The hair colour trends stylists predict will be everywhere in 2026
image via @mitch.studio/instagram
words by daisy henry
From mocha and copper to the lived-in blonde.
Hair colour trends, as the past few decades have shown, can really go in any direction. We’ve had years of platinum blonde domination followed by cowboy copper and cherry cola reds. We’ve had others where Kylie Jenner convinced us to bleach our hair teal (some in the FJ office actually did this), and of course, the era of balayage.
We’ve already spoken to hairstylists about popular hair cuts. Now we’re a month into the New Year, we figured it was time to circle back and unpack the hair colours set to takeover in 2026.
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Speaking to six leading Australian hair stylists, there appears to be a split. “We predict 2026 will be the year of celebrating personal style and colours tailored to the individual,” says Jonny, master stylist and educator at Stache. So far, this seems to involve a movement towards either soft, ‘lived-in’ colours – or bold, high-impact styles.
Fifty shades of brunette
Suede brunette
From Charli XCX to Dua Lipa, there’s a fairly convincing case for turning to the dark side this year. However, you can’t just show up to your hairdresser and request ‘brown’. Do you want chocolate, mahogany, espresso, sparkly?
According to Jaye Edwards, hairstylist and founder of Edwards and Co, ‘suede’ is the shade that’s set to dominate this coming year.
“It’s warm without being golden, cool without being ashy and universally flattering,” he explains. Technically speaking, ‘suede brunette’ involves a combination of muted lowlights and diffused highlights, creating a blend that grows out seamlessly. “It’s effortless and sun-kissed, perfect for the warmer seasons.”
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Mocha brunette
Mocha, on the other hand, is a brunette shade offering greater depth and dimension. “It’s rich, glossy, and feels incredibly expensive without being overpowering,” Jaye explains. It’s created with balayage and soft contouring around the face.
“It’s perfect for brunettes who want to elevate their natural base with warmth while keeping maintenance minimal and the finish ultra luxe.”
Lived-in blonde
Soft honey creme
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Tommy Beale-Burchell, hair stylist and colour expert, predicts a move away from overly cool or harsh blondes, and into warmer, sunlit tones. Essentially, colour that feels “soft, expensive and effortless”.
One of the benefits of the shade is that it’s far more low maintenance than classic foils. “The softer placement and blended finish means fewer regrowth lines, fewer salon visits and a gentler approach to lightening, which really aligns with how clients are becoming more health-conscious with their hair.”
Jonny builds on this, forecasting more cooler blondes with warm undertones. “Think natural blonde, like a child would have,” he says. “It’s still living in the realm of ‘lived in’ but with less emphasis on face framing trends and more tailoring to the person’s individual features.”
The power blonde
On the other hand, Tara-Lee Mitchell, owner and stylist at Mitch salon in Melbourne, sees blonde taking a slightly different turn. “The last couple of years have been about natural colour work, lots of blending,” she tells me.
“I can already tell that people are more keen to try high-impact colour.” For her, this means a ‘power blonde’ with no root shadow. “Picture lots of foils or even a full head bleach,” she says.
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High-impact colour
In a similar vein, Sheridan Rose Shaw, hairstylist and director of Mama West salon, forecasts a move towards bold colours and styles. “Clients are bored and wanting a change, [whether] that’s high-impact colour or completely natural bases with strategic colour placement,” she says.
Where people were once embracing their natural colour, Sheridan sees them adding in pops of colour, like pink or copper in the fringe or behind the ear. “It’s lower maintenance with higher impact.”
Marbled and patterned bleach
On the theme of going big, Becc Snow, hairstylist and founder of Alchemy salon, has noticed an increasing number of clients embracing the experimental. ”
A marbled and patterned bleach style is a great way for people to be super creative with their hair colour without the high maintenance upkeep of a fashion or vivid colour,” she explains. These could be anything from stripes and block panels, to shapes like stars and zig-zags. Or, of course, Rosalía’s iconic bleached halo.
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The 2010s are back
“Dip dye and fox tips are having a resurgence from the 2010s,” Becc adds.”I think Y2K is on the way out and 2010s is back.” A low-maintenance option, it’s a style that doesn’t require pre-lightening, making it a great option for those concerned with their hair health (another big trend in the hair world).
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Copper comeback
Echoing Sheridan and Becc’s call for colour, Tara adds that high-fashion copper and shades of red will be back in the spotlight. Rather than ‘cowgirl copper’, she envisions this as tangerine tones, or even fire engine red.
“I think fashion has been reasonably muted over the past few years, and everyone is ready for a change. Fashion is getting more adventurous so hair naturally follows.”
For more fashion and beauty forecasting, try this.
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