11 Summer Hair Color Trends To Add to Your Service Menu Now
The Formulas, Toning Tips and Expert Techniques Behind Low-Contrast Blondes, Rich Brunettes, Muted Reds and More…
Summer 2026 hair color trends are about soft, expensive-looking refinement. Clients want color that flatters their skin tone, grows out beautifully and still feels current months after the appointment.
We gathered insight from celebrity colorists, brand educators and industry experts on the shades they’re seeing and formulating for summer, including brown butter highlights, strawberry beige, muted reds, low-contrast brunettes and more.
So, which summer 2026 hair color trends should you have ready for clients? Below, we break down the shades plus tips and formulas from the expert stylists.
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This guide is part of The BTC Hair Trend Report, backed by our editors’ expert reporting, in-depth features, stylist interviews and trend data hairdressers can trust.
What Are the Biggest Hair Color Trends for Summer 2026?
1. Brown Butter Highlights
Brown butter highlights bring a softer approach to summer dimension, blending brunette into blonde with warm, buttery ribbons and low contrast. The look builds on the same tonal approach as Brown Butter Blonde, prioritizing balanced warmth, shine and a creamy, light-reflective finish over bold brightness.
This makes it one of the most wearable ways to introduce brightness—keeping depth at the root while softly diffusing lightness through the mids and ends for a seamless, expensive-looking result.
Low Impact Blonde
Josie Vilay (@josievilay), Schwarzkopf Professional® Digital Artistic Team Member, uses Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA® Vibrance for this look:
For these glossy brown butter blonde highlights, Joelly Cavazos (@hair.by.gigi), #ONESHOT Finalist and expert colorist uses Wella Professionals to create the perfect creamy tone. Tap to see her formula:
2. Strawberry Beige
Strawberry beige sits between blonde and red, blending soft copper, gold and rose tones into a neutral-warm, diffused finish. It’s lighter and softer than traditional copper, making red feel more approachable for clients who want warmth without committing to a high-maintenance or overly vivid transformation.
Formula tip: Keeping the tone balanced is key—layering in beige or gold helps soften copper intensity so the result stays controlled, flattering and modern rather than overly vibrant.
To keep the copper soft and wearable, Mags Rosen (@themaneartistry), Moroccanoil® Global Ambassador and salon owner, combined Moroccanoil COLOR CALYPSO chocolate, gold and copper for this warm strawberry beige result. Tap to see her formula:
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Megan Kinu (@meagankinuhair), Philocaly Hair Extensions Educator, balanced dimension using Philocaly Hair K-Tips in the shades Caramel Crush, Bronde Sugar, Pixie Dust and Jet Setter for Rachel Zoe:
3. Total Blonde
Total blonde brings back high-impact blonding, marking a shift away from balayage, with a clean, all-over finish and minimal dimension. Blonde goes all the way to the root for a brighter, more polished result, with healthy lift, controlled warmth and glossing, keeping it looking expensive rather than flat or overprocessed.
With full, root-to-end blonding, toning becomes less about canceling and more about controlling reflect and surface shine. Cassie Siskovic (@cassiskovic), Moroccanoil® Academy Director, says, “Toning isn’t just about neutralization; it’s about how light plays across the surface of the hair and how we build intention around that during the consultation. Think light-sculpted hair rather than simply ‘colored’ or ‘toned’ hair.”
Tap the image to see Cassie’s formula for this bright blonde:
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For this honey blonde, Ally Mendez (@aalyhabeauty), expert colorist, used BlondorPlex to create bright, root-to-end lift and toned using the Wella Professionals /38 series—a shade range with gold tones for warmth and pearl to add softness and balance:
4. Burgundy, Plum, Wine and Muted Reds
Summer reds are deeper and more refined, with burgundy, cherry, plum, wine and smoky red-brown tones leading the shift. Muted, sophisticated reds like burnished copper, bronze and cherry tones feel rich, dimensional and polished. Plum adds glossy red-violet depth that feels bold, rich and luxury-leaning rather than overly bright.
Danger Jones Team Member Robin Martinez (@robinjabro) layered plum toner over dimensional ribbons to create glossy, light-reflective plum depth with shadowed roots and rich red-violet contrast. Click the image to see her formula:
Jess Gonzalez (@jesstheebesttcolor), PRAVANA® Color Expert and celebrity colorist, uses PRAVANA’s ChromaSilk HydraGloss Demi-Permanent to create wine-inspired reds. She notes that “the 6RV leans more red, while the 4RV pulls more violet,” making it easier to customize the depth and tone direction depending on the client. For this glossy cherry cola result, Jess used ChromaSilk HydraGloss Demi-Permanent 6RV from roots to ends. Tap to see her formula and breakdown:
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For this glossy cherry-wine brunette, Sarah Ritchey (@sarahdidmyhair), TRUSS Professional Expert and color specialist, used TRUSS Professional Hair Concept Color to create rich, reflective depth with a deep cherry finish. Tap to see the formula:
5. Dimensional Brunette
Dimensional brunette focuses on shine, tone and subtle movement rather than major lightness. The goal is rich, reflective color that feels full and elevated, with depth built through internal ribbons, lowlights and gloss layering instead of heavy lifting.
Paul Mitchell® Artistic Director and celebrity colorist Paula Peralta (@thepaulaperalta) says brunettes are moving toward richer, more elevated finishes: “2026 is the year of intentional color. It’s not about going louder; it’s about choosing smarter, more elevated shades that age beautifully on camera and in real life…Across the board, every guest wants color that looks expensive and intentional, not fleeting.”
Rylee Heyza (@ryleeheyzahair), BTC Team Member and color and extension specialist, used Paul Mitchell® The Demi to maintain this rich depth and shine while creating a softer, more seamless grow-out between appointments. Tap to see the formula:
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RELATED: The Luxury Brunette Gloss Method For Rich Chocolate Hair
For Madison Beer’s soft brunette, LINEONE Educators Isabelle McGuire (@isabelle_bomane) and Ilsa Lamberti (@hairbyilsa) refined the tone with a custom Redken Shades EQ™ gloss to keep the brunette cool, cohesive and light-reflective while blending seamlessly with her LINEONE extensions. Tap to see the formula:
Nathi Vega (@hairbynathi), Joico Partner and SEVEN Haircare Educator, used Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Color to create soft, reflective depth for this cool-toned, dimensional brunette bob. Tap to see the formula:
6. Expensive Bronde
Expensive bronde blends brunette depth with soft blonde warmth for a seamless, light-reflective finish that feels dimensional rather than high-contrast. Golden, caramel and beige tones create soft brightness and low-maintenance grow-out, making it one of the easiest color services to customize across clients.
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Milly Micheli (@milly_abhstudio), expert colorist, created this seamless honey bronde using Shades EQ™ lowlights and a warm gloss formula for soft, light-reflective dimension and a lived-in finish. Click through the images to see more:
Here’s her formula:
- Formula A (lowlights): Shades EQ 07GB + Shades EQ Processing Solution
- Formula B (all over gloss): Shades EQ 09GB + 10WG + dash of Shades EQ Yellow Kicker + Shades EQ Processing Solution
Other bronde breakdowns:
- What is Teddy Bronde? The Warm, Low-Contrast Bronde Defining 2026
- 4 Trending Bronde Formulas Using Redken Shades EQ™
- Not Too Blonde: 4 Old Money Bronde Toning Formulas
- How To Make Brondes Actually Bronde
- Custom Bronde Toning & Glossing Guide
- 50+ Teddy Bronde Hair Inspiration Images
7. Skin-Tone and Low-Contrast Color
This is the macro direction for summer: skin-tone-driven hair color with minimal contrast, soft dimension and a tonal, monochromatic finish. Instead of chasing one specific shade, the focus is on customizing tone, depth and warmth to suit the client—creating color that looks balanced in real life and grows out seamlessly.
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“We’re moving past dramatic contrast and toward really soft tones that enhance a person’s natural palette,” says Carly Zanoni (@the.blonde.chronicles), Schwarzkopf Professional® Digital Artistic Team Member.
Here, Carly and Josie use IGORA Vibrance to gloss these monochromatic blondes. Click through the images to view their formulas:
Other low-contrast blonde formulas:
8. Warm Blonde (Hamptons/Honey/Butter)
Warm blonde includes honey blonde, butter blonde and Hamptons blonde—different names for the same golden, creamy direction. The payoff is in the finish: warmth creates glow, adds richness and helps blondes grow out softer, making the color feel more elevated and wearable over time.
Want This Look for Your Clients? See How To Formulate Toners For Honey Blonde
Formula tip: Controlled warmth is key. Pair gold with beige, neutral or violet support depending on the canvas to keep the result balanced, reflective and never yellow.
Anna Marti Hovhannisyan (@annamarti), Joico educator and blonding specialist, used LumiShine Demi-Permanent Color in the gold and violet to control the warmth for this dimensional butter blonde. Click the image to see her full formula:
This viral soft “Whimsy Beige Blonde” by Devyn Pennell (@braggnbeauty), salon owner and educator, uses Kenra Professional color to create warm, creamy brightness that stays reflective even as it fades. Tap the beaker to see the toner formula:
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Lisa Hernandez (@lisaherofficial), TRUSS Professional Global Ambassador, salon owner and educator, created this glossy golden blonde using TRUSS lightener, soft neutral base toning and warm-reflective glossing for that luminous “golden glow” finish. Click the image to see her formula:
RELATED: Sabrina Carpenter Blonde: 4 Most-Loved Shades EQ Formulas and Toning Tips
9. Natural Copper (“Born-With-It” Red)
Natural copper leans softer, more believable and skin-tone driven, giving clients that “born-with-it” red instead of high-impact orange. It’s an easy shift for blondes and brunettes looking to add warmth without a dramatic change, making it one of the most wearable ways into red.
Moroccanoil® Global Ambassador, #ONESHOT winner and color expert Rachel Williams (@rachelwstylist) says that red is shifting toward softer, more natural tones: “Reds go mineral and earthy: cinnamon, terracotta and muted copper rather than bright or fiery.”
To keep the tone soft, reflective and wearable, Oana Ciofu (@hair_by_oana), Moroccanoil Global Ambassador and BTC Team Member, balanced copper and gold to create warmth that stays rich without fading flat or overly orange. Tap to see the formula:
For the look below, Isabelle paired softly blended copper with LINEONE wavy individual extensions for an ultra-natural finish. The Classic Girl Hair™ contour cut adds soft fullness and movement through the ends.
10. Pink Hair
Pink hair is expanding into a full spectrum, from bold bubblegum and hot pink to soft rose, washed-out blush and barely-there pastels. Creative color is shifting toward more wearable, personalized results, with sheer, diffused finishes that make pink feel softer and more flexible for clients.
Gianluca Grechi (@gianlucagrechi), milk_shake® Global Artistic and Education Manager, says, “There are many stories out there in terms of color; it’s not like a macro trend and everyone was following that…You can personalize it for very bright and vivid or you can have it very subtle and pastel. That for us is key and our mantra for getting into personalization and tailoring to the person sitting in the chair.”
Press play to see how color specialist Bianca Hillier (@biancacolour) took her client from platinum to soft pink using PRAVANA® ChromaSilk VIVIDS, mixing half pink and half Clear for a more diffused, wearable finish that still feels playful and bright:
RELATED: 40+ Soft Baby Pink Hair Ideas
11. Peekaboo and Face-Framing Color
Peekaboo panels and face-framing color are all about strategic placement, not full transformation. Concentrating contrast around the face or through hidden sections creates bold dimension and instantly noticeable pops while still maintaining depth, lower maintenance and softer grow-out.
Jessenia Robayo (@jesseniaspallet), #ONESHOT winner, BTC Team Member and curly hair specialist, created this high-contrast brunette and blonde face frame with clean placement, controlled saturation and reflective shine. Tap to see the formula:
This high-contrast face frame by Belinda Lee Mills (@belinda_lee_mills), Showpony Hair Extensions, evo® and OLAPLEX Brand Ambassador, pairs peekaboo placement with Showpony Hair Extensions for bold dimension and an instantly noticeable pop concentrated around the front sections. She used evo Hair color for the two-tone contrast and OLAPLEX to help maintain strength and shine through the lightening process:
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