These Hair Color Trends Are Going To Be Huge

We're not sure if it's the plummeting temperatures, the chunky knits invading our fave stores, or the foliage porn all over our Insta right now, but we're feeling all kinds of fall. And a new season usually sparks a kind of Pavlovian response in us toward changing up our hair. New cuts, yes, but mostly color — all of the color. Don't get us wrong — we don't subscribe to the whole "a new season requires you to go darker/lighter/whatever-er." You go ahead and wear any effing color that makes you feel purty, seasonal mandates be damned. No, we're talking about embracing the spirit of the changing seasons, and all that new-beginnings jazz, by spicing up your strands.

Well, thanks to a recent boom in downright nifty coloring techniques, there's no better time than the present to get your 'do did. Crystallizing, rooting, whispering — there are so many cool new trends to try. Best of all, they work for all types of colors and needs, whether you're a rainbow-hair fan or a die-hard brunette.

Now, because I know some of you are going to say it, yes, these are all variations on existing techniques that have been given clever, catchy names. There is, after all, only so much you can do with bleach. But it's the ways in which these techniques are modified and applied that makes them fresh and exciting. Says Jack Howard, a London colorist and the man behind the babylights and ecaille frenzies, "There are only [so many] colors. What we’re doing by tweaking and playing and modernizing [those techniques and colors] is moving forward."

He notes that getting creative with existing techniques and using new terminology to describe them helps clients and colorists communicate better. "These names speak much more clearly than the [standard terms] — tint, single-process color. If you go in and ask for babylights, your colorist will know you don't want a chunky highlight. It’s like designer clothes — you want to say what you wear. If it’s got a name, they can identify it."

Adds Johnny Ramirez of Beverly Hills' Ramirez|Tran Salon, "​It's great for consumers to educate themselves on these techniques, because as a paying customer you should go in and know more information about what you want, so you leave 100% satisfied with the results. To ensure you leave the salon happy, you need to be able to communicate with your stylist."

Ahead, the nine coolest techniques we've seen lately. Bookmark this to send to your colorist — you're going to want to take these for a whirl.