The Biggest Hair Color Trends for 2021

January 13, 2021

“New year, new me” might be tired, but you know what isn’t? A hair change. And there’s no shortage of cool hair color trends to try right now. While 2020’s biggest color trends were all about natural, pretty takes on super-low-maintenance color—like undone blonde and cinnamon brown—experts predict 2021 is going to be all about having fun as life starts to return back to normal—somewhat.

That doesn’t mean you have to dye your hair bright pink (but if you want to, we’ve got plenty of advice for it). Rather, there are plenty of unexpected takes on classic shades that are trending as well. Why ask for basic highlights when you can order up silver champagne? We talked to top stylists to get the intel on the best hair color trends to try right now, from vintage blonde to bright blue. Here’s what to screenshot for your next appointment.

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50 Shades of Red

Every single stylist we talked to mentioned that this will be a huge year for red shades, so we’re calling it the coolest color to try now. “Red is the best color because it can be customized to enhance your natural beauty,” says Mark DeBolt, celebrity colorist and co-owner of New York’s Mark Ryan Salon. “Everything from pale strawberries to rich garnet shades of red can be customized to enhance your skin tone and eye color.” Dip your toes into the trend with a pretty peach tint, or go full Queen’s Gambit with a deep rouge amber.
Face-Framing Streaks

Two bright streaks around your face came back with a vengeance last year—this time called either money-piece highlights or e-girl streaks, depending on which side of the millennial/Gen Z divide you fall on. According to Jeremy Tardo, a celebrity colorist in Los Angeles, these streaks aren’t going anywhere for 2021. “Expect to start seeing more creative takes on the look like Bella Hadid’s two-toned streak,” he says. Tardo says this is such an easy trend to get in on since it’s super fun and trendy but doesn’t actually require coloring most of your hair. “Ask your colorist for a bright bit of color in the front,” he says. “If you want to increase the high contrast look, you can request a solid color on the rest of your hair too.”
The 2021 Hair Trends You’re About to See Everywhere

BY SAM NEIBART

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It’s time to shake things up in 2021, at least when it comes to hair. We spent most of 2020 skipping trims and doing root touch-ups in the privacy of your own home, so there’s no time like the present to finally experiment with your haircut, color, or style. The best hair looks for 2021 are all about being bold and making changes (hopefully with the help of our salon experts). Read on to get a look at what’s ahead, from the next big thing in hair care to the coolest haircuts for now.

1Super Shaggy