From Chestnut Balayage to Greige: the Hottest Blonde Highlight Shifts This Season
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Not every trending highlight profile works universally. Choosing the wrong tonal balance can wash out facial features or require costly corrective color procedures.
Ideal Profiles for Warm Chestnut and Caramel: Individuals with olive, peach, or golden undertones benefit most from amber and honey ribbons. These warm tones reflect yellow and red wavelengths, counteracting dullness in skin tones that lean pale or sallow during winter. It is also the ideal choice for clients who want a low-maintenance grow-out, as warm tones fade naturally into dark hair without sharp brassy lines.
Ideal Profiles for Cool Greige and Ash Lowlights: Clients with cool, pink, or neutral undertones carry greige effortlessly. The muted, silvery-taupe reflection creates a striking contrast against fair, pinkish skin, and flatters deep, cool-toned brown eyes. However, anyone with porous, heat-damaged hair should avoid intense greige services. Achieving clean ash tones requires lifting through the warm stage to near-pale yellow; applying heavy lightener to compromised hair risks severe breakage and rapid color washout.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
