How to Find the Perfect Shade of Highlights This Spring, According to Celebs
While rainbow hues are totally on trend, sun-kissed highlights will always wow — especially as the weather warms up. But finding the right shade is sort of a Goldilocks situation. Too brassy? Meh. Too bright? No thanks. Just right? Now you’re talking! So naturally, we turned to our fave stars for inspo on which highlights to try this spring. Whether you’re a natural (or bottle) blonde, brunette, or redhead, we’ve got the celeb #hairinspiration to help you find your perfect shade for spring.
BLONDE
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1. Julianne Hough: Julianne Hough’s baby blonde hue is just right! “The color is phenomenal for spring because it’s bright and playful, while at the same time natural,” says Matt King, colorist at Fox & Jane in San Diego. “This particular shade works so well with her skin tone because it helps to bring out rather than fight the subtle rosy glowing undertones, giving Julianne a youthful appearance.” Plus, the on-trend shadowed root makes it feel fresh and allows you to wait a little longer between salon trips!
2. Ciara: “The color proportion is key here,” says Mike Liang, Advanced Colorist at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa. “The ratio of light and dark hues framing her face makes this look attractively different.” Ciara’s warm color complements her skin tone. A few cool, bright blonde pieces break up the warmth, creating more contrast and drawing the eye to her seductive features.
View this post on InstagramLast night at the #Grammys with #KatyPerry 🎶#sergenormant
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3. Katy Perry: While we’re used to Katy Perry as a brunette, she wowed everyone when she showed up at the 2017 Grammy Awards as a full-blown blonde! Why it works: The beige-sandy tones complement her eyes and complexion. “I like how her colorist left it a little bit darker at the root to add some dimension, making the hair look more natural and not so solid or wig like,” says Izzy Almeida, colorist at Marie Robinson Salon in NYC.
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4. Karlie Kloss: We love a warm blonde hue to kick the winter blues and ring in spring! It looks fab on ladies with yellow and golden skin tones, like stunner Karlie Kloss. “Warm shades like caramel, amber, or honey also work for fair, cool complexions with blue undertones,” notes Carly Militello, Redken colorist at Cutler Salon in NYC. Pro top: To keep blonde from fading, use a color-preserving shampoo like Redken Blonde Idol Shampoo.
5. Rita Ora: Going blonde doesn’t mean dying your hair one singular shade. Take a page out of Rita Ora’s book with a chic and sophisticated style that plays with variations in color. “Her baby blonde is perfect for spring. It flatters her peaches and cream skin tone, and the depth of color gives her hair dimension,” says colorist Sharon Dorram.
BRUNETTE
6. Lily Collins: Looking to dip your toe, err tresses, in the water, err color, when it comes to highlights? Lily’s color is barely there in all the right ways! “This is the type of color where you look at your natural hue, find the lightest strands and ask your stylist to add a bit more,” says King. “It’s also a great stepping stone to get a little more adventurous in the summer time.”
7. Kerry Washington: If you have gorgeous skin, like Kerry Washington, mocha or cocoa highlights are sure to wow. “The warm tones add brightness and really soften her look — perfect for spring,” says Militello.
8. Olivia Culpo: Soft amber highlights are a great way to ease dark brown hair. “Part of the perfection is the way that her highlights mimic natural lightening that tends to happen around the face, with just a little extra push in the right direction,” says King.
9. Jourdan Dunn: “I love adding face-framing highlights or paintings to brunettes, and this is a perfect example of that,” says Almeida. “It breaks up the hair a bit — showing a less solid look — and brightens up her face, making the color look fresh.” Added bonus: Using a richer, deeper gloss gives skin the illusion of being more radiant, which means you can lay off the extra bronzer.
10. Deepika Padukone: Deepika has beautiful, creamy complexion and the subtle, almost sun-kissed highlights bring attention to her stunning features. This is a great choice for natural brunettes who just want to switch things up ever-so-slightly for spring.
REDHEAD
11. Hannah Murphy: Why not show off your fiery side as the weather warms up? Red ombré FTW! Here’s why it works: “Hannah Murray has picture-perfect porcelain skin with pink undertones, so the vibrant red is such a complimentary look for her,” notes Liang. The brightest part is only at the tips, so it creates a gradual transition from the dark root. Pro top: Red is a high maintenance color that fades quickly, so to keep your hues bright, Liang recommends Julien Farel Vitamin Restore hair treatments every other wash to prolong color brilliance.
12. Emma Stone: Golden red with strawberry blonde highlights looks beautiful on pale complexions with yellow undertones and freckles, like Emma Stone. “This is a great way to add color and a glow to your skin for spring, even before you have a tan,” says Militello.
View this post on Instagram@brycedhoward on @latenightseth tonight! 💄 @quinnmurphy 💇🎨 @traceycunningham1 💇 @brycescarlett
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13. Bryce Dallas Howard: The Black Mirror actress shows her golden blonde ambition with a sun-kissed color. As many redheads do, Bryce has a fair complexion. “Her hair doesn’t have pink or violet tones to it, which can work against her naturally light skin; instead she sticks with gorgeous copper and gold,” notes King.
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14. Josephine Skriver: While supermodel Josephine Skriver could pull off any hair color, her strawberry highlights feel super fresh for spring. “This color works well on redheads who want to lighten up their color. It gives a glow as if she was in the sun,” says Doram.
14. Jessica Chastain: If only we had the magic to make our strands thicker, but since we don’t, we have to turn to alternative methods. One way to make your locks look fuller? Sun-kissed highlights. They add more layers of interest, which gives the illusion that hair is thicker (a la natural redhead Jessica Chastain). “Even though it’s more maintenance, it’s worth all the head-turning attention,” notes Liang.
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