Whether with streaks of pastel pink or multi-tonal shades of brown, the spring runways proved much ado about hair colour this season. To help us narrow down the hottest shades to try in 2013 (or how to liven up your natural locks), we consulted Douglas Timleck, head colourist Salvatore Leonetti Salon in Toronto, for his expert shade-savvy advice.

Spring 2013 hair colour trend: Lighten up!

“Spring’s brightening up again” says Timleck, who has over 30 years experience as an expert colourist. “Right now, everyone is asking for low-lights because they want their colour to be a bit deeper, but in the spring it generally goes a bit lighter.” Just don’t ask him for the ombré look (grown-out, sun-bleached tips). “It’s getting kind of done,” he says, laughing. Instead, lighten your shade up a notch with 360-degree tonal highlights (even with a darker base colour) as opposed to the top-down bleaching effect of the ombré look.

Spring 2013 hair colour trend: Blonde ambition

“Blond’s going to be back this season but more of a golden, sun-kissed blond,” predicts Timleck. “I see the ombré look being popular in the spring/summer, just because it’s grown out and looks really beachy.” Or you can change your colour completely: “But if your hair is blond and you go brown, it’s more of a challenge to get back to blond again because it’s really
damaging to the hair.” Timleck suggests that clients think of their hair as more of an accessory. “You can wear last year’s dress with a brand new hair or highlights and it freshens everything up.”

Spring 2013 hair colour trend: Seeing red

“Everyone right now is going for the really light, bright reds,” says Timleck, citing Jessica Chastain as A-list proof. “I see that becoming really huge for spring.” He suggests adding rich red glosses or a red highlight (lighter than your natural shade), to get your ginger locks their lightest and brightest for spring. He will even cop to a coppery ombré look: “If you have long wavy red hair you can do the ombré look, but one or two shades lighter, like a golden copper or golden red, to brighten that up.” Copper highlights will enhance spicy locks without having to go blond, he adds.

Top spring 2013 hair trends

Read on to the next page for more spring 2013 hair colour trends…

Spring 2013 hair colour trend: Brown-haired girl

This season is all about toning: multi tones of brown, specifically. “Deeper in the back and lighter on top to create an interesting look to it,” says Timleck. “You can also do tone-on-tone highlights,” says Timleck, who learned balayage (the original art of multi toning) from its originator, master hair stylist Jean Louis David, in Paris during the ‘80s. (“He was in Australia and he saw beautiful girls on the beach and they had natural hair on top and their ends were really sun brightened, so he did balayage on the ends to give it that tip look, which is the ombré look today,” says Timleck.)

“That was really hot back then and now we’re seeing it come back in such a big way.” The key look for brunettes is multi-dimensional shades of brown—and glossy. “Glosses are really huge because they can change the tone a little bit but adds a lot of shine to the hair.”

Spring 2013 hair colour trend: Go streaking

Make like Oscar de le Renta this season with a streak of bubblegum pink in a billowy bouffant. “ Pastel streaks are a playful, one-time thing,” says Timleck about the hair-chalking trend also seen at the Vivienne Tam and Anna Sui Spring/Summer 2013 runways. “But still I love that look.”

Spring 2013 hair colour trend: Protect your locks

If you’re going out of your way to freshen up your hair colour for spring, invest in colour-protecting products to make sure it lasts all season. “As long as you use a colour-treated, sulfate-free shampoo, it won’t strip the colour that much and actually adds condition and shine to that hair,” says Timleck. “And again, when you put glosses on the hair, it actually seals up the hair and it helps the colour last longer.”

And it’s never too early to think about protecting locks on sunny days. “It’s really important that in the summer, you use a sun product like a leave-in conditioner to really block the sun from bleaching you hair out too much and that helps colour last a bit longer as well,” he says. Your freshly dyed locks –and colourist—will thank you for it.

Read more:
Top 2013 spring hair trends
Glossy hair: The ultimate guide
The best tools for the perfect blowout
Pretty spring hair styles: The center part