French beauty! Local brunette! Cherry-cola pink! Everyone is calling their colorist as the seasons change and the transition into spring begins. And believe that the recent wave of runway and red-carpet dye jobs has boosted mood boards.
“I’m definitely seeing people looking for more unique tones—they want to have fun,” says Daniel Moon, the LA-based colorist who gave Jessie Buckley the volcanic-amber bob seen at the Oscars 2023. This spring color exudes power and provides an “attitude adjustment that only a new hair look can provide,” he adds. It’s even happening on a global scale, according to Stephanie Brown, lead colorist at SoHo’s IGK Salon.
“The spring equinox, the start of the astrological year in Aries (passionate, motivated, and confidence), plus this year is also a new moon,” she says, noting that because all of these events represent change, it’s no surprise that people are reflecting the energy.
” From creamy blondes to plummy chocolates, here are the biggest spring hair-color trends to keep an eye on.
Plummy Chocolate
Friedman’s recent chocolatey, plummy hue for actress Tessa Thompson adds dimension to brunettes. It also refers to “gingersnaps,” or recent requests for “every variation of natural, enhanced, and bright glowing reds,” according to the colorist.
Cherry-Cola Red
“The cherry-cola trend is alive and well!” exclaims Brown. “It’s a deep red that’s not so bright, but when the sun shines on it, it glows,” she says of the shade, which is ideal for darker hair types looking to change up their everyday tones. “It’s mysterious” when night falls.
Creamy, Cool Blonde
“Blondes are back,” says Jenna Perry, who pioneered the copper trend on Kendall Jenner last year and has been experimenting with “creamy, cool blondes that sparkle” on Lila Moss this spring. “I like this color, and I believe others do as well because it gives a youthful, childlike, cool Scandinavian look.”
Venetian Copper Blonde
“Immortality in a hair color,” Ott says. She is “personally loving a less literal approach” and “bringing a dash of that reddish copper-gold into blondes for spring” as red tones become more popular. “It acts as golden-hour light against the skin,” as seen in the radiant effect on Issa Lish’s many variations. “It always looks cool, perfectly lived in, and is very healthy,” Ott says of the environmentally friendly alternative to icy platinum.
Coppery Red
“Copper reds are going to make a big splash this spring,” says Rez, who has seen many people who have always wanted to try the shade finally ask for it. “The vibrancy of a copper red is very appealing to me,” he says. “I love seeing the gold and orange tones in the sunlight.”
French New Wave Blonde
“I love walking the tightrope with my brunettes and blondes to create a color that defies what we’ve seen in the past for those colors,” Moon says. This version “feels like it could have been in a French New Wave film,” he says, “but there’s an undercurrent of something you’ve never seen before,” thanks to the addition of a honey-brown undertone that makes this blonde “timeless yet bespoke.”
Faded Pastels With Built-In Roots
Moon claims that visible roots are alive and well and that people want “a subtle built-in root with their creative color.” If you want to try a pastel bubble-gum pink like Sophia Cohen’s, Moon says it “also has the benefit of a highlighted-blonde look when the color fades out.” “I like how this style can be worn in a variety of ways.”
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Volcanic Amber
Moon wanted to “create something bright with depth and dimension for a luxurious feel” for Jessie Buckley’s red hair at the Oscars by playing off her gothic Rodarte dress and natural color. “We deviated from single-tone and flatter reds by layering color to walk the line of a fashion-color red to complement her natural texture.”
Lived-In Warm Brunette
Though blondes and redheads are popular, “darker, bolder hair color pops more as we exit winter,” according to Tracey Cunningham, whose clients include Aubrey Plaza, Zendaya, and Camila Morrone, and who says the lived-in-brunette trend “just enhances an already classic color” for spring. “Warm brunette is such a subtle color—so chic and simple but making a big impact.”
Matte Mink Brown
“I’ve been tinting people’s lighter locks back to more subdued matte shades of light brown and dark ash blonde that more or less resemble their darker natural base,” colorist Jackson Heller says, whose clients include Eve Jobs and Sky Ferreira. The mink shade is inspired by Y2K models such as Gemma Ward and Natasha Poly, and Heller predicts that it will be “definitely a trend we will see more and more in the next year.”
Celestial Platinum
Ott describes the color she created for the “almost holy” Michelle Williams at the Oscars this month as “celestial platinum.” She describes it as “the color that an angel would naturally be—definitely appropriate for spring.” This gives “a softened and filtered feel to the light blonde rather than totally blasting it out—you can feel that there is life under the surface” to those who are used to icy bleached hair.
