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Tiger’s Eye Blonde Is the Coolest Summer Hair Color

After a winter of deep hair colors, the pendulum is swinging back to the bright side, and we're in for a blonde summer. “Tiger's eye blonde” hair is just the latest example of lighter and brighter shades taking over, and it's getting us in the mood for warmer weather.

The shade is equally as dimensional and shiny as the shimmering striped stone it's named for, thanks to carefully layered highlights. “It's the blonde that keeps on giving brightness,” says Lorena M. Valdes, a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. She adds that tiger’s eye blonde is pretty much as bright as your hair can get without being a raw bleached blonde: “It’s a polished version that will be able to bring a bit of sunshine on rainy spring days.” 

While anything this bright is going to require maintenance, Valdes likes that the level is pretty much up to you. “You can go with a bleach and tone, root touch-ups, highlights, or balayage, depending on how much blonde you want to see.” That being said, she recommends going this light only for someone who has naturally lighter hair. “Darker bases still have a chance, but will need more care in order to prevent banding and damage,” she says.

The technique your colorist chooses not only impacts how much upkeep the shade will have but the level of both brightness and dimension. Valdes explains that an allover bleach and tone will give you maximum brightness but only some dimension—unless your hair is already highlighted. On the other hand, highlights or balayage won't get you quite as bright blonde, but you will get that dimensional effect closer to the tiger's eye stone, especially if your base shade is on the darker end of the spectrum. No matter what you choose, it's a stunning shade, and we expect to see it everywhere this summer.