30 Hair Color Trends You Need To Try This Summer

Swap out your sweaters for sundresses—summer will be here before you know it. Why not change up your hair color for summer, too? Whether it’s a whole new shade of hair dye or a smaller, more subtle change you have in mind...we’ve got tons of on-trend ideas for you. Dive into our top choices for summer 2021 hair colors—from subtle babylights to big-mood blue denim, these summer hair color trends are only getting hotter. Check out our top 30 summer hair color trends...

 

Warm brunette hair color shades are going to be big this summer, and none more so than this multi-dimensional, light to medium brunette shade with hints of gold. Want to replicate this look at home? Go nuts with Radiant Hair Color in Tuscany Brown 6NGV.

 

Another warm, low-maintenance brunette shade of hair color we absolutely love is delicious caramel balayage. Our Light Works® Balayage Highlighting Kit in Ardenza Warm Caramel creates soft, summery caramel highlights. 

 

Buttercream blonde looks great under a straw hat with a pair of oversized sunnies (plus iced coffee in hand). The vibe here is rich neutral blonde hair color, like Nocera Blonde 9N.

 

This all-time favorite summer hair color is back in a big way. Our favorite light red copper blonde shade? The perfect blend of ginger and gold: Matera Marigold 8C.

 

This warm brown shade is all about playing up your natural undertones. Soft, multi-tonal brunette hair color is lighter and less severe than one-dimensional deep brunette—and perfect for sunnier days spent outdoors.

 

Meet your glossiest black hair color ever. Opt for The Perfect Pair—color + gloss—for this super-shiny, healthy-looking hair color. We love pairing inky black Pescara Black 2NNA with Color Reviving Gloss in Espresso to add shine and depth.

 

The trendiest summer 2021 hair color shades might all be big, bold reds, and we adore a rich auburn hair color. Want to test-drive the burgundy hair color trend? Try a semi-permanent hair gloss like Color Reviving Gloss in Barolo.

 

The easiest possible way to do subtle, ultra low-maintenance highlights. Ask your stylist for a few piecey pops of color threaded through your mid-lengths and ends, in a shade just slightly lighter than your natural hair color. So easy, so cool.

 

Like an ice-cold chocolate milkshake, this color always sounds good to us. Get the milk chocolate balayage look with Light Works® Balayage Highlighting Kit in Merano Cool Mocha.

 

Reddish purple hair color is truly having a moment. Try this trend out at home with cool, dark sangria Volterra Amethyst 4VR.

 

Blonde + orange = you guessed it. This pale tangerine shade is so cheerful—plus, it fades to a gorgeous peachy color for an easy, chic growing-out process.

 

Could this icy, shimmering blonde hair color shade be any cooler? Expect to spend a lot of time in your stylist’s chair to achieve this silvery platinum look.

 

This rich cool red is one of summer 2021’s most refreshing shades. Get this gorgeous burgundy hair color with dark red Rimini Garnet 5RV.

 

Pastels are out, bold bright shades are in. This multi-tonal, golden copper hue is easily achieved with a warm reddish gloss like Cannella applied over a red or brunette base color.

 

15. Chunky 90’s highlights 


90’s fashion is having a moment, so why not 90’s beauty trends? For those who dare, stripey, chunky highlights have made a major comeback. Perfectly blended balayage always looks good, but piecey highlights just look cool.

 

Like your favorite pair of faded cutoffs, muted blue hair color is a summer favorite. Use a cool, silvery blue hair color shade for an on-trend stone-washed look.

 

Two bright streaks (starting at the roots and continuing down to the ends) on either side of your face, in stark contrast to solid hair color? All the cool kids are asking their stylists for The Money Piece this summer.

 

Would you rather dye your hair blue or green? Why not both? This turquoise hair color shade has us longing for a dip in the ocean.

 

A modern take on the mermaid hair color trend, this sweet shade is a mix of pink and peach hair color that mimics the icy summer dessert. Add lime green or a streak of neon yellow to take sherbet hair color to the next level.

 

Despite evoking an icy winter landscape, this metallic gray shade is white hot for summer 2021. Want to dip your toe in the trend without going full-on silver? Work your way up to silver hair color by starting with an ashy platinum blonde shade.

 

You can’t go wrong with piecey dark blonde lowlights on a lighter blonde base shade. For a more natural look, ask your colorist to paint your lowlights on freehand (rather than using foils).

 

Colorists are calling this golden bronde hair color the shade of summer. It’s the ideal warm sandy blonde hair color. We suggest using Light Works® Balayage Highlighting Kit in Palmi Warm Honey to get perfectly sun-kissed locks.

 

Here’s how to dip your toe in summer 2021’s on-fire red hair color trend. Ask your colorist to weave some red pieces throughout your hair for added auburn dimension. Then if you love it, you can always graduate to a full head of red hair dye.

 

Gray hair as natural highlights? Meet your new coming-out-of-lockdown look. This salt-and-pepper outgrowth looks especially chic on blondes. Pick up Crema gloss to neutralize any unwanted yellow tones.

 

You can’t go wrong with solid matte brunette, a summer hair color trend that looks good on absolutely everyone. What can we say, sometimes basic is best.

 

Bust out your best rooty, sunshine-y blonde that will make you nostalgic for the outdoor music festivals of summers past. A light, warm blonde hair color shade like Amalfi Blonde 10NGV is your golden ticket back to the 70’s.

 

As luxe as caviar, shiny blue-black hair color is the perfect unexpected summer hue. Choose a black shade of hair dye with sapphire undertones, like Perugia Black 2NAA.

 

Yes way, rosé. Soft pink hair color is one of the more fun hair color trends of 2021. If you want to try this cotton-candy hue for yourself, now’s the time.

 

Brown-black hair color is an especially yummy summer hair color trend. Get the look with Positano Black 3NNA (our darkest brown-black hair color shade).

 

30. Root shadowing


No salon appointment, no problem. Root shadowing—a technique in which a darker shade of hair color is applied directly to roots for soft, seamless contrast—is the easiest way to freshen up your look this summer. Although this look is often seen with balayage highlights (think blonde, highlighted hair with dark roots), it can truly be done with any shade of hair color.

 

Which hair color trend are you summer loving? Let us know in the comments.