HAIR TRENDS

8 winter hair colours we're living for this season

Glossy yet natural.

19 November 2025

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dylanjamesdonnelly_hair / Instagram with Larry King Hair Salon

The temperature may be dropping but we're turning up the heat when it comes to our favourite new winter hair colours.

2025's popular shades reflect the cosiness we crave as we transition from autumn to winter, as well as nature's cool, earthy undertones at this time of year. Rich, indulgent swirls of caramel and honey are a counter-attack to dark grey skies outside and look even more lustrous in the glow of firelight. Elsewhere there's plenty of ways to bridge the gap between summer's trending buttery hues and a blonde that stretches out your appointments for root touch-ups.

So whether you want to walk on the dark or the light side, keep scrolling for the winter hair colours to know for 2025…

Pecan pie

For a versatile, chocolatey shade, look no further than ‘pecan pie’ – a shade that captures warm nutty tones and caramel via a combination of finely-spun highlights, balayage and a soft root melt to blend the deeper shade. Think “swirls of cream and molten fudge” and “luxe, dimensional and naturally sun-kissed tones,” says Dylan Donnelly, senior colourist at Larry King's London salon, who created the look below:

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“Pecan pie is the perfect shade for lighter blondes who want to transition into a softer, more seasonal tone while maintaining brightness around the face," he adds. “It can be adapted to suit different skin tones by adding golden honey and butterscotch tones to complement those with naturally warm undertones, or softened with a silky, beige-chocolate finish to flatter cooler and neutral complexions.”

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Bambi brunette

When you think of Bambi, imagine the buttery caramels and beige tones woven through the Disney character's otherwise brown hair. It's this contrast that creates “a velvety, doe-eyed glow – hence the name ‘Bambi brunette’,” says hair colourist Mark Leeson. “It's a soft, warm, light-reflective take on brown hair. It’s almost like you’ve had a summer of sun on your hair, but in a really understated, chic way."

When you're in the salon, ask your colourist for "a soft brunette base with lighter beige and warm, caramel accents threaded throughout, particularly around the face and mid-lengths,” Mark advises. “These need to be fine and blended, so it feels seamless rather than stripy. The idea is to add dimension and glow without it looking like traditional highlights.”

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Almond butter swirl

Almond butter is making its way onto our waffles and onto our hair this winter. Key to the trend is reverse balayage, which involves painting darker tones onto the hair for depth. To create the look below, Aniah Warner, a colourist at Larry King, used rich, molten tones, melting them into the hair to add dimension and gloss:

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“It’s the perfect shade for winter – radiating the cosy warmth of the season, flattering every skin tone and giving sunlit summer strands a sultry allure,” says Aniah. “Almond butter is that delicious balance between low-maintenance and luxe.”

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Suede blonde

Meanwhile, Harriet Muldoon, blonde specialist at Larry King, looked to this season's on-trend buttery suede blazers to create a blonde with mineral, earthy tones. “Suede blonde is about keeping the top a clean neutral and warming up the ends,” she says, "so you've essentially got a combination of warm golden and cooler tones together to give you that suede-like texture.”

Her advice is to use Margot Robbie as a reference point for the perfect combination of ash and gold you'll need to get a neutral suede tone. "By having a slightly darker root base, the ends look brighter and you also get plenty of dimension,” Harriet notes. You don't want to see where the highlights start, though, so be sure to ask your colourist for a ‘smudge’ – the technical term for softly blending and connecting the roots and highlights together with gloss.

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Sombré brunette

Smoky eyes sing a certain siren song in winter but so do grey, misty strands. ‘Sombré brunette’ refers to a deep, cool-toned hue that walks the gamut of dark brown and black. “Think rich, charcoal hues with a luxurious, velvety finish,” says Siobhan Haug, colourist and creative director of Haug London Haus salon.

It's an especially striking upgrade to naturally dark hair, she says, “as it enhances the natural colour without a drastic change.”

To prevent a matte, one-dimensional look, an in-salon gloss treatment is key to achieving that all-important light-reflecting shine. At home, Siobhan recommends combining a protein rich cream with a lightweight hair oil.

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Truffle brown

In the same way that suede blonde has an earthy undertone, so too does truffle brown. As the name suggests, truffle brown is inspired by the natural colour of mushrooms. Rather than lean on warm, golden undertones, truffle or mushroom brown hair features a blend of either cool or neutral ash and taupe hues for subtle dimension.

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British blonde

With Oasis selling out stadiums this summer and the popularity of BBC's Girlbands Forever documentary, it's hardly surprising that we're seeing a revival of Indie sleaze and Brit pop references. These cultural touchstones are also influencing winter's hair trends, says Nicole Kahlani, consultant colourist at Hershesons salon.

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“The concept of colour blending with solid dimensions is gaining popularity as people reflect on the early Noughties’ era, characterised by a rooty, grown-out blonde," she explains. ‘British blonde’ is the name Nicole has given the trend and it involves embracing your roots but in a way that still softens your root line, concentrating the lighter hue on the mid-lengths and ends.

“It's nostalgic enough to evoke fond memories, but not so old that it feels vintage or outdated," she says. "It creates an effortless look, making the colour appear lived-in. The ultimate inspiration for this look is a young Rosie Huntington-Whiteley or Cara Delevingne in her first Burberry campaign.”

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Greige

With more celebrities like Andie MacDowell famously celebrating their greys, it's great to see the hair world taking note and giving straight-up silver the same attention as brunettes and blondes for seasonal trends. Enter ‘greige’, a sophisticated blend of grey, beige and natural silver tones for anyone with a significant amount of white or grey hair.

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“Instead of completely covering your white hair or fully exposing it, this look strikes a perfect balance,” says Siobhan Haug. “It’s a first step between growing out your existing colour and fully embracing your natural white, creating a soft, translucent grey that celebrates and enhances your silver strands. It’s perfect for those who want a soft, blended look that feels organic and effortless, providing a gentle way to lean into their natural colour without a stark, all-or-nothing commitment."

To recreate the look, ask your hair colourist for a “translucent, blended grey” says Siobhan. “Opt for subtle highlights to break up your grey hair or some face-framing lights if you already have an all over colour and are going through the growing-out phase.”

Better still, this look requires minimal upkeep. "Because it works with your natural grey rather than against it, root grow-out is much less noticeable,” she adds.