5 trending summer hair colours you need to know

If you want a jumpstart on the summer hair colours that will be headlining 2026, you've come to the right place. We've collated all the intel we've received from top hair stylists and colourists to see a clear picture emerge: elevated but natural-looking colour is king for 2026.

“Hair is continuing to move in a natural, effortless direction,” confirms Color Wow ambassador, Carl Bembridge. “Natural, believable colour remains key," he adds. Fellow Color Wow ambassador, Jack Luckhurst, concurs. “High-shine, low-maintenance shades will define 2026,” he predicts.

Expect to see a lot more of shades that don't saturate or compete, but instead enhance the natural features of each person. Delicate brunettes, neutral, luminous blondes and subtle warm shades like soft-copper that celebrate hair's “naturalness” will reign. The shades being asked for on repeat in salons lean into natural tones and sophisticated simplicity. We're asking for hair colour that looks like it belongs, complements our skin tone and brings depth, movement and light in a subtle way. In other words, it's the no-makeup makeup equivalent of hair colour. It doesn't look like dye – just our hair is at its best.

We've rounded up the 5 top summer hair colours to have on your radar for 2026..

Butter yellow remains a top tone across fashion and beauty for 2026. “We’re seeing a real move away from cooler, ashy shades towards richer, warmer blondes that feel more natural and flattering," says Jason Collier, Jerome Russell Bblonde key opinion leader and A-list hairstylist. “'Buttercream blonde' is a softer, more refined take on warm blonde, it has that golden, sunlit quality, but with a smooth, glossy finish that looks really expensive. Think creamy, golden tones that aren’t too yellow or too brassy but more of a polished warmth,” he adds. And rather than being one tone specifically, buttercream blonde offers up a whole colour spectrum. "It can range from lighter, pale buttery blondes through to deeper, honeyed tones, depending on how bold you want to go,” says Jason.

Balayage has finally got some competition in the form of colour melting. The hair colour technique majors on a totally harmonious colour palette as opposed to contrasting highlights. “Colour melting creates a seamless blend from one tone to the next, with no visible lines or obvious colour marks,” confirms Nicole Kahlani, colourist at Hershesons Fitzrovia. “It's so smooth it could be mistaken for your natural hair,” she adds. And, “unlike chunky balayage or contrasting highlights, which intentionally showcase dimension, colour melting uses a global application to ensure every shade flows effortlessly into the next. The result is a subtle, understated look that appears effortlessly natural,” Nicole says.

Top hairstylist and UK amika stylist partner, Tobias Bell, predicts the “sun-faded melt” specifically, will lead the way this summer. It gives a very natural look – “like you’ve spent a summer riding around with the windows down or spent a good amount of time in the sun,” he says. It works beautifully for "muted blondes, soft coppery tones, and low-contrast blends that feel sun-kissed and easy,” he adds.

One shade that we know for sure is rising on people's radar is soft copper, after Google discover saw searches for the colour go stratospheric. Where punchy burgundies and cherry cola reds have each topped trends recently, soft copper offers up a gentler, more natural take on red hair colour, tapping into soft amber, bronze, cinnamon and burnt sienna shades that lean a little more rosy, golden or apricot.

“What I find so fascinating right now is that clients are coming in and asking for something that looks completely natural but feels absolutely transformative, and that is honestly the most exciting creative challenge for a colourist,” Oray Oz, founder of Orel Hair & Beauty, previously told GLAMOUR. "Clients who would never have dreamed of touching a red are suddenly open to this gorgeous warm, burnished copper that feels very them rather than very dramatic. The version everyone wants is earthier than coppers we have seen before, closer to cognac or tarnished copper with a russet warmth to it," he explained.

If warm tones aren't your bag, cool matte brown may be more your speed. “This is one for those who struggle with orange tones in their brunette hair or have a balayage that consistently fades to warm,” notes Haug London Haus co-founder and creative director, Siobhan Haug. “Think of it as an ‘anti-orange’ shield," she says. “The shade specifically targets the underlying copper and red pigments that emerge when brown hair is lifted or exposed to the sun. Cool mattes act as a toner that keeps the transition between your natural root and lightened ends looking expensive and intentional,” she says.

As for the finish, it should look “like expensive velvet,” says Siobhan. “Unlike high-shine glosses that reflect light in a way that emphasises warmth, matte tones absorb a bit more light, giving the hair a sophisticated, velvety, look,” she says.

On the flip side, we've seen ultra deep brunettes go extra glossy, with hair muses that include Kendall Jenner, Simone Ashley, Laura Harrier and Charli XCX. “To achieve that inky, high shine black hair, it’s all about depth, tone and hair health," says Laura Elliott, head stylist and educator at haircare specialists Neäl & Wølf. “Opt for a neutral or cool black to capture that mirror like dimension, rather than a flat, matte finish,” she notes, adding: “the secret to achieving glass hair is a professional gloss or glaze layered over the colour. This seals the cuticle, enhances light reflection, and gives a liquid shine.”