Fall often calls for a major hair shakeup. Whether it’s a fresh cut or a new color, a trending hairstyle is an ideal complement to your cool-weather wardrobe additions. In hair color, pros are taking clients from blond, heavy highlights, and sun-kissed shades to rich, warm, deep tones by request. A budding love for red tones is emerging, and certain shades are officially benched for the season. Ahead, experts break down all the top hair color trends for fall.
Color forecast
Hairstylist and Matrix brand ambassador Rubi Talavera says her color clients are asking for reds and coppers, but deeper shades within the color family rather than lighter ones. “Neutrals and ash tones are also on the rise, but one thing I will say is that flat, matte permanent tones are out,” Talavera adds.
According to hairstylist Chris McMillan, also shelved for the season are severe, high-contrast color and bright blonds. “Softer, richer color is on the rise: bronde (blonde brunette hybrid) instead of blonde, less contrast between the roots and the ends, much softer, lived-in transitions,” says McMillan. “I always say the trend is hair that’s a pretty color, not hair that looks colored.”
Fall’s safest hair colors
If you’re currently blond and want to try a new hair color with the least damage in the process, Talavera suggests strawberry blond. She says variations of this shade will be easier to transition out of next in spring if you decide to go lighter again. On the dark side, Talavera also says warmer caramels and darker golden tones are easiest to step out of if you get tired of the shade. “Always remember that the use of demi-permanent [dye] gives us more leeway to lift back to bright in the summer months,” says Talavera.
Trends to try
So far, the pros are seeing and being asked to do many of the expected shades of the season, including reds and deep tones. Talavera anticipates a resurgence in early 2000s hair trends, but there haven’t been any spikes just yet. McMillan adds that the seasonal swing is usually from bleach blond to bronde to deep brunette, and right now, one of the most requested brunette shades is a rich espresso brown.
A few other noteworthy shades are dominating the color charts this season:
Cinnamon copper
Chase Kusero, colorist and co-founder of IGK Hair Care, describes the shade as copper mixed with cinnamon, amber, and golden maple syrup. “Warm reds continue gaining popularity because they instantly brighten the complexion while still feeling seasonal,” says Kusero—adding that this shade best complements fair, medium, and olive skin tones.
Toasted honey blond
Softer, golden blond is the preferred, healthier-looking choice for fall and doesn’t require as much maintenance. To pick up on the various dimensions of this shade, Kusero says to imagine warm oat milk blended with toasted honey and soft beige ribbons. “After years of ultra-cool blondes, people are craving hair that feels healthier and more wearable. It reflects light beautifully, looks less high maintenance as it grows out, and complements the richer textures and colors we naturally gravitate to in fall,” says Renée Valerie, director of R+Co’s R+COLOR Education and an R+COLOR Collective member.
Bronde butter
Leslie Shores, a color specialist at Eric Marshall Salon in Nashville, Tennessee, calls this a rich bronde with soft gold and honey that is shimmered with beige creamy blond ribbons or balayage. “Butter bronde is a dimensional hair color that blends rich brunette depth with creamy, golden blonde highlights for a soft, low-contrast finish,” says Marshall. “It works best on warmer skin tones to enhance their natural glow.”
Velvet espresso
Topping the trends this season is a shade that’s a true departure from the brights and lights of the previous season. “Right now everyone wants that rich espresso brunette,” says McMillan. It’s a smart choice, especially if you want to achieve the least damaging color change. “What’s nice about going darker is that you don’t have to use peroxide typically. You can use extremely low-volume peroxide and glosses, which makes going darker a much healthier way to color your hair,” says McMillan.
Vintage rust
This may be one of the most natural-looking shades on this list. Shores calls it “An artistic, sophisticated red-brown shade that feels incredibly rich and classic.” “It’s a multidimensional blend of deep brunette, warm copper, and earthy auburn undertones,” says Shores. To achieve the earthy warmth this shade pulls from, Shores suggests asking your colorist for a heavy brunette base between levels five and seven, with a balance of grounded brown and reddish brunette, along with terracotta or amber undertones throughout. “You can add golden copper or soft auburn red highlights to reflect the light,” she adds, noting that this color works best with warm and olive skin tones as it enhances the gold in the skin.
Dark honey brunette
Landing somewhere between auburn, espresso, and honey bronde is this dark honey brunette. According to Shores, the shade is a gold-flecked dark brown that leans deep and moody. She says it looks best on warm and neutral skin tones. “Ask your colorist for a deep base color all over demi-permanent or permanent hair color depending on the amount of grey you have. Be sure to incorporate Balayage tones of caramel and amber through just the top or throughout,” Shores suggests.
Almond milk blond
This creamy-looking blond differs from other light and golden shades because of its beige undertones. The almond milk-hued tones underneath keep this blond more neutral rather than warm and golden, or cool with ashier, more platinum undertones.