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If the new year has you itching to make a hair colour change, consider going over to the light side. While winter is generally reserved for going darker, stylists say there's going to be an uptick in requests for warm, buttery golds and rich Champagnes this season as soon as salons reopen. The coolest takes on the trend, dubbed "buttercream blonde", is the easiest way to get in on it as it's not too extreme and doesn't require excessive bleaching - you can even try it yourself at home.

What is buttercream blonde hair?

Essentially, buttercream blonde is a natural, creamy blonde with tons of dimension. Because of the mix of colours, it looks softly sun-kissed, and the mix of warm and cool highlights means it's flattering across a huge range of different skin tones. Instead of a harsh, bright, one-note blonde, buttercream swirls ribbons of Champagne, honey, and baby blonde for an easy-lived in look. Divine.

While it's easiest to get the shade if you're already a blonde, it's not impossible to incorporate elements of the shade into darker hair as well. Below, hairstylist Lauren Grummel breaks down three variations on the trend.

Bright and light

"This colour works best if you’re already naturally light and in the blonde family," says Grummel of this look that's bright blonde from root to tip and heavier on the cream than the butter. She explains that this shade can be done in one sitting if you're already blonde, but be prepared to be in the chair for a couple hours. To keep the buttery dimension, she says to ask your stylist for a full highlight with bright pops throughout: "Tone it more neutral or cool to get a few white pieces to really pop."

Buttery Blonde

This is a true buttercream blonde with a mix of warm highlights with a few pops of brightness. Grummel says this is a great entry into blonde if you have light or medium brown hair. For this particular shade, Grummel lightened the base colour to start, and then added full highlights for the brighter pieces, leaving some of her natural colour for dimension. If you've previously coloured your hair, it can affect the time it takes to transition to blonde, so Grummel recommends really planning with your stylist before making the jump.

Warm Buttercream

"This shade of buttercream is great for clients who want a little something and don’t want to commit to blonde all over," says Grummel of this warmer blonde-dipped look. She loves this shade because it's very low-maintenance, and it's easy to transition to if you're brunette. Ask your stylist for "brighter pieces around your face with pops of lightness through your ends, plus lived-in highlights through your crown."

Scroll on for more of our favorite buttercream blonde hair ideas, and get ready to call your salon as soon as it opens again.

Can't wait until the end of lockdown? Why not give one of these at-home hair dye kits a go? GLAMOUR recommends Josh Wood Colour's Light Mid-Blonde Permanent Hair Dye or Lightest Blonde from the same range.

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