As the saying goes, everything old is new again. And those shades of pink that took a backseat to the rainbow-hair trend for awhile? They're coming back in a big way. Yes, rose-gold hair hit Instagram earlier this year, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. This next wave is warmer, softer (almost faded), and done with artful precision.
"Everybody is asking for pink or pastel tones," Jess Gonzalez, colorist at L.A.'s coolest new salon, Salon Benjamin in the Arts District, tells us. She notes, however, that these aren't the same pinks from a few years ago: "We are seeing softer pinks, like dusty pink, blush-y pink, and rose-gold pink — instead of brighter pinks." The Fox & The Hair 's Amanda Ackerman agrees, noting that Aussie girls prefer color melts in "peach-toned pink, rather than violet-based pink." Colorist Shelley Gregory, one of the first to give us rose-gold hair, agrees: "I am loving the look of washed-out, vivid colors." Call the trend what you will, but it's happening — and gaining steam.
The best thing about these new pinks? They're more accessible, thanks to a variety of ways to wear them — but more on that in the slides ahead. Click through for 11 ways to sport these rosé-meets-peach hues, courtesy of some of the raddest colorists in the game.
Let's start off softly — super softly — with L.A. colorist Cherin Choi 's take on the trend in its subtlest form. She calls this hue "dusty pink" and suggests asking your colorist to tint "low-maintenance highlights for an easy grow out." Already blond? Ask for just a whisper of gray-ish pink, then keep it looking fresh with a pink-based conditioner. (Try this one from Urban Outfitters.)
Pink and gray tones fade fast, so getting an in-salon toner to maintain the color will be necessary more often than it would be with other colors, Choi notes. Frequency depends on your hair texture and how often you lather up: "The more often the toning is done, the longer it will last," she says, and suggests cutting down the number of shampoos you do per week.
Photo: Courtesy of Cherin Choi.
Just as subtle as Choi's option on the previous slide, but warmer in tone, this hue was done by L.A.'s Daniel Moon using a peach hue over bleached hair. Notice the color is concentrated on the top half of hair, but that's not your only option...
Photo: Courtesy of Daniel Moon.
Moon also created this shimmery, faded effect by concentrating the peach color on the bottom half, and leaving the tips blond. This could be our favorite look from the lot, but know that Moon's work is considered one of the benchmarks of colorful hair today, so be sure your colorist can master a color melt like this before hopping in his or her chair.
Photo: Courtesy of
"The biggest trend for colored hair right now is definitely anything pastel — mainly pinks, rose gold, and peach," Ackerman reports. Keep the pink tones rooted in peach, not violet, to keep the look modern, she says, then opt for a color melt to ease the grow-out pains.
This look requires some at-home maintenance: "As beautiful as the softer fashion colors are, they don't last very long if you aren't topping up the color at home," she explains. "I would recommend the Evo Fabuloso Pro — a godsend for these type of colors. It comes as a clear conditioner base that your stylist can customize with color pigment."
Photo: Courtesy of Amanda Ackerman.
"The pinks we are seeing now are warmer and softer," Gregory says, adding that rose gold and peach are the hues she's playing with the most. "They're more natural-looking than the bubblegum and hot pinks we have seen in the past."
Anyone for peach rosé? Gregory calls this look "rose gold with pops of pastel pink" and suggests asking your colorist for "a level 9 rose gold with ribbons of light pink throughout." Then, to maintain the color, she suggests limiting shampooing to one or two times per week, and always with a sulfate-free shampoo. To really extend the life, avoid sun exposure (hard if you're a California girl, we admit) and the high heat settings on your styling tools.
Photo: Courtesy of Shelley Gregory.
This look, also by Gregory, is the exact opposite of the balayage color melt coming out of Australia on slide four. Instead, she wove a few shades into the hair in foils, just like one would do for a traditional highlight. "Ask for highlights to a level 10, then color with pink, peach, and lavender," she says. The color will need to be refreshed every four to six weeks — and, if we may add, looks quite stellar in a crown braid.
Photo: Courtesy of Shelley Gregory.
Gregory also created this peachy pop of color — done only with toner. "Ask for an all-over balayage to make you a level 10 or lighter, then tone with peach all over," she says.
Photo: Courtesy of Shelley Gregory.
For those that love the edgy feeling of slide one, but want something a touch bolder, this is your look. Choi calls this version she created "lilac shadows" and suggest asking for lilac color over blond highlights. This can even be done over old, grown-out highlights if your base is naturally deeper and won't absorb as much color as your lengths. Choi notes that upkeep is not required: It will eventually fade out to blond and look rad every step of the way.
Photo: Courtesy of Cherin Choi.
Okay, people, now we're really getting bold. Gregory describes this look as being "peach with a shadow root and dusty pink pieces" and notes it's all about strategic color placement. Into it? Deliver this message to your colorist: "A level 6 blue steel at the base, then the rest of the hair a level 9 peach with panels of dusty rose pink....Keep the deeper colors toward the base of the hair and the lighter ones on the tips and around your face, similar to a balayage."
Photo: Courtesy of Shelley Gregory.
"Right now, it's about soft and dimensional colorful colors," Anja Burton says. "In the past, you would first bleach and tone, then apply the color of your choice for a more monochromatic look." Today, it's all about painting. Burton is one of the top colorists at L.A.'s It salon Ramirez | Tran, and is constantly creating head-turning looks. She calls this vibrant take "dimensional pink" and notes that it's quite user-friendly. "This new pink is less maintenance than the solid pinks of the past, but it still fades rather quickly," Burton says. "I always send my clients home with a little color kit that they can do if they are needing a refresher."
Photo: Courtesy of Anja Burton.
Finally, the boldest look in the bunch, which Gonzalez calls "dimensional, root-y pink hair." Here's how she did it: "I created this look by balayaging her whole head, then adding Pravana pink to it." Again, upkeep isn't required: "If you want to keep the pink hair, you will need to refresh the color once a week with a colored conditioner," she explains. But, you can also let it fade. "Once the pink fades, it's becomes a blush blond!"
Photo: Courtesy of Jess Gonzalez.
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