Summer 2025/26 Hair Colour Trends: Sun-Kissed Dimension & Healthy Shine

As the weather warms up, you’re probably thinking about your hair vibe for the season. You scroll online and see AI-generated styles or influencers who spent hours perfecting a single shot. But in real life, hair doesn’t always behave like that. We spoke to the stylists who cut, colour, and style real women’s hair every day, and here’s what they’re noticing as the real trends for Summer 2025/26 — colour that moves naturally, catches the light, and shows the care behind it.

Summer 2025/26 isn’t about drastic reinvention. It’s about hair that moves freely, glows in sunlight, and feels soft to the touch, with subtle dimension and low-tox colouring at its heart. This is the kind of colour that works in real life — with real hair, under real light.

Lived-In Blondes & Babylights

Blondes are softer, layered, and kissed by the sun. Babylights, root smudges, and shadow toning create a seamless, natural transition from root to tip. The effect? Strands that shimmer gently as they catch the light, without harsh lines or high maintenance.

The key is strand health. Gentle, low-lift formulations maintain shine, strength, and elasticity, keeping hair soft and touchable even after repeated styling or sun exposure. This isn’t just blonde — it’s a sunlit glow that feels effortless and real.

Expensive Brunette

Rich, glossy brunettes are moving beyond flat chocolate tones. Deep espresso, warm mocha, and subtle caramel ribbons add natural movement and depth, reflecting light across every strand. When hair is healthy, it catches the light in unexpected ways, revealing luminosity and texture that a heavy pigment could never replicate.

Soft Coppers & Strawberry Golds

Warm reds are returning in an approachable, sophisticated way. Soft coppers and strawberry blondes add shimmer and dimension, flattering a wide range of skin tones. Paired with glossing or toning treatments, these shades maintain softness and shine, allowing colour to feel vibrant while keeping strands strong and resilient.

Glossing & Transparent Toning

Not every refresh needs a full dye. Glossing and transparent toning subtly revive faded hair, enhance natural highlights, and add reflective shine. These treatments let colour move with your hair’s natural texture, giving light, wearable dimension that feels effortless yet intentional.

Low-Tox, Health-Conscious Colour

Ingredient-conscious colouring continues to grow. Clients are asking not just about tone, but what’s in the formula. Low-ammonia and ammonia-free products, enriched with botanicals like shea butter, argan oil, chamomile, and aloe vera, nurture hair while creating long-lasting, vibrant colour.

This trend reflects a simple truth: beautiful colour is nothing without healthy hair. Summer 2025 is about strands that look luminous, feel strong, and thrive under real light — not just for a photo.

Summer 2025/26 hair is sophisticated, wearable, and full of life. From soft, sun-kissed blondes to rich, dimensional brunettes, warm coppers, and subtle glossy finishes, the trends prioritise movement, shine, and integrity.

For hairdressers, the challenge is to create colour that enhances texture, respects each strand, and catches the light naturally. For clients, the message is clear: invest in hair that looks alive, feels soft, and grows beautifully, no matter how the sun hits it.