Spring Hair Colour Trends 2026

Spring Hair Colour Trends 2026 in Hertford and Harpenden

Key Takeaways

Soft, creamy blondes are replacing sharper, icier tones
Brunettes are getting a glossy, richly toned update
Copper is warming up with earthy cinnamon-inspired shades
Pastels are back, worn in smarter, more wearable ways
Blended, seamless colour and shine treatments are the techniques of the moment.

Spring is often the moment you look in the mirror and feel like your hair colour has lost a little of its spark. The good news is that Spring 2026 is all about softness, shine and shades that grow out beautifully rather than obviously, so there has never been a better time to refresh your look.

Whether you are thinking about a subtle change or something a little more considered, the team at Johnson Blythe will take the time to understand your hair history, your skin tone and how often you realistically want to visit the salon. No pressure, no one-size-fits-all approach.

A hair colour consultation is always the best place to start. It is a proper conversation about where your colour is now and what has gone before, whether that is box dye, previous lightening or anything in between. We will find out what you want your hair to look and feel like every day and then recommend a plan that works for you.

Read on to see some of our favourite spring hair colour trends for inspiration. Book online to schedule your spring transformation.

The Spring 2026 Theme: Shine & Natural Looking Dimension

This spring is about colour that works with your hair rather than against it. The looks that are standing out right now share a common thread: soft, considered placement, a natural-feeling result and a finish that looks genuinely healthy rather than heavily done.

Why Glossy Hair Makes All the Difference

Gloss can change everything about your hair. It adds depth, reflects light and gives even the most understated colour a finish that looks healthy and considered. In photos especially, the difference is obvious. It is one of the simplest ways to make a big difference to your overall look.

We will often suggest including a toner or gloss as part of your appointment to achieve this kind of finish. We will also point you towards the Kérastase products that will help maintain it at home, so your colour stays looking its best well beyond your salon visit.

Trend 1: Creamy, Wearable Blondes

If blonde hair is on your mind this spring, the direction to take is warmer and softer. The sharp, cool icy tones that dominated for a while are giving way to creamier beige and golden shades that feel fresher and more flattering in spring light. These are blondes that still look bright and beautiful, just without the starkness.

Who it suits

This kind of blonde tends to work well for anyone who wants light around the face without the result looking flat or overly cool. The warmth in the tone means it sits well against a wide range of skin tones and looks particularly lovely in natural daylight.

What to ask for in your appointment

At your appointment, ask for a beige blonde with a touch of warmth, fine highlights with a softened root, and a toner that finishes the look with that creamy, luminous quality.

Maintenance notes

To keep your blonde looking bright and clear, regular toning and a specialist shampoo will make a real difference. At Johnson Blythe we recommend the L'Oreal Blondifier range, which is designed to illuminate and strengthen blonde hair at the same time. Make sure you use it as advised by your stylist.

Trend 2: Rich, Glossy Brunettes

Brunette colour this spring is all about depth and shine. Shades like dark chocolate, espresso and soft mocha are looking particularly beautiful right now, especially when finished with a clear gloss that gives the hair a smooth, silky quality rather than a flat, heavy appearance.

The shift away from obvious highlights continues this season. Instead, the focus is on adding gentle movement and dimension in a way that looks considered rather than done. Very fine colour woven through the mid lengths and ends, or a little soft balayage placed around the face, can completely transform the way brunette hair catches the light without ever looking like too much.

What to ask for at your next appointment

When you come in, ask for a deep brunette base with a touch of dimension through the lengths, a gloss to bring out the shine and polish the tone, and a little brightness framing the face where it will make the most difference.

Who it suits

This is one of the most flattering options if your hair has been through a lot recently. If it has been feeling dry, brittle or in need of some recovery time, going deeper and glossier gives you a genuinely striking result without putting your hair through any additional stress.

Trend 3: Soft, Spicey Copper and Polished Reds

Copper is still very much in demand, but the tone has moved on. Vivid orange is out and warm, spiced cinnamon shades are in, earthier and more refined versions that feel current without being obvious. Reds are telling the same story, shifting towards glossy, polished finishes that look considered rather than statement-making.

Choosing the right red shade for your hair

Because copper and red tones are among the faster-fading colour families, the best results tend to come from getting two things right from the start. The first is choosing a shade that genuinely suits your natural base rather than fighting against it. The second is having a realistic home care routine in place to protect the tone between visits. Both are important to get the best from your red hair.

What to ask for at your appointment

Talk to your colourist about a warm, earthy copper with some depth built in through the root area, or a red that looks richly saturated and consistent from root to tip. It is also worth having a conversation about scheduling a toning refresh before the colour has a chance to fade noticeably, rather than leaving it until it needs significant work.

Looking after your colour at home

Hot tools, regular washing and heavy clarifying shampoos are the main culprits when copper and red fades quickly. A good colour-protect routine at home combined with a timely in-salon top up will keep your colour looking fresh for much longer. Your stylist can point you towards the right products from our L'Oreal Professional range.

Trend 4: Pastels and Subtle Colour

Pastels are back for Spring 2026, but the way they are being worn now is more subtle. You don't need to commit to an all-over pastel look if you don't want to. Instead, we can add colour where it has the most impact and keeping the rest of the hair more natural.

Popular ways to wear pastels right now

A pastel toner washed over pre-lightened hair is a popular option right now. It gives a soft, fresh tint that feels playful without being overwhelming. If you want something even more subtle, a hidden underlayer of colour can be a really nice touch, sitting out of sight until the hair moves and then revealing itself in a way that feels like a lovely surprise rather than a bold statement. For the most low-key introduction to the trend, a single face framing panel of pastel colour is a simple way to dip a toe in without any major commitment.

What to know before you decide

Pastels need a lightened base to show up properly, which means pre-lightening is almost always part of the process. They also tend to fade sooner than richer, deeper shades, so it is worth going in with realistic expectations about how the colour will behave over time. A consultation gives us the chance to look at your hair properly, talk through what is achievable and make sure you have a clear picture of the full process before anything is decided.

Trend 5: Colour Placement That Works Harder For You

The idea behind melted colour

When colour is applied with a seamless blend from root to tip, with no obvious point where one shade ends and another begins, the hair grows out in a way that feels gradual and natural rather than stark and overdue. It is a technique that works particularly well for anyone who cannot or would rather not come in every few weeks, as the result stays looking considered for much longer without any intervention.

Techniques your colourist might suggest

Depending on your hair and your goals, this could involve adding a shadow at the root to ease the transition as it grows, using balayage-style placement to create a finish that looks naturally sun-kissed, or applying a toner or gloss to keep everything looking polished and cohesive between visits. Often the best results come from combining more than one of these approaches.

Choosing what is right for your hair

The most important thing to remember is that what works beautifully on someone else may not be the right fit for your hair, your schedule or your budget. At our salons in Hertford and Harpenden we always start by getting to know what you actually want from your colour, not just what looks good on a screen.

It helps to arrive with a handful of reference photos taken in natural light, a general sense of how frequently you want to visit and a brief outline of your colour history over the past couple of years. The more we know going in, the better we can plan.

Be clear about what matters most to you

If visible regrowth lines are something you really want to avoid, say so from the start. If you love warmth in your colour but find brassiness frustrating, mention that too. The more specific you can be about what you do and do not want, the easier it is for your colourist to build a plan that genuinely works for you.

Ready to Book?

Good colour does not have to mean a dramatic transformation. Sometimes the most satisfying results are the ones that simply make you look like a more polished, refreshed version of yourself. Whatever direction appeals to you this spring, whether that is deeper and glossier, lighter and creamier, or something with a little more personality, the right place to start is a conversation with one of our colourists.

Book an appointment by clicking on the side tab, or call us on 01992 568924(Hertford) or 01582 353698 (Harpenden).

Our teams in Hertford and Harpenden are here to help you work out exactly what that looks like for your hair. We look forward to welcoming you.