So long golden tones, 'Heritage Blonde' is winter's effortless and grey-loving alternative

While this year has ushered in an array of luxe blonde tones, from golds to altogether creamier hues, this winter sees one shade offer what few others have - low-maintenance. Promising soft regrowth and perfectly blended neutral strands, Heritage Blonde is this season's casual approach to lightened hair...

As mentioned, there has been no shortage of blonde hair inspiration amongst the 2024 hair trends. In fact, we've seen everything from radiant Sunflower Blonde to clean, ultra-glossy crystal-clear hair but while there has been plenty of choice, shade-wise, they all feature one key thing in common: upkeep. If you're not a natural blonde - or are trying a lighter or more golden tone - you'll know that it's not the easiest of colours to maintain. Thankfully though, there may be another blonde trend emerging this winter that is.

Dubbed Heritage Blonde, the shade offers a softer finish, with intricately blended roots and strands, which allow for regrowth, complement scattered greys and add months between your once-regular salon trips...

What is Heritage Blonde hair?

Born from the creative mind of trendforecaster, international artist in residence at Billi Currie and International Creative Colour Director at evo, Tom Smith, heritage blonde is an earthier alternative to summer's popular golden sunflower-like colour (which is also predicted to endure into the colder months). "Finely woven and neutral in tone, this is for the more understated and showcases blonde tones in a more casual and natural-looking way."

Smith adds that when a trend like sunflower blonde, for instance, takes hold, we often see a 'contrasting alternative' emerge, "as those who rebuke the former, make a statement with the latter."

As for the inspiration behind the buzzwordy hair colour trend, Smith explains that "this shade is elegant, classic and timeless as there is no obvious stripe or highlight pattern – everything is woven intricately and allows the wearer to be blonde in a way that whispers rather than shouting."

How to achieve and maintain the colour?

Smith recommends this trend for those, who like a natural and elegant look, "or for those wanting to go blonde with a softer regrowth."

As mentioned, the look incorporates your roots and is all about perfectly blended, subtle blonde tones running through your lengths. "This can sometimes only need to be redone every 3 or 4 months in the salon and so is a surprisingly low maintenance option," notes Smith.

Because the colour centres around neutral and muted tones, Smith says it suits a variety of skin tones: "The mix of deeper and brighter shades make it a great choice for those with deeper or fairer skin, although it will look its most natural (if that’s your priority) on fairer skin tone."

To maintain the colour, it's a good idea to add one of the best purple shampoos to your haircare regime. "If you fight against brassiness, use a violet toning shampoo on alternate wash days," advises Smith - "My favourites for strong toning when needed are Olaplex 4P and evo Fabuloso Platinum shampoo."

Does Heritage Blonde work for greying hair?

"This works fantastically on hair that has scattered grey," says Smith, "and you can cleverly place highlights throughout the greyer areas making them part of the design." He says that this makes for even slower regrowth and ensures that your roots remain subtle-looking - which just adds to how refreshingly low-maintenance this blonde hue is.

3 celebrities with 'Heritage Blonde'-style hair

If you're still unsure of what this colour entails, or how it might suit you, there are several famous faces currently sporting this style of blonde - and yes, we've rounded up a few below...

1. Jennifer Aniston's neutral highlights

Jennifer Aniston's hair is the perfect reference picture to show your hairdresser. As we can see, her brown roots softly blend into creamy, multi-tonal highlights that run throughout her lengths, offering a very soft transition that allows for her roots to grow out intentionally.

2. Jennifer Lopez' 'Heritage Blonde'-style balayage

JLo's longer, balayage-style look is another example of how this more muted approach to blonde can be blended with darker roots - for a soft and low-maintenance transition. This is also a great option if your hair is currently more on the golden side but you're looking to slowly embrace a slightly lighter and more neutral tone.

3. Meghann Fahy's soft, neutral blond hair

Again, White Lotus star, Meghann Fahy's hair is another great example of this 'woven' look. The blonde tones look so natural and effortless.