Fall 2023's Top Hair Color Trends Are All About Blonde (2024)

By

Tracey Cunningham, celebrity colorist

Bradley Leake, celebrity stylist

Rita Hazan, celebrity colorist

Matt Rez, celebrity colorist

Luis Gonzalez, North America Artistic Director of Hair Color at Aveda

Rachel Bodt, celebrity colorist and owner of Homecoming Salon

Barbie Blonde

Many blondes feel the urge to go darker come fall, perhaps with lowlights or a warmer base. Not so this year! “Blondes are on the rise partly because of the new hit movie Barbie, though it’s always been popular among my clients,” explains celebrity colorist Tracey Cunningham. “So many of my clients want to go very blonde. You typically don’t see as many clients going lighter in the fall, but the Barbiecore aesthetic has really taken hold.”

Cunningham says that many of her clients with straight hair are asking to go blonde in attempts to replicate Margot Robbie’s look. “But a beautiful, dimensional blonde looks great on all hair types,” she shares. “The trick is working with your colorist to choose the right shades of blonde that will compliment your natural skin tone. Clients with healthier hair will also look better as a blonde versus clients with hair that is dry or damaged.” Since there are so many shades of blonde—just like there are shades of pink in Barbie World—Cunningham recommends booking a consultation with your colorist to figure out which is most flattering for your skin tone. And don’t forget the upkeep! “Blonde hair, especially Barbie platinum, requires frequent trips to the salon for root touch-ups and toning treatments to keep hair from looking brassy.” She always recommends Olaplex 4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo ($30).

Bright Hairline

Celebrity stylist Bradley Leake is also feeling the blonde vibes. “One of my favorite fall hair color trends is the ‘Scandi Hairline’ technique,” he shares. “So many of my clients experience gray hair around the temples. For my blonde girlies, going bright all around the hairline is helping to keep those natural highlights blended and the blonde poppin’.”

Buttery Bronde

If Barbiecore blonde isn’t really your vibe but you want to stay bright, Leakes recommends a classic buttery bronde. (Bronde = brunette/blonde.) “I think the bronde/brown base and blended warmer highlights lean into the quiet luxury aesthetic and look very natural with dimension,” he explains. It’s also super easy to tweak to your liking. “The warmer sunkissed but blended look is complimentary for almost all skin tones, and your stylist can customize the tone of bronde to accommodate your features.”

Ginger Bronde

Make your bronde pop with a zesty touch of copper. “Ginger bronde combines the best of all worlds all in one,” says celebrity colorist Matt Rez, who works with stars like Hailey Bieber and Chrissy Teigen. “It’s a bronde with copper reflects and undertones. A dimensional version of this color will look best.”

The color is ideal for the season and so versatile. “Ginger bronde can work for almost anyone as it has neutral [tones] in it,” Rez explains. “Green and blue eyes can go in the lighter end of anything bronde, but for darker eyes I say stay more on the brunette end of the spectrum.” To get the look, Rez recommends asking for neutral brown base color with copper-toned bronde highlights that reflect very warm. To keep the color shiny post-salon, Rez loves Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask ($30) for a pro-level glaze.

Creamy Nude Blonde

Celebrity colorist Rita Hazan, the artist responsible for Beyoncé’s blonde, is feeling a slightly more subtle take on Barbie blonde, which she calls nude blonde. “It’s a great transition from light, bright blonde to a more toned-down fall version,” she explains. It’s a tone-on-tone blonde with plenty of dimension to give it a rich depth. Hazan recommends asking your colorist for a creamy blonde with lots of highlights focused on the hairline and crown for extra brightness against your face.

Pops of Color

Luis Gonzalez, Aveda’s North America Artistic Director for Hair Color, is all about adding a pop of vibrant color to your existing shade. “I love the idea of adding a touch of fashion color to someone’s natural color,” he says. “It pushes people out of their comfort zone, helping people express their personality.” It’s a great way to dip your toe into fashion colors and experiment with pastels and jewel tones. Gonzalez loves emeralds and saturated blue shades on deep, dark hair colors; tangerines and corals for redheads; lilac, lavender and periwinkle shades for blondes; and Barbie pink for any shade.

“If you are working on a more solid shape like a bob or one length, think dip dye to chunks,” Gonzalez advises. “If you are working with a more layered shape like a shag or a pixie, think of adding blocks of color to these shapes; the diagonal lines will make the color pop blend with your natural hair color.” If you're up for DIY-ing it, Bleach London has every shade you could possibly want.

Jewel Copper

"This is the way for reds and coppers,” says celebrity colorist Rachel Bodt, referencing musician Anitta’s warm, lush red as the inspo for fall 2023. Instead of a bright penny copper or zesty auburn red, the jewel copper is more muted and subtle. “It’s not overly red or vibrant; it has almost a dusty quality to it,” she explains. “This is especially good if you are on the fence about going red, and it can be catered to any skin tone.” Bodt recommends asking your colorist for an all-over base of copper and red with a soft wash on it to keep it from looking too bright. Ask for soft dimension painted throughout to further soften the tone.

Red can be difficult to maintain, but since the jewel copper is a less saturated take on the color, Bodt recommends booking a gloss between services to keep the color shiny and using a conditioning wash and color-protecting conditioner at home.