The Hottest Hair Trends For Summer 2026

Planning to go lighter? This season’s go-to blonde – dubbed ‘uptown blonde’ by celebrity colorist Nicola Clarke – is an expensive-looking shade that’s clean, bright and glossy, with an even, lifted base punctuated by fine highlights for dimension. “It’s a great summer hair color trend that has filtered into the mainstream because of the renewed fascination with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s understated, quiet-luxury aesthetic in the Love Story miniseries.”

Clarke recently created the look for actress Haley Bennett, pairing this refined blonde with a dramatic ’90s-inspired crop. “We lightened her base first, then added highlights to create a really fresh, polished blonde,” she explains. It’s worth noting that, unlike softer, lower-maintenance color techniques, such as balayage, this color requires a greater commitment. “Because your natural base color is lifted, expect to touch up your roots every six weeks, while the highlights will need refreshing roughly every 12 weeks.”

“Waves and movement are big right now,” says hairstylist Larry King. But this season, they’re softer, glossier and more intentional than summer’s typical salty beach bend (known as ‘waterfall waves’). If your hair is naturally wavy, apply a mousse or styling spray on freshly washed hair for hold, then braid it and let it dry overnight to get a tousled texture when undone the next morning. For a faster approach, or if your hair is fine and straight, curl one-inch sections of dry hair, leaving the ends free, so it looks more natural. “Avoid volume at the roots by placing the iron two inches down the hair shaft,” says King. Start slightly higher the shorter your hair is. “Break up the waves with your fingers and add a dollop of styling cream to smooth frizz and add definition,” he suggests. For a slightly messier, I-woke-up-like-this energy, mist with a light spritz of a texturizing spray to finish.

Reflective, ultra healthy-looking hair is always in demand – especially when temperatures rise. To guarantee hair that looks healthy and naturally glossy when sun, sand, sea, pool and frizz-inducing humidity are at play, use products that both restore moisture levels and treat sun damage while enhancing shine.

To start, incorporate a weekly deep treatment hair mask into your routine. Sisley Paris The Intense Nutrition Hair Care Mask contains a blend of proteins, ceramides and glycerine to fortify and revive shine. For a more targeted approach, Flora Lab Paris’s new Hair Filler N°11 Ceramides takes inspiration from advanced skincare, delivering ceramides directly to your lengths and is fantastic for smoothing and softening sun-stressed or dehydrated hair. For easy daily maintenance, a dollop of Oribe Gold Lust Restorative Night Crème For Hair applied nightly leaves strands soft and hydrated, not sticky or crunchy, the morning after. And for textured, curly or coarse hair, there’s nothing better than Oribe’s aptly named Mirror Rinse Glass Hair Treatment. Use it in place of, or after, your conditioner to lock in a smooth, sheeny finish for days