You know what they say: new year, new hair color trends. And when we say new, we mean brand-spanking new. From the pastel-rimmed crowns at Sies Marjan to Marc Jacobs’ punky, turquoise bowl cuts to Miu Miu’s wild, raspberry curls, the Fall 2018 runways were a Technicolor feast for hair lovers’ platinum-weary eyes. But would these seemingly hard-to-pull-off hair color trends have legs? Would they trickle down to the general, time-strapped public? Would subtler looks, like our beloved balayage, now be considered passé?
In search of answers, we sought out some of the top hairstylists in the industry and asked them to list the most popular hair colors for the coming year. And the results were, in a word, refreshing. Here are the most popular hair color trends for 2018, according to the experts:
- Colorblocking and jewel tones
- Crazy, influenced-by-nature hair colors
- Slightly washed-out tones (especially pink)
- Innovative hair color placement
- Bold statements
- Color-swapping
- Strong golden hints
- Strawberry blond
- Reds and reddish browns
- Warm highlights
- Bold highlights
The one thing most of the popular hair color trends have in common? Risk-taking. Scroll through the slideshow above for visual inspiration and more about each of the top hair colors of 2018.
[ Next: 50 Brilliant Balayage Hair Color Ideas to Inspire Your Next Look ]
Most Popular Hair Colors 2018
-
Colorblocking and Jewel Tones a la Marc Jacobs
For Marc Jacobs' Fall 2018 show, nine models underwent dramatic hair transformations. In the three days leading up to the event, hairstylist Guido Palau gave each girl a sharp, geometric chop inspired by hair legend Vidal Sassoon and his 60s-defining crops. Colorist Josh Wood then saturated each cut with vivid, punky, jewel tones that paid homage to the 80s club scene. To get their looks just right, each model sat for between four and six processes. “It was about the geometry of color and using depth of field to create pops that emphasize [each] severe cut,” Wood told Vogue.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Colorblocking and Jewel Tones a la Marc Jacobs
"The Marc Jacobs show is such a perfect example of where I really see things trickling toward," says colorist Chelsey Pickthorn, founder of Brooklyn's boutiquey, celebrity-frequented Pickthorn Salon. (She's a favorite of model Abbey Lee Kershaw and singer Neon Hitch.) "I think that 2018 will see a bit more colorblocking hair color — stylists really working with the shapes of the haircut."
Image: Imaxtree
-
Colorblocking and Jewel Tones a la Marc Jacobs
So, too, will Jacobs' edgy, elegant jewel tones reenter the hair color zeitgeist. "Those violets and reds and teals and greens and blues. Color with much more pigment to it," says Pickthorn. "I think with our political climate and everything that's going on, people are willing to take more of a stand." People use hair color to make a statement, create a stronger identity. Thus, "expect a lot of intensely bold, unique colors."
Image: @guidopalau
-
Wild, Out-There, Influenced-By-Nature Hues
Unsurprisingly, Lil' Kim is way ahead of the trend. At the aforementioned Marc Jacobs show, the rapper sat front row, her glossy, forest green/deep turquoise mane mirroring the strands on the runway.
Image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Marc Jacobs
-
Wild, Out-There, Influenced-By-Nature Hues
As is Bria Vinaite, star of last year’s much-acclaimed The Florida Project, who went from blond to Raggedy Ann raspberry just before her front row stint at Gucci. “So many people want to have this typical look and this typical everything and it’s all the same everywhere,” says Vinaite of her tendency to reach for the dye. “It’s nice to stand out and not have to conform to all the beauty standards that just don’t even make sense anymore.”
Image: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Gucci
-
Wild, Out-There, Influenced-By-Nature Hues
Celebrities aren't the only early adopters. This past February, showgoers — particularly those in London and Milan — gave us plenty of technicolor hair color inspiration. Take, for instance, this eye-catching, teal-striped true blue.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Wild, Out-There, Influenced-By-Nature Hues
People across the globe are gravitating toward super-saturated dye jobs in colors influenced by — but not typically found in — nature. (Cool Twins™ Ami and Aya Suzuki are fans of raspberry-bubblegum pink.)
Image: Imaxtree
-
Slightly Washed-Out Tones (Especially Pink)
Kardashian West certainly wasn't the first to do washed-out pink, nor will she be the last. "Baby blues, baby pinks and minty tones are really happening. The trend's just beginning to enter the mainstream and people are loving it," says Pickhorn. "Everyone's playing around with it because it's so accessible. It works with so many skin tones, and there are, of course, so many variations."
Image: Imaxtree
-
Slightly Washed-Out Tones (Especially Pink)
"And because pastels do fade so quickly, it's a less committal process, whereas jewel tones are going to stick around longer and require a lot more upkeep," Pickhorn adds.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Innovative Hair Color Placement
Similarly, hair color techniques like hair painting and balayage aren't going anywhere. "Hair painting allows you to incorporate color [however striking it may be] into your hair in soft, subtle ways," explains Pickhorn. It also allows for off-the-beaten-path placement.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Innovative Hair Color Placement
Think of the reverse ombré hair seen at Sies Marjan's Fall 2018 show. To get that dip-dye effect, celebrity colorist Lena Ott painted Stella Lucia's hair using a paintbrush dipped in baby blue PanPastel chalk she'd bought at her local art store. The end result was eye-catching, but incredibly low-maintenance — it washed out after one shampoo.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Innovative Hair Color Placement
This past December, a newly platinum blonde Selena Gomez added a faint dusting of lavender to the lower half of her choppy bob. It didn't stick around long, but while it was there, it made her brows appear bolder, her skin more luminous. Plus, "putting highlights and accents wherever you want helps you have a unique style," notes Illeisha Lussiano of Salon Ruggeri, well-known amongst fashion insiders for its skilled and stylish team.
Image: @hungvanngo
-
Bold Statements
Praised for her attention to detail, Lussiano recently helped It girl and Sally Hansen global color ambassador Madeline Poole achieve her perfect shade of clementine-neon-pastel-peach hair color. "Right now, everyone is looking to make really bold statements," Lussiano observes. "The general thought process seems to be, 'You know what, I've set my expectations too low. I need to break out of the box and take a bigger risk.' People are really pumping up whatever beauty moves they've been trying to make."
Image: @realmp
-
Identity Switch
"I've been seeing a lot of role-reversal," Lussiano adds. "Brunettes are moving into the blond world; blondes are leaning toward strawberry blond and gingery-brunette situations; redheads are opting for more highlights." Here's some celebrity evidence of the trend: Cara Delevingne, once known for her long, natural blond lengths, is currently rocking a mousy brown pixie cut. (Of course, she made quite a few stops in between.)
Image: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
-
Identity Switch
Some might call the trend an extension of 2017's platinum blond obsession. Either way, in 2018, women will continue to hop to the opposite end of the color spectrum.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Strong Golden Hints
That said, the days of platinum blond ambition may be behind us. Pickthorn predicts we'll see lots of "strong golden hints" in the year to come. "Our eyes are so much more drawn to that brighter, warmer, sunshiny color, whereas cooler, ashier tones tend to recede and fall back a little bit. I feel like everyone's just really wanting to pop and stand out and using their hair to do it."
Image: @matildadjerf
-
Strong Golden Hints
Consider trading your cool, oyster-white blond for Soo Joo Park's warmer, more buttery shade.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Sunshine Strawberry Blond Hair Color
Gingery, gold-tinged strawberry blond hair color will likewise trend. "We have not watched five years of Game of Thrones for no reason," Lussiano quips.
Image: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
-
Sunshine Strawberry Blond Hair Color
Pickhorn considers the trend something of a throwback. "In the past, I've done so many oranges and ambers with really strong golden undertones. It's interesting to see that it's becoming more common again." (Tallulah Willis, ever the first responder, recently ditched team brunette for team ginger.)
Image: @buuski
-
Sunshine Strawberry Blond Hair Color
In case you had any lingering doubts about cinnamon hair's current cool rating, here it is at Gucci's Fall 2018 show, where model Lina Hoss wore a modern day reimagining of David Bowie's famous flame-red mullet.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Reds and Red-Browns
The Fall 2018 season of New York Fashion Week saw the resurgence of many a 90s hair trend — claw clips, French twists, etc. But My So Called Life/early Claire Danes fans were happiest to see Angela Chase's signature red-brown hue turn up at Sies Marjan. Let it be known: both grungy lips and grungy hair are back.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Reds and Red-Browns
Josh Wood, the colorist responsible for Korean model EZ's fiery-red Alexander Wang look, declares that nowadays “it’s either beautiful, dark, rich hair or redheads — there is no in between.”
Image: @alexanderwangny
-
Reds and Red-Browns
While Pickhorn is not quite ready to sound the death knell for platinum — after all, it does take trends a while to dissipate — she does agree that reds and red-browns will be everywhere in 2018.
Image: @alicia_hbh
-
Reds and Red-Browns
Generally speaking, warmer tones, like auburn and sunshine yellow, tend to be more flattering.
Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage
-
Reds and Red-Browns
Bonafide hair expert Amandla Stenberg is already on board.
Image: @amandlastenberg
-
Reds and Red-Browns
Take the hair color trend and put your own spin on it. But first, find a stylist you can trust. "When you have an open-minded stylist or artist at your disposal, they can take any trend, create their own technique and tailor it to really fit you and your lifestyle," Lussiano affirms.
Image: Imaxtree
-
Warm Highlights
"Highlights are continuing to grow in popularity," notes Abby Haliti, senior colorist and balayage expert at the Julien Farel salon in New York City and hair guru to Olivia Palermo. "I would say that warm, soft brunettes and buttery blonds are really in right now and often requested from clients. People want highlights, but don’t want to look like they actually have highlights." (Lussiano seconds this observation, stating that right now, the hair pendulum is swinging between over-the-top boldness and total effortlessness.)
Image: @oliviapalermo
-
Warm Highlights
Needless to say, hair painting comes in handy outside the pastel realm. "A lot of colorists are starting to say goodbye to foils and are beginning to use more efficient, hands-on methods in order to create more natural-looking, subtle highlights," says Haliti.
Image: @doutzen
-
Warm Highlights
Still recovering from last year's peroxide plunge? "The aforementioned techniques [which include balayage and color melting] work well on all hair types, but they’re especially great for those with damaged hair," Haliti explains, adding, "They allow for a natural-looking outgrow and minimal upkeep. You could go a few months before touching up your color again, whether blond or brunette. Less is more, as they say."
Image: @sorayabakhtiar
-
Warm Highlights
For low-key balayage inspiration, look to Soraya Bakhtiar, whose highlights flow effortlessly with her base color.
Image: @sorayabakhtiar
-
Warm Highlights
Tack Olivia Palermo onto your mood board as well. "She's a wonderful, loyal client of mine and a shining example of the previously mentioned colors and techniques," says Haliti. "Her warm, rich color shows how highlights can work to subtly enhance your features without causing any damage to the hair." (Side note: Palermo's current look also speaks to Lussiano's point about people wanting to switch things up — this past December, the influencer dyed her patented honey blond locks a rich auburn brown.)
Image: Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images
-
Bold Highlights
That said, Pickhorn believes more obvious highlights will have their time in the sun. "I think we'll see some more Sarah Jessica Parker-esque pops of color — brighter chunks of blond and different tones throughout the hair."
Image: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
-
Bold Highlights
For further reference, look to 90s-era Cindy Crawford and her big, vertical, blond-ribboned hair.
Image: @cindycrawford
-
Bold Highlights
Lussiano has even gotten requests for full-frontal highlights inspired by X-Men's Rogue. And with her, nothing is off the table. "Just because you want to do highlights doesn’t mean it has to be the same highlights we’ve been seeing since the 80s and 90s."
Image: 20th Century Fox
-
Take a Risk
We'll leave you with these words, from Lussiano: "I think in the past three years, as makeup and skin care knowledge have become more accessible, we as women have gotten more acquainted with our faces than ever before. And if you're looking at your face, you're looking at your hair, because it's framing your face. So people are starting to make more mindful decisions when it comes to their hair. They're more conscious of what their hair is doing, what it's saying about them. Look at Emma Gonzalez. For a girl under 21 who's not paid, who's not in any campaigns, to be on TV with a buzz cut — that's the hottest thing right now. Being in the world of hair, I know she's a badass. Self-expression. That's what's trending."
Image: RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images
