26 Gorgeous Fall Hair Colors to Try This Season

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With the change of the season, there are lots of other things that change, too, including the most requested hair colors. Simply put, fall is a time of year that embodies transition in every sense of the word. And if you thought the autumn leaves were just something pretty to look at, think again. They actually act as the perfect inspiration for some of the best hair color trends, ranging in shades from deep auburn and chocolate brown to rich honey blondes and icy-toned highlights. We collected a few tips from expert colorists, Caterina Alfieri and Richy Kandasamy to help guide you toward these trending transitional tones for autumn 2023.

Chocolate Brown Highlights

@amandlastenberg

Highlights offer a sun-kissed, natural look and pair well with brown hair and natural texture. For this look, colorist Kandasamy advises turning to foils. "Foils will give a more defined and controlled look, but more important to note, it also delivers a faster lifting result and blonder hair," he says.

Light and Dark Highlights

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For a look like J. Los, try asking your stylist to use two different colors for added dimension. "Balayage will look more natural as hair grows and is also less maintenance," says Kandasamy. "When having balayage done, the colorist will normally use the freehand technique using two different lighting powders."

Sun-Drenched Blonde

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A classic for a reason, this look proves blonde isnt just for summer. Here, a shadow or natural root makes the look feel ready for fall and more natural than a straight-to-the-root highlight.

Caramel Highlights

@zendaya

We love this 1990s-style bob with natural highlights on Zendaya. For this look, Kandasamy says a stylist could try a freehand coloring technique. "When doing freehand painting balayage or open air balayage, the colorist will use a clay lightning base powder that works a little differently. It will dry on the outside and keep moisture inside and it’s a slower process," he says.

Platinum Blonde

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What better way to switch up the seasons than by going bold? We love Kim Kardashians take on va-va-voom hair, which sees a stark contrast between her dark roots and brows with her allover platinum hue.

Neon Red

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Go bold with a head full of neon-red hair. Here, the look is about an allover, tonal shade. So stick to a full dye job rather than balayage or highlights. Wear the hair sleek and straight to allow the red to really shine.

Golden Brown

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Just because the temperatures are dropping doesnt mean we have to shy away from the warmth in our hair color. To keep your color vibrant all season, Alfieri tells us, "At-home care is imperative to achieving and maintaining any desired hair color, and with so many products on the market, it’s easier now than ever. I love the Celeb Luxury Gem Lites Shampoos for at-home maintenance and refreshing."

Rich Berry

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Were swooning over this rich burgundy for fall knowing all the ways there are to play off accessorizing with this color, even just with a pinch of bright eyeshadow.

Dark Ombré

@sunisalee

Ombré hair colors are still trending, but brunettes may want to consider keeping things darker and slightly more muted than usual. Instead of a drastic fade from roots to ends, keep your highlights a mere two to three levels lighter than your base color. This will eliminate the need for frequent touch-ups and can extend the time between appointments.

Overgrown Highlights

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Overgrown highlights have never been as on-trend as they are now. Alfieri says people are looking for a "hair color that can withstand a long break from the salon and still look good." While roots used to be a sign that you needed your hair done, now people are purposefully darkening their roots at the salon for the shadow root effect.

Caramel Swirls

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Swirls of rich caramel can in fact make their way into a low-maintenance, dimensional color palette for your locks. When warm hues drip down this effortlessly, they grow out seamlessly and are easier to uphold through the long winter ahead.

Goodbye, Brass

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Letting your old color fade away is easy with the help of an at-home toner to rid your lingering grown-out highlights of unwanted brassiness. Find a shade that blends into your base color for an intentional color revival.

Honeycomb

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It turns out you dont need to save your warm, honey blonde color goals for next summer. "Warmer tones are complementary on all hair textures and colors," says Alfieri. "We all have the tones already existing in our hair, it’s just a matter of exposing the right amount of warmth for our natural hair, or the overall look we’re going for."

Hint of Red

@sarahangius

When contemplating your next hair color, dont forget to consider your skins undertones, Alfieri reminds us. "All undertones can look great with warmth, it’s just where on the spectrum that warmth lies to complement your individual undertone. Pinker skin actually softens with rose gold tones and those with yellow undertones can carry those beautiful rich purple-reds."

Dimensional Reds

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For a natural-looking red, try keeping ends a smidge lighter than your color at the roots. It will help allow your color to look lived-in and organic.

Dark Chocolate

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A rich, dark chocolate brown is always a frequent go-to at this time of year. The key to giving it that velvety dimension is incorporating highlights and lowlights of the same shade with subtle variations. Darker shades like this one also reflect light like a dream for a super glossy finish.

Pumpkin Spice

@daisyclementine

Is there anything that screams fall more than pumpkin spice everything? Didnt think so. If youre looking to add these warm copper tones into the mix, check out our collection of pumpkin spice hair color ideas here.

Buttery Blonde

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If youre committed to keeping your blonde intact year-round, try punching the warmth up a notch this season. Adding more golden tones will add a rich, buttery look to your strands, says Alfieri, who reminds us to consider color placement for a softer grow-out, no matter how high the contrast.

Ochre Tips

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No matter your length, a stark contrast of color (like this earthy shade of ochre against Solanges natural dark base) is intriguing to look at. Dyeing just the tips makes it easy to trim and/or add color when youre ready for a change.

Bronze Dimension

@joyjah

Braids are a great hairstyle to showcase your hair colors depth and dimension, and were loving the bronze shining through the plaits on this natural brunette.

Peaches and Cream

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This creamy, buttery peach is a beautiful color for that transitional time of year between summer and fall, bouncing off the last of those golden rays.

Refreshed Natural Base

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To keep your natural base looking fresh this season without changing its hue, turn to a clear gloss every couple of months. This will help your tresses maintain shine and vibrancy.

Chocolate Brown

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Jasmine Cephas-Jones demonstrates that chocolate brown is a classic fall color staple. Here, her natural curls and texture create movement in her all-over rich brunette shade.

Cinnamon

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Cinnamon hair looks great on every skin tone and requires minimal touch-ups. We gathered all the facts on this color trend along with 30 stunning examples for you here.

90s Face Frame

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A good face frame is typically a brighter shade than the rest of your hair, but when it comes to tone, being intentional with warmth or coolness is a great way to complement your overall color. Dua Lipas contrasting bright blonde and deep brown may not be for everyone, but you cant deny that it makes a statement.

Cowgirl Copper

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If it wasnt abundant ly clear already, were going to be seeing a lot of varying shades of red this fall. This rich copper color looks especially stunning on springy spirals as seen on Tessa Thompson here.

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