Artists have traditionally used stained glass to adorn the windows of churches and other religious sites for thousands of years, but you definitely don't need to be a regular churchgoer to appreciate the beauty of the multicolored shadows each fragment of glass casts when the sun shines through — or to replicate the watercolor-like vision on your hair.
The stained-glass hair color trend has flown under the radar so far, but we have a feeling it's about to take off. While pastel shades have been reigning supreme, the key to pulling off stained-glass hair is to choose the most vivid colors you can get your hands on. A scroll through the hashtag on Instagram serves up flashes of bright red, orange, fuchsia, and green, throwing "subtle" color combos to the wind. And thanks to recent innovations in box-dye technology, the vibe isn't all that hard to recreate at home.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Believe it or not, a knack for precision isn't necessary for recreating this look: You can use a brush or hand-paint using your fingers, and go as intricate or as slapdash as you like. Of course, if you want more clear-cut, architectural lines, your best bet would be to visit a salon professional who has experience with bold color trends.
Whatever you do, be sure to lock in your color every time you wash it: Sophie Hilton, hairstylist and founder of Not Another Salon, recommends swapping out your usual conditioner for an intensive hair mask, and colorist Taylor Clayton-Spicer at Paul Edmonds London suggests always washing hair with a sulfate-free shampoo to keep color vivid. You may not be able to capture the longevity of the stained-glass windows that have remained intact since the late Middle Ages, but hey, maybe you can get a few more weeks out of it.