The biggest hair colour trends to try this summer

With summer fast approaching, you might find yourself tempted to refresh your look. This season, however, trends are shifting away from rigid techniques and high-maintenance finishes in favour of something softer and more personalised. 

Rather than dramatic overhauls, the focus is on colour that feels effortless yet elevated: glossy brunettes with depth, luminous blondes that grow out seamlessly and tailored placement designed to work with the individual rather than against them. It’s a more considered approach to colour, centred around enhancing natural tones, prioritising condition and creating results that feel luxurious without appearing overdone.

To understand the techniques shaping this season, we spoke with the colour team at Brooks & Brooks, the award-winning London salon renowned for its tailored, consultation-led approach to hair. From evolving brunette shades to customised colour placement, these are the standout trends set to dominate the season.

Chocolate Box Brunette

Brunette continues to reign this summer, but in a far richer and more dimensional form. Developed by the Brooks & Brooks colour team, Chocolate Box Brunette is all about using a multi-tonal approach to build depth, shine and movement through carefully placed complementary shades.

Rather than masking natural colour, the technique enhances it, using subtle tonal variations through the mid-lengths and ends while maintaining seamless root coverage. The result is a glossy finish that feels elevated but still effortless. For reference, look to Hailey Bieber, Lily James and Kaia Gerber – the kind of brunette energy that feels glossy, understated and quietly expensive.

As the team at Brooks & Brooks explain, it’s about reframing brunette maintenance entirely. “Clients don’t just want their hair to look natural – they want it to feel intentional and designed. Chocolate Box Brunettes keep the look evolving, adding dimension and polish without a dramatic change.”

It’s a particularly strong summer option for those who want richness without high maintenance, offering depth that catches the light beautifully in warmer weather.

Liquid Balayage

Blonde continues to evolve, with Liquid Balayage emerging as one of the most in-demand techniques of the season. Rather than relying on one method, it blends balayage, foiling, root melting and glossing to create a soft, seamless finish.

The result is a blonde that feels fluid and expensive-looking – with no harsh regrowth lines and a luminous, reflective shine that grows out naturally.

“Clients increasingly care less about which technique is used and more about how their hair will look and grow,” the team says. “Liquid balayage allows for a completely seamless finish, with multi-tonal colour that appears natural yet elevated.”

It’s a finish often associated with the likes of Margot Robbie and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, whose signature blondes lean towards soft, dimensional tones that feel natural, glossy and effortlessly grown-out.

The result is a more modern interpretation of blonde, offering clients softer, healthier-looking and far more low maintenance than traditional structured highlights.

Hair Mapping

Among the most bespoke trends of the season is Hair Mapping, a technique focused on placing colour according to the haircut itself. Rather than applying colour uniformly throughout the hair, it is strategically positioned to enhance shape, texture and movement.

By working with the natural flow of the cut, colourists can create subtle contouring effects that accentuate layers, frame the face and bring dimension exactly where it’s needed.

“Hair Mapping lets the colour follow the hair’s natural movement and the shape of the cut,” the Brooks & Brooks team explains. “The result is a personalised, organic finish that feels bespoke to each client while keeping the overall look soft and effortless.”

Across all three techniques, colour is becoming more focused on lived-in luxury than ever before. Instead of following uniform trends, clients are leaning into personalised placement and tailored results that grow out beautifully and feel uniquely theirs.

Ultimately, as the team at Brooks & Brooks summarise, modern colour is no longer just about technique – it’s about collaboration. “It’s about the person in your chair and bringing their hair dreams to life while maintaining the integrity of their own unique hair.”

Alexandra Davis