The Top 2023 Hair Color Trends Sound Delicious (2024)

They say you should never play with your food, but lately, we've been very tempted to put it in our hair. Not literally, of course (unless we're talking homemade hair masks, in which case… maybe). 2023 hair color trends took a turn for the gastronomical and we're raiding the fridge for inspiration.

We're trading icy platinum for sweet buttercream blonde — an ever-so-slightly yellow color that hairstylist Tiffanie Richards describes as "the inside of a banana peel." Brunettes are no longer just brunettes — they're cherry cola brunettes, a cheeky red-tinged update for those looking for just a splash (say, about a half soda can) of change. Rose gold has been given a tangy peach-toned update. And light brown isn't just light brown — it's portobello mushroom brown — an ashy brunette with blonde undertones.

No matter what your preferred diet, there's a fresh color for everyone. Onward to your yummiest hair yet.

Meet the experts:

• Tiffanie Richards is a master colorist at Louise O'Conner Salon in New York City
• Shvonne Perkins is a San Diego-based colorist at Madison Reed
• Kasper Heemskerk is a hairstylist and Director of Education at Balmain Hair Couture
• Kate Reid is a Sydney-based colorist and global COLOR.ME Design Director for Kevin Murphy
• Shelley Gregory is a Las Vegas-based hairstylist and owner of The Gregory Salon
• Chase Kusero is a celebrity colorist and co-founder of IGK Hair
• Jonathan Colombini is a celebrity hairstylist and Creative Director of Style and Color at L'Oreal Paris
• Jamie Mazzei is a Long Island-based hairstylist and creative director of NuBest Salon and Spa
• Richy Kandasamy is a New York-based colorist, R+Co Collective member, and co-founder of Rikoko Beauty

Buttercream

Imagine a cupcake with swirled vanilla frosting perched perfectly on top. It's a sugary daydream that makes for a very yummy blonde, à la Anya Taylor-Joy. "Buttercream blonde tends to trend in the cooler months because it's a nice transition tone from the bleached-out blonde highlights of summer," says Richards. "It's the lightest shade of gold possible, with just enough richness and depth needed to complement fairer skin tones in winter."

Richards recommends popping in to have your stylist refresh the tone every few weeks so it doesn't start to look brassy, as this color tends to do.

Strawberry blonde

Strawberry Shortcake this color is not — it's really more suited for her cooler, more modern younger sister. 2023's strawberry blonde is a honey-toned copper blonde, and "a great way to fade out those reds from winter and start lightening the hair for spring and summer," says Las Vegas-based stylist Shelley Gregory, who recommends asking for a level seven or lighter golden copper. Add some very light red highlights if you want a slightly pinker hue, like the tone seen here on Sydney Sweeney. The color does tend to fade quickly, but when it does, it should fade to blonde (Strawberry Shortcake's sister would likely not make time for weekly salon visits, anyway).

Mushroom brown

Somewhere between caramel blonde and dark chocolate brunette is an ashy, portobello-hued light brown. "Ashy tones like this tend to be more popular in the winter because the sun isn't constantly oxidizing deposited color," says Richards, who recommends this trendy mushroom brown for those with warm undertones in their skin, like Amelie Zilber above. "If you have naturally cooler skin tones, you'll feel like you need to wear more makeup to counteract the effect the ashy tone will have against the cheeks." If it sounds like a fit, ask your stylist for light brown with ashy blonde highlights and finish with a gloss or toner.

Cherry cola

Cherry cola hair is every bit as playful as its namesake: a little cheeky, a little sweet, and very refreshing. Richards recommends Maya Rudolph's red-tinged brunette for warm or dark skin tones. If you already have chocolate brown hair, deep red highlights can give you the cherry cola pop. You can also do a single-process dark auburn for a more monochrome look.

Violet brunette

If you're the type to spike your cherry cola with a shot of rum and a dash of lilac bitters — this life-of-the-party violet brown seen on Yola is for you. "The eggplant hue added to brown hair is a great way for brunettes to wake up their hair color without turning into a true redhead," says San Diego-based colorist Shvonne Perkins. "You’ll want to ask for a deep violet, amethyst overtone as a demi- or semi-permanent gloss or glaze over dark brown hair." Perkins also recommends toning the hair every four weeks as the purple starts to fade.

Peachy rose gold

Plain old rose gold is so 2022 — we've upped the ante to its peachier gold cousin, Natasha Lyonne-style. "This hair color shifts the copper color we’ve been seeing everywhere to a more pastel copper," says Perkins, who recommends it for warm complexions and blonde or light brown hair (lightening darker hair to properly give it this punch of peachy pink is doable, but it's not great for your strands in the long term). "This is also a color that fades easily, so incorporate UV-filtered products and a monthly gloss to keep the color fresh and even." (Insert peach emoji here.)

Powdery 3D

For curly and coily hair types, stylist and Balmain Hair Education Director Kasper Heemskerk likes Leona Lewis' 3D highlights in a powdery hue like ashy blonde. "Regular color techniques like highlights and balayage do not work the same on curly hair," Heemskerk says. "The texture of the hair will hide the hair color when using standard coloring methods."

In 2023, Heemskerk expects to see more highlights that are painted along the curl dome pattern (as opposed to pulling the curl out straight and painting it on while holding it taut) which has the added benefit of creating a cool, 3D effect. It should look as if someone dipped a fluffy pouf into a Fenty Beauty highlighter compact and gently dusted it onto your curls.

Bright pearl

If Botticelli's Venus emerged from her giant scallop shell in 2023, her hair would almost certainly be this magical, shimmery pearl color. "It's uplifting and it makes your complexion and eyes look. brighter," says colorist and Kevin Murphy Design Director Kate Reid. Reid recommends asking your stylist for a cool-toned overlay on very light blonde or platinum. Colors like oyster, mushroom, or violet can give hair this dazzling pearlescent look.

Illuminated brunette

In 2023, instead of choosing between dessert or french fries, mini or maxi, sequins or silk — we're treating ourselves to a little bit of each. In that spirit, may we present: illuminated brunette. It's the best of both worlds — the glowiness of blonde with the mystery of brunette.

This sexy brown with caramel highlights — a Jennifer Lopez special — is "a continuation of the movement away from full-time hair commitments," says Long Island-based hairstylist Jamie Mazzei, who recommends asking for all-over dark color with soft balayage around the bottom. "Then you will want your colorist to gloss it all over with the chosen 'illuminated' tone — just slightly lighter than the base color. The end result is a rich and expensive brunette."

Grown-out ombré

Perkins loves Nicole Byer's 2023 twist on ombré hair, describing it as "solid color on top with grown-out color through the mid lengths to ends of the hair." This low-maintenance color trend is especially great for natural or curly hair types, where the line of delineation between colors isn't as clear. "Less is more with this trend," she says. "Let your stylist know you’re looking for partial painting and subtle pops of color." The best news? No touch-ups needed.

Honey beige

Celebrity hairstylist Jonathan Colombini says that honey beige is the blonde of 2023, seen here on Taylor Swift. "Clients are becoming very savvy with haircare and wanting to limit more intensive color processes to lean into more natural looks," he says. "Plus, these shades look great on all hair types." Colombini recommends leaning on keywords like "natural" and "sun-kissed" when speaking to your colorist, and occasionally going back in for a gloss to keep things fresh.

Radiant red

Red hair has a reputation of being high-maintenance and fast-fading, but… c'mon. Doesn't Ingrid Werner make it look totally worth it? Red hair in 2023 is rich and radiant, says Mazzei, "more of a bold, copper red." Think: Jessica Rabbit. This glowing, fiery ember red has a lot of tone variation, so there's a version for every skin tone. And if you're not ready to commit to being a full-on redhead, this color makes for beautiful highlights in darker hair, Mazzei adds.

"Dolce vita" blonde

Sabrina Carpenter's bombshell golden blonde is straight out of a Fellini movie. It looks best traversing the Italian countryside on a Vespa, and should really come with a yacht off the coast of Naples. "This look can be achieved with heavy highlights or all-over color application," says celebrity colorist and co-founder of IGK Hair, Chase Kusero. "If you go the highlighted route, you may want to ask for foils instead of balayage, as foils can work better to achieve a heavy saturation of blonde from scalp to ends."

Luxe copper brunette

New York-based hairstylist Richy Kandasamy expects to see more copper-hued brunettes. "It’s an elevated brunette with soft, seamless, golden copper highlights," he says, adding that the key here is seriously healthy shine (when it doubt, always refer back to Zendaya). The color also grows out nicely, making it fairly low-maintenance.

Read about 2024's biggest trends:

• 2024’s Best Hair Color Trends Are Unbelievably Warm and Buttery
• 9 Nail Art Trends You’re About to See Everywhere in 2024
• 36 Winter Nail Design Ideas to Try at Home or in the Salon

Now, watch Charli D'Amelio react to TikTok trends: