8 Hair Color Trends Cincinnati Stylists Are Loving Right Now

1. Butter blonde

Butter blonde takes a warmer path than icy platinum, sitting between honey and vanilla with a soft, creamy finish. Wella's 2026 trend research lists Butter Blonde Balayage among the season's top requests, right alongside its close cousin, biscuit blonde. Colorists can usually keep the grow-out soft rather than sharply lined. Low upkeep is the whole appeal here.

2. Soft copper

Refinery29's 2026 color coverage calls this shade "apricot blonde," a warm blend of copper, strawberry, and gold that photographs beautifully in natural light. It works on both natural blondes and brunettes looking for a vibrant but wearable change. Copper tones generally fade faster than cooler shades, so color-safe products and a gloss refresh matter more here than with most trends on this list.

3. Multidimensional brunette

Flat, single-process brown is out. Multidimensional brunette builds in subtle lowlights and a few soft highlights so the color moves in natural light instead of sitting there. Almost any skin tone can wear it, and it grows out slowly enough to stretch appointments further apart. That combination, flattering and low-effort, explains why it keeps showing up on 2026 trend lists.

4. Money pieces

Face-framing highlights, brighter than the rest of the hair, remain one of the fastest ways to lighten a look without committing to a full color change. They brighten the face immediately. Blondes and brunettes both wear them well, and upkeep stays manageable since only a narrow section needs attention at each visit.

5. Glossy chocolate

Rich, glass-like chocolate brown is trending as the antidote to years of high-maintenance blonde. A single-process color plus a clear gloss treatment delivers most of the shine, and cool or neutral undertones pull it off best. Warm undertones can still wear it; a colorist will typically adjust the base slightly to avoid a flat, muddy result.

6. Air touch balayage

This freehand technique paints color onto sections of hair pulled away from the scalp, producing a softer, more feathered gradient than traditional balayage. Wella's 2026 coverage features it as a blonde option that works across shades rather than a single specific tone. Expect a slightly longer appointment. The payoff is a lower-maintenance grow-out than foil highlights.

7. Reverse balayage

Going darker doesn't have to mean an all-over dye job. Reverse balayage layers a deeper shade back into over-highlighted or sun-lightened ends, restoring dimension for blondes heading into fall or winter. It's a smart pick after a summer of sun exposure, when ends have gone brassy or overly light, and low maintenance follows naturally since there's less lightened hair left to manage.

8. Chrome gloss

Not a color change at all, technically, chrome gloss is a clear, shine-boosting glaze layered over existing color. It deepens richness on brunettes and cools down brassy tones on blondes in one short visit. Anyone whose color looks a little tired between full appointments is the ideal candidate. A quick, easy add-on. Ask about it at the next color visit rather than waiting for the next full appointment.

What's the lowest-maintenance hair color trend for 2026?

Multidimensional brunette and butter blonde both grow out with minimal visible regrowth lines, making them the two lowest-maintenance options on this list. Both rely on soft blending rather than a hard color-to-root contrast, so a few extra weeks between salon visits won't show.

How often does hair color need a touch-up in 2026's trending shades?

It depends on the technique rather than the specific color. Blended, balayage-based looks like air touch and reverse balayage generally stretch further between visits than a hard root line, since there's no sharp regrowth edge to chase. Single-process, root-to-end shades like glossy chocolate show regrowth sooner and typically need attention on a tighter schedule, though a colorist can confirm exact timing at a consultation. Timing varies by client.

Is warm tone or platinum blonde bigger in 2026?

Both, depending on the source. Wella's and Refinery29's 2026 coverage feature warm, low-maintenance shades (butter and biscuit blonde, copper, multidimensional brunette) heavily, while Wella also calls out a platinum and white blonde comeback for guests chasing high contrast. Neither direction has pushed the other out completely this year.

Any of these looks can be brought in as a reference at a hair coloring consultation, where a colorist can map the closest match to a client's natural base and upkeep tolerance. The full hair menu covers cuts and treatments that pair with a color refresh, and Hyde Park guests near Rookwood or Kenwood-area clients can book at whichever Mitchell's location fits their routine best. A Mitchell's gift card covers color, cut, or both for someone who can't decide.

Sources: Wella Professional's 12 Summer Hair Color Trends 2026 and Refinery29's Hair Color Trends for 2026 both informed the trend picks above.

Reviewed by the Mitchell's Salon & Day Spa content team.