Whether you're drawn to the subtlety of babylights or the playful contrast of rainbow, getting a new hair color is a great way to reflect your ever-evolving personality. But with so many hues to choose from, deciding on one can understandably feel a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend your free time researching the best hair color trends of 2024. We’re done the hard work for you. Keep scrolling to discover 20 of our favorite 2024 hair color trends to try this year—and don’t forget to bookmark this page before your next salon visit.
The 20 Top Hair Color Trends of 2024
Good hair day by @beeblondor
Latte Brunette Hair Color
Move over pumpkin spice and espresso martini: latte brunette is the latest coffee-inspired hue to enter the scene. To get the look, your hairdresser will apply blended, sandy blonde highlights onto a dark brown base, mimicking how milk swirls decadently into espresso.
Good hair day by @vs_stylist
Cayenne Copper Hair Color
Much like the bold spice it’s named after, cayenne copper radiates warmth and intensity with its fiery blend of deep orange and rusty red. Maintain the vitality of your cayenne mane with a formula like Pureology’s Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Copper. This high-gloss top coat helps restore color vibrancy in copper-red tones for up to six washes.
Good hair day by @sunniebrook
Babylights
With all things “demure” trending on TikTok, now’s a great time to introduce what we consider the most modest coloring approach of them all: babylights. These ultra-fine streaks, which are typically placed around the crown and ends of the hair, are designed to add subtle, sunkissed dimension to your mane in the most natural way.
Good hair day by @uggoff
Blue-Black Hair Color
It doesn’t get much darker than a captivating shade of blue-black. Go overtly navy using a highlight or balayage technique, or keep things subtle with a blue undertone that emerges in the right light. To boost reflectiveness, we suggest prepping your midnight mane with Redken’s Acidic Color Gloss Heat Protection Leave-In Treatment, which provides intense, molecular-level shine.
Good hair day by @yeswedosalon
Dark Mahogany Hair Color
Consider a deep mahogany for a vampy, dramatic take on your classic brunette. The moody color hovers somewhere between brown and red hair color and is made to bear semblance to the wood of the same name.
Good hair day by @kathynunezhair
Chantilly Blonde Hair Color
Transform blonde tresses with a creamy chantilly cream-inspired shade. The light, cool-toned blonde, which has a touch of silver shimmer, is a stunning way to brighten up fair skin tones. Be sure to swap a purple shampoo into your routine as needed to keep brass at bay. Shu Uemura Art of Hair’s Yūbi Blonde Anti-Brass Purple Shampoo is among our favorite toning formulas to help neutralize unwanted yellow tones for a pure, cool blonde.
Good hair day by @rebekahsalazar.beauty
Color Block Highlights
Give a nod to the ‘90s with a color block, a modernized version of the chunky highlight trend.
“Color blocking is a bold placement technique when sections or panels of hair are colored in contrasting colors,” Redken artist Sarah Bramham recently told us. “You can use any color for color blocking, but contrast is key. [It’s] a fun way to freshen up your look and try different colors without giving up your natural base.”
To inspire your future color combination, check out our article, Color Block Hair Is the Fantasy Color Trend Without the Commitment.
Good hair day by @lindsey.marie.olson
Teddy Bear Blonde Hair Color
Find brief solace in the daily hustle and bustle with a comforting teddy bear blonde hair color. The warm, soft shade of blonde is meant to resemble the golden and amber tones you’d typically find in a plush toy bear.
“Teddy bear blonde is a perfect balance of warm hues with light shades of caramel and blonde to create very dimensional results,” adds Redken artist Lindsey Olson. Learn more about the trend in our article The Internet Is Going Crazy Over Teddy Bear Blonde Hair.
Good hair day by @georgeeblancoo
Ash Gray Hair Color
Perhaps the most exciting thing we’ve seen from 2024 hair color trends is the shift toward embracing gray hair. At the darker end of the gray hair spectrum lies ash gray, a smokey color with a neutral base. If you’re already going gray, you’re halfway to transitioning into the ash shade—just have your colorist customize the hue with notes of cool blonde or brown to get you over the finish line.
Cherry Cola Hair Color
Inspired by its namesake fizzy drink, cherry cola hair is a rich burgundy hue with undertones that can range from bright red to cool, deep purple. As Matrix colorist and "Queen of Reds," Constance Robbins, previously told us: “To me, cherry cola is when brunette hair catches the sunlight, and it just has that little hint of red.”
Just keep in mind, she warns, that red hair colors like cherry cola generally bleed faster than other shades. “Washing less frequently helps prevent color from fading quickly. Dry shampoo is a game changer and can help you prolong the life of your color.” Scoop up Matrix Refresher Dry Shampoo to help restore freshness between wash days.
Good hair day by @daniellewishairdressing_beauty
Chocolate Hair Color
It doesn’t get sweeter than chocolate brown, but don’t be fooled into thinking this classic shade is boring. There are tons of ways to elevate your mane with this sumptuous and sought-after color. Browse our list of 30 Chocolate Brown Hair Color Ideas for proof.
Good hair day by @sebastiancolorist
Scandinavian Hairline
Sunkissed and understated, the Scandinavian hairline trend can keep the summer vibes going long after the season ends. The hair coloring technique involves lightening your baby hairs and hairline to create a halo of face-framing, icy blonde. It’s meant to mimic a natural Nordic blonde, in which hair usually grows in cool blonde from the root.
L'Oréal Professionnel global artist Sebastian Langman-Kirtley, who created the Scandi hairline above, recommends using the brand’s Metal Detox Leave-In Styling Cream to keep blonde color from shifting. The reparative leave-in deeply moisturizes hair while protecting against harsh metals, UV rays, and hot tools that can dim or alter salon hair color.
Good hair day by SalonCentric
Cowboy Copper Hair Color
Whether you prefer to call it cowboy or cowgirl copper, one fact remains: The hue is one of the hottest hair color trends of 2024. It pulls inspiration from Western leather with its wearable mix of caramel, brunette, and red.
Going straight to a warm, orange-red hue can understandably feel like a major jump for those starting with deep brown hair. If so, have your stylist weave lived-in copper highlights throughout your chocolatey base for a pop of vivid color.
Good hair day by @salvatorericcardi_official
Auburn Hair Color
Auburn is a deep crimson shade akin to a dark brunette but with a brighter overtone, much like copper or pumpkin spice. Opt for an ombré application if you want to gradually transition into auburn, or choose a full-color application if you’re craving a more dramatic transformation.
Good hair day by @thatgirljacqq
Strawberry Blonde Hair Color
Not quite red, but not totally blonde, strawberry blonde hair falls somewhere in the middle. It’s generally on the lighter side of blonde but boasts a gold, pinkish glow that can be taken as cool or warm as you’d like.
Good hair day by @curlz_salon
Burnt Orange Hair Color
Take the plunge into burnt orange if you’re interested in vivid hair color but are wary of going too bright. This darker, richer take on copper often features rust-colored roots, a dimensional orangey-brown base, and warm, face-framing blonde highlights.
Depending on how dark your base is, your colorist may need to bleach your hair so that your chosen shade of burnt orange can properly show through. While bleaching your mane will always cause some damage, your colorist will do their best to maintain the integrity of your strands throughout the process. How you care for your hair after your service can make a difference, too. As such, we advise picking up a routine like Matrix Instacure Build-A-Bond to help strengthen weakened, color-treated hair from the inside out.
Good hair day by @suetyrrellstylist
Money Piece Highlight
Make any hair color instantly appear more expensive with a money piece. This blended, face-framing highlight can help accentuate your features and add brightness to your locks without having to lighten (and, by extension, risk damaging) your entire head of hair.
Good hair day by @blakereedevans
Mushroom Blonde Hair Color
Right on the brink of blonde and brunette sits mushroom blonde, which is reminiscent of the varied, smokey shades of a mushroom. It tends to be more matte than other shades of blonde and is typically punctuated with brown and gray lowlights for added depth. Plus, it makes for a fashionable venture into going fully gray.
Good hair day by @xo.farhana.balayage
Caramel Balayage
Caramel is basically the quintessential version of a balayage, so it’s no surprise that it’s made our list of the top 2024 hair color trends. A caramel color is often achieved using shades of light blonde, gold, honey, and auburn, but the specific result ultimately depends on your base color, skin undertones, and personal preference.
Balayage is as low-maintenance as it gets, too—you can sometimes stretch the time between touch-ups as much as six months. That said, a good color-preserving system will be key to ensuring your salon shade doesn’t appear drab. We love the Biolage Professional Color Last collection to help protect color-treated hair, balance moisture levels, and help color stay saturated and true.
Rainbow Hair Color
Why limit yourself to one 2024 hair color trend when you can have them all? Opt for an all-over kaleidoscope of color if you’re ready to make a big change. Or, dip your toes into the rainbow trend with a surprising multi-tonal panel, as pictured here.
Next Up: All the Fall Hair Trends You Need to Know About in 2024
Ready to try these top hair color trends of 2024? Use our salon locator to book an appointment with a colorist near you.
Header photo credits: @thatgirljacqq (middle), SalonCentric (left, right)
