Dark Chocolate Bouclé Is 2024’s Yummiest Hair Color Trend (2024)

We have only one resolution for this upcoming year: Experiment with more hair color trends (and, like, finally figure out the difference between a Roth IRA and 401k. But mostly the hair thing). “The 2024 hair color trends are a bit more conservative and natural than we’ve been seeing,” says hairstylist and colorist Chaz Dean. “We’re in the scaled-back era where highlights are more blended and hair colors are more realistic.” But don’t think “natural” is code for “boring” — because 2024’s hair color trends are anything but.

This year, bronde is getting a bite-size update in the form of a baby balayage, while chunky highlights are being swapped for warm caramel pieces that melt around your mid-lengths. Even the ever-trendy buttercream blonde and mushroom brown are being heated up to keep them fresh and wearable for the new year. “Subtle dimension, warm tones, and major shine are key for 2024,” says New York City colorist Sachi Kumagai.

Of course, the perfect hair color requires the perfect inspo, which is why we chatted with the industry’s top experts for their insights on the best hair color trends of 2024 and how to get a similar look at the salon. Honestly, this might be the one year we actually keep our resolution.

Meet the experts:

• Tiffanie Richards is a master colorist at Louise O'Connor Salon in New York City.
• Chaz Dean is a hairstylist, colorist, and founder of Wen Hair Care.
• Meri Kate O’Connor is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and colorist at Salon Benjamin.
• Sachi Kumagai is a master colorist at Warren Tricomi salon in New York City.

Melted caramel

Y2K beauty trends dominated 2023, including a resurgence of bright, chunky, look-at-me highlights. For 2024, however, highlights are warming up and melting down across brunettes. “Instead of the harsh lines of demarcation we’ve been seeing, these highlights are softer and more lived in,” says Dean. His key to this melted effect? Keep the bleach away from your roots. “Having a blended shadow root allows you to go up to six months without being beholden to your colorist,” he says.

Just note that this caramelized look is inherently warm, so it tends to suit warm skin tones best. “It really makes your skin come alive, especially when you have that pop around your face,” says Dean. If your skin tone is on the cooler side, Meri Kate O’Connor, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and colorist at Salon Benjamin, recommends asking your colorist about chestnut or golden highlights instead. “These shades have a mix of warm and cool tones that can be suitable for all skin tones,” she says.

Buttercream blonde

Apologies to the dairy haters, but buttercream blonde is only getting richer and creamier for 2024 (think: a touch warmer than 2023’s blanched version). “Warm buttery tones are perfect for those who love a bright and shiny blonde since the gold helps reflect light,” says O’Connor. That’s not to say we’re careening into Kerrygold territory though, especially with the upcoming chilly seasons. “2024’s buttercream is a muted version of a warm summer blonde that also enhances the rosiness of your winter cheeks,” says Tiffanie Richards, a master colorist at Louise O'Connor Salon in New York City.

If you’re working with brunette hair and aren’t quite ready to hit the full bottle of bleach, Richards recommends asking your stylist for subtle buttercream babylights instead. “The mix of brunette with buttercream blonde will create an overall ashy look that's perfect for cooler weather,” she says.

Porcini brown

In years past, mushroom brown has been synonymous with…cold. Cold, ashy, gray, and washed-out — which, might we remind you, bears little resemblance to the true bronzy tones of an actual mushroom. “Mushroom hair started out as drastic and bold, but it’s landing in a much more wearable place for 2024,” says Dean. “We’re nearing the end of the super-cold and smoky gray, and we’re seeing it be replaced with a softer and more realistic mushroom brown.” Which, in case you don’t have your carton of porcinis on hand, looks like a neutral taupe with golden tones.

“The beauty and popularity of true mushroom brown is that it’s inspired by the range of browns we’re naturally born with,” says Richards. Because the shade toes the line between warm and cool, it can work with virtually all skin tones and undertones, whether you go for a single-process shade or mushroom-brown highlights. Just note that a true neutral bronde tone is tricky to maintain in summer months due to sunlight oxidation, says Richards. If you’re hoping for a realistic mushroom hue that lasts, you may want to test this color out in early spring, fall, or winter.

Toasted pecan red

“It’s inevitable that red-browns will be a hit for cooler weather, especially into 2024,” says Richards. Last year birthed the rise of cherry-cola hair, while this coming year will give way to pecan-red hair — a richly saturated, highly glossy auburn (like a hot and gooey pecan pie). “The color pairs perfectly with pale skin, while also enhancing the natural glow of deeper skin tones,” she notes.

Toasted pecan red is also a great stepping stone to the brighter and bolder red shades we’re going to see in 2024, thanks to its subtle tone. “It doesn’t skew too red or too orange, so it’s a good way to try a semi-red color before fully committing,” says Kumagai. She recommends asking your stylist for a red-hued toner if you’re starting with medium-brown hair, or you can attempt a similar look at home with a semi-permanent dye or temporary auburn color, like Wella Color Fresh in Copper Glow or Morrocanoil Color Depositing Mask in Bordeaux.

Amber glow

Nestled between strawberry blonde and copper-orange is the ethereal amber glow. “If you mix a golden tone with copper, you end up with this beautiful amber shade that has a way of complementing any skin tone and eye color,” says Richards. The bronzy color exudes warmth without feeling brassy, and its rich hue gives even fine hair the illusion of major depth and dimension. “It’s perfect for damaged or dry hair, because its warm tones will make hair look rich and healthy,” says Kumagai.

If you want to up the glow factor, both experts suggest asking your stylist for thin and subtle highlights all over, or just along your hairline to brighten your face (“less is more here,” says Richards). Or, you can ask for a single-process golden copper for a monochromatic amber finish.

Baby balayage

No, we’re not headed back to 2016 (although we wouldn’t mind dusting off our cut-crease palettes), but our experts agree that we are about to see a resurgence of balayages — specifically baby balayages with a toned-down twist. As with most of 2024’s hair color trends, “subtle” is the keyword, so the next iteration of balayages will be “hand-painted on the edges of your hair to leave you with natural-looking dimension,” says Kumagai. She recommends asking your stylist for a feathered balayage on just the ends of your hair to keep it subtle.

Dark chocolate bouclé

There’s a reason why bouclé has been on every interior designer’s mood board in 2023: It oozes quiet luxury (which is only fitting for a French word). Close up, it’s highly textured and dimensional, but from far away, it looks simple and unassuming. So it’s no surprise that bouclé has become prime hair-color inspo for 2024, particularly for creating natural-looking depth and movement in brunette waves and curls.

“Pairing the richness of a dark-chocolate base color with the softness of a super-tiny babylight creates an illusion within the layers of your hair,” says Richards, who stresses the importance of asking for minimal, barely there color. “The highlights should be almost undetectable — only a half-shade or full-shade lighter than your base color — to add dimension and definition to curls.”

Midnight black

If highlights, babylights, lowlights, or anythinglights just aren’t your thing (whattup, my frugal box-dye brethren), we have good news: monochromatic black is trending for 2024. “There's something so lavish about having a rich and shiny solid hair color that will never go out of style,” says O’Connor. Though you can experiment with any hair color for this trend, you should expect to see pitch-black hues all over your social feeds in the coming months. O’Connor recommends asking your stylist for an all-over color, then keeping the shine fresh with a once-monthly gloss, like DpHue Glossy Glaze or L’Oreal Le Color Gloss One Step Toning Gloss.

Red velvet

A bold, in-your-face color? For 2024? Told you this year wouldn’t be boring. “Reds will continue to have their moment in 2024,” says O’Connor. “The brighter, the better, like a red-velvet crimson.” Unlike red-velvet cake, though — which is just chocolate with some food coloring (sorry) — red-velvet hair is an expert-level art form. “With reds, it’s always good to think of how it will contrast with your skin tone and eye color,” says O’Connor. “A cool-toned red, for example, will complement someone with pink undertones, while a copper-toned red can make blue eyes stand out.”

Of course, that’s not to say you need an MFA to get the best red. “Ask your colorist, ‘does this work for me, or is there something better for my skin tone?’” Dean suggests. “Colorists should be educating you on the right shade for your skin tone, and you should trust them enough to take their advice.” You’ll also want to set some realistic expectations. “Upkeep on reds can be a lot, and this is one of the hardest colors to keep,” says O’Connor, who recommends coloring your roots and getting a glaze every four to six weeks. Or, you can make like hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos, who used Lime Crime's Unicorn Hair in Valentine to create Megan Fox’s recent red-velvet bob.

Read more about this year's biggest trends:

• 13 Short Hair Trends You'll See Everywhere in 2024
• 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, Alix Earle's 10-minute makeup routine: