While the warm days of summer lend themselves so well to easygoing hair looks (who wants to turn on a hair dryer when it's scorching hot?), there's still something about the weather that begets a hair color transformation. My theory is that, no matter how old you are, you want to glow up before the dull lull of September.
With that in mind, summer hair colors are always some of the best (and certainly the brightest) of the year. Natural brunettes tend to add a few blonde highlights—this year is all about the soft highlight—and redheads add even more copper tones—hello, cowboy copper—to their hair. And instead of brightening, some are turning to ashier shades that let their texture and gloss do all the talking. Still, there's no wrong way to rock summer hair colors.
But how can you know what shade to wear...or how to maintain the look after leaving the salon? We chatted with the best celebrity colorists and stylists to determine the best summer hair colors for 2024. Read through, then book those hair colorist appointments before the season slips away.
How To Find Your Perfect Summer Hair Color
When deciding on your hair color for the new season, start by taking a look in the mirror. “I do think that hair color all starts with your skin color and eye color," says Justin Anderson, celebrity hairstylist and founder of haircare and color brand dpHue.
If you have olive undertones, Anderson recommends “more golden tones or buttery tones” to match the naturally warmer levels in the skin. If you’re a little pale, he says to go with ashier tones instead. When it comes to hair trends overall, Anderson notes that the future is bright. “After the pandemic people want to take care of their roots. They want to be nice and light,” he says.
Ahead, find the best summer hair colors for 2024 from the people who created them, plus some celebrity photo inspiration.
Soft Highlights
Should you go lighter or darker in the summer? It's all up to you, of course—but celebrity hairstylist Dave Stanwell has an idea.
"I always love a few highlights on all hair types for the summer, whether it be warm caramel toffee, beige blondes, sandy blondes—these are all beautiful," he explains. "A great product to upkeep your blonde color is John Frieda Violet Crush Shampoo. My personal tip for these kinds of products are to wash your hair with a regular shampoo and then use the violet shampoo for your second wash. This helps make sure that it evenly distributes throughout the hair. You should start using this a few weeks after your color, right before the fading starts."
Deep Brunette
Dark-haired beauties, this one is for you: rich, deep colors are often trending for summer according to Justin Mckay. "With softer makeup trends on the rise, those with darker toned hair are learning to embrace what naturally compliments their skin tone, and darker hair can also have a striking effect with dark brows and light eyes."
Cowboy Copper
"This soft and warm shade was the breakout star for Summer 2022 and is the low-commitment cousin of a deeper red," says Frederic Fekkai, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Fekkai. And now—partially thanks to Bella Hadid's passion for the rodeo—it's been updated for 2024.
Because reds tend to fade quicker than other colors, Fekkai recommends using the technician color care collection to keep your hair looking "rosy and bright." Argan oil and mirabelle plum extract add shine and vibrancy.
Shadow Highlights
Rita Hazan, Beyoncé's longtime stylist, says that shadow highlights (a favorite of Queen B) are the "perfect way to light up your color for summer." The technique makes your hair look fuller and thicker thanks to strategically placed highlights around the face. Rita Hazan's breaking brass gloss will maintain the bright blonde look that is required to master shadow highlights this summer.
Expensive Brunette
Rather than going blonde for summer, celebrities often opt to go a touch darker by way of the "expensive brunette" trend. "It has the added benefit of being easy to maintain at home," says Fekkai. He adds, the key to mastering the look is to incorporate lots of shine to your hair.
Bold Red
Move over, copper! Aaron Bradford of Cedric Salon at The Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City says that deeper reds are still here for summer, with Hollywood's leading starlets continuing to step away from what some would deem a natural red or copper in favor of "something more vivid and lustrous." He also notes that "warmer tones reflect more light compared to an ashy or cool tone so this look will make your hair visually appear shinier and thicker."
Bardot Blonde
This Brigitte Bardot-inspired color "focuses on heavy, all over shades of blonde for a look with a lot of pop," says Bradford. "Even though this look is a lot of color, it’s a surprisingly classic, soft, and blended look that will always stay relevant." Bradford recommends using Rene Furterer's okara silver shampoo "once every week or two" alongside the line's karate hydra day cream.
King Kylie Pink
"Summer brings festival vibes, as well as more opportunities to accessorize," says McKay. You can go all-out baby pink like Kylie and Nicole Richie, or opt for something more subtle.
Once you have your desired color, McKay says that fewer washes will lead to longer color payoff in your hair. He recommends IGK's first class dry shampoo to go longer in-between washes.
Peroxide Blonde
While white-hot blonde shades have been on the back burner in lieu of softer, warmer, tones, they're officially back and we have Beyoncé to thank.
"For those of us who are tired of low-maintenance hair, this kind of transformation is about as high maintenance as it gets," says Evan Sollars, a Philadelphia-based colorist. "Be prepared for a multi-hour color session with a price point to match. Two to three appointments may be necessary depending on your color history, and regular touch ups are a must every six weeks. Once your hair is the light shade, a strengthening treatment like Olaplex is recommended to keep your hair with minimal breakage."
Sun Kissed Brunette
The word on the street (aka from Pinterest trends data accessed in May 2024) is that, from 2023 to 2024, Pinterest searches for "sunkissed hair brunette" soared a by one-thousand percent.
“Sun kissed hair offers a natural, effortless glow that complements the richness of brunette hair tones," celebrity hairstylist Rossano Ferretti previously explained. “Unlike harsh blonde dyes, the sunkissed technique gently enhances natural highlights, resulting in a luminous, dimensional look."
Golden Bronde
"I’m seeing a rise in requests from clients wanting hair color that’s more authentic to their natural root," says colorist Liz Haven. She says that these types of colors will actually require fewer trips to the salon because they look so easy, so they're great if you want to add a touch of brightness to your summer look without committing to visiting the salon every six weeks. "Warm, rich tones are definitely the current vibes," she says.
Espresso Brunette
Song of the summer, meet hair color of the summer. "This year, we're hearing a lot of espresso color or latte and I'm feeling like it's a Patti LaBelle song, "Mocha Choca Latte!"" jokes Stanwell. "Or Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" song. It's all about what kind of day you're trying to have."
Under-Colored Techniques
"For blondes, we are seeing a lot of pulling back and under-coloring of the hair," explains Stanwell. "These are more visual coloring techniques, which is just coloring the areas that really need a pop!"
Notice: This works especially well if you have waves as impressive as Blake Lively's.
Brownie Batter Brunette
Scroll through TikTok hair color inspo videos and you'll find plenty of notes on brownie batter brunette a la Selena Gomez. Rich as can be, this all-over brunette color is one you'll just want to spoon up—just don't lick the dye bowl.
Charcoal
If you're not searching for dimension, an all-over color will do the trick, and an excellent, rich, nearly black shade is the best way to achieve this. As you can see, Dixie D'Amelio's tone is one note, letting her wolf cut, and glossy shine have their time in the spotlight.
Denim Blue
Honestly, we had no idea where Megan Fox's was heading when she got rid of her pink hair. Blue wasn't the obvious next step, but it was a brilliant one.
"While you may not consistently see the same shade for long on any celebrity, we're approaching the season where a hint of purple, pink, or blue might pop up on any given celeb's instagram," explains McKay.
"Playboy" Blonde
Hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos (he's also the mind behind behind Megan Fox's "blue jeans" hue) crafted a "Playboy blonde" shade for Joey King to wear in Paris in June 2024. Besides the sultry dark root, this look is all about brightness—just like the sun glittering off of the Eiffel tower.
Warm, Rich Brunette
Honey, espresso, crème brûlée—it's obvious we're thinking about the richest of tones this summer. Kaia Gerber's dark, warm brunette color encapsulates the trend and looks so natural.
Actual Black
If you want to go one step further than almost-black, simply load up the pigment. Charli XCX's signature dark color, it's the best way to have a brat summer without dying your hair lime green.
Scandi Hairlines
Scandi hairlines began trending in 2023 and have reached peak popularity this summer. The look includes lightly bleached baby hairs around the hairline to soften the look. Ask your stylist to add this on to any service.
Beige Brunette
According to TikTok trend forecasters, beige brunette is the shade of the summer. It's an earthy tone that perfectly complements any fashion-forward style. As a bonus, it transitions beautifully into the fall, winter, and even next spring!
Classic Auburn
Add a reddish tint to dark hair, and you get this gorgeous shade modeled by Jordyn Woods. With Wicked right around the corner, we can also look to Judy Garland for inspiration here—it's a reddish brown that looks so natural.
Strawberry Blonde
Strawberry girl summer round two, anyone? From reddish-toned balayages to full-on pink looks, strawberry blonde hair is trending hard right now. If you're not ready to go full Nicole Kidman, this super subtle version on Ariana Grande is just as pretty.
Tone on Tone
Brown, meet brown-er. Instead of heading for the bleach bowl, tone on tone colors allow you to add to the base color of your hair for a soft, dimensional shade that screams minimalism in a major way.
Clean Girl Brunette
Trend forecaster and hairstylist Tom Smith dubbed "clean girl brunette" the shade to look out for in Summer 2024. "This is the year of the brunette with so many trending shades for those with deeper hair," he says in an Instagram reel explaining the trend. "Clean girl brunette is such a natural shade, perfect for those of you who who like deeper hair but don't want it to feel too dark or heavy, and even better for anyone who doesn't want their hair to look overly dyed."
While it works with any hair length, the best way to show off this shade is a longer than chin length, unstructured cut.
Sunflower Blonde
We're granting no apologies for sticking Zendaya in here twice: she is the moment. Though not far removed from the "sun kissed" shade, this color is what Smith calls "sunflower blonde." A happy, golden, glimmery shade that takes its cues from the warm brunettes and reds that were so popular over the winter, it's characterized by a warm glow that just screams summertime.
Honey Brunette
While honey blonde has been holding strong in the trend race, honey brown might just win it all this summer—a TikTok feed full of stylists getting requests for the hue doesn't lie. To become a honey brunette, add blended, warm highlights to your all over dark shade.
Born With It Shades
One of the most popular hair colors this summer is what's on your head. Long gone are the days of high-commitment salon visits; instead, it's about keeping things natural—or natural-looking, at least. Take this Ana de Armas shade, for example. Is it the work of a professional? Probably, but it looks so classic she might as well have been born with it.
Butter Blonde
Cooler in tone than many of this summer's favorite hues, this lightly pigmented shade will take plenty of time to achieve in the salon. If you're a brunette, make sure to read our guide to going blonde the healthy way before making your appointment.
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