The Biggest Hair Color Trends Of Winter 2023
6 Hair Color Trends Clients Will Ask For This Season
Dare we say this season is shaping up to be one of the best we’ve seen in a minute? Warm, sparkling, sexy tones are smothering 2023’s trend forecast. We’re taking a break from the high-maintenance looks and moving into a natural-looking trend space full of rich blends and diffused hues.
Check out our list of six chic hair colors you’ll be seeing everywhere this winter. Careful though, if you make your client’s model-on-the-go fantasy come true, they may just double book 😉.
From lifting to honey blonde to creating natural-looking brunette dimension, BTC University has HOURS of hair color classes to get you prepared for this year’s most requested looks:
1. Modern Auburn
The goal here is to make every client look like a natural redhead. Modern auburn is taking over runways, red carpets, IG feeds and stylists’ appointment books so we knew we needed to give you the info.
The wearable trend is customizable and relies heavily on the auburn formula’s undertone to make the red color look naturally there. Each modern auburn can lean toward a different shade ranging from copper penny to neutral strawberry blonde, all depending on what would look “expected” on your client.
PSSST! You’re going to need to scroll back to these formula tips to avoid red color browning out.
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THE MODERN AUBURN BLUEPRINT: Two words—Lindsay Lohan.
The OG redheaded it girl stepped onto Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show with color by Ulta Beauty PRO Team Member & Redken Ambassador Sean Godard (@seangodard) in late October. From there, stylists’ books were history.
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2. Teddy Bear Blonde
It’s as sweet and warm as it sounds 🧸. Teddy bear blonde is a golden, rooted take on a typical beige bronde that can be customized with a little balayage or money piece. The key to this trend is making sure your formula is heavy on golden tones without crossing the line of bronze. (You may notice this trend is a chic spin on the ombre sensation circa 2010 with an ultra-blended upgrade.)
Pro Tip: Be mindful of how much neutral color you’re adding to a formula, especially at the roots. The sweet spot of nailing the trend is creating a sun-kissed golden sparkle that almost looks like your client could use a toner! Teddy rule #1: Don’t ash-out the roots and hairline.
Before you get started—learn how to customize foils! Included in your BTC-U Subscription, watch now!
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3. Diffused Color Blocking
We’re obsessed with the revival of creative color blocking with neutral tones for the winter months. Playing off of the viral money piece trend our clients have rocked the last two years, diffused color blocking takes the contrasting look around the entire head.
Placement and sectioning are completely up to your creative eye—the play on natural tones against each other gives an edgy look with a soft, wearable feel. This trend is PERFECT for clients who crave something “different” but don’t want to experiment with vivids or drastic haircuts.
Here’s a few customizable color blocking formulas as inspo to get you started:
- Curly Copper Color Block
- Reverse Money Piece Formula
- Pumpkin Spice Melt
- Dua Lipa’s Warm Two-Toned Blonde
- Learn how to make this an express service—watch now with your BTC-U Subscription!
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4. ’90s Lowlights
The chunky lowlight trend of the late ’90s is back with a refined color palette (and some necessary blending)! The rooted blonde look will be a huge secret weapon for stylists to use this season as trends are moving to natural-looking hair color.
For any client that is anxious about letting go of their white blonde, adding lowlights will not only brighten their existing blonde but also help to keep hair healthy! This trend will (fingers crossed) be an answer to so many stylists’ prayers—saving their die-hard blonde client’s hair while keeping them looking bright and fresh.
Pro Tip: Streaming now, all-in-one highlight, lowlight & toning refresher course on BTC-U!
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5. All-Over Brunette: Natural Hues & Barely There Dimension
Safe to say we’re still in an expensive brunette era although this season, we’re dipping into the lighter side. We’re seeing two variations of the expensive brunette trends: All-over natural color and subtle dimension that is almost invisible.
The goal (and irony) of this trend is to make your client’s color undetectable. From rich chocolate to ultra-natural “mousey brown” runway models, New York cool-girls and YOUR clients will be requesting all the blown-out brunette hues. DON’T FORGET—if your blonde clients are looking to go to the dark side, you’ll need a filler formula to avoid a green-toned disaster.
All-over natural tones:
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Barely There, Subtle Dimension:
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Formula Inspo: Try this Hailey Bieber-inspired gloss formula from balayage specialist Tori Elyse (@iamtorielyse)
- Redken Shades EQ Gloss 7NCH + 9GB + 6GG
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6. Honey Blonde
Lived-in, natural-looking color is all the rage INCLUDING the blonde space. We’re seeing a huge surge in taking a step away from high-level lifts and moving into low-maintenance blonding options.
Blonding expert and Line One Hair Founder Drea Henty (@andreahenty) says “Work with your client’s natural hair color, it flatters their skin,” she explains. “Don’t go too light or white-toned—add lowlights and a root gloss instead of highlights to achieve this!”
Pro Tip: You’ll need Drea’s signature on-camera blonding technique & formula used on her it-girl Beverly Hills clientele.
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Formula inspo: RUSK Director of Hair Color Gina Sicard (@iamginabianca) shares her take on the honey blonde trend with a formula to try!
- Begin lightening with RUSK Deepshine Lightening Cream with 10 or 20-volume developer leaving out the ends.
- Switch to RUSK Deepshine Ultimate Blonde Blue Powder Lightener to apply through the ends so color will process evenly.
- On damp hair with a layer of light conditioner, tone using XPress Gloss 7N + a splash of BN for 5 minutes.
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Get the first look at 2023’s BIGGEST HAIRCUT trends now:
