And just like that, I’m saying goodbye to my favourite summer nail colours, dewy cream bronzers, and drying chlorine-removal shampoos in favour of autumn makeup trends, moisturising hair masks, and, of course, new autumn hair colours. I’m talking about a whole new lewk, like blended roots, caramel-blonde tints, monotone copper and auburn dye jobs—I’m open to them all. Which is why I also spent eons researching and chatting with hair colorists Stephanie Brown and Rachel Bodt about the best autumn hair colours to try this autumn.

And FYI: If you’re not as dedicated to a new look as I am, you can still try one of these autumn hair colours at home with an at-home hair gloss, hair toner, or even semi-permanent hair colour. Regardless of which look you choose, you’ve got options—43 of ‘em, to be exact. Keep scrolling for all the details, including a few maintenance tips to help transition your fall to winter hair colour.

Face-framing highlights for autumn

If you’re not ready for an all-over dye job, try some bright, yet still natural face-framing highlights, like the blonde seen here on Isabela Merced. “People want to get a strong autumn colour, but they don’t want a lot of maintenance,” says Brown, which is why she recommends “low-maintenance, high-impact” hair colours, like these highlights. To help soften the grow-out phase, stick to highlights just two to three shades lighter than your natural hair colour.

Mushroom-brown hair for autumn

When Bodt did my hair a few months ago (flex), she said she expected creamy, cool-toned brunette hair to be one of autumn’s biggest hair trends, and unsurprisingly, she was right. Mushroom-brown hair is on the rise, thanks to the fact that it’s easy to achieve for blondes and brunettes alike with cool-toned highlights or a taupe hair gloss.

Pearl-blonde colours for autumn

If you thought Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala Marilyn moment was over, you’d be very wrong. Pearly blonde hair is still going strong, with celebs like Emma Chamberlain and Lorde bleaching their hair for autumn. And it makes sense: Unlike traditional platinum blonde which can be difficult to pull off, pearl-blonde hair has a neutral undertone that doesn’t lean too cool or warm, meaning it can work better with a range of skin tones. Just make sure you load up your hair with a protein treatment once every two weeks to help mitigate breakage after bleaching.

Deep-blue hair colour

So, out of all of Billie Eilish’s hair colours (ahem, 14 total dye jobs since 2010, in case you were wondering), I can safely say this dark-navy is my favourite to copy this autumn. Why? Because it’s a cool way to go darker without going black, yet still brings a bit of fun colour into the autumn and winter seasons. But if you want to try the look without committing to a full head of blue hair, try an ombre-blue hair colour instead.

Rose hair for autumn

If you’ve been playing around with pastel hair colours all summer, try transitioning to a deeper, bolder pink hue for autumn, like this shade on Lizzo. The colour toes the line between pink and red, and will even look a little raspberry, depending on your skin tone. Ask your stylist for a gloss if you want a temporary version, or, if you don’t have hair commitment issues (can’t relate!), you can always go for the permanent colour.

Copper autumn hair

Copper hair for autumn is basically the “florals for spring” equivalent. But I mean, come on, you can’t get more autumnal than with hair that looks like literal pumpkin spice. Plus, copper is easy to recreate on a variety of blonde-to-medium-brown hair colours, since it can skew lighter into the strawberry realm or deeper into the auburn tones.

Inky-black hair for autumn

If you already have dark-brown or black hair, you can easily copy Hoyeon Jung’s shiny, jet-black colour with a simple all-over dye (tbh, even an at-home hair dye will work for this trend). Just note that black tends to fade surprisingly fast—which is why it’s easiest to achieve on naturally dark hair—so to keep your colour looking fresh, massage on a black colour-depositing conditioner once or twice a week.

Midnight-brunette hair colour

Take a look at your social feeds, and you’ll see this black-brown shade on a ton of celebrities (see: Natalia Bryant above, but even Nicola Peltz Beckham, the queen of blonde hair, has this bold colour rn). So if you’re looking to change your brunette hair for autumn without bleaching it lighter, maybe take a cue from Hollywood and try this midnight-toned shade instead.

Crimson autumn hair colour

Wanna match your new autumn hair colour to your favourite autumn nail colour (hi, yes)? Try this crimson shade as seen on Winnie Harlow. It’s got the perfect mix of warm and cool tones, so depending on the lighting (and your own undertones, clothing, and makeup), the final shade can look a little pinker or a little more orange—basically, the mood ring of autumn hair.

Warm-brunette hair for autumn

If you absolutely despise heading to the salon every six weeks for root touch-ups, you need to try this warm-brunette colour on Em Rata. You can keep it low-maintenance by asking your colourist for a balayage (which doesn’t touch the roots, which means zero touch-ups required), or you can go ultra low-maintenance by using an at-home hair gloss to give you some warmth for two to four weeks.

All-over caramel hair for autumn

Caramel hair won’t ever really go “out of style,” but this 2022 version feels especially fresh for autumn, thanks to a mix of warm-blonde, honey, and toffee hues, which work together to give brown hair major dimension without feeling too bright or summery. If you’re already working with brown hair, try asking your stylist for caramel-toned highlights or babylights, or, if you want to fully change your shade, go for an all-over balayage, à la Jennifer Lopez.

Via Cosmopolitan US