Blonde hair has been a beauty standard for a long time. Icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot were known for their platinum blonde look. In the 90s and early 2000s, some of the biggest stars were blondes, such as Hannah Montana and her infamous blonde wig , Brittany Spears and her gorgeous golden locks, and Pamela Andersonās iconic blonde bun. However, in recent years (particularly since the covid pandemic where hair salons werenāt open to maintain bleached hair) there has been a shift towards more natural and low- maintenance hair.
The shift started with balayage. Women began letting their roots go darker, and their ends stay blonde, creating a more natural, sun kissed effect. Its aim was to mimic the way hair naturally lightens in the sunlight.
Trends such as āexpensive brunetteā (a rich, multicoloured brown) have gained popularity. They often include highlighted streaks throughout the hair, still clinging to blonde features. Warmer, more natural hues like āhoney blondeā and ācaramel brownā are replacing the extreme platinum shades. A great example of this In the influencing world is Aspyn Ovard. At the beginning of her YouTube career, Aspyn was a strikingly icy blonde. Now in 2025 she has reverted back to her natural hair colour. Itās a gorgeous dark blonde/ brown and it compliments her features perfectly.
The problem with trying to change your hair colour, is that it may not suit your features. We are born with a skin tone that is designed to match our natural hair colour, which means that sometimes people that dye their hair end up looking completely different.
Celebrities have a huge influence on their followers, and thereās as big rise of trends and influencers promoting effortless, healthy hair over high maintenance hair colours. Thanks to social media a lot of awareness has been raised around hair health and repair. Bleaching can cause significant damage and many people are now opting for healthier alternatives. Brands such as Olaplex and Hair Syrup have emphasised keeping hair stronger, rather than over- processing it. The hair repair trend has influenced all areas of hair care, including replacing heated hairstyles with heatless, (eg. Heatless curls done with socks) and promoting frequent trims. Bleaching is a costly treatment, costing several hundreds each time you do it. It also needs to be maintained, as roots start to show quickly and erase the āScandinavian hairlineā look.
Itās very common that trends follow the seasons of the year. Clothing, music, everything has a āvibeā or āaestheticā now, and hair styles are a part of this too. Warmer tones and richer colours are aligning with current fashion trends as they come. In the summer highlights and sandy blonde hair is all the rage, women want to mimic the look of being on a lengthy sunny holiday. In the autumn and winter, darker, richer tones tend to dominate. Just like other trends reaching the end of their cycle, the platinum blonde trend is coming to the end of its own.