You know the drill: the approaching new season means we can start planning cosy #wardrobegoals and even dip our strands into a new autumn hair colour, too. It may be early, but we're here for a heads-up on all the biggest autumn hair colour predictions.
The big question is, what's it to be? The colder months tend to call for a shade switch up that leans in a richer, more decadent direction to break away from beachy bleach. Hair shades delve down into deep cocoas, multi-dimensional caramels and warming ambers. And, of course, for the renegades, there might be some out-there colour thrown in as well.
So, for the insider intel, we asked some of the world's top hair colourists to fill us in on the autumn hair colour trends we should definitely have on our radar.
Old money piece
It's impossible to miss the “old money” aesthetic that's dominating TikTok at the moment with over 8.2 billion views. So it makes sense that our highlights are getting a luxe “rich-girl” glow-up, too. Specifically, money piece highlights (the lightened strands that frame your face) will be elevated for autumn.
“While money piece is nothing new, we can expect periodic adaptations and reinventions of the look," explains top hairstylist and forecaster, Tom Smith. “The ‘Old Money’ trend in fashion boasts a quiet subtlety and a focus on quality which is being translated into this season's money piece through a softer, more blended appearance that brightens from above the temples, rather than in a statement-making strip across the front,” he says.
“'Quiet luxury' and ‘old money’ is a huge trend,” agrees Dom Seeley, International Creative Director at ColorWow. “It's gone from clothing and it’s making it’s statement in hair colour,” he says. “Spun golds and buttermilk blondes are going to be hot in autumn through to the winter. They look more natural, muted and lived in but without a stark contrast we have been seeing in the summer (like the strong face frames and money pieces),” Dom says.
Instead, old money piece highlights sees a softer take on the ‘Scandi hairline’ that's taken off over summer. "The ‘Old Money Piece’ is a quieter and more refined brightening of the face frame that grows out softly and whispers rather than shouts,” Tom explains.
As for what to ask your stylist, “less is more here," says Tom. “Old money focuses on quality, not quantity, so have your colourist add carefully placed highlights that blend seamlessly around your hairline, fading gently into the body of your hair,” he explains. The key is to avoid anything too solid or thick.
Fox red
One colour all the pros agree will huge for autumn, is copper-reds (every gradient of it in fact). "Reds and red-browns are the go-to autumn hair colour trend everyone's embracing. Like cinnamon browns, deep auburns, orange-reds and strawberry blonds," says Cesar Ramirez, who counts the Kardashians as clients. Celebrity hairstylist, Danielle Priano, agrees confirming: “cinnamon browns for brunettes are back.”
One rendition we're fan-girling hard? Fox red. Like it's name suggests the shade mimics the slinky, rust-coloured red of a fox's coat. It sits perfectly between golden copper, fiery red and medium brunette. And alongside offering up a whole dose of sultriness with its vixen-inspired colour palette, it's also beautiful, warm, rich and cosy, ready for when autumn hits. It sees a “merge of copper and brunette on a light base,” explains pro hair stylist and Wella's Colour and Trend ambassador, Jordanna Cobella. “It’s the perfect marriage of a vintage copper and a walnut brown,” she adds. Plus it's already claimed Em Rata who is one of the most recent celeb converts.
Nepo blonde
We can't deny the nepo babies are having a moment – and so is their hair colour. Their calling card? A self-assured, non-shouty colour that comes with experience sitting in some of the plushest salon chairs. But, you don't necessarily need a celeb parent to recreate it. “This high class shade showcases a true clarity of blonde," says Tom. “Skipping intense toners and purple shampoo, this blonde is bright, clean and finely woven, creating a blonde canvas that is subtly multi-tonal while being globally much brighter than the natural base colour,” he explains.
It's neither platinum, nor mousy, but a breezy blend of the two. So depending on your starting base, you can highlight or lowlight your hair to land on the colour. “Baby lowlights are in right now, especially for those that want to darken their hair a bit but don’t want to dye their whole head or a severe change,” explains Danielle. It's a great way to connect your darker roots with the rest of your hair while still maintaining a shade that's fresh. Or, if you want to keep it as bright as possible, but still wearable, Tom recommends foil highlights. “That is exactly what this shade requires to achieve the clarity and brightness that makes it ‘nepo’. A full head of finely woven highlights can achieve a blonde brightness and can be combined with a (very subtle) shadow root, but otherwise avoid toners and work on getting the perfect clean lift,” he says. “This tone is energetic and the epitome of ‘blondes have more fun,’” says Tom – and to keep it that way, he suggests introducing the Olaplex No.3 Home Repair Treatment, because: “Nepo Blonde isn’t Nepo if its not healthy and strong.”
The prettiest blonde hair shades to have on your radar for 2023Gallery46 PhotosCandy copper
This autumn, things are getting more audacious. “For that bolder cool-girl colour, I suggest crimson reds like I’ve previously done on my clients Ciara and Karol G," says Cesar. And for the girls who have already flirted with muted coppers, one shade in particular is kicking things up a gear. “The natural progression from soft coppers into stronger coppers is heading into punchier reds," says Tom. For the daring among us, “more acidic tones of candy, rose and cherry are being incorporated into copper hair… and this will grow in popularity throughout autumn,” Tom adds.
Harriet Muldoon, colour specialist at Larry King Salon, is also putting her money on a bright riotous red. “Think cherry bomb or Rihanna in the Y2K era,” she says. “I love to layer these with a permanent liquid colour finish like a red varnish gloss by shades eq. I always recommend clients to come in for a gloss in between appointments to keep their colour looking vivid and strong. For a creative look Billie Eilish has gone for riot red on her roots for a show stopper,” she adds.
Look to your undertones to determine your perfect hue. “Deeper, warmer, olive and tan skin tones suit what we call ‘cooler’ red shades the best,” Tom says. “Take note though; this is not a naturally occurring shade, and so works best on those not fearful of making statements with their fashion and makeup to pull the whole look together.” And, it requires upkeep. Pro hair stylist and Babyliss ambassador, Syd Hayes, says: this colour is hard to keep as it fades so quickly but always looks so beautiful. Ask your colourist if they can give you a top-up gloss to use at home for when you want to add a little more intensity,” he says. Or use an at-home boosting treatment. Tom recommends Evo Fabuloso Colour Boosting Treatments in Red Violet or Mahogany. "This will keep this creative candy shade topped up with the shine and tone it needs to look intentional and expensive,” he confirms.
These stars prove there's a red hair shade for everyone, from auburn to cherryGallery28 PhotosExpensive bronde
First came ‘Expensive Brunette" (courtesy of Tom, who coined the term). Then came “Expensive Blonde.” Now? “It’s clearly time for ‘Expensive Bronde’," Tom says. “It’s the perfect place to evolve to if you want to tone down a summer of Barbie Blonde, or if your brunette tones have become organically lightened and sunkissed. The expensive characteristic comes from the dimension and detail which is inspired by the level of craftsmanship that is typically applied to blonde hair, but utilised in deeper tones,” he says.
The jist? “Cleverly placed high and low lights are woven throughout to create the overall look of a perfect ‘bronde’ – the midway place between being blonde and brunette,” Tom says. “It's a great choice for those who don’t identify as a blonde but are curious to play with lighter tones, or for those who have been bold and blonde for a while and are tempted by a deeper shade,” he adds. And, it's a little spicy, too. "Interestingly, this bronde leans closer to copper than ever, so it’s also a great choice for those who are attracted to copper tones but nervous a true copper won’t suit them,” Tom adds.
Dom agrees. “A big trend we will see in the autumn months is rich hues of warm blonde, brunette and caramel with dimension,” he says. “Gone are the days of one-tone brunette or blonde – expect more of an amber bronzed brown for autumn with a multitude of rich warm brown and golden blonde shades (aka ‘bronde’)," he confirms. "It’s a great way to stay true to your roots, while adding that pop of warmth to give life to normally one-toned hair colour," Dom adds. “Plus those warm caramel and gold shades are more complimentary towards skin tones. They give hair a much healthier look and add brightness,” he says. And, Andrew Fitzsimons who works with Khloe Kardashian and Jlo is also on board. “I really like the darker tones of blonde hair as it is a perfect transition from light hair to a bit darker as the seasons change. I’ve recently worked with J-Lo who was rocking this type of colour and I think this will be a big trend for the autumn,” he says.
Bronde hair is still the most requested hair colour in salonsGallery30 PhotosWitchy brunette
Looking for a deeper alternative to the explosion in blonde that's been happening over the summer and around the release of the Barbie movie? Witchy brunette is brewing up a storm. The darker, cool-toned, mystical brunette is a little grungier and lends itself to all things occult. And while almost-black strands definitely aren't a new phenomenon, we've noticed the hair colour getting paired with longer, witchier, XXL lengths and wilder, mussier styling that celebrates organic texture.
“There’s been no shortage of ‘Barbiecore’ references around this year and it’s the rules of global trends that when one polarity is popular, the opposite is also often true," says Tom. "Many of our celeb tastemakers have opted for deeper, glossier and muted tones of late and this more sultry, understated style is the opposite of the loudness that Barbie Blonde offers,” he adds.
“Dark brown and almost black will be big this AW23,” agrees Jordanna. “It's all about infusing the dark browns with cool tones to matte any warmth and inject richness to the overall colour. Most brunettes fade to warm, therefore adding the coolness to the browns will help keep the midnight black looking freshly coloured and minimise brassy tones during the fade out,” she explains.
Mocha brunette
Alongside copper-reds? Chocolate, bourbon and mocha brunettes will reign supreme, according to Cesar, Danielle and Harriet. It's rich and decadent but still warm if you don't want to head towards those witchy tones. The key is to create a brunette base with a rich finish," says Harriet. “This colour has depth, but in different lighting you can really see warmth coming through. I love using Redken liquid gels and shades eq to achieve this look,” she says. “I love the trending dark mocha and caramel highlights,” agrees Andrew. “It's a unique vibe that’s different than just changing the hair colour.”
Soft ombre
No matter where you land with your colour, one technique of applying it that's making a comeback, is ombre – only softer. “I’m seeing more of the ombre trend seeping through and I’m not mad at it as this time around,” says Dom. “It’s not that harsh DIY contrast line that was so popular circa 2010-14. Back then, it would always move from dark on the roots to extreme blondes on the ends, whereas now it’s more subtle, muted and expensive looking. It's a great way to change your colour without committing too much as its more towards the mids and ends of your hair. Think Kendall Jenner, coloured by my friend Matt Rez, she has the most subtle ombre,” says Dom. You can see the graduation from dark to light, “but it’s still in the same tonality – nothing too vibrant or contrasty,” he says.
31 ombré hair ideas that are laidback, beautiful and low maintenanceGallery15 PhotosRoot smudge
Want to brighten your colour while still sticking to your roots? You're in luck. Shadow roots, or the “root smudge” incorporate root regrowth as a key component of beautiful autumn hair colour. “Instead of root to end highlights, this trend is about creating a deeper base with lighter mids to ends for a more shadowed root and less of an ombré. This gives the illusion of big, full hair,” says Shvonne. “We will see more grown out root looks as it’s still so on trend,” agrees Dom. “It cuts down trips to the salon and makes everything lived in and like you haven’t tried too hard to achieve the colour,” he adds.
“Gloss shadowing with root smudging and painted lowlights give depth and texture,” says celeb hairstylist John MacPherson. “We’re continuing the trend of root smudging with a face framing blonde money piece,” he says. And to amp up the contrast of dark roots, keep hair “super glossy with lots of light reflection. It’s about creating the shine we don’t get here in the UK in autumn,” he adds.
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk.
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