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The latest trends for blondes, brunettes, redheads and more
The snow’s melting, the sun’s setting later—all signs are pointing to spring. Another tell-tale harbinger of sunny days ahead? “Everyone seems to be ready for change,” says Carolyn Mila Shariff, master colour technician at Toronto’s Thic Studio. Lately, her clients have been asking for bolder, brighter hues laced with lots of warmth. “Basically, everyone wants to look like they spent five months in Hawaii,” jokes Camille Alexandra Fournelle, Redken ambassador and colourist at Montreal’s Le Artof salon. Wouldn’t that be nice? The two pros tell us how to get there and walk us through the biggest hair colour trends of spring 2023.
Expensive brunette
When it comes to brown, contrast is being dialled down this season with tone-on-tone colour becoming all the rage. “The highlights are subtle, giving a “Does she or doesn’t she dye her hair?” vibe,” says Shariff. At the salon, Fournelle’s been getting lots of requests for Hailey Bieber’s barely-there glints. “It’s a nice way of adding dimension without going overboard with lightener,” she says. Shade-wise, it’s all about edible hues like chocolate, toffee and espresso—warm, rich and super glossy, or as some have called it: expensive brunette. “Charlotte York from Sex and The City would be the biggest inspo for this hair trend, along with her always perfect blowout,” says Fournelle.
Golden blonde
In the world of blondes, “warm” used to be a four-letter word. Now, warm tones are reigning supreme, says Shariff. “Throw out your purple shampoo—you won’t need it this season,” she jokes. Indeed, it’s all about champagne, vanilla and even yellow-tinged hues this spring. “Ashy tones are truly out,” says Fournelle. “We want to see the natural gold that’s present in blonde hair.” Some colourists are even skipping toner after bleach to keep highlights as bright as possible. “This would have been blasphemy a few years ago,” says Shariff.
Soft copper
A year ago, it seemed like half of Hollywood went red. The trend will be sticking around through spring and summer, say the pros, though it is getting a few tweaks. “This time around we’re seeing more copper redheads with a few highlights,” says Fournelle. “Just like for every other hair colour, we want to see more lightened red hair for a nice summer glow.” Those with blonde strands might want to try out a strawberry shade, whereas highlighted brunettes could consider glossing their usual caramel tones into a copper hue, says Shariff.
Pitch black
Take it from Dua Lipa, Ciara, Jessica Alba or Dakota Johnson: Inky black hair is having a moment. “Two words” Wednesday Adams,” says Shariff, who notes that people are either opting for a solid blue-black hue or asking their colourist for a softer take on black courtesy of (nearly undetectable) dark brown highlights. Once you’ve got your colour of choice, step two is all about “adding as much shine as possible,” says Fournelle. “Think: Megan Fox.” Her go-to ways to increase hair’s lustre? A hydrating hair mask or a clear toner.
Ombré 2.0
Yes, you read that correctly: The dip-dyed look so synonymous with the early aughts is making a comeback. “As balayage is getting less and less air time, its predecessor is ready to step up and take its place,” explains Shariff. Sometimes it’s teamed up with a thin face-framing highlight—the 2023 version of the chunky “money piece” that was so big for a while—and other times it’s a more traditional gradient. Either way, it comes down to adding “light to the lowest part of the hair while keeping our roots darker,” says Fournelle. The great news: It’s a look that’s wonderfully low-maintenance as you don’t have to worry about regular root touch-ups.
Cherry cola
“Raise your hand if you were personally victimized by cherry cola hair in the early 2000s?” says Shariff. “Well it’s back!” Deep burgundy tones have been spotted on the likes of Shay Mitchell, Tessa Thompson and Lourdes Leon. Get the look by glossing your highlights to a dark purply red or, for something a bit more low-key, “opt for a classic Y2K dark brown that shines these tones when the sun hits it” says Shariff.
Dark blonde
“For so long, most of our clients wanted to be as light as possible, but many are requesting darker tones this season,” says Shariff. Rather that platinum and baby blonde shades, celebrities likes Margot Robbie, Madelyn Cline and Laverne Cox have been rocking butterscotch and honey-hued highlights lately. “We’re going to be seeing a lot of darker golden hues to create that nice, beach-y blonde,” says Fournelle. It looks summery and natural, and it’s much easier on strands as you don’t need to lighten the hair as much. Plus, because you’re embracing warmth, “you don’t need to be constantly fighting the underlying colour of your hair,” adds Shariff. Wins all around!
Rose gold
“Pink and coral are definitely coming back,” says Fournelle, who predicts most people will want to dip their toe in the trend with a semi-permanent colour that fades after a few washes. Shariff agrees. “Barbiecore is going strong and it’s showing up in everyone’s hair. A lot of redheads are getting subtle pink hues, but also blondes are asking for temporary pink rinses.”
