The Best Low-Maintenance Hair Color Ideas for Summer

Summer often feels like a season full of fun and freedom. School is out, long weekends are abundant, and travel may take you to new destinations. The last thing you want to deal with is beauty maintenance that slows you down. 

That doesn’t mean that you can’t welcome a new hair color just like you welcome the warm weather. There are plenty of low-maintenance hair color ideas that are perfect for summer, and ahead, we’re rounding up our favorites. 

Sun-Kissed Balayage 

Balayage is one of the most low-maintenance hair coloring techniques out there. It entails your colorist hand-painting highlights onto your strands where the sun would naturally hit them. Since the color is concentrated mostly from your mid-lengths to your ends, no one will be able to tell when your roots start growing in — meaning frequent touch-ups are not necessary.

Dark Rooted Blonde 

If you have dark brown hair and want to add a summer glow to your strands without completely kissing your natural color goodbye, this could be the low maintenance look for you. With blonde balayage highlights blended into darker roots, dark rooted blonde  is the perfect hybrid of blonde and brunette. 

Unlike traditional balayage or bronde, this laidback hair color is all about embracing darker roots with touches of dark blonde added in to help create dimension.

Ashy Bronde

Think of your classic blonde-meets-brunette shade with hints of cool tones added to it — that’s ashy bronde. It’s a slightly washed-out, almost driftwood-like color that’s an easy transformation if you already have mid-tone brown hair. Just ask your stylist for some beige blonde highlights if you’re starting as a brunette, or mushroom brown lowlights if your starting shade is blonde. 

Caramel Ombré

Warm-toned hair colors are on trend this summer and there’s no better way to try one out than with ombré hair in a rich caramel shade. The ombré technique lets you keep your root color and then slowly transitions into a lighter hue towards your ends. This way, you won’t have to worry about heading back to the salon every few weeks as your roots grow out. 

Fun Colored Money Piece

If you’re looking to get playful with your hair color but you’re afraid to commit, a money piece — bold, face-framing highlights — is a great option. It allows you to change up just the front sections of your hair without altering your overall color. 

If you're really unsure about it, you can give it a test run with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray. Just spray in your face-framing highlights and the color will rinse out with your next shampoo. 

Expensive Brunette

If you keep up with hair color trends, then chances are you’ve heard about the expensive brunette trend once or twice. In addition to being gorgeous on just about everyone, this color that features very toned-down highlights and a glossy finish is incredibly easy to manage. If you have brown hair, ask your stylist for subtle balayage or babylights to give your color just a bit of dimension. 

If your starting shade isn’t brunette, you can color it at home with a shade, like the L’Oréal Paris Féria in Medium Brown, and then head to the salon to add some subtle dimension. 

Expensive Blonde 

It’s only natural that the expensive blonde trend is gaining popularity after expensive brunette skyrocketed to popularity. It features natural-looking blonde hair with subtle highlights and lowlights for added depth. 

It’s also all about maintaining a shiny finish, so utilizing the power of a hair gloss, like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss in Honey Blonde or Clear can help. In just fifteen minutes, it works to deeply condition the hair, tone your color and add tons of shine. 

Next: The Best Pastel Hair Colors for Every Skin Tone

Written by: Alyssa Kaplan, Photo Credit: IG/@emreozmenhairlondon