Key Takeaways
- Winter is the perfect time to refresh your look with rich, seasonal hair colors like chestnut brown, icy blonde, or mulled wine that complement your undertones.
- Choosing the right winter hair color depends on factors like your skin undertones, maintenance preferences, and overall hair health.
- Protect your winter hair color and keep it healthy by using pre-shampoo treatments, moisturizing shampoos and conditioners, weekly hydrating masks, and leave-in stylers.
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The Best Winter Hair Colors and How to Care for Them
Do the changing seasons also make you want to change your hair? Explore the best winter hair colors and find out how to care for them.
Why Update Your Hair Color for the Winter?
There are a few reasons why you might want to hit the salon for a new hair color in the winter:
- Style shifts: Many winter wardrobes incorporate deeper hues like burgundy or emerald. Updating your hair color can better match these cozy winter tones.
- Less sunshine: As the temperatures drop and you spend more time inside, you might start to lose that energetic summer glow. A new hair color can better complement your winter skin tone.
- Holiday inspiration: Festive events and spending more time around family might make you ready for a bold hair update.
- New year, new look: The new year rolling in might inspire you to try out a new hair color. Why not change it up?
The Best Winter Hair Colors
If you’re ready for a color change, whether you’re looking for winter blondes or brunettes, consider these exciting winter hair trends:
Chestnut Brown
This timeless brown winter hair color is beautifully highlighted by its vibrant red undertones. Chestnut brown is a versatile hair color and looks great if you have warm or neutral undertones.
Icy Blonde
Many people associate darker hair with the winter—but believe it or not, blonde shades are still perfect for the season. If you’re looking for a bright winter hair color, a silver-toned icy blonde is perfect for frosty days. An icy blonde will look best on you if you have cooler undertones.
Caramel Highlights
If you want to subtly refresh your hair and have warmer undertones, try caramel highlights. Caramel highlights will add gorgeous winter dimension to your hair and will look great on brunettes or darker blondes.
Mulled Wine
For a winter hair color that’s a little more dramatic, try a mulled wine shade. Inspired by spiced winter drinks, it blends purple and red colors for a rich, eye-catching look. This winter hair color will look best on those with cooler undertones.
Espresso Brunette
Perfect for neutral undertones, espresso hair is a deep brown color that almost appears black. Typically, it’s created with a warm dark brown as the foundation, highlighted with gentle lighter-brown shades to bring out depth and richness.
Smokey Ash Brown
Smokey ash brown is perfect for winter: its cool tones perfectly complement winter color palettes. It blends a deep brown with hints of muted gray or silver. Smokey ash brown hair will look best on you if you have cooler undertones.
Honey Blonde
If you have warm or neutral undertones and want to try blonde this season, try honey blonde. This color has hints of gold and copper for a glamorous and radiant look, perfect for brightening your winter look.
How to Choose the Right Winter Shade for You
To choose the right winter hair color, you might want to consider the following:
- Maintenance: Some hair colors require more maintenance; for example, if you dye your hair bright blonde, it may require regular purple toning shampoo to remove brassiness. If you’re looking to go longer between salon visits, choosing a shade that’s closer to your natural hair color can help it blend more smoothly as it grows out, making the transition feel more natural and less noticeable.
- Undertones: Everyone has either warm, cool, or neutral undertones. Try to choose a shade that complements your skin tone. If you’re not sure what your undertones are, look at your wrist in the sunlight. If you notice blue or purple veins, you likely have cool undertones. Greenish veins mean you have warm undertones, and a mix of blue and green means you have neutral undertones. Your stylist can also help blend your winter hair color to better match your undertones.
- Your hair health: Hair that’s extremely damaged might not be ready for dyes or extreme lightening. If you’re concerned about the state of your hair, talk to your stylist or find out how to manage damaged hair at home.
How to Care for Winter Hair
Hair is prone to dryness in the winter due to less moisture in the air, and chemical treatments like dye can potentially lead to damage. But don’t worry, you can combat dry, damaged hair with the right hair products:
Try a Pre-Shampoo Treatment
Start with N°.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment to prime your hair for deeper hair, rebuild hair bonds, strengthen it, and protect hair integrity. Use it as a two-part system with N°.3 Hair Perfector® to reduce breakage and visibly strengthen hair. N°.3 will also restore a healthy appearance and texture to hair.
Use the Right Shampoo and Conditione
Use a shampoo and conditioner that’s clinically proven to reduce breakage and leave hair smoother, more conditioned, and easier to detangle. Reach for N°.4 Bond Maintenance® Shampoo, a highly moisturizing shampoo that nourishes, strengthens, and repairs. Once you’ve rinsed out N°.4, use N°.5 Bond Maintenance® Conditioner to hydrate, repair, and strengthen your hair.
For blondes, use a purple shampoo and conditioner like N°.4P Blonde Enhancer™ Toning Shampoo and N°.5P Blonde Enhancer™ Toning Conditioner. After one use, these shampoos and conditioners neutralize brassiness and boost brightness while strengthening and hydrating hair.
Treat Your Hair with a Hair Mask
Give your hair a weekly moisturizing boost with a hair mask. Hydrate and volumize fine to medium hair with the Weightless Nourishing Mask. This mask offers lightweight hydration through 5 washes.* For medium to coarse hair, hydrate and control frizz with the Rich Hydration Mask. This mask also provides hydration that lasts through 5 washes.** Both of these masks can be used weekly in place of conditioner. Still not sure which mask is right for you? Take the Mask Quiz today!
Opt for the Right Styling Treatments
Help your winter hair look its best at holiday parties and beyond with N°.6 Bond Smoother® and OLAPLEX N°.7 Bonding Oil™. N°.6 is a leave-in styling treatment that adds moisture, strengthens, and reduces frizz for up to 72 hours. Use it on damp hair to speed up blow-dry time while smoothing, softly define and smooth air-dried curls. For maximum shine, softness, and color vibrancy, try OLAPLEX N°.7 Bonding Oil™. This weightless hair styling oil also reduces breakage and provides 450°F/232ºC heat protection.
Transform your hair this winter with OLAPLEX. Discover our winter haircare bestsellers, or take the Hair Quiz to get a personalized haircare routine.
*On virgin hair tresses
**On bleached hair tresses
Sources
1. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/style/dry-winter-hair-solutions.html