Whether you're a do-it-yourself gal, or a 'spend your whole month's salary in the salon' kind of woman, having blonde hair is basically a full-time commitment.
So, what to do if you want to change it up without undoing all your hard work and time in the hairdresser's chair? Go for the latest twist on a classic, that's what.
We spoke to the beauty industry's best pro colourists to let you in on the new blonde hair updates you need to know for 2022. Read on for the latest blonde hair shades to try ASAP according to the genius behind Kate Bosworth's perfect platinum and Elizabeth Olsen's golden locks, Creative Colour Director of Color Wow and John Frieda Salons, Nicola Clarke, the coolest woman in hair and Georgia May Jagger's BFF, Creative Director of BLEACH London Alex Brownsell, and Larry King's Queen of Colour, Harriet Muldoon, to mention just a few...
11 Blonde Hair Trends To Try In 2022
1.'Warm Nectar' Blonde
The latest delicious-sounding hair shade wetting our appetite for a mane change up in 2022, 'warm nectar' blonde is hailing in a romantic, juicy take on the more traditional strawberry blonde hue.
Landing just in time for the warmer weather and lighter evenings of Spring, think of 'warm nectar' blonde as golden blonde 2.0. Speaking to Glamour on the new blonde shade du jour, hairstylist and Evo creative director, Tom Smith said, 'Nectar blonde looks luxurious, golden, and warm. The key here is to lighten the hair's base colour to a dark golden blonde, adding warm, vanilla-cream highlights through the layers and to the face frame area.'
Smith's top tips for nailing the look? 'Don't use a purple shampoo with this colour. Instead, enhance warmth and richness using products with beige and golden tones.'
2. Billie Eilish's 'Retro Hollywood' Blonde
After revealing she'd ditched her signature lime green roots and black lengths in favour of a brand new bleached blonde look last year, the internet was officially shooketh at Billie Eilish's new look.
The singer swapped her grungey root smudge for a 'Retro Hollywood' blonde shag, but, according to Eilish's colourist Lissa Renn, the entire process took a whopping six weeks to achieve the Grammy award winner's glossy new golden blonde.
Although time-consuming, Eilish's hair transformation proves even the darkest of dye jobs can become blonde if you commit enough time and effort. 'Billie has had a scalp bleach to get this extreme Hollywood blonde look, it’s very 70’s retro, which I love,' explains colourist at Larry King, Harriet Muldoon.
'It’s a total transformation and the best come-back colour! To create this look I would use Redken Flash Lift Bonder Inside, Redken Shades EQ and ensure that we are treating the hair that has gone under intense bleaching with the new Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate range. This range ensures clients can "have it all" without the fear of irreversible damage.'
3. Icy White Is In
Icy white hair is still going strong for 2022. But if you want to avoid getting a buzz cut after bleaching your hair within an inch of its life, you need to do it right.
'Discuss with your hairstylist what you want - how blonde you want to go and whether you're willing to change the shape of your hair,' says Nicola, 'Bleach damages your hair so a lot of the time you might need to cut a decent amount of hair off to keep it looking healthy.'
And if you're not willing to go for the chop? 'Ask your stylist to use Olaplex when they dye your hair to help keep it in good condition - it'll mean you need to cut less off post-bleach.'
It's all about your hair history as well, 'How blonde your hair looks after it's bleached all depends on what you've done to your hair in the past three years,' says Nicola.
Keep your blonde on point by...
Using a sulphate-free shampoo and a purple shampoo once a week to remove any brassiness.
'Guaranteed after you bleach your hair you'll only need to wash it once a week because all those natural oils that your scalp produces will be sucked up by your hair', says Nicola.
ELLE Edit: Purple Shampoo
Kerastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra Violet Shampoo
4. ...But Yellow Blonde Is Back
There's an underground blonde trend rebelling against icy white that we're sensing is going to be big.
Yup, yellow blonde is back.
'It used to be about getting your hair whiter than white because it was so unattainable,' says BLEACH creative director and rainbow hair pioneer Alex Brownsell. 'Golden shades with warmer tones all over is the new platinum.'
Think creamy champagne blonde and you've got it.
The best bit? It's way better for you hair than bleaching it.
'If you're naturally fair haired ask for a high lift tint from your hairdresser instead of highlights or bleach. It'll have a less dramatic effect at first, but wait three months and it'll get lighter, whereas bleach gets duller,' says Alex, 'I call it the 'no bleach bleach' and it's what I do to my own hair.'
Keep your blonde on point by...
Using golden hued hair toners and semi-permanent dyes to add neutral warmer shades.
ELLE Edit: Yellow Blonde Toners
Bleach London Just Like Honey Super Cool Colour
5. Mushroom Blonde
Somewhere between bronde and grey lies the most obscure blonde hair trend to hit 2022 - Mushroom Blonde.
Having had a massive 308% spike in Pinterest searches in 2019, the ashy-toned, not-quite-brown-not-quite-blonde Mushroom Blonde shade is still going strong and conveniently works on brunettes and natural blondes.
Or, as NYC-based colourist Stephanie Brown describes it, 'it's right in between light brown and dark blonde, like and ashier version of bronde.'
6. Cream Soda Blonde
Is it even a beauty trend if it's not named after something delicious and edible?
Stepping up to the likes of PSL skincare and coffee-infused nail varnish is the oh so sweet sounding 'Cream Soda' blonde hair trend.
Somewhere between blonde and brunette, 'Cream Soda' hair is the brainchild of LA-based hairstylist to the stars Sunnie Brook.
Telling Refinery29 that it's the shade all her celeb clients are asking for, Brook described the shade as having 'beige brown and warm gold tones to it'.
The best bit? It supposedly makes your face look way better. Yup, the specific golden highlights are meant to have a brightening effect, so you can get that 'lit from within' look our Monday morning selves never quite nail.
ELLE Edit: Blonde Shampoo
Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo
Philip Kingsley Pure Blonde Booster Shampoo
ORIBE Bright Blonde Shampoo
7. Toasted Coconut Blonde
Can't decide which blonde you want? Fear not, for Toasted Coconut is the covers-all-bases blonde made for your ever changing style choices.
Even more delicious-sounding than Cream Soda, Toasted Coconut combines grungey grown out (or dyed in) roots, creamy blonde lengths and icy white tips for a look that nails the au natural balayage vibe whilst also being totally badass.
'It's a very rich, dark root that softly transitions and melts into blonder ends,' explained US colourist Ami Rexroth to Allure.
The best bit? It's seriously low maintenance. The more your roots grow out, the toastier the top of your Toasted Coconut blonde becomes. Simply use a purple shampoo to keep the ends icy white and you're good to go.
8. Semi-Permanent Pastels
Rainbow pastels are still going strong - why? Because they look so great, that's why!
'Once you've got your blonde, why not play with semi-permanent toners to get different pastel colours,' says Nicola. 'As long as your blonde isn't too yellow, you can pretty much try whatever colour you like.'
How to do it at home? Read on because this is basically the most genius thing we've ever heard...
'To get a bespoke colour that lasts, squeeze a big tube of cheap conditioner into a pump and add drops of your chosen colours, then mix together and keep adding colour until you've got the shade you want. It's exactly like mixing icing. Then keep it in the shower, and once a week use that instead of your normal conditioner to boost your pastel hair when it starts to fade or bleached blonde hair a rainbow overhaul.'
Minds. Blown.
The hottest pastels right now according to Nicola?
'I like mixing a bit of red, orange and a tiny bit of purple together for a rose gold colour. I'm all about those peachy, dusky rose colours right now.'
Keep your blonde on point by...
Avoiding blue and green tones if you don't want to commit. They're almost impossible to wash out and the only sure fire way to cover them is with straight up red dye. You've been warned.
ELLE Edit: Semi-Permanent Pastel Hair Dye
Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Tints Sushi Hair Color Tint
Fudge Professional Paint Box Lilac Frost Creative Semi Permanent Colour - £11.95
9. 'Champagne Pop' Blonde
Just as delicious-sounding as Cream Soda blonde but with a much cooler undertone, 'Champagne Pop' blonde is the latest way to work ashy hair with a BECCA highlighter-inspired twist.
Mixing warmer tones of champagne blonde with streaks of ash and platinum tones, 'Champagne Pop' is the way to work pale blonde hair if you want a more au natural multi-tonal feel (and you're not so up for bleaching your strands to possible death).
Look to hair chameleon and actress Emma Roberts for inspiration.
Keep your blonde on point by...
Being patient. According to Riawna Capri, colourist at Nine Zero One Salon and the woman behind Roberts' new 'Champagne Pop' colour, three is the lucky number for salon sessions before you can truly achieve this mix of shades without ruining your hair.
10. The A-List Balayage
If you're more of a low-key blonde and an all over rainbow pastel 'do isn't quite you, then balayage is probably already your go-to for that Jessica Alba caramel blonde.
Add an extra level of celeb to the situation with carefully placed shadows and highlights - trust us, it'll look way expensive.
'I really love that 'been on the beach' look where it's brunette towards the top and blonder on the ends,' says Nicola. 'Ask your hairdresser to paint on darker shades around your face to frame it, and blonder tones in the lengths.'
Sounds beaut, but what's the celeb part? 'Bespoke colour is what you want. I always add a shadow at the roots and ribbons of light through the lengths', says Nicola, 'It gives the look more depth and dimension which always looks expensive and way more polished.'
Keep your blonde on point by...
Asking for a range of tones and leaving some of your natural hair colour exposed - it'll look like your hair but way better. Lily Aldridge eat your heart out.
11. 'Smoked Marshmallow' Blonde
The list of delicious blonde hues continues for 2022 with the tantalising 'Smoked Marshmallow'.
Imagined up by genius California-based colourist Megan Martinez, 'Smoked Marshmallow' is the ideal blonde shade for any low-maintenance colour fans. A mix of smokey dark blonde and creamy pale sections with grown out roots, the sweet hue mimics the different colours of a just-toasted marshmallow. The best bit? It's seriously easy to keep it looking salon-fresh.
'Sometimes you don’t have time to upkeep your roots, so when you have a beautiful blend you have a little bit more leeway,' Martinez told Allure.
26 Blonde Celebrities To Screenshot For Your Next Salon Appointment
