Hair Colors for Summer Seasons
The Summer season is light, muted and cool and the natural hair colors of Summers can range from light ashy blonde to dirty blonde to medium cool brown. What all these hair colors have in common is their soft, muted and cool appearance.
This article will explore some of the more common natural hair colors of Summers as well as some of the options for dying your hair and the best hair colors for summer seasons.
More hair color ideas for Summers on Pinterest.
Natural Hair Colors for Summer Seasons
1. True Summer
The natural hair color of True Summers is typically in the range of levels 4-7N with cool and ashy undertones. It is pretty common for True Summers to have blonde hair as a child which then later darkens and turns an ash brown color. The natural hair color is typically pretty icy and ashy with little to no hints of warmth.
Typical Natural Hair Colors:
Cool Light Brown/Dark Ashy Blonde (Levels 6-7)
Cool Medium Brown (Levels 4-5)
2. Light Summer
Light Summer (along with Light Spring) is the season for natural blondes. The natural hair of light summer will typically be between a level 6N and level 10N with a cooler and ashier undertone. Light Summers will almost always be blonde in childhood and for some, the hair stays blond but for others, it darkens to a dark ashy blonde or light brown.
Typical Natural Hair Colors:
Light Ash Blonde (Levels 8-10)
Dark Ash Blonde (Levels 7-8)
PS Light Summers don't all need to be platinum blonde (that is super rare in the general population!), in fact, the natural hair color of most Light Summers is a dark ashy blonde.
3. Soft Summer
The natural hair colour for Soft Summers will probably be in the medium range, around levels 5-7N. The hair typically has a slightly ashy, soft quality to it. Many Soft Summers likely had blonde hair as children which then darkened to a dark ashy blonde or light to medium brown.
Typical Natural Hair Colors:
Soft Ash Brown (Levels 5-6)
Muted Ashy Dark Blonde (Level 7-8)
Light to Medium Brown (Level 5-6)
Dyeing Your Hair as a Summer
Since the natural hair colors of Summers are typically soft, muted and natural, then there has been a strong societal pressure for Summers to dye their hair - either by going blonde or by dying it a darker and warmer brown. However, your own natural hair color is beautiful, sophisticated and multifaceted. If you do wish to dye your hair, then here are a few suggestions for each of the Summer seasons.
The general rule in hair dying is to stay around 1-2 levels of your base level (learn more about hair color levels). So for example, if you're a natural level 7, then you could dye your hair a medium chestnut brown level 5 or lighten your hair up to a level 9 light blonde. Going any lighter or darker would damage your hair more, need more maintenance and might look off with the rest of your features.
You hair color level is determined on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the darkest of blacks and 10 being a pale Scandinavian blonde. If you're unsure about your level, ask your hairstylist.
In general hair colors for Summers should be cool, ashy and muted, think of natural ashy blondes, dark blondes, "old money blonde", light ashy browns, milk tea brown, mushroom brown and frosty browns. Stay away from tones that are too warm, golden, yellow, or red, as well as tones that are too vivid and bright.
1. True Summer Hair Colors
Suggested Hair Colors:
Dark Ash Blonde (Level 7)
Ash Brown, Milk Tea Brown, Frosty Brown (Level 5-6)
Medium Cool Brown (Level 4-5)
Hair Color Products for True Summer:
L'Oréal Feria in 40 (Espresso) or 60 (Crystal Brown)
Casting Créme Gloss 513 (Iced Truffle)
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Créme 51 (Medium Ash Brown) or 50 (Medium Natural Brown)
L'Oréal Paris Excellence Crème in 5.11 (Frosted Ash Brown) and 6.11 (Ultra Ash Dark Blonde)
L'Oréal Paris Excellence Crème in 6A (Light Ash Brown)
Clairol Natural Instincts in 6A (Light Ash Brown)
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Créme 60 (Light Natural Brown) or 61 (Light Extra Ash Brown)
Avoid: Warm tones, golden blondes, and rich browns with red undertones as they clash with your cool undertones.
Look for keywords like "frosted", "iced", "ash/ashy", and "cool". These products will usually be marked with the level and an A at the end for "Ash", i.e 7A.
2. Light Summer Hair Colors
Suggested Hair Colors:
Very Light Platinum Blonde (Level 10)
Light Ash Blonde, Sandy Blonde, Beige Blonde, Champagne Blonde (Level 8-10)
Dark Ash Blonde (Level 7-8)
Blonde Highlights or Balayage: Highlights or balayage a level or two above the natural hair color level, keeping the undertones cool.
Hair Color Products for Light Summer:
LÓréal Paris Superior Preference 7A (Dark Ash) or 8A (Ash)
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Créme in 811 (Medium Ash Blonde)
L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème in 8.1 (Natural Ash Blonde) or 9.1 (Natural Light Ash Blonde)
L'Oréal Paris Feria (Iced Blonde)
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Créme in 111 (Extra Light Ash Blonde)
L'Oréal Paris Excellence Créme in 01 (Supreme Lightest Blonde) or 10.1 (Lightest Pearl Blonde)
Casting Créme Gloss 1010 (Iced Light Blonde) or 1021 (Pearly Light Blonde)
Avoid: Dark shades, especially any warm blondes, golden browns, or anything too bright. As a light season, avoid any colors darker than your natural hair color or darker than a level 6.
Look for keywords like "ash blonde", "iced blonde", "cool blonde" with the level N (natural) or A (ash) at the end.
3. Soft Summer Hair Colors
Suggested Hair Colors:
Soft Ash Brown (Level 5-7)
Light to Medium Brown (Level 6-7)
Dark Ash Blonde, Old Money Blonde (Level 7-9)
Balayage or Ashy Highlights: Soft Summers can look amazing in highlights or balayage a level or two above the natural level. This can add lovely dimension and softness. Since Soft Summer borders Autumn, then you can also look great in subtle golden highlights.
Hair Color Products for Soft Summer:
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Créme 61 (Light Extra Ash Brown) or 60 (Light Natural brown)
L´Oréal Paris Superior Preference 7 (Dark Blonde) or 6 (Light Brown)
L'Oréal Paris Excellence Crème in 7N (Dark Blonde) or 7A (Medium Ash Blonde)
Schwarzkopf Keratin Color in 7.0 (Dark Blonde)
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Créme 70 (Dark Natural Blonde) or 811 (Medium Extra Ash Blonde)
Avoid: Too bright or overly warm colors, especially red or golden tones, which don’t align with the Soft Summer palette. Also avoid intense colors like jet-black, platinum blonde or bright red.
Stick to colors that a soft and in the medium range (levels 6-8) and look for keywords like "ashy", and "natural".
Tips for Maintaining Summer Hair Colors
Dyed hair has a propensity towards turning warm and slightly brassy, especially if the hair is lifted (bleached). As a cool season, you may need to work a little harder to maintain those cool-tones and avoid the brass.
Use Cool-Toned Hair Care Products: To maintain your cool tones, use shampoos and conditioners designed for color-treated hair with cool or ash-based undertones, such as Purple Shampoo and Blue Shampoo.
Gloss Treatments: For a cooler tone, regular glosses can help refresh your color. Redken Shades EQ offers a wide range of cool-toned glosses to maintain the coolness of your blonde or brown hues.
Avoid Brassiness: Brass can often sneak into Summer hair colors. Regular use of a purple shampoo or Blue Shampoo can help neutralize yellow, orange or brassy tones.
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