Peach Hair Is Fall’s Most Unexpected Trend
While most of fall's biggest hair-color trends have been fairly predictable, one surprising trend has become the front-runner for the season's It shade: peach hair.
DIY pink was without a doubt the color of quarantine, but once salons reopened their doors, it appears that cool girls everywhere traded in their rosé for a golden wash of peach. It has the same fun vibe and flattering warm tones as pink, but feels fresher and just a hint more natural depending on how much orange you want in it. Red shades like copper and scarlet have been trending heavily this year too, so it's also a great way to get in on the trend without too much commitment.
According to Mark DeBolt, master colorist and co-owner of New York's Mark Ryan Salon, one of the main reasons we're suddenly seeing peach everywhere is its versatility. It works for both dark and light hair—in subtle washes over blonds or poppy highlights for brunettes.
“Peach is also so pretty on so many different skin tones,” he says. “Because it's such a warm color, it makes skin and eyes glow and makes your hair look so healthy.” In addition to different placements of the shade, there are also tons of variations on it, from the lightest pastel sorbet to natural-looking strawberry blond or even full-on ginger.
Like most fun colors, it's also a fairly low-commitment option. While DeBolt doesn't recommend trying this particular shade at home—although Manic Panic, Lime Crime, and Overtone make some pretty great DIY options if you're skilled with coloring your own hair—it behaves the same way as temporary colors since it's usually done with a gloss. “With each wash, the peach pigments rinse out of your hair, and you're left with a golden blond shade,” he says.
Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Semi-Permanent Hair Color Tint in Sushi
$16.00, Lime Crime
Manic Panic Amplified Semi-Permanent Hair Color
$15.00, Manic Panic
Overtone Original Rose Gold Coloring Conditioner
$29.00, Overtone
Overtone Pastel Orange Coloring Conditioner
$29.00, Overtone
I'd been considering dipping my toe into the trend back in April, after obsessing over photos of singer Charlotte Lawrence and of Dua Lipa's ever-changing quarantine color. After months of debating about DIY-ing the shade, I ended up in DeBolt's chair, where he convinced me to give it a try (I had planned on my usual bright blond).
First, we had a fairly in-depth discussion about both what we wanted my peach to look like and what we wanted the blond to look like once the tint faded out. DeBolt's number one tip if you want to try this shade yourself? Bring in pictures. It's the best way to make sure you and your colorist are on the same page, since “peach” can mean a range of shades.
“Peach is created by mixing a ton of gold with a dab of orange and a drop of pink,” he says. “If you do a simple Pinterest search for peach hair, you will find some delicate and natural examples, looking closer to strawberry blond. On the other extreme, I have seen neon versions of peach too.” Also take into account the fact that you may need to lighten or highlight your hair to get your desired shade. “Think of peach glosses as a watercolor,” he says. "If you don’t have any lightness in your hair, you will not see the resulting tone.”
After deciding on the above video of Lawrence as our reference, DeBolt started by fixing my months of roots and bringing me back to a high-lift yellow blond. Then he applied the peach gloss, which sat for around 30 minutes. The total process took about three hours, but most of that was the blonding.
After catching a glimpse of myself in my phone camera, I was a little scared—my hair was bright orange—but I ended up being obsessed with the final product. I felt like Strawberry Shortcake or a My Little Pony, in the coolest way possible. It brightened up my whole face, made me photograph better, and felt special and cool yet totally wearable. I've tried pink hair several times and always tire of it around two weeks in, but the peach hasn't started to feel stale.
peach process
Bella Cacciatore
bella peach
Bella CaccitoreThe one downside (depending on whom you ask) is that it does fade very quickly. To minimize this, I washed my hair only twice a week and was able to stretch the shade for a little over a month. DeBolt also recommends avoiding excessive heat styling and to use a color-safe shampoo (he likes Shu Uemura's Color Lustre).
Shu Uemura Color Lustre Brilliant Glaze Shampoo
$49.00, Shu Uemura
Matrix Biolage Colorlast Conditioner
$20.00, Matrix
Redken Color Extend Magnetics Sulfate-Free Shampoo
$20.00, Redken
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk
$20.00, Klorane
Still, I can't recommend trying the shade enough. After six months of overgrown roots and stress acne, it made me feel more like me—but newer, shinier, and cooler—than I had in a long time. Also into it? Scroll on for more of my favorite takes on the trend, below.
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty associate at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
