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“Mushroom Tones” & 9 More Must-Know Summer 2023 Hair Color Trends
 

You’re going to want a salon appointment ASAP.

With everyone’s favorite season right around the corner, it’s only natural to scroll through the latest hair color trends to see which ones will best fit your summer fantasy self. Will it be a toasty brunette? A rose petal pink? Or a mushroom brown? (The last one looks way better than it sounds, I promise.)

Summer is, after all, a time when it feels extra exciting to be spontaneous with your hair color. For inspo on summer 2023’s hottest hair color trends, look no further than celebs like Hailey Bieber. “When she debuted her short, darker color bob, it got a ton of buzz all over social media,” says Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist Cody Renegar. Also expected to be big? Variations on red (of course), warm browns, and multidimensional balayage.

According to Tiffanie Richards, a colorist and blonde expert at Louise O’Conner Salon in New York, the summer season offers an added perk to those who like to switch up their hair color on the reg. “Hair colors tend to fade out more quickly due to the sun or water, allowing you to switch it up more frequently,” she tells Bustle.

If you’re looking for some ideas, keep scrolling for the summer hair color trends you’re about to see everywhere, according to the pros.

Mushroom Tones

If you have lighter hair, it’s all about going darker this summer. “Everybody was pretty bleached out and ashy blonde last year after Kim Kardashian went platinum, and now they’re trying to calm that down a little bit,” Renegar tells Bustle. “This summer, we will see rich tones, even if they’re blonde.”

One way to add richness? With “mushroom” tones. “[These] variations of slightly darker blondes and lighter browns can work for anyone,” he says. “Ask for mushroom or golden tones as opposed to platinum or ash blonde.”

Toasted Brunette

Expect to see a lot of toasted brunette tones, too. “This is a mix of warm coppers and a medium roast coffee,” Richards tells Bustle. “It can be achieved by blending the two colors for a single process or doing the blending with highlights.”

Once these two colors mix together, it creates a warm brown. “This is going to give your skin the healthiest glow and most likely make your eyes pop,” she says. “It looks amazing on just about any skin tone.”

Cherry Coke

Cherry coke hair is having a moment, and that’ll continue into summer. Similar to a cherry cola, this hue is a dark brown with just a hint of burgundy red, says Linda Vaqari, a master stylist with G2O Spa + Salon in Boston. “When you go to the salon, ask for dimensional color or full highlights with gloss,” she says. “The gloss will add more depth and shine.”

Soft Petal Pink

Lorena M. Valdes, a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, says soft pink has been extremely popular among people looking for a big change — or just a temporary one with semi-permanent or spray-on hues. As long as you have some blonde in your hair, you can easily add a pinky, peachy tint that’ll serve chic mermaid vibes at the beach.

Fire Red

For something that pops even more than pink, consider going for all-over red. “The summer trend is bright red with no dimension,” Valdes says, noting this means no highlights or lowlights — just a solid, fiery crimson.

Lived-In Blonde

A lived-in, grown-out blonde always feels right for summer. To get it, ask for a base break or a quick lift, says Richards. This hair trick is a nice way to give dyed strands a break, she explains, and it also gives you more wiggle room between salon visits, which is ideal if you plan to travel.

“This is a color that's applied to just the new growth and it will bump your natural color up just a shade or two while leaving all previous highlights/color the way it is,” she says. “It takes away the natural ash of your color and gives it a little summery punch.”

Bright Copper

Copper hair comes in multiple shades of red, from deep auburn to bright copper, Valdes says. Whichever variation you go with, it’s meant to be shiny — and will look so good in vacation pics.

If you’re a blonde, try going for a strawberry blonde glaze, says Sean Godard, a pro team member at Ulta Beauty. If you have a darker base and no previous hair color, you can get a coppery tone with permanent hair color. “Coppers work on a variety of skin tones,” he tells Bustle. “Ask your stylist to place swatches by your face to help determine the tone that is best for you.”

Honey Blonde

Godard is also seeing blondes ditching purple shampoo and embracing natural golden-toned beach blondes. “This is usually the most flattering blonde on a lot of people,” he says.

If you currently have ashy blond hair, ask your stylist for a gloss service. “They can add the missing warmth back in,” he explains. “If you are getting a highlighting service, your stylist can use a clear gloss to keep the color at its natural lift and still adding shine and condition to the hair.”

Warm Chocolate Brunette

When in doubt, remember that warmth is back, Godard says. To add warmth to dark brunette hair, he recommends getting a gloss or a few golden or red highlights to bring in some dimension. It’ll shine through all your poolside hangs.

Brown Roux

An easy update for brunettes is the “brown roux” hair color trend, aka a soft brown balayage. “It’s more natural for brunettes who want dimension without going too light,” Valdes says. “It also allows for lower maintenance.

At the salon, ask for balayage and a gloss. “If you’re toning down old blonde highlights, then you can put a toner on the ends to get a warm brown on the ends [at home],” she says. “But if your hair is all-over color, then I would go into a salon.”

Sources:

Tiffanie Richards, colorist, blonde expert at Louise O’Conner Salon

Cody Renegar, celebrity hairstylist

Linda Vaqari, master stylist with G2O Spa + Salon

Lorena M. Valdes, colorist at Maxine Salon

Sean Godard, pro team member at Ulta Beauty