EXPENSIVE LOOKING COLOUR, NATURALLY

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HJ COLOUR SPECIAL

EXPENSIVE LOOKING COLOUR, NATURALLY

The desire for colour that looks healthy and natural but expensive and luxurious is ongoing, and, this season, demand is set to intensify

WELLA PROFESSIONALS

For professional colourists, the rise of expensive looking but natural tones is a celebration of technique. It’s about mastering refinement, embracing dimension and creating colour that looks effortless.

“Clients want colours that look effortless, feel premium, and enhance their natural beauty, while offering depth, warmth and sophistication,” says Jordanna Cobella, Wella Professionals UK & Ireland Colour & Trends Ambassador. When it comes to blondes, it’s about capturing depth and dimension for looks that exude luxury but are low maintenance. Sheree Tomic, ASP Ambassador tells us: “Think creamy beiges, warm biscuit hues, and delicate ribbons of golden light that mimic the way natural hair catches the sun.”

We should also be pairing bright blues and greens with a backdrop of soft neutrals says L’Oréal Professionnel Colour Ambassador, Zoe Irwin: “Tones like peaches and a dusty ‘ballerina pink’ provide a romantic base for the palette. These rich tones balance the brighter seasonal colours perfectly for a luxurious and wearable finish.”

And whatever the shade, the emphasis always needs to be on individuality, and creating a bespoke look that resonates with the client in your chair. “It’s about luxury through simplicity, that quiet confidence that comes from hair in perfect condition,” says Mark Leeson, UK&I Goldwell Ambassador. “Clients are moving away from obvious colour and towards shades that feel timeless, refined and beautifully wearable.”

At the core of the trend is working with the client’s natural hair, enhancing what they have rather than fighting against it. “Clients are working with their natural warmth or coolness, for an elevated but natural-looking enhancement to their hair,” says NXT Brand Ambassador, Holly Bullock. “This means tones that are soft, believable and effortless, yet undeniably rich. Clients still want impact, but they want it to whisper,” adds FFØR Brand Ambassador, Ashleigh Hodges.

NXT

THE TONES & TECHNIQUES

Soft and Subtle

Creating expensive looking colour comes down to the expertise of the colourist with the emphasis on subtlety. “Baby-fine highlights, soft and blended money pieces, finely woven lowlights alongside gentle root shadows and all-over glosses are amongst the techniques used to create these luxurious colours,” says Holly.

The desire for subtlety is reflected in the most in demand shades.“We’re seeing huge demand for tones like old honey blonde, cashmere blonde and rich mocha brunettes,” says Revlon Creative Artist, Ashley Long. “These shades focus on softness, shine and believable colour rather than high contrast or dramatic transformations.” In short, the modern client wants hair that enhances their natural features and grows out beautifully.

Meanwhile, Jordanna tells us that shades like maple bronde, are a stepping stone for blondes looking to embrace elements of a brunette tone but still reminiscent of a traditional dark blonde. “Depending on the base you are working on, this technique aims to have ribbons of different depths and shades, using lowlighting and highlighting, but without too much of a contrast between the shade depths.” Zoe tells us that the focus should be on a high-shine finish and soft diffusion rather than heavy contrast. “The key technique is colour melting, which creates a seamless, ‘veiled’ effect by blending tones that are very close to each other, such as pale blondes against buttery vanilla or dune beige backdrops.”

REVLON PROFESSIONAL

High-end finish

Whether blonde, bronde or brunette, there’s one step that separates beautiful colour from truly luxurious colour: gloss. Shine is synonymous with health, and health reads as high-end.

Never underestimate the power of glossing when it comes to creating expensive-looking colour. It’s the final refinement that ensures tones sit seamlessly and light bounces effortlessly from root to tip.

“Glossing is the non-negotiable finishing step,” says Jane Wanniaratchy, Sally Europe Head of Product and Technical Education. “Whether you’re working on a blonde or a brunette, a gloss refines the tone, enhances light reflection and delivers that cashmere-like finish. My go-to gloss product is Wunderbar’s Gloss’n Tone Demi-Permanent Liquid, an ammonia-free, zero-lift formula designed to tone, enhance or intensify natural or previously coloured hair.”

For many colourists, that extra toning stage is where the magic happens. It’s an opportunity to soften, refine and rebalance.“The secret to that high-end finish lies in the toning,” says Brooke Evans, Quif Ambassador. “Even after a technical service like a full head of highlights, I always advocate a secondary glossing step. It allows us to calm the lift, anchoring the colour in a more natural, sophisticated palette.”

In other words, glossing isn’t an add-on; it’s an essential part of the service. It smooths porosity, enhances condition and ensures the final result feels cohesive and considered rather than freshly processed.

REVLON PROFESSIONAL

Luxury brunette

And it’s not just about the blondes. If anything, brunettes are leading the charge when it comes to expensive-looking, natural colour. Think polished, plush and light-reflective – shades that feel indulgent but entirely believable.

“The Pantone Mocha shade is not going anywhere for 2026,” says Tim Scott-Wright, Owner of The Hair Surgery and an Ambassador for Schwarzkopf Professional. “It’s a luxury brunette, a rich, muted chocolate tone enhanced with subtle highlights for depth. The key to nailing this trend is gloss. That ultra-shiny finish is what makes it feel expensive and polished.”

Mocha, espresso and coffeeinspired hues continue to dominate, but this season they’re softer around the edges. It’s less about going darker and more about going deeper – enriching the base tone and layering in delicate dimension so the colour moves beautifully through the hair.

“This season’s brunette is soft, dimensional, and undeniably luxurious,” says Petteri Rantaeilola, UK/EU Education Manager, Innersense Organic Beauty.

“CLIENTS ARE MOVING TOWARD RICH AND NATURAL TONES - THINK MOCHA, ESPRESSO, AND SUBTLE TOFFEE REFLECTS THAT FEEL ELEVATED YET EFFORTLESS.”

That word effortless is key. The finish should never look heavy or blocky. Instead, the richness is balanced with restraint, allowing the colour to enhance the client’s natural base rather than overpower it. As Petteri explains: “Maintain a rich base to anchor the brightness, and tailor placement to the client’s natural hair pattern.” It’s this level of personalisation, responding to growth patterns, density and movement that elevates a standard brunette into something that feels couture.

NXT

CLEVER COMBINATIONS

Expensive-looking hair is rarely achieved with a single technique. These shades may look simple, but behind the scenes they require a carefully curated combination of skills. Dan Spiller, Joico Ambassador EMEA, champions a layered approach: “Strategically placed lowlights add depth, while tonal layering creates that multidimensional, high-end finish.”

The emphasis is always on subtle contrast. “Expensive hair is all about undetectable technique, and this typically manifests as a combination of techniques,” says Tom Smith, evo International Creative Colour Director. “For example, pre-lightening hair in textural ways that vary in different zones of the hair, before layering customised acidic glosses.”

Joana Merencio, Andreia Professional Hair Expert agrees, favouring fine foiling, micro-weaving and soft balayage techniques: “These tones are rarely achieved with a single process; they are built through layering, controlled placement and careful tonal refinement,” And above all, consistency is key. “A considered blend of highlights, seamless root stretches and targeted gloss applications is fundamental to achieving that soft, expensive-looking result,” says Jayson Gray, Colour Visionary Artist Keune UK.

KEVIN.MURPHY

PROMOTING THE SERVICES

The most successful salons are those that communicate the feeling behind the colour rather than focusing purely on the technical process. Mood boards, flat lays and lifestyle imagery help clients connect emotionally with the service before they sit in the chair, says Jordanna: “This creates a talking point in the salon and is a useful consultation tool for colour services.”

Service naming also plays an important role in premium positioning. “Luxury colour needs luxury positioning,” says OSMO Ambassador Jake Nugent. “Sell the feeling, not just the shade, as clients respond to aspirational language.” Terms such as Old Money Brunette and Heritage Blonde help frame colour services as lifestyle choices rather than routine appointments.

Social media also remains one of the most effective ways to show the value of luxury colour services. Short-form content helps clients understand what makes hair look expensive. “Our best friend for marketing to clients is educating through social media,” says Ashleigh. “Create some beautiful short-form content on model nights showcasing what makes a hair colour look expensive, show visuals and mood boarding of tones and feelings.”

While marketing and positioning are important, the foundation of client loyalty still lies in consultation. “The client needs a personalised plan to take them on their individual journey to achieving their dream hair in a way that works with their lifestyle,” says KEVIN.MURPHY Educator, Holly Grindley.

Regularly updating the service menu is also recommended, ensuring salons reflect current trends and continue to attract and retain clients. Zoe also suggests taking inspiration from beauty marketing practises by offering colour packages on your service menu: “Beauty consumers are used to buying packages, so I think salons should be tapping into this by offering a three-month glossing package for example.”

COLOUR ESSENTIALS