Fall’s Top Trends in Color

From subtle, natural tones to can’t-miss-‘em bursts of color, there’s a color trend for every client, and a few of Sola’s distinguished colorists are offering up a preview of the season’s hottest hues. Go ahead: Try something new on your (willing) clients this week!

Warm Up

“I’ve been taking blond clients into warm honey or mocha, just to darken them up and give them more contrast,” says Amber Pinkham, owner of the EVOlved Color Studio. Shana McCleary mentions beige tones to her clients at the McCleary Hair Studio: “Beige is amazing, and will really make blonde hair more natural for the fall and winter months,” she says, adding that mahogany is another standout option for blondes — or anyone, really. Both beige and mahogany add dimension to lighter locks, and these versatile hues, Shana says, are appropriate for almost any skin tone. Bronde is another serious candidate for the most popular hue of fall – a blend of blonde and brunette.

Sparkle and Shine      

Cooler temperatures don’t necessarily have to mean darker dyes. According to Blend Studio owner Sharon Hinkle, “Silver and white and charcoal gray have been in demand all summer long, and they’re sticking through the fall.” These neutrals go with just about everything, and that might explain their staying power. But, cautions Sharon, “It can be tricky to go gray or silver if you aren’t already that color, and it’s a very high maintenance choice that only lasts about three weeks.” Help your client preserve her new hue by recommending purple shampoo. “It’s a must,” Sharon says, adding that a lot of people don’t know about how well it protects silver and ashen hair.

Fashion Forward

“I think fashion colors will always be in,” Shana says. Lately, her clients have been asking for teal and magenta. Amber agrees that fashion colors are hot, and says, “They’re fun, easy to change often and are great for those capricious clients who want a pop of color.” The following techniques – sand art hair and clouding – will make fashion colors even more fun to apply this fall.

Rainbow Bright

Remember the colorful sand art you made way back at summer camp? That’s the idea that inspired sand art hair. “It’s a super fun technique that is similar to an ombre but with fashion colors placed on random sections and in different patterns,” Amber explains. Stylists take small sections of hair, and, using the ombre approach, blend up to four fashion colors down a single strand. “Each section you pick up could use a different blend of colors and different patterns,” Amber says, adding that, “You can do this to a few sections of hair, or the whole head!”

Clouding

“I will definitely take a note from Guy Tang and say clouding is the latest color trend,” Shana says. Near the end of summer, Guy Tang and Rebecca Taylor demonstrated the latest foil-free way to color hair, and, says Shana, “It looks amazing, and would be super fun for those special clients who love fashion colors.” The playful, vibrant style – inspired by, you guessed it, the clouds – is another way to work fashion colors into a client’s mane. Check YouTube for tutorials on this emerging style.    

Red, Red, Red

“Raspberry and cherry reds are huge right now, and violet and plum are also en vogue,” says Sharon, noting that cooler red tones are especially hot for fall. That’s convenient for clients, seeing as they’re much easier to pull off than their warmer red counterparts. “Anyone can go red,” Sharon says, offering, “Even if somebody is fair skinned, a deeper red can still look great.” Amber’s clients have been rocking vivid reds lately, too — and they’ve even started crossing over into deep blues, particularly navy. There’s one caveat, though: “Really, you should take each client, and consider if they’re going to want to lighten back up for spring, and maybe not do anything that's going to compromise their hair later on, in case they want to change it — and, they always want to change it,” says Amber.  

Make it Last

Don’t let your client’s color fade with the waning daylight! “For big changes – like going from light to dark – I’m loyal to Olaplex because it helps color hold on to those sections of hair that might be a little porous from the summer,” Amber says. She discovered the product in a colleague’s studio shortly after signing on with Sola, and has used it ever since. “I watched a few tutorial videos on the Olaplex website, and it was super easy to pick it up and start introducing to my clients,” Amber adds.  

Painted Lady

According to Amber, “Balayage is a big thing this year — Dare I say, it might replacing the ombre?” She likes this timeless freehanded highlighting technique – the term is French for “to paint” – for its low-maintenance, high impact appearance. By applying color in triangle sections, clients get a very natural, sun-kissed look with softer regrowth lines. A good colorist can pair color with a client’s skin tone; and, according to Amber, “This would be a get option for someone who hasn't done color before, and just wants to brighten up a bit.”

It’s Only Natural

Speaking of simple, natural color, “Babylights are totally in,” says Sharon, pointing to Khloé Kardashian current look. The style is a newer spin on traditional highlights, and it gives the look of all-over color by weaving very small, skinny highlights throughout the head. “People are wanting to get away from the contrast of an ombre,” Sharon explains. Bonus: Babylights are easy for clients to maintain during the busy holiday season!