When it comes to hair colour trends, European women have it down. From Milan to Paris and London to Copenhagen, you’ll see stylish women from the fashion capitals adopting the major hair colour trends of the season before anyone else.
European women embrace traditional and timeless hair colours, but, you’ll often see Londoners and Berliners adopting more vibrant shades too—they’re never not delivering us endless inspiration to take to the salon.
So, what European hair colours are trending right now? With autumn now here, I’ve been diving into the biggest hair trends and scrolling through the continent’s most stylish tastemakers to see which hair colours are taking off next. I tapped hair trend forecaster and expert hairstylist, Tom Smith, to decode the autumn hair trends and how to get the look.
European Hair Colour Trends
1. Espresso
One hair European hair colour trend that I’m seeing everywhere (and tempted to try myself) is espresso brunette. The cool-toned hue not only looks chic, but the rich colour also looks super glossy and shiny, which in turn makes your hair look healthy. If you want to dip a toe in the trend, there are plenty of semi-permanent hair masks and colour-depositing glosses that allow you to go darker without the commitment.
Shop the trend:
Living Proof
Perfect Hair Day™ High-Shine Gloss
To enhance dark brunettes, I highly recommend you try this hair gloss which coats hair in a mirror-like shine unlike anything else I’ve tried—no wonder it can’t stay in stock.
Wella Professionals
Color Fresh Semi-Permanent Colour Mask – Cool Espresso 150ml
Want to try espresso brunette without touching permanent dye? This colour-depositing mask lends a deep, cool-toned brunette shade that gradually washes out.
glaze
Super Gloss Colour Conditioning Hair Gloss – Sleek Espresso
Another of my favourites is Glaze, a hair gloss with a tint that deposits semi-permanent colour while injecting hair with a glossy shine.
2. Cinder Toffee
If dark brunette isn’t for you, toffee tones are a great alternative for this time of the year to add dimension to dark hair colours with caramel tones. “The tones are totally warm and combine chocolate, caramels and intense golds to give a reflective and youthful shine to the hair,” says Smith. “This can be achieved with an all over colour or incorporated into a darker base with various dimensional tones in high/low lights,” he says.
Shop the trend:
Josh Wood Colour
Colour Hair Gloss – Caramel
“Keeping shine and vibrancy high is important for this shade so consider using a weekly conditioning mask (or even a mask that contains golden pigments) to continue adding shine and gloss wash after wash,” says Smith.
GISOU
Honey Infused Hair Mask
A weekly hair mask can help keep highlights looking glossy and healthy—Gisou’s is a Who What Wear UK favourite.
Cécred
Nourishing Hair Oil
A little of Cécred’s hair oil goes a long way to impart shine and nourishment to bleached highlights.
3. Sunflower Blonde
Sunflower blonde has been trending since the summer, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. “This is as warm as a blonde can be before it turns into a copper, the intensely golden shades have been trending for the entire year so far but continue to grow in popularity,” notes Smith. “Warmer shades help the hair to look healthier and glow in the light and give the feeling of youthfulness and is a great choice to continue the echo of summer for longer. This shade typically works on naturally warmer skin tones of any depth and can be achieved as an all over colour, or incorporated as part of a highlight or balayage technique if depth and dimension is preferred.”
Shop the trend:
Amika
Bust Your Brass Intense Repair Hair Mask
“Golden tones in the hair naturally help to make the hair look brighter and shinier but using an intense moisture mask will help to keep the tones golden and away from yellow or brassiness,” says Smith. The purple tones in this hair mask help to neutralise brassy tones to keep your hair colour looking golden.
Beauty Pie
Elastic Repair Treatment
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Bleach can take its toll on our hair, so enlist the aid of a bond-repairing treatment to help keep hair looking lustrous.
Color Wow
Dream Coat Supernatural Spray
Color Wow’s Dream Coat is in a league of its own. It creates a humidity-proof veil over your hair to repel against frizz and I find it always makes my hair colour look even more shiny and vibrant too.
4. Terracopper
ICYMI, copper is back in a bog way right now, and stylish women across the continent are opting for terracopper, which is set to be one of autumn’s biggest hair colour trends. “[This is] a rich and intense terracotta, copper shade that is just a bit bolder than a naturally occurring redhead,” says Smith. “This can be achieved all over as a ‘global’ colour or can be done with a semi-permanent gloss on top of highlights or balayage.”
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“These brighter shades tend to fade faster and so using a copper pigmented conditioner when washing your hair will keep the tones topped up for longer,” recommends Smith.
HELLO KLEAN
Shower Filter
This genius shower filter helps to prevent hard water leeching your hair colour, leaving it brighter and more vibrant for longer (as well as leaving your hair silky soft).
Davines
Alchemic Conditioner – Red
Look for dedicated red conditioners to help enhance the longevity of your colour.
5. Chestnut Brown
Another chic hair colour I’m seeing everywhere? Chestnut brown. It’s the perfect middle ground between brunette and copper, adding just enough warmth to brown hair. Whether you go for it all over your hair or as balayage or highlights, this is a pretty way to give a twist to a brunette hue.
Shop the trend:
Oribe
Shampoo for Beautiful Color
A good colour shampoo can make all the difference when it comes to maintaining your hair colour in between salon appointments. Oribe’s shampoos are some of the best around.
CHRISTOPHE ROBIN
Shade Variation Mask
Want to dip a toe into the chestnut brown hair trend? This colour-depositing hair mask allows you to try it without the commitment.
A good hair oil is an essential for any hair colour to make it look hydrated and glossy.