Peach is The New Cool Girl Hair Color and We're Mesmerized

No matter how much we love peach, it can be a tricky color to get right, and even harder to maintain. After all, achieving a perfect blend of color is never guaranteed, especially when it comes to pastels.

To ensure you’re getting the tone and vivacity you’re looking for, Bianca Bruno, lead educator at GLAMSQUAD NYC, advocates for the age-old, no-fail technique of bringing a picture in.

"The shade you’re going for should be achievable based on your base color. If you have jet-black hair, you’re going to get a darker orange, while a light blonde can achieve that pastel rose gold,” Bruno says

We don’t want fiery orange or bubblegum pink; we’re looking for a soft, subtle blend of both. So, to better your chances of peachy success and ease some of that pre-hair transformation anxiety, we consulted some hair color experts, including the colorist behind indie singer Willa's vibrant peach locks!

Frank Friscioni of Oon Arvelo Salon in NYC, co-mixes a base color with a touch of warmth, blending pink, rose, apricot, and peach to get the overall intended effect. It's the best way to achieve that soft, glowy color you're going for, he says.

Fast Facts

Choosing a Shade: Be mindful of your existing base color.

Maintenance Level: Friscioni suggests setting up appointments every four weeks (or three, depending on your hair growth and genetics). This look takes multiple sessions to achieve so be patient. Bruno also recommends making a follow- up appointment with your colorist one to two weeks post-dye to both tone and refresh the shade.

Goes Great With: Bronze eyeshadow and a red lip. Or really, this hair color looks great with any bold or minimal makeup look you'd like to try.

Similar Shades: Rose gold and rose quartz are two great alternatives as well.

The Exact Right Shade

Peach can mean different things to different people. Like the dynamic shade above, you're free to incorporate various tones into the look.

Peach on a Brunette Base

Just be mindful and realistic regarding your current color and what you expect in the end. As seen in this shot above, the client started with a brunette base, which means they didn't pre-lighten before dyeing.

Going Bright

Keep in mind that if you do have dark hair and your end goal is a bright peach, it will take multiple sessions to achieve (otherwise, count on inflicting some serious damage to your hair, if your hairdresser is willing to do it at all).

Dimensional Color

But how do you make the color dimensional, not solid? The colorist will mix a myriad of shades together, like Sarah from Rubi Malvernrom did here. Combining two solid shades of pink and orange just isn’t enough for a dimensional look.

Maintaining a Vibrant Peach

Schedule hair touch ups more frequently than not. The upkeep for peach hair isn’t all that bad… as long as you take the time to properly care for it. Friscioni suggests setting up appointments every four weeks (or three, depending on your hair growth and genetics).

Keeping Waves Peachy

To prevent premature fading, and keep hair as shiny as these waves, look for an at-home hair gloss to maintain color, and invest in a quality color-safe masque and heat-protectant spray.

Soft Peach Highlights

If you’re still a little hesitant to go all-in on the peach trend, don't worry. While this sleek style here combines peach highlights and a soft pink finish that we love, you don't have to go all out in one go. Take the color for a test run sans dye. Buy a wig or try out extensions in that tone—just so you get an idea of how that color will look on your skin tone before taking the jump.

Try a hair tint like Lime Crime's Sushi Hair Color Tint in Muted Peach ($16), or Shrine's Drop It Peach Hair Dye Drops ($17) though they won't offer long-lasting color.

This Laid Back Look

This balmy color looks super laidback. Stylist Kryssi at IGK Salon in Soho used Overtone Color and IGK styling products to achieve the peachy hue and relaxed waves.

A More Muted Peach

As the experts mentioned before, make sure to discuss options with your stylist beforehand— not only make sure you're expectations are met, but to ensure the new color will work with your undertones. We love how this peachy-blonde color compliments the client's complexion.

Warm, Dimensional Peach

Indie singer Willa Milner definitely knows a thing or two about rocking peach. Makenna Elmore at Lola Salon in Toronto mixed peach and blush tones, using Wella's Color Create line in Hyper Coral ($9), Nudist Pink ($14) and Clear ($9). Makenna told us that while Willa is a light warm blonde naturally, they really wanted to make a statement with this color. First, she did a full head of babylights and then applied the peach.

She cautioned against overtightening the hair, saying you tend to want warmth so that "your peach holds stronger and that you provide a base for more depth."

Other recommendations include: Evo Fabulouso custom color conditioner ($60) to refresh vibrant colors. Davines All-In-One Milk ($35) mostly for heat protection when styling which Elmore says: "People would be shocked to see how much color disappears with the use of their hot tools," and Davines This Is A Shimmering Mist ($31) which helps your color "shimmer and reflect sunlight for days."

Cool Peach

This striking peach on Janibell Rosane stands out because of its soft, cool tones.

Peachy Ombre Curls

We love how model and all-around creative Portia Ferrari's brunette curls slowly morph into a vibrant peach. The subtle copper tones give this pastel color a swift edge that's so mesmerizing. To get a similar tone, mix a few pastels and reds together to create your own hue.

Temporary Tint

Lastly, we have this incredible temporary pastel peach. As we mentioned earlier, a washable color is a great and risk-free way to test the waters on a new look. Recreate this shade with Lighter Daze Peach Fuzz ($18) from singer Hayley Williams and Brian O'Conner's haircare line The Good Dye Young. Honestly, the color speaks for itself.

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