Spring is a complex, mysterious citadel of delights. Sometimes it rains. These days, it also sometimes snows. One minute you're KonMari-ing [1] your apartment to the brink of extinction, and the next you're wondering how you'll possibly make that salon appointment [2] you forgot to cancel without a raincoat. The seasonal confusion is coming at you from every angle, but the solution here is simple: dye your hair [3].
Yeah, you heard us. Dye it a colour that brings the sunshine [4], sparks some joy, and, most importantly, won't change by 5 pm. (Hello, who's there? It's me, stability.) "The mood for Spring is always lighter, brighter, and a lot more fun," said George Papanikolas [5], Matrix celebrity colourist. If the clouds would part for long enough, it would tell you that the hair colour forecast [6] includes the return of vivid colours [7], creamy shades of blond, and more — which you can read more about ahead. Umbrellas are, obviously, welcome.
Faded Pastel Hair
Pastel hair [8] has seen its hayday(s) many moons ago, but the latest iteration for Spring is a lot more washed out — in a good way. "Faded pastels will make a comeback, but they will be more powdery and white feeling — think Lady Gaga at the Golden Globes [9]," said NYC-based colourist Stephanie Brown [10]. "Soft blues and pinks will be seen a lot."
"Faded pastels will make a comeback, but they will be more powdery and white feeling."
To pull it off, keep in mind: "This is for the person who has very pale highlights or platinum hair," she said, adding that yellow undertones make you lose the powdery effect. "Since these colours are so pale, they can be hard to maintain, but there are at home-shampoos and conditioners that can help. I like Bleach London, Overtone, and Muvo makes a pretty pink. To make sure the pastel stays pale, mix the formula with a plain shampoo or conditioner so the colours don't come out too vibrant."
Copper Hair
Not only did it see a 30 percent increase in pins on Pinterest last December, but copper hair [11] will be making yet another appearance come Spring. "For blondes, go for a strawberry honey colour," said Brown. "It's a great cross between red and blond without taking the jump to commit to either colour fully. Connie Britton on Dirty John is the best example of this."
If your hair is darker, she suggests opting for a dusty copper shade. "This colour is a mixture of copper and neutral tones so you don't have that orange feel when you step out in the sun, just a rich silky warm colour. Isla Fisher [12], Issa Rae, and Emma Stone [13] are all good examples."
Still, no matter your base, Papanikolas said: "Pairing [the colour with] tone-on-tone highlights gives it a luxurious finish."
Baby Blond
"This trend is a union of the snow bunny blond [14] and the creamy blond we've been seeing all Winter — it's like a baby blond," said Brown. "It's a neutral, warm, pale base colour with near-white highlights, like what we've seen on Dove Cameron, Margot Robbie, and Lili Reinhart. For people with darker hair colours, it's more of a sandy blond or beige. Once the warmer weather comes, people like to see brighter, lighter colours. Since this is a mixture of warm and cool tones, it works well with all skin tones."
Dark Neon Hair
"Spring is the beginning of the festival season, so we will see the return of vivid colours and glow in the darker neons," said Papanikolas. "These can be applied over existing highlights/Balayage for a hint of colour, or all over on pre-lightened hair."
For this trend, look for deeper tones of blue, purple, and maroon — the kind where you can only see it with a naked eye when the sun hits just so.
Mocha Brown
For darker brunettes, the colour forecast is looking a little softer than what you saw in Winter. "This is more of a rich brunette or mocha ombré," said Brown. "It's still very dark, but will have fine and very subtle — so you'll barely see them — babylights to an ombré. You want the highlights to be subtle because you don't want them to end up looking red or brassy; you want them on the neutral side. You also want the highlights to be slightly lighter at the ends, like Ashley Graham and Gabrielle Union [15]."
This brunette colour has loads of dimension that creates a "soft contrast between the dark base colour and mocha-coloured highlights, which refreshes and lightens brown hair for Spring," said Papanikolas.
