Toasted blonde and chocolate drizzle brown: Our favourite hair colour trends for winter
IMAGE VIA @DUALIPA/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY MARYEL SOUSA
Brunette is so back.
The season’s trending hair colours can be influenced by a lot – pop culture, social media, the economy, even the season itself. Kendall Jenner becomes a momentary redhead, copper tones begin to trend. A recession hits, and suddenly, high-maintenance blonde is out the window. It’s fascinating to speculate which shades we’ll spot next.
For more haircare reviews, check out our Beauty section.
At the start of this year, we asked hair stylists for their predictions about the colours we’d see trending in 2026. Now that we’re about halfway through the year, we wanted to check in with two professional stylists and see which trends have taken hold for winter. Spoiler alert: as days grow shorter, chill sets in, and the cost-of-living crisis continues to be, well, a crisis, it’s no surprise that clients have been opting for warm, lived-in tones that are easy to maintain.
Rich, glossy espresso brunette
View this post on Instagram
To our delight, brunette is so back this season. Specifically, a rich espresso brunette that’s universally flattering and easy to maintain – especially for those wanting a winter refresh without a full colour change.
According to Kirby Lago, a professional hair stylist and owner of Pelo by Lago, this deep, glossy brown has a cool-toned reflect that makes natural dark hair look almost wet with shine. “The finish is seamless, mirror-like and catches the light beautifully,” she says. “It feels expensive without trying too hard, the kind of brunette that reads as polished from across the room.”
This rich, ultra-reflective quality is exactly why the colour remains a favourite with Laura Kim, the owner of Studio Muse, and with the likes of Hailey Bieber and Dua Lipa, who Laura cites as colour inspiration. She recommends combining the espresso base with subtle, cool highlights for the perfect winter-ready look.
Chocolate drizzle brown
View this post on Instagram
Kirby dubs chocolate drizzle brown ‘the more playful brunette’. “Built on a rich espresso or chocolate base, this trend is all about soft ribbons of warmer caramel and toffee woven through the mid-lengths and ends, think a chocolate sauce drizzle, where the warmth catches the light without ever looking stripey or obvious.”
“It’s the antidote to flat winter brunette, with dimension and movement that feels rich, cosy, and made for the colder months.”
Cashmere bronde
View this post on Instagram
Somewhere between brunette and blonde lies ‘bronde’, an easy-upkeep shade for wherever you currently lie on the spectrum. If you’re not ready to commit to going fully blonde, Laura recommends a soft cashmere bronde, which blends soft ribbons of blonde and brunette for a natural, undone but luxurious feel reminiscent of Sofia Richie.
Toasted blonde
View this post on Instagram
For natural brunettes wanting to go a bit lighter during the cold and dreary seasons, there’s toasted blonde, which Kirby describes as a ‘buttery, warm and lived-in’ colour that signals a total shift away from the icy Scandi blonde that dominated the early 2020s.
“Toasted blonde sits in that golden, sun-kissed zone with soft dimension threaded throughout rather than uniform lift,” she explains. “It’s creamy, glossy and reminiscent of late afternoon light – a blonde that warms up your complexion and looks expensive without ever tipping into brassy.
Natural auburn
View this post on Instagram
Expect to see less bright copper and cherry-cola shades as salons lean more into subtler counterparts, like deep, natural auburn. “Natural auburn is closer to a warm brunette with a soft, peachy-red reflection – think Sadie Sink and Emma Stone – where the colour amplifies a rosy, freckled complexion rather than overpowering it,” Kirby says. “It’s the most wearable red of the season because it doesn’t shout. The result is hair that looks like it’s caught the autumn light, with just enough red to feel intentional, seasonal, and effortlessly cool.”
For more hair inspiration, try this.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
