Everyone Will Be Going Golden Bronde or Botticelli Brunette This Winter

Spun With Gold Blonde

“I’ve been doing this technique on Margot Robbie, Brie Larson, Sydney Sweeney, and I feel like with all of the award shows coming up this is going to be something people come into the salon asking for," shared celebrity colorist and Olaplex ambassador Jacob Schwartz. “It’s a take on really natural highlights that adds almost a glimmering, glistening, glowing effect to the hair."

Schwartz was first inspired to coin the style while visiting Italy with his boyfriend. While strolling through the museums, he was struck by Botticelli's penchant for using real gold in his paintings of women's hair, allowing the light to capture it just right.

If you don't have any solid gold tinsel laying around, Schwartz says to “Ask for finer highlights with more space in-between and underneath. Blend the roots with a demi-permanent color that’s one-to-two shades lighter than your natural base color.”

Botticelli Brunette

Yes, spun with gold highlights are going to be just as popular for the brown-haired crowd. “Everyone’s like, ‘It’s winter, let’s go dark," said Schwartz. "So this is a similar feeling."

To keep your highlights looking fresh at home, Schwartz recommends Olaplex's No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Hair Mask. If you're in the salon, ask for the brand's 4-In-1 Moisture Mask.

Golden Bronde

According to celebrity hairstylist and Moroccanoil Celebrity Colorist Matt Rez, golden bronde (or as Addison Rae puts it, "color-shifting hair") is perfect for someone with a dark to medium-brown natural hue. To achieve the shade, have your colorsit intermix a warm golden midlight with a neutral, warm highlight foiling pattern.

"When processing, the midlights would be lifted to a lightest brown and highlights lifted to a medium blonde. You need to preserve a lot of the natural base color," shared Rez. "The base color will make the two lighter colors pop, so don’t over-highlight and diminish the dimension. Contrast is key in this look."

He adds that at-home care is key to keep your blonde bright and shiny. "To maintain this look at home I suggest using the Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask in Clear," he says. "It will keep your hair color bouncing light between salon visits!"

Pop Star Red

When imagining pop star red, think Olivia O'Brien's recent red turn (which was the work of Schwartz) or Dua Lipa's Houdini-era makeover. While there are many ways to go about red, this is the color for you if you're going for "more of a look."

“If you’re a singer, musician, actress, you’re a little edgy," shared Schwartz. "So is this red."

Another harbinger of the trend? Shvonne Perkins, a master colorist at Madison Reed who suggests at least one overall permanent color appointment—complete with references for the feeling of the color such as plum, wine, or cherry—if you're going to go for it.

"It’s a bolder take on red that can feel more exciting and more of a statement than the soft approach of natural warm reds from recent trends," she explains. "The depth and more austere look of these shades speaks to some of the structure we expect to see in haircut trends next year."

Low Contrast Roots

According to Perkins, a trend that will continue to dominate highlighting in 2024 is the low-contrast grow-out.

"While the money piece and chunky '90s highlights made an appearance in 2023, the general aesthetic will remain a soft, blurred grow-out line that stays away from visible stripey grow-out," she shared. "There is something really appealing about a not-so-tried-for look. Sharp highlight lines that lead the eye right up to the scalp can look obvious and outdated. A deeper, more grown in root actually emphasizes the lighter pieces by giving a natural base and brings the focus to the eyes and cheekbones, which highlighting is supposed to do. It’s a more modern effect than having light, bright pieces originating from the scalp."

While we often think blonde when we think roots, this look works for all dimensional color types; just ask your stylist for a shadowed, deeper root.

Stick of Butter Blonde

“This buttery blonde is great for those with a natural dark blonde base color. It can be best achieved through foiled highlights that are lifted to a pale blonde. I love glossing buttery blonde highlights with the Moroccanoil Color Calypso Glosses,” shared Rez.

To keep up a buttery blonde color at home, Rez suggests using Moroccanoil's Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo and Conditioner.

Brownie Red

Last year, we had brownie batter brunette. This year, the redheads are cooking up something sweet themselves. If you’re not ready for your pop star era yet (admit it, few of us are), this is another way to add a little red to your life.

“I usually ask my clients, do you want your red to scream, talk, or whisper? This one is a whisper,” shared Peityn Otto, a colorist and former Wella educator. “If you don’t feel ambitious enough to do the Megan Fox red, you can opt for Judy Garland or Zendaya's take on the color.”

Cool, Deep Brunettes

A step in the other direction, many brunettes are opting for more solid colors with violet-silver tones—an effect most obvious on lighter-to-medium shades.

"This is more of a statement brunette that is ultra ash and less concerned with looking sunkissed. The dimension comes from the reflection of the cool tones that give a sort of icy feel to the overall shade." shared Perkins. "Ask your colorist for a cool, metallic undertone that minimizes red. Also, be sure to have a conversation about home maintenance plans as brunettes tend to warm up over time, and using cool color depositing glosses, like Madison Reed Color Depositing Gloss, and conditioners, like Madison Reed ColorSolve Shampoo and Conditioner, will help keep your tone in place."

Candlelit Brunette

Warm or cool, you can't go wrong. Another seasonal favorite? Warm-toned brunettes, which compliment the warm blondes that are so popular this time of year.

"A rich and glossy brunette is one of my favorite coloring sessions at my salon, and more specifically the 'candlelit brunette' look is being requested more and more," shared Bradley Leake, a celebrity hairstylist who specializes in lived-in color. "These all have a lived-in feel with warm undertones that can be really complimentary with the skin during the winter months when many of us lose our tans!"

As the BRDY JAY salon owner so nicely puts it, lived-in looks are meant to have an easy upkeep. "This means working with your natural hair instead of against it, leading to less frequent trips to the salon." he said. "The key to giving darker hair lots of dimension is keeping it hydrated! The Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hydrating Oil is perfect for this job—adding lots of hydration and shine, so even my deepest brunettes are full of life and dimension."