7 Hair Colors Worth Trying Now, According to Pros

Turns out, glossy black is the new go-to hair color idea for dark hair. "This rich black with extra shine treatments to give it a reflective look is trending," colorist Lorena M. Valdes says.

Still, before you grab a box of hair dye, know this: "This sounds easier than it is since most people think of glossy black as one color, but there are actually multiple tones involved to get the right shine and movement without looking inky and solid," celebrity colorist George Papanikolas says. "Hair color comes in 10 levels, and half of them are in the dark family, ranging from level one, black, to level five, medium brown. Glossy black incorporates all of these."

Colorist Bianca Hillier agrees, adding, "Jet black is a vibe, it's a whole commitment. Cool-tone black gives off an eclectic feel, helping any artist get into the groove. Be sure to specify with your colorist what tone you want the hair to shine in the light to nail it exactly."

This is one you've probably seen 10 times over on TikTok, but reverse balayage isn't going anywhere in 2024. "The reverse highlight has been making a grand appearance," Hillier says. The trend gets its name because it's the polar opposite of balayage you immediately think of (read: light, sun-kissed color).

Instead, it's all about utilizing darker hues to bring in that contrast. The idea is to blend your natural color into previous highlighted hair for a melted, gradient effect.

When you hear the word "butter," maybe you think "The Great British Bake Off" (and you're not wrong). But in 2024, it's also forecasted to be a huge hair-color trend for blonds. "Clients who are usually lovers of bright platinum hair are requesting a darker golden blond to warm things up for winter," says colorist Jennifer Korab. "We are seeing a shift in bright blonds to warmer, darker tones with more lightness around the face. A lot of my clients are adding money-piece highlights to keep that pop of blond around the face."

Highlights are the definition of an easy, breezy summer look, but they don't really get much more natural-looking than the "midlights" trend. The term, coined by celebrity colorist Matt Rez, is a hair-color technique that connects your base shade to your highlights for a seamless blend that doesn't look stripe-y. The difference: while highlights lighten the hair and lowlights darken the hair, midlights are a midway point that adds a sun-kissed tint without using bleach.

"To achieve the lift of a midlight, color is used, not lightener," Rez previously told PS. The best part? Anyone can try this hair-color idea. "All hair colors and hair types can look enhanced and more seamless with a secondary color and tone for dimension," Rez says. "Those with permanent base colors can achieve 1-1.5 levels of lift since bleach is not used; so just make sure highlights are not more than two levels lighter than the midlights for cohesion."

Bright, bold hair colors are proving to be a popular choice this year, and cherry red is emerging as a fan favorite. The shade is vibrant yet wearable. It's already made a splash in Hollywood among celebrities like Dua Lipa, Zendaya, and Teyana Taylor. We love this trend because it can be customized to flatter all skin tones. Whether you're switching things up in a big way or looking for hair color ideas for redheads, this one is sure to please.

This fun trend, called hybrid hair color, is a combination of a single-process color all over, plus a full head of highlights. "This works with a strong base color and pops of a slightly lighter tone," hairstylist Jamie Mazzei says. The look is very low maintenance, which makes it a popular choice for those who don't like to spend too much time in the salon.

It's also perfect for anyone looking to cover greys. "Ask your colorist for an all-over color (or work with your own natural base) and soft balayage around the bottom. Then you will want your colorist to gloss it all over with the chosen tone."

Cowboy copper hair color has been everywhere over the last few months, mostly thanks to tons of celebrities trying out the look.

The coppery-red shade uses your natural undertone to lessen the intensity, which makes it more subdued than other fiery copper tones. "Because this color generally has a natural background tone to it, a person's natural color can be the background tone, giving the shade a very customized, skin-tone-flattering tone," LA-based celebrity hairstylist Cherilyn Farris says.

It's such a fun switch up, even one of our editors recently tried it out. One thing to note: this hair color does require quite a few hours in the salon, so be prepared for maintenance visits.

Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.

Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.