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From buttery blonde to spiced cacao.
Spring is all about new beginnings—but for your hair, the season is more of a bridge. Springtime hair hues reflect the season’s renewal and vibrancy while providing a smooth, seamless aesthetic transition from winter to summer. For this reason and more, this year’s trending shades are all about play, lightness, and less is more. “The vibe is enhancement, achieved through both subtle and bold changes,” says hairstylist Illeisha Lussiano, owner of Soho’s The Way. Quieter colors include tawny, cookie brondes, and pale gingers, while spring’s bolder notes come via soft near-blacks scattering of muted (even frozen) “fantasy colors” that rival fruits and flowers.
“Overall, people are going for a less is more approach for spring, setting up their summer looks but still keeping it mild and easy,” says celebrity colorist Emaly Baum of New York’s Beauty Supply. Still, for those in want of a full-tilt makeover, there’s never a better time than the present. “If you’ve been thinking about a hair change, just do it!” says Lussiano.
Here are seven hair color trends for your springtime revival.
Buttery Blonde
Celebrity colorist Matt Rez is calling golden butter blonde the shade of the season—and he’s never one to miss. “This color has multi-color and tonal dimension,” he says. “A neutral base color is preserved through the lengths to pop the buttery highlights, and the connecting midlight color is golden to give the overall look its warmth and more movement without overpowering the lightest bits.” Colorist Phoebe Nathan agrees with the sentiment. “A consistent style I see amongst the majority of my blonde clients is to keep depth and variation throughout their hair, keeping a substantial amount of natural color allows the brighter ribbons of blonde to stand out while remaining low-maintenance and ‘lived in,’” she says.
Airy Ginger
Copper tones continue to trend, though spring’s favorite take is a touch more subdued than previous shades. “I’ve been seeing more and more habitually auburn and cowboy copper clients opt for a lighter hue as we head toward the warmer seasons,” says Nathan. She notes that a gentle lift can take deeper reds to delicate gingers while remaining within the copper color family. “ It’s a more playful, airy version of a lot of the colors we’ve seen at the beginning of the year.”
Charcoal Brunette
So far, 2024’s darkest brunette is soft and almost black. The shade was borne of a perfect storm of pop culture moments, from Priscilla to Poor Things, and comes down to neutral undertones and a matte finish. Consider the texture of a swipe of charcoal on paper, kohl along lids, or a freshly pulled shot of espresso: dark, single-toned, and sumptuous.
Popsicle Blonde
Icy strawberries and peaches transform a blonde base into something more ethereal. “Spring evokes images of fresh, bright, and whimsical colors,” says Nathan, who predicts a rise in peach-washed blonde. “For blondes that want to experiment with ‘fantasy colors,’ it can be applied as a quick wash to give their hair a light and temporary hue, rather than having to commit to a bolder shade.” Meanwhile, Baum describes iced strawberry as light and airy with a pinkish finish. “It’s super fun and great for blondes who want to try something new but aren’t looking to commit to full-on red,” she agrees.
Spiced Cacao
Spring’s deep brunette is more cacao than cocoa. Though still luxe and rich, a bit of spice brightens the shade ever so slightly, just in time for sunnier days. “Coppery browns can range from a subtle, understated tint to a richer, deeper shade—it’s extremely flexible and extremely flattering on brunettes, as most already naturally have underlying warmth to their hair,” says Nathan. “The easiest way to enhance these tones and add some spice to your usual brown color is to ask your colorist for a copper gloss.”
Cookie Butter Bronde
Call it the cookie butter effect—taupey and tawny hues are continuing the infuse the hair color space with a sense of softness. “I would describe tawny as anywhere from a light bronze that lies between blonde and brunette, to a copper, almost peachy brown,” says Nathan, who effuses about the opportunity for variations and personalization. “This is a beautiful option for clients who are slowly transitioning from dark color to blonde when warmer pigments usually remain in the hair from bleaching out old color.
Rebel Roots
The path from winter to summer is paved with laissez-faire looks, including visible roots. According to Baum, rooty lengths make a grow-out feel more purposeful, offering a less polished, more lived-in aesthetic. Overwhelmed by the prospect of a spring makeover? Simply let your existing shade inch out while you ponder your next move—you’ll still be in step.