo behind the look was end-of-summer hair: “When you spend all summer on the beach and the sun and salt water give you the ultimate colour,” Rita says. To get the look, she “lightened her natural colour three shades, then customised where I wanted to place the highlights.”
Prepare to see butterscotch blonde everywhere. “Deep blonde will be trending, with butterscotch blonde taking the cake,” Shvonne says of this buttery blonde. “This rich, balanced colour allows for a beautiful golden depth, instead of an icy pop.”
If you’re tired of high-maintenance shades or want something closer to your natural colour, you’ll love the ombré balayage aesthetic. “Less is more with a subtle ombré look,” says Shvonne. “It draws inspiration from ’70s style icons and features a solid root with grown-in, sun-kissed blonde highlights woven throughout the mid lengths and ends.”
“There’s no doubt that brown hair has been a huge colour trend in recent years, with many celebrities opting for a natural (even if it’s not their own natural) hue,” says Alex. “We have seen many blondes becoming more beige, with many people opting to keep their blonde but tone it down to something that could pass as natural.”
Examples of the phenomenon include caramel blonde and honey wheat, which can be created using part Just Like Honey, part White Heat, and part Instant Coffee.
Hairstylist Nicholas Taylor has noticed an uptick in Playboy-inspired “bunny golden blonde” as of late. “The ‘ash blonde’ is going to be less relevant and we are going to be seeing more gold and honey tones,” he says of the bright baby blonde look.
If you want the perfect blend of ashy and creamy sandy blonde hair, sandy beige is calling your name. “We are seeing more beige blondes, as opposed to those bright buttery tones,” Jaclyn Curti, hair colourist and extensions specialist at Eva Scrivo Salon, tells Glamour. “Think Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Aniston, who are the epitome of that sandy, beige blonde.”
Looking for a dark blonde hair colour? Good news: Nicholas has also noticed a surge in warm blonde and honey blondes. “I predict deep honey blonde is making its comeback; Chris Appleton just did a honey blonde on Kim Kardashian and I’m obsessed,” he says.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Tilda Swinton attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 05, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Lauren points to “high lumen” blonde as an ideal colour. “This luminescent blonde is created by blending multiple tones of metallic gold and platinum throughout the hair, allowing one tone to define the other by creating a backdrop for the lightest tone to shine through,” she says. “When we outline our lightest blondes with a warm topaz tone, we create a natural balance.”
“Multihued hair are taking off more than ever,” Alex says. “Acid tips on crisp blonde hair is a striking yet low-effort look. We have had many requests at our West Hollywood Bleach Salon for mixing natural shades with bright greens, blues, purples and pinks. Clients toying with the idea of a fun colour but not wanting to commit to a full head.”
The key to nailing it is to keep the overall look grounded in your natural hair base tone to make the other colours pop, Alex continues. You can easily DIY the look with Bleach London’s Total Bleach Kit and conditioning Super Cool Colours.
Last but certainly not least is mushroom blonde, which is the cool and ashy version of “bronde” (assuming apricot is a bit too warm for your taste). “I love the idea of using mushrooms to describe the tone of the hair colour,” says Joel Warren, celebrity colourist and founder of the Salon Project. “They have so many different tones of beige and grey that are hard to describe. These tones evolved from the grey and silver trend to a slightly more natural look. The combinations with highlights and lowlights gives a beautiful modern look.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: Beyoncé supports Jay-Z as he accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Beyoncé led the pack of celebs who dyed their hair Targaryen blonde last year. The name is, of course, a reference to House Targaryen from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, a family known for their dragons, questionable familial relationships, and icy blonde hair.
“Targaryen blonde is winter-white blonde,” says celebrity colourist Jenna Perry, who has worked with the likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. “It’s as virgin blonde as you can get.”
Michelle Yeoh at the "Wicked" Los Angeles Premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 9, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)Gilbert Flores/Getty Images
Michelle Yeoh turned heads at the Wicked premiere by debuting this golden platinum blonde Old Hollywood bob. Jennifer Korab, hairstylist and founder of Renaissance Salon & Spa, recommends leaning into your undertones to achieve the most flattering shade of blonde. “Warm undertones look best with warmer and golden platinum to prevent looking washed out,” she says.
As for the Old Hollywood bob? Helen Reavey, celebrity hairstylist, certified trichologist, and founder of Act+Acre, previously told Glamour: “We’re seeing a resurgence of Old Hollywood and vintage-inspired haircuts because there’s a craving for timeless elegance and glamour."
A version of this article was originally published on GLAMOUR US.