21 of The Best Hair Colour Trends

There are tonnes of hair colour trends that have recently taken over Instagram, and you’re definitely going to want to try these. We are talking smokey balayages, contrasting shadow roots, and no less than three different shades of auburn hair. Convinced yet? Thought so. Keep scrolling for the best hair colour trends.

1. Contrasting highlights

These contrasting highlights are a modern, and much cuter, take on the streaky highlights of the early 00s. Just make sure to ask for the highlights to start about halfway down your hair, and to include some face-framing pieces to bring it all together.

2. Sandy blonde hair

This sandy blonde is giving us true beachy glam, natural, and full of shine as if you have that natural sunkissed look whilst still looking like you’ve come fresh out of the salon chair. Big note for bleaching though: Bleach will dry out your hair. That’s not to day you shouldn’t go for it (I mean, how incredible does this blonde look?), but be prepared to deep-condition your hair at least once a week and smooth a palmful of hair oil through your hair daily to maintain its health.

3. White hair colour

This frosty-white hair colour is so cool, high fashion and would also make a great winter hair colour. Thinking about going for it? Amazing! But first, make sure to visit your stylist for a consultation about whether it is possible to get to platinum without making irrevocable damage and how long the process is going to take. Afterall, Rome wasn’t built in a day and this saying very much applies to going platinum.

4. Smokey balayage

The latest it colour to try, smoky brunette hair. Following the larger trend of subtle changes that feel brand-new (for example reverse balayage), smoky brunette hair is a twist on classic brown that feels totally cool and fresh. It’s similar to bronde (somewhere between blonde and brown), but while bronde shades are typically more golden, smokey brunette hair is all about the ash. We love this shade because it maintains the health of your hair but provides the edgy change clients are often asking for when they want a subtle but still noticeable change. This is an ashy two-dimensional colour that best pairs with textured hair.

5. Vibrant Red Hair

Fiery red hair has always been a personal favourite at Buzby and Blue, and summer is a great time of year to give it a try. The best way to preserve a vibrant colour like this is to shampoo as infrequently as your hair and scalp with allow (yes, even if you’re using a sulfate-free shampoo). So add a dry shampoo into your routine to eliminate greasy roots.

6. Three-Toned Hair

This piecey, three-toned hair colour trend is so fun and honestly works all year long. We will be honest, this isn’t the most low-maintenance hair colour trend. But if you’re willing to make some regular trips to the salon for root touch-ups and hair glosses, it’ll be worth it.

7. Ash-Brown Hair Colour

If you know your skin undertone is in the cool tone category, then ash-brown hair was made for you. It’s a smokey brunette shade that, yes, has cooler tones and will compliment your skin tone really well. Whereas warm brunette shades look lighter and richer, ash-brown colours are usually deeper with a smokey, matte-like finish. If you have light hair, you won’t need much bleaching to get this colour. For dark hair, consult with your colourist first, since it’ll likely require some bleaching first.

8. Dimensional Copper Tones

Looking to overhaul your whole hair colour or add some depth to your already-red hair? Copper hair is one of our favourite hair colour trends and to really add some dimension to your colour, ask your colourist to mix in a few different shades (think: some lighter, some darker). Copper is a shade that we can guarantee our clients will never go out of style.

9. Pastel Hair

Autumn and winter be damned, please try this pastel hair colour trend. Bring two to three shades of pastels (like the blue, mint green and lilac hair colour) to your colourist and they will help to work out which shade suits your skin tone/eye colour best.

10. Bubblegum Pink

There’s nothing quite like changing your hair colour to make a statement for the new season, and what better way than to use the prettiest pink there ever was. Bubblegum, watermelon, millennial – there are a plethora of pink hair colours out there to experiment with. Just ask the slew of celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Demi Lovato, Kaia Gerber and more who have tried the colour on for size. Pink hair can be as bold and subversive or demure and delicate as you want it to be, depending on which shade you choose, and like we said, there’s a lot.

11. Shadow Roots

Shadow roots, aka the hair colour trend that saves you from constant tough-up appointments, can be recreated in so many ways. One of them is this dramatic contrast between the blonde and darker brown roots. But if you want something softer, tell your colourist you only want to go a couple of shades darker than the rest of your hair for a more diffused shadow root. Basically, a shadow root is also called a root smudge, is when your stylist goes back over your highlights or fresh colour with a shade closer to your natural shade. This not only gives your hair colour a ‘lived-in’ feel, but it also extends the life of your colour by fading into your natural roots, instead of leaving a harsh demarcation line.

12. Blonde Streak Hair Colour

Not here for a full overhaul? The single white-blonde streak is a really simple way to add a little change to your hair. You can opt for two face-framing pieces like this style, or choose a section of hair on the side instead (this style works really well with layered haircuts by the way). This is also a great way of testing whether you would want to go full platinum before taking the plunge.

13. Caramel Highlights

Delicious hues, such as caramel, are incredible enticing, which makes them an excellent choice for highlights, downlights and dip dyes. Luckily, this sweet palette embraces a wide array of hues from neutral/cool beiges and soft creamy tones to rich tangerine and dark brown sugars. Literally, any basic hair colour may adopt a pop or caramel. Besides, you can vary the saturation of your highlights, going very tender and very subtle, or vice versa, vivid and distinct.

14. Jet black hair

Jet black hair is a hair colour that features the deepest, darkest shade of black. The most common and the most desired hair colour in the world. It’s the perfect canvas for any hairstyle you can think of! Its unparalleled dimension, amazing shine and natural movement make it far from being plain and simple. Hair that’s as black as the night sky can give you a statement that says elegance and mystery. It doesn’t matter what skin colour you have, as this colour is universally proven by famous personalities who are known to obsess over jet black strands. These include Megan Fox, Rhianna, Priyanka Chopora and Kim Kardashian.

Dark hair means less maintenance, but it doesn’t mean those strands should be left unkept! Keep it healthy and lustrous by using moisturising products and hair treatments at least once a week for a long-lasting shine.

15. Blue-black hair colour

If you don’t know it already, allow us to introduce you to the blue-black hair colour trend. It’s a steely blend between blue and black and it leans more to one side depending on the light you are in. Hair magic right? This colour combination can make for a really sleek, chic look, but it can also go over the top very quickly. You might be opting for a tonal treatment, funking things up with some vivid blue highlights, or simply going for it with an all-over colour. Either way, to ensure you get great results, it’s important to select a tone that suits you and that’s why booking a consultation prior to your appointment it vital.

16. Dark auburn hair colour

Dark auburn hair like this will add some warmth to your hair colour. You’ll definitely want to go to a pro colourist for this hair colour trend, because even though the change might seem subtle (especially if you’re already brunette), you want those red undertones to really come out right.

17. Silvery blonde hair

This really pretty hair colour trend is halfway between silver hair and platinum blonde. So FYI, you should know it definitely will require bleach. To avoid your blonde hair colour turning brassy, make sure to pick up a purple shampoo which is spiked with purple pigments to neutralise the warmer tones and make that blonde icy.

18. Bright auburn hair

I get it, sometimes a soft auburn colour just isn’t enough ‘drama’. So if you want something a bit more powerful, show your colourist this picture of fiery auburn hair.

19. Honey-blonde hair

This warm blonde hair colour is hugely popular right now since it’s the perfect transitional shade for brunettes wanting to go blonder without committing to maintenance white-blonde shades. P.S. If you’re also wondering how you can get these perfect ‘undone’ waves, that’d be the work of some flat-iron waves.

20. Melted hair colours

There’s truly no better word to describe this hair colour trend other than ‘melted.’ The perfect blend of strawberry copper and blonde, this look starts deeper at the roots then gradually melts into a soft mix of brighter shades toward the bottom. Because this trend relies on technique versus shade alone, you can ask your stylist for blonde, brown or even straight up pink hair.

21. Two-tones hair colour

Calling all indecisive fold, your time has come! This hair colour trend is all about juxtaposing light and dark shades, like these chocolate-brown roots with creamy blonde ends. This trend looks especially gorgeous on curly hair (hi, built in dimension and texture), so feel free to create some tight curls, or just re-define the curls you’ve got, with a skinny curling iron or wand.