Spring has officially arrived, and with it, the promise of brighter, blonder hair. And if you’re looking for the perfect refresh for dull locks, you may want to buy into this latest trend: buttercream blonde. Coveted by everyone from Love Story‘s Sarah Pidgeon to Elle Fanning, Sabrina Carpenter and Lily-Rose Depp, this hue has depth and is generally pretty dazzling.
“As the weather warms up, so do blonde tones. We’re seeing a real move away from cooler, ashy shades and towards richer, warmer blondes that feel more natural and flattering,” explains Jason Collier, Jerome Russell Bblonde Key Opinion Leader and A-list hairstylist, of the shift. “Buttercream Blonde is a softer, more refined take on warm blonde,” he continues. “It has that golden, sunlit quality, but with a smooth, glossy finish that looks really expensive.”
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The buttercream hue is defined by its creamy, velvety tones. As Christel Barron-Hough, founder of Stil Salon notes, it’s “very different” from cool-toned blondes that are icy or ashy. In fact, she says, buttercream really is “the opposite of that.”
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Collier labels it a “beautifully balanced shade,” which can be worn in several ways, depending on the individual: “Think creamy, golden tones that aren’t too yellow or too brassy, more of a polished warmth. It can range from lighter, pale buttery blondes through to deeper, honeyed tones, depending on how bold you want to go.”
This is the perfect blonde upgrade for spring because it honours the seasonal change during this time of year, when we’re brightening up ahead of summer and moving away from the dullness and muted tones of winter.
As a life-long blonde myself, I’d always recommend having specific colour trends like this completed in-salon by a professional. Barron-Hough notes that it’s usually an easy-enough look to achieve; you just need to know what to ask for.
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“The key thing your colourist will need to do to create buttercream blonde is lighten the hair to get it super bright—so the lightest blonde possible. Then, you would either add the buttercream hue as a gloss toner afterwards, or layer the tones in between the highlights. The key thing is to work with different hues, such as pale gold and slightly warmer beige tones. The more shades you work with, the more natural the end result will look,” she explains.
This is a look that’s not only perfectly-timed for spring, but also “has a luxe, high-end feel to it,” according to Barron-Hough, and “looks very soft on neutral to warm complexions.”
Tempted? Book in for that colour appointment, I dare you.