The Pros Have Spoken: These Are the 9 Hair Colour Trends to Bookmark in 2021

When you hear the word "butter," maybe you think The Great British Bake Off (and you're not wrong). But in 2021, it's also forecasted to be a huge hair colour trend for blondes.

"Soft baby blond is always a mood — something that pops and gloss but can be mistaken for natural colour," said Hillier. "This is a great look for those who have a natural blond base — it's harder to achieve this buttery, creamy type of colour on anyone with a natural brunette base. With a natural light canvas to work off of, you are already cutting through several layers of underlying warmth that takes a brunette hours to accomplish. This colour grows out nice and easily without much maintenance. You can get away with highlights once or twice a year."

This is the picture-perfect, easy-maintenance fall-to-winter hair colour. "Bronde foliage is the perfect way to transition out of the dark times of 2020," said Papanikolas. "You'll get a gorgeous balance of colour by pairing delicate babylights and framing the face and roots with a stronger balayage. This look has a universal appeal since it works for most hair colours within the range of dark black to dark blond. Due to the unpredictable nature that is coming in 2021, this look is great for those who want something low-maintenance and within a budget."

Last year, after Lady Gaga's debut in A Star is Born copper hair saw a huge spike in popularity across Hollywood. Now, it's making a comeback, with a twist — and getting its inspiration from another on-screen hit, The Queen's Gambit.

"This beautiful shade of red is in popular demand after making its appearance in The Queen's Gambit," said Karissa Schaudt, colourist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. "Anya Taylor-Joy is the actress who wears this 1960s style mixed with modern day glam. This sleek and sophisticated colour will transform old outdated shades. It's a true red, meaning it's deeper than a copper red, but lighter than auburn. In most cases you'll achieve this colour in one appointment, but you'll need to keep up on the maintenance with touch ups every four to six weeks to avoid fading. I suggest keeping this as a single process as adding highlights would decrease the intensity."

If you want something slightly lighter, try a toned-down version of rouge that teeters into copper territory. "Copper-ginger is one of the most attention-grabbing colours out there — just look at model Carmen Solomons," said Papanikolas. "You can't not see her wild and curly copper hair, which shows that copper hair is not just for those who are fair skinned. This tone can be warmed up for golden skin tones or also cooled down to a more auburn copper."

For the people out there itching for a major change in the new year (*slowly raises hand*), choosing what Hillier calls a "fantasy" hair colour might be just what the doctor ordered. What does that look like, exactly? Purples, blues, pastels, brights — the bolder, the better.

"Soft pastels will be reoccurring this year as people have been stuck at home bored and ready for a big change that is only temporary," said Hillier. "Pastel hues can work on almost any blond and will only last for a few weeks if done professionally/properly. Keep in mind, when playing with fantasy colour the fade is rapid and if you're wanting a longer lasting colour you should take a couple shades darker than desired so it prolongs the inevitable."

One fantasy colour that's especially trendy: blue. "Any shade of blue is hard to accomplish if the hair isn't previously lightened enough," said Hillier. "When the hair is a bit too yellow it will create a greener shade and a bad colouring fade. Ask your colourist to fill the hair for an underlying pigment. Pale skin looks great with blue."

The prettiest tweak on balayage: ribbon highlights. "This winter, darker bases with a more grown-out, creamy ribboning dimension will definitely be more popular," said Hillier. "This will give the hair a feeling of depth and dimension but with muted pops of colour. Whether these hand painted highlights are on blond or brunette hair, this will give a low maintenance easy feel to them."

If you're looking for a bigger colour punch, she suggests playing with the contrast between your base and highlight: "High contrast means a high lift and a bit of grit for the heavy silky hair. This will trace where the layers fall and create even more movement and dimension. This look is low maintenance on highlights but will require toning in between sessions to insure proper fluidity with such a dark base."