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The Best Blond Hair Color Ideas for 2020

 

From icy silver to honey blond.

While the age-old question—do blonds actually have more fun?—may never be answered, one thing’s for sure: There are more options for blond hair colors than ever before. Classic blond shades such as platinum and honey have been joined by tons of trending shades like Champagne blush and Nordic white, giving every skin tone and hair color an opportunity to lighten up.

If newly reopened salons have you itching to go blonder, keep in mind that it may be harder than usual to schedule your monthly touch-up, since most salons are operating at 50% capacity. Because of this, paired with the risk of a second wave of coronavirus infections, Stephanie Brown, master colorist at IGK Soho, predicts that more low-key blonds will be popping up this year. 

“I think it’s going to be all about the grow-out,” Brown says. “Whether someone goes natural or a little extreme, people are going to want their hair color to be able to grow out easily without having to touch up their roots as often. I think there are going to be a lot more conversations between colorists and clients about what will look best and what will grow out best on each individual person.”

That said, it's also a great time to experiment, and if after months of having grown-out color, you want something more extreme, we don't blame you. Whatever your blond ambition may be, we spoke to top colorists to find out what the most requested blond hair colors are of the moment. Scroll on for their advice.

Champagne Blond

Bored of blond but not quite ready to plunge into pink? A pale Champagne color is right in the middle and has almost an ethereal fairy-tale vibe. “Blush tones can be added to light blond or used all over to give a twist to your signature look,” says Rex Jimieson, color educator and colorist at Maxine Salon. “It’s both warm and cool, so it looks good on any skin tone, even without your summer tan.” 

Tweed Hair

According to Chicago colorist Rex Jimieson, his clients have been moving away from the darker roots and lighter ends they’ve been loving in recent seasons. Instead they’ve been asking for a look that Jimieson dubbed tweed hair, essentially subtle highlights that are evenly distributed. “A contrast is still present, but not as ‘overachiever’ as seen in recent seasons,” he says. One of our favorite versions of the look? This ashy blond with lighter balayage pieces from Simplicity Salon in south Florida.

Undone Blond

Since salon space is limited and there's the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus looming, lower-maintenance shades like undone blond have soared in popularity. Think of undone blond more as a mindset than a specific shade. For you, it may mean ditching platinum for a more natural honey blond, trying subtle highlights instead of a full foil, or even going a slightly darker shade of blond. Generally, though, the look consists of a golden blond shade that's easier to maintain with a bit of a darker root. Lauren Grummel, a hairstylist in New York, loves leaving a bit of a root smudge to add dimension and make for a seamless grow-out. “I love it for its subtle contrast,” she says. “Ask for brighter ends, with dimension through the midlength and less blond through the roots, and always brighter pieces around the face.” 

Bright Highlights 

If you have darker hair but want to ease into blond, try highlights in a superbright blond. “It will still grow out well since it’s close to the root around your hairline and mixed with your natural color throughout the rest of your hair,” says Brown. 

Pearl Blond 

“I love this look because it gives a slight tonal shift and iridescence on the platinum-blond trend,” says Clairol color partner Jeremy Tardo, who recommends this shade for anyone who’s getting bored with true platinum but still loves a superlight shade. Ask your stylist for an extra-light blond with pale yellow undertones, and make sure to stress you don’t want anything too gray-toned. 

Baby Blond

Not ready for full-on platinum territory? Give baby blond a try. Ask for a warm, pale base color with almost white highlights. Brown loves this color because it’s universally flattering. “Since this is a mixture of warm and cool, it works well with all skin tones,” she says.

Easy Blond

Low-maintenance girls should make Margot Robbie their blond icon. “I love this color because you get to have the best of both worlds, bright blond and easy grow-out,” says Grummel. “Ask your stylist for brighter pieces around your face and lived-in highlights throughout the rest of your head.”

True Platinum 

Even a few years after its debut, Zoë Kravitz’s platinum pixie is still inspiring, and its popularity doesn’t seem to be slowing down. “It’s so cutting-edge but still so chic,” says Nine Zero One Salon stylist Anthony Holguin. “When going platinum, be sure to go to someone who specializes in this, since it’s difficult to achieve this look.” He recommends asking for a pure-white platinum over an ashy-toned platinum, which can look too gray, and using Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 as well as a color-correcting purple shampoo—along with these hair-care picks beloved by those with platinum hair.

Greige Blond

“For lower-maintenance blonds, look to Gigi Hadid and Amanda Seyfried with their flaxen color,” says Brown. “It’s almost a greige shade—think golden beige but also ashy.” Brown notes this shade has been popular with her blond clients since it doesn’t take a lot of upkeep and complements most skin tones. To get the look, she says to ask for sandy tonal highlights.

Buttery Blond

If you can’t commit to something a high-maintenance, Brown likes a more rooted look with golden, buttery tones throughout. A darker root means less upkeep, but the golden hue still gives a nice brightness.

Cool Blond

This icy shade is just about as close you can get to platinum without going all the way. Grummel loves this color for rosier complexions, since the coolness will help balance out any redness. She notes this hue is a little harder to achieve for natural brunettes, since you’ll need to lighten your base before going in with cooler highlights—something to keep in mind.

Classic Bronde 

“In between blond and brown—bronde—is always beautiful for people who are naturally dark to medium brown,” says Grummel. “Those with darker hair naturally pull warm because of underlying pigment in the hair, so to achieve a beautiful bronde, some warmth is necessary.” She adds that this shade is great for those who don’t want to commit to tons of touch-ups and is perfect for brunettes wanting to try blond for the first time.

Caramel Blond

A blond on the caramel side is perfect for brunettes looking to go lighter because it won’t take too much effort. It looks great as highlights or as allover color.

Rooted Blond

Darker roots give platinum an easy, lived-in feel. Plus, it means less bleach near your scalp. A win-win.

Mushroom Blond

“It’s right in between light brown and dark blond, like an ashier version of bronde," says Brown of this season’s coolest blond shade. Because it doesn’t really fall into either blond or brunette, it’s a great shade for blonds looking to dip their toes into the dark side, or for brunettes wanting to go a little lighter. To get the color, Brown recommends asking your colorist for a light brown or dark blond subtle ombré, with a variation of both light brown and dark blond pieces. It’s important to ask for something ashy, or else you’ll be left with a more traditional bronde.

Bombshell Blond

Blond that sits somewhere in the middle—not too warm, not too cool, but still superbright—has a classic, Old Hollywood feel. Add red lipstick and voluminous curls like Rita Ora for a Marilyn-inspired look.

Golden Blond

If you have more of a classic, boho vibe, Blake Lively’s warm blond is worth a try. The golden hue warms up her complexion and isn’t too perfect for a more effortless look.

White Blond

For maximum blond, go with a white platinum. “A bright white double-process blond can completely change the style of your hair,” says Grummel, who likes to keep roots darker for a little dimension. While this shade can add instant cool to your look, just be sure you’re prepared to commit to regular upkeep, as Grummel recommends coming in for a touch-up every six to eight weeks.

Selenite Blond

Brown calls Chloë Sevigny’s soft blonde “a very pale, creamy blond that reflects the moonlight.” It’s not quite as icy as platinum but is still very light and bright. Brown says to ask for a base with neutral to cool tones with almost white highlights to brighten it up.

Yellow Platinum

Platinum looks even edgier if it’s slightly on the yellow side, which it gives it a do-it-yourself feel. Braids like Solange’s amp up the cool factor even more.

Pale Ash Blond

Lucy Boynton’s creamy blond color is basically a lesson in tones. “It works with all skin tones because of the subtle warm and cool reflects,” says Min Kim, senior colorist at Butterfly Studio Salon. “If you’re on the darker shade of blond, ask for a beige version—which is deeper and just as complementary for all skin tones.”

Dimensional Blond

For a really rich, layered blond, have your stylist mix cool and warm tones like bright blond and honey. For this color, Grummel lightened her base and went in with full highlights to keep the color from looking flat.

Blond Ombré

Test the waters by starting with a blond ombré, like what Serena Williams has here, before committing to your whole head.

Ashy Blond

Ashy blond doesn’t have to be superlight, as demonstrated by model Jasmine Sanders. The cooler shade looks amazing with her natural curls.

Beach Blond

Reese Witherspoon's iconic blond is bright without looking fake, as if she spent a day in the sun. The darkness at the roots gives it a more believable look.

S’mores Blond

Food-inspired hair trends show no sign of slowing down. This s’mores hair color is a combo of rich brown toward the roots (your chocolate), golden-brown highlights (hi, graham crackers), and a light golden blond at the ends (we’ll take a wild guess and go with toasted marshmallows).

Toasted Coconut 

A riff on the bronde trend, toasted coconut is even more low-maintenance. Unlike for your usual bronde, Atlanta hairstylist Kayluh Stewart uses an icy toner to make the blond look almost silvery, while the roots are still a deep, dark brown—hence the “toasted” part.

Nordic White 

Take platinum even lighter with Nordic white hair, which is full-on icy white. If you dare to try this shade, make sure to do your research and choose a stylist you really trust, since it can be very damaging and take up to eight hours to get right. If you ask us, though, it’s worth the effort.

Nirvana Lite

“For trendier, bolder blond clients, I’m seeing more of what I would call Nirvana lite,” says Brown, noting that it's a much softer look than the platinum “Nirvana” look that was popular with her clients last year. “The roots are still darker than the ends, but the ends have a little more dimension and can be anywhere from pale to golden blond.”