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Gone are the days of your hair colorist popping on a highlight cap and spreading bleach on top, pulling your strands through while you cross your fingers. Highlights have come a long way in the past few decades. Now, you can barely tell they’re there — well, unless you’re looking for major dimension. The highlight trends of 2024 have it all: natural, subtle highlights, melted highlights, toffee tones, red hues and so much more.
Take inspo from our favorite celebs to transform your look for 2024. We tapped some of the best colorists in the game to give us the scoop on how to get the looks. Maybe it’s time to soften your root color like Sofia Richie or put in some red highlights like Dua Lipa and Zendaya — one more dramatic than the other. There are so many options for all hair colors and textures. To wit. toffee highlights look incredible on curly hair and we’ve never seen a money piece we didn’t love. Start planning your new look, below.
Subtle-Lights
Madison Reed Master Colorist Shvonne Perkins says “less is more” when it comes to highlights in 2024. “This trend emphasizes accent highlights over a classic shade to create a subtle, yet impactful effect, without appearing overly highlighted,” she says. “These glowing strands placed throughout your hair will add dimension to your winter locks and with the right shade and placement, it can also help brighten up your complexion.” For color maintenance, add Madison Reed Bonding Time Bond Building Treatment to strengthen and repair your hair while protecting your color from fading.
Tease Me Highlights
For colorist Rosario Cannata, Master Colorist at Warren Tricomi NYC, this new trend is all about embracing boldness and individuality. “Not overly blended, tease me highlights are lived-in color with striking highlights. We’ve bid farewell to the chunky Kelly Clarkson highlights of the early ’00s and introduced a more seamless and blended technique.”
Singer Tate McRae, Khloe Kardashian, and Margot Robbie are all rocking beautiful tease me highlights.
Ask your stylist to ensure each section is carefully chosen, creating a beautiful transition from the roots to those bold, eye-catching pieces. And for added fun, Cannata suggests customizing your look with baby lights or the Scandinavian hairline.
Muted Roots
It’s all about lived-in blonde for 2024 says celebrity hair artist Joseph Michael. “The sandy blonde is what’s in right now,” he says. “People aren’t going for the aggressive highlights but more a bronde color. It’s easy maintenance. You still have your blonde so you can revert back to it but it’s much more natural looking.” This could mean some brighter highlights around the face but a darker root. Joseph uses “high lift color” instead of bleach to soften the roots and blend it all together.
Melted Highlights
A darker root isn’t going anywhere but you’ll want to ensure there’s no line of demarcation. “Rich, rooted melted highlights are in for winter,” says hairstylist Nikki Lee, co-founder of Nine Zero One salon in Los Angeles, and In Common Beauty. “Toning all previously highlighted hair down a level or two, as well as richening the tone on the warmer side is the way to go until spring has sprung and it’s time to brighten it back up again,” adds hairstylist Riawna Capri, Lee’s partner in the salon.
The duo has a new gig outside the salon. They’re hosting a brand new show called Hairstyle, The Talent Show with Rossano Ferretti. The show takes 10 professional hairstylists who compete for $150,000, allowing them to realize their dream of opening a high-end salon. It looks like it’s time to sign up for discovery+.
Toffee Tones
“We’ll continue to see new takes on dimensional reds and see more playful tones through highlight placement,” says Justin Anderson, celebrity stylist and co-dounder of dpHUE. “Maybe a more muted red, or apricot variation is on its way?! Shadow roots on a pearly blonde, or yummy toffee tones in baby light form to add some dimension and pop of color to a rich brunette.”
Auburn Highlights
Cowgirl copper hair isn’t the only red trending. “With Cherry Cola hair being all the rage, auburn highlights are a great option for anyone looking for a calmer version of the trend,” says colorist and #mydentity founder, Guy Tang. “This color looks stunning on brunette hair.” The #Mydentity Demi-Permanent in Midnight Rose 6 is the perfect color to achieve auburn highlights. “To keep this look healthy and beautiful, the MyHero Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner will protect the hair from possible damage, while also prolonging color longevity,” he adds.
Honey Blonde
Warm-toned blonde is back, just think of celebs like Keke Palmer and Emma Roberts. “With its mix of neutral and warm tones, this blonde color is perfect for all skin tones and brightens up all hair types,” says Rosario Cannata, Master Colorist at Warren Tricomi NYC. “Throw away your purple shampoos because warm and golden tones are back with vengeance.”
Cashmere Bronde
Skip the platinum hues in 2024 and go for a bronde color (that’s blonde and brown together!). “An artful blend of coffee tones, this shade emphasizes cooler and darker blonde shades,” Perkins says. “Departing from the ultra-light, platinum looks of the past, it sits between dark and light blondes with violet-sterling undertones, avoiding overly yellow or gold tones, for a universally flattering hue.” If you are starting with blonde or highlighted hair, you can achieve it by perfecting your tone with Madison Reed Color Therapy Mask in Perla or Color Reviving Gloss in Crema.
Espresso Martini Brunette
While warm highlights will always be in style, Perkins sees deeper, cool-toned brunette as a big 2024 trend. “An ode to everyone’s favorite festive cocktail, this season’s Espresso Martini hair color is steering brunettes towards cooler and deeper shades, and away from gold and mahogany hues,” she says. “The shade emphasizes smoky, cool ash tones in various brown shades, leaning towards a neutral to cool spectrum while minimizing red and warm reflections. The result? Rich, deep brown hair with cool undertones that create a truly sophisticated look.”
Maintain at home with Madison Reed ColorSolve Shampoo and Conditioner with the added Brunette Color Depositing Shot to preserve vibrancy. To reduce color fade, treat your hair to Color Reviving Gloss in Espresso.
Red Hair
Add some red highlights to your hair in 2024 — the shade is going to be bigger than ever. Celebrity colorist and R+COLOR Collective member, Jenna Perry, sees “red transformations” continuing into next year. She’s also seeing tone on tone brunette, “subtle highlights that complement each other,” and more iridescent blondes, “a blend of golden and violet tones.”
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