Every year, there are a handful of hair color trends that the hair-obsessed masses just can’t get enough of. Last year, pink pastel hair was all the rage. Celebrities like Lady Gaga and Kylie Jenner rocked the look, designers like Marc Jacobs and Ashley Williams embraced it for the runway and beauty gurus left and right sported it on social media. But will our obsession with the My Little Pony-inspired aesthetic and other popular trends from 2018 continue this year? Will more conventional, easier-to-pull-off hair colors reign again?
To find out, we consulted top hairstylists and colorists to get the scoop on all the hair color trends 2019 will bring us. From bright and head-turning colors to more subdued shades, these are the hues you’re bound to see all over your Instagram feeds in the coming months. Ahead, hair transformation inspiration to file away for the next time you find yourself in the colorist’s seat.
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2019 Hair Color Trends
Subtle Ombre
Nova Arts Salon co-founder and colorist Cherin Choi foresees ombre making a comeback. But unlike the color gradients of yesteryear that were of the technicolor variety, you can expect more approachable shade pairings like brunette and washed-out blonde.
Image: Imaxtree
Subtle Ombre
Look to Luxy Hair co-founder Mimi Ikonn for some inspiration for two-toned hair without stark contrast.
Image: @luxyhair
Subtle Ombre
YouTube star Eva Gutowski’s black and brunette ombre hair color is a prime example of an impeccable dye job that blends seamlessly and naturally.
Image: @mylifeaseva
Face-Enhancing Highlights
Highlights will forever be a favorite for those with low-maintenance hair preferences. Plus, they are a great technique for a "you-but-better" look that doesn’t need a lot of upkeep. "It grows out easily and requires regular glossing but minimal touch-ups," Choi notes.
Image: Courtesy of Cherin Choi
Face-Enhancing Highlights
Hair expert Adrianna Norton seconds the draw of highlights. For convenience's sake, the colorist at the popular salon chain Cutler foresees more people getting their roots darkened for a more "natural look."
Image: @daniellelombard
Face-Enhancing Highlights
Take a page from social media sensation Pia Muehlenbeck book, whose tousled locks look absolutely dreamy. These highlights paired with loose waves look flawless, yet it's an easy-to-achieve style.
Image: @piamuehlenbeck
Double Processing
"Double processing for stark platinum is here to stay," Norton declares. The colorist points to the Kardashian-Jenner clan for the reason the trend has such lasting power. "The Kardashians have been a huge influence on this from Khloe going platinum and trying a pink hue and Kylie with her fresh pastel blue," she explains.
Image: @khloekardashian
Double Processing
Kylie Jenner experimented with tons of daring hair colors and stylists predict 2019 will see more celebrities up the hair color ante with bolder choices.
Image: @kyliejenner
Double Processing
Songstress Justine Skye stuns with her signature waist-grazing deep purple hair.
Image: @justineskye
Warm Copper and Reds
Recently spotted on the likes of Kate Bosworth, Jordyn Woods and Emma Stone, Norton suspects the warm tone is increasing in popularity because its vibrancy "combats winter dullness."
Image: @katebosworth
Warm Copper and Reds
Colorist Nikki Ferrara at New York salon White Rose Collective declares 2019 the year of the redhead. "It can be as subtle as strawberry or light copper highlights on top of a natural dark blonde base, or you can go full single process and be a rich golden copper," she says. Your choice depends entirely on how much or little time you want to spend maintaining the color.
Image: Imaxtree
Warm Copper and Reds
Copper tones strike a perfect balance of being striking enough to brighten your face without being too overpowering. Plus, they flatter every skin tone.
Image: @jordynwoods
Fairy Tale Dreams
Whimsical hair colors and candy-inspired hues show no sign of going away. Partly because they are mesmerizing to stare at, and partly because they're temporary in nature, according to colorist and stylist Shelley Gregory. "You don’t have to commit. It rinses out and you are left with a beautiful blonde."
Image: Imaxtree
Fairy Tale Dreams
Fancy living life as the unicorn you are? Meet the dreamy pastel pink that dominated the Spring 2019 Marc Jacobs runway.
Image: Imaxtree
Fairy Tale Dreams
Nothing sweeter than hair that looks like the prettiest swirl of cotton candy.
Image: @shelleygregoryhair
Negative Space
Negative space is about to be a big hair color trend in 2019. In hair coloring, it refers to the area around a particular object or color highlighting it — so the dye job becomes more about what isn't touched as opposed to what is. As Ferrara explains, the technique is popular because it doesn’t require much upkeep and "it’s the more sophisticated older sister to the ombre look from a few years ago."
For the negative space hair color trend, the color is placed more intentionally. "Instead of having the highlights start lower like an ombre, you [dye] bright pieces around the hairline so it’s noticeably blonder around the face. This allows for you to go for months without having to highlight your hair," says Ferrara.
Image: @fringefoco
Negative Space
Jessica Alba was the queen of the negative hair trend before it even had a name. The actress-turned-entrepreneur shows off how flattering it can be.
Image: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Negative Space
Bangs add a layer of dimension on top of hints of face-framing blonde.
Image: @ana.rinsesalon
Pantone Living Coral
Pantone’s 2019 color of the year, Living Coral , will undoubtedly trend. "This is such a fun color that will be on trend all year and looks so great for all seasons," Gregory says.
Image: @chrisweberhair
Pantone Living Coral
Hyper-saturated dye jobs are about to get tropical since Living Coral, the new color on the block, arrived.
Image: @smithanddavissalon
Pantone Living Coral
What better way to get a taste of the color of the year than committing your hair to it?
Image: @meghanlinsey
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