When it comes to this year’s hottest hair color trends, say goodbye to high-maintenance, one-size-fits-all color. Inspired by Spring/Summer Fashion Week runways, which focused on inclusivity and a modern take on classic beauty looks, the latest highlight trends are all about embracing your individuality.
The overall look is effortless, yet perfectly crafted. Think: natural color, amplified—with a bold twist. High-contrast highlights, pops of color, muted single shades, and cool tonal looks are going to be everywhere this year.
When creating looks that are all about individuality, the initial consultation is key. Does your client want an icy-cool blonde, or is she looking for warm, golden hues? Using Redken Shades EQ, you can help your clients get the exact tone and shade they want. And remember, at-home upkeep is crucial! To keep a low-maintenance color looking intentional, recommend an at-home haircare system designed to protect and lengthen the lifespan of your client’s color. We like Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo for lighter shades, or the NEW Redken Color Extend Brownlights!
Keep reading to see how you can achieve some of 2020’s biggest highlight trends!
The Lived-In Look
Made explosively popular by colorist Johnny Ramirez of Ramirez|Tran Salon (@ramireztransalon), lived-in hair color is perfect for those who want an ultra-natural look. This is the ultimate low-maintenance style—with the right at-home care, you can extend the time between salon visits from weeks to months.
The key to avoiding that obvious, grown-out color phase is keeping highlights within a few shades of your client’s natural color, as well as strategically placing highlights and lowlights in a natural pattern. Creating a smudge root that’s close in color to your client’s natural root will also allow grow-out to blend seamlessly.
The Face Frame
The quickest, most effective way to add instant brightness to any look? Face-framing highlights. Already lauded as one of the year’s biggest hair color trends, the face frame is a great way to break out of your normal routine without committing to an all-over lift.
To get the look, take small sections on either side of the face and lift slightly higher than the rest of the hair. To keep things more natural, only lift face-framing pieces a level or two higher and remember, the darker the rest of the hair, the more dramatic the look.
Shadow Roots
Shadow roots have been gaining popularity for a few seasons now, but the 2020 version is all about customizing the look to fit each client’s unique style. While the most popular iteration involves dark roots melted into blonde, shadow roots truly work for all shades.
Create a rich cinnamon shadow root on coppery reds or a cool, almost-black root to add depth and dimension to brunettes. The look even works on pastels and rainbow hair—just deepen the root with a blend of rich jewel tones.
Shadow roots are a great way to get that “lived-in” look and extend the time between full color services. To make sure the look is low-maintenance, create a shadow root that’s as close to your client’s natural color as possible.
