With the imminence of hot weather right around the corner, youâre likely swapping for cooler sheets and breezy clothes. Youâre preoccupied with the important changes that will make summer not only easier, but bearable. The last thing youâre probably debating is a big hair change. In 2022, we get that a big hair change isnât going to solve your problems; weâve evolved past that as a society (or at least, once we all hit the mid-20s). But thatâs precisely how these trending summer hair colors were developed. Theyâre subtle, chill, and very âthat girl.â
Beyond a low-maintenance haircut, a new take on your hair color can make you feel like you just stepped onto a runway⊠even if youâre just commuting to the office in the morning. If youâre lusting after a new look (or just want to see what all the hype is about), these hair colors will give you hella inspiration at your next salon appointment.
1. âExpensive Blondeâ
We discussed âexpensive brunetteâ heavily in the winter and early spring, but this summer, itâs coming around again for the blondes. What is âexpensive blonde,â you ask? Unlike the icy, platinum blondes and balayage that have us in a chokehold all of the 2010s, expensive blonde is all about a blonde that looks truly natural and subtle. It usually contains a lot of really fine highlights throughout that add dimension in a soft way. Itâs typically more on the neutral to golden side, which is a sharp shift from the white blondes we all were partial to years ago. Blonde is getting a refresh, and I, for one, am stoked about it.
2. Ginger
In 2022, everyoneâs going red (us included!). Youâll be hard-pressed to find a celeb who hasnât taken it for a test drive. Kendall Jenner, Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, SZAâitâs everywhere. Luckily, there are tons of different red tones you can try depending on your skin tone and your current hair color. Blondes can make the easy shift to strawberry (like Sweeney did), while a brunette can add extra warmth and brightness with a cherry red or copper.
3. Mushroom Brown
In summer, we usually look forward to golden, sunshine tones in our hair. But in 2022, the grungier, the betterâeven in our hair color. Mushroom brown isnât the first wave of a â90s hair color revival (we mean, âexpensive brunetteâ was practically made by the â90s supermodel), but it nods in a very different direction than weâve seen previously. Itâs grungy and lived-in, thanks to those cool, grey tones. Itâs perfect for someone whoâs looking for a color they can easily transition to fall and winter instead of having to change up their hair tone once the seasons change.
4. Rose Gold
If thereâs any color trend getting us excited right now, itâs rose gold. While itâs bright and different from your usual blonde-brunette-redhead, it still somehow looks natural and subtle when paired with a shadow root. If thereâs anyone who can show us how chic it is, itâs Hailey Bieber, who just rocked this color on the cover of Allure this spring.
5. Buttery Blonde
Golden tones of blonde have been swirling around the last couple of years (largely thanks to the influencer, Matilda Djerf), but âbuttery blondeâ is a fresh take. Itâs a bit darker than the blonde weâre used to, and it has lots of dimension through lowlights instead of highlights. This warm color somehow always looks natural and might even make people believe you were born blonde (we wonât tell anyone the truth!).
6. Chocolate Caramel
A warm, caramel brunette dream doesnât get any more summertime. Itâs like you drenched your hair in honey. You can go for a balayage to keep this low-maintenance or bring the brightness up to your roots to frame your face. Issa Rae has tons of extra dimensions in her curls that make this hair color look extra glam. To get a similar look, ask your hairstylist for lots of babylights throughout.
7. Warm Brown
For brunettes who donât want to add lightness but are looking for a change for summer, you canât go wrong with adding a touch of warmth to a chocolate brown shade. This looks like your hair just got a natural boost from being in the sunshine, and itâll pair beautifully with all the bright summer clothes in your wardrobe (per Selena Gomezâs bright green above).
And whatâs even better, you might be able to get this at home with an at-home toner or hair gloss to save a little money.
8. Y2K Highlights
For the early adopters, this trend is about to blow up in a major way, so nowâs the time to prepare yourself. The early aughts are in everything beauty, fashion, and pop culture (hi, Bennifer!), so it was only time we started nodding in that direction for hair color. If youâre worried this will make you look like youâre 13 again, trust us: hair colorists in 2022 arenât about making you look like you just stepped out of a middle school dance. Instead, theyâll add bigger highlights throughout your hair up to the root. Think of it like you dumped a whole bottle of Sun-In on your hairâthatâs the vibe.
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