16 Hair Colour Trends That’ll Take Over Salons This Year, According To Experts

If your New Year’s resolution is to be braver, let London’s top hair colourists lead the way. This January and beyond, you can expect an abundance of both striking and totally wearable hair colour trends to infiltrate salons. 

From mocha mousse (which takes its cue from Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2025) to amber blonde (a more muted take on the bold copper tones that dominated previous months), there’s something for everyone — whether you’re willing to put in the work to maintain your chosen hue or you’re a shampoo-and-go kind of person.

This year, blonde hair trends are going to be more natural and lived in, reports Nina Brown, senior colourist at Neil Moodie Studio — and they’ll take inspiration from no-makeup makeup. “This is achieved by a very subtle balayage technique [known as] babylights,” which are highlights on very thin strands of hair. “It’s like no-colour colour,” says Brown, “and the tones are moving more towards honey and strawberry blonde vibes.” This colour on Ayesha Marr by BLEACH London is beautiful. 

Imagined by celebrity colourists Zoë Irwin and Nicola Clarke at John Frieda, airy lights are essentially teeny tiny blonde highlights that are dotted along both sides of the parting and carefully laid over a darker tone for contrast, as seen on model Amelia Swaby. “These micro lights are really super fine,” says Irwin, “and the deepness underneath is important.” This means that it doesn’t look “manufactured”, says Clarke. “Instead, it’s so natural that it’s like [the highlights] are growing out of the scalp [as individual hair strands].” Depending on the shade of blonde, airy lights have many nuances, which leads us nicely onto the next trend…

The French word “cendré” translates into English as “bonfire ashes” — a mix of grey and black tones. Oat cendré, then, is essentially a mix of ash blonde and creamy, oat milky tones. Look to this shade by Ryenne Snow. “This trend is all to do with the rise of the super natural, mid-blonde hue,” says Irwin, “and again, deeper tones lie underneath it.” Both Clarke and Irwin reference Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lawrence. 

The last hair colour trend in the airy lights dynasty is taupe cendré — a dark blonde shade better suited to brunettes, like this colour on digital creator Issy Sedgwick by Sophia Karayiannis. “There has been a surge in mid or ‘mousy’ blonde,” says Irwin, “but we prefer to call it taupe cendré [thanks to the] beige-y ash tones within this colour.” When painting taupe airy lights onto darker hair, Clarke and Irwin never take the colour all the way to the root. Stopping just short of the parting lends a halo effect, says Clarke, as though there’s a ring light above your head. 

Tom Smith, a hairstylist and trend forecaster, notes that in the latter half of 2024, many of us ditched the lighter tones and went brunette. Take smoky brunette and candlelit brunette, for example. “There were lots of slightly different tones of deep brunette,” says Smith. “Some warmer, some more neutral and cooler, but the characteristic that they all share is that monochromatic finish.” 

Enter: monobrown, a one-dimensional brunette colour in its “most authentic” form rather than with heaps of highlights or lowlights. “[Monobrown is] very much a focus on healthy, glossy, monochromatic brunette,” says Smith. Look to this shade on a client of colourist and stylist Kattya Marcela Hernandez.

Zoe Adams, international artist at Taylor Taylor London, says that while copper has long been a staple for autumn and winter, the salon demand has never been so high. “We’re seeing a full embrace of coppers, auburns and reds in the salon this season — and I see no sign of this trend slowing down into 2025.” Besides the diluted strawberry blonde hue as seen on Emma Stone at this year’s Golden Globes, Adams predicts that russet — a matte red erring on brown — will also take hold. “Our colourists are mixing softer, cooler tones into copper; you want to avoid anything veering towards orange.” Take inspiration from this shade on a client of Ryenne Snow. 

If the above is a little too bold for your liking, consider a more muted shade like amber blonde, composed of similar auburn undertones. “We'll continue to see warm blondes triumph over icy tones in 2025,” says Siobhan Haug, cofounder of Haug London Haus. “This premium blonde blends honey, gold and a touch of auburn for a long-lasting, luminous tone,” says Haug. “It’s perfect for anyone who wants to stay lighter for winter but needs a break from bleaching.” Haug suggests asking your colourist for a glossing toner over blonde highlights or an all-over blonde colour. We love this shade on makeup artist and model Z. 

Smith recalls a time when gold and yellow tones were dismissed in salons. “They were characteristic of a badly done blonde,” he says. “But when you intentionally add golden tones into the hair, it has a very healthy, shiny, glowy and vibrant effect.” 

Sunflower blonde is as warm and intense as blonde can be before it tips into strawberry blonde or copper territory, says Smith, like this shade by blonde specialist Michelle.

“Hyper pigments like these tend to have a bad rap,” says Irwin, not least because they’re difficult to get rid of if you happen to change your mind — especially if you want to go lighter. She continues, “Actually, though, these reds can be super high fashion. Think Chappell Roan.” Clarke agrees: “Vibro-red is almost ‘80s-inspired with a mix of both copper and red.” Check out this shade on another client of hair artist Ryenne Snow. 

Far from bland, beige is shaping up to be a big trend in 2025, says Caroline Spencer, senior colour director at House of Sassoon, adding, “It offers a versatile and chic aesthetic that complements a range of skin tones.” Spencer points out that the trend’s popularity has been reflected on multiple runways, most notably Chloé AW24. Even Pantone’s Colour of the Year — mocha mousse — takes a cue. “Whether it’s a light champagne beige or a rich chocolate beige, the adaptability of beige tones allows you to customise the look to suit your personal style and base colour,” says Spencer. We love this shade posted to Instagram by hairstylist Alyssa.

Beige doesn’t always mean blonde. Spencer predicts we’ll spot the tone mixed into rich chocolate shades to create a dusty brunette hue that suits all skin tones, much like this colour on Ryenne Snow. 

Following on from beige, searches for “milk tea hair colour” are on the rise this month, but your colourist will know it as dark ash blonde. This shade posted to Instagram by Jonny Salon illustrates the trend perfectly. Invest in a nourishing hair oil to enhance shine, like Kérastase Elixir Ultime L'Huile Originale Hair Oil, £58, or if you’d rather spend less, Arkive The Good Habit Hybrid Oil, £16.

Rope twists, locs and twist-outs are the perfect styles for “bleach dipping”, say Irwin and Clarke, essentially dipped blonde ends. When you have bleached pieces like this, you can change the colour really easily with a hair gloss or a temporary dye if you want to have fun and switch things up. Take inspo from Amira on Instagram.

“Heritage blonde is not just cool in tone but also in [attitude],” says Smith. “[Compared to sunflower blonde], it's more understated and relaxed.” It consists of various neutral tones woven into the hair almost like tweed. “When it comes to heritage blonde, you can't see the story of where the colour begins and ends,” says Smith. “It's much more fluid and blended, and it doesn't necessarily look like it's been freshly done — nor does it look like it's grown out. It’s definitely dirtier and more antique-looking,” hence the word “heritage”. It’s perfect for those who like low-maintenance hair colour. Look to this shade by Sofia at Live True London Soho. 

Forget cowgirl copper. This year it’s all about terracopper — terracotta meets copper — which is earthier and deeper than traditional copper shades we’ve seen previously. “[This] winter, it's getting even more vibrant,” says Smith. Take inspiration from this shade on Z, posted to Instagram by award-winning afro and textured hair specialist Michelle Thompson. 
“It's not dark or really dense,” adds Smith. “It's almost got a rose gold quality [to it] so it's a really interesting shade, and it's something that I think more people are going to be playing with.” It requires maintenance, though. Smith recommends investing in colour-boosting conditioners that contain red and copper tones to top up your hue. Try Glaze Super Gloss Sheer Glow, £16, available in various shades.

The iconic photos of Kate Moss at Glastonbury serve as the ultimate inspiration behind the boho blonde hair colour trend that flooded salons until recently. Fast-forward to 2025 and the shade has had a chic upgrade. “It’s not Glasto and it’s not grungy,” says Irwin. “Instead, the blonde is more muted and sophisticated; it's a fine lightness that only comes from the parting section.” The hair is a lot deeper underneath, which makes it look luxe. “This lightness is almost like a veil on top,” says Clarke, much like this shade by Viva La Blonde.