Want to look like you just came back from an indulgent and luxury vacation? You need sun-kissed strands without the damage of too much UV. Enter after-sun blonde, the straight-from-the-runway color set to rule 2025.
Featured Experts
- Gonn Kinoshita is a celebrity hairstylist and Balmain Ambassador
- Tiana Boruff is an Innersense Organic Beauty color artist and hairstylist at Hair Sanctuary Salon
- Bradley Leake is a celebrity stylist
What is after-sun blonde?
If you’ve ever experienced your hair changing colors in the summertime, you have some familiarity with after-sun blonde.
“This color refers to hair that has been naturally lightened due to sun exposure,” explains celebrity hairstylist and Balmain Ambassador Gonn Kinoshita. “The look is almost like a slightly golden, sun-kissed light blonde with warm undertones.”
“After-sun blonde is a shade as unique as the person wearing it,” adds Innersense Organic beauty color artist, Tiana Boruff. “The sun’s rays lighten your hair through a process called photobleaching, where pigment molecules within the hair are broken down. However, it would take a great deal of time in the sun to see any significant shift in your natural hair color. Unless you live at the beach or plan to spend the summer there, you’ll likely need some help from your colorist.”
“It features a mix of warm, golden undertones with soft, lighter streaks that mimic a natural ‘just-back-from-vacation’ look,” explains celebrity hairstylist Bradley Leake. “The result is a radiant, lived-in ‘beachy blonde‘ that feels effortless yet polished.”
Get the Shade
The key to this shade comes down to using highlighting techniques combined with your natural hair color.
“I highly recommend seeking a stylist who uses Innersense’s Color Purity, which is a new professional color line, as it not only offers a new clean standard for safe and effective high-performing hair color, it also beautifully lends itself to the after-sun blonde look,” Boruff explains. “For a soft, natural look that mimics the sun-kissed glow of a tropical getaway, ask your colorist to keep the lightest highlights within a few shades of your natural hair color.”
How is it different from honey blonde?
When it comes to warm-toned blondes, honey blonde tends to reign supreme. But after-sun blonde isn’t just a beachy copycat.
“Honey blonde is [a] deeper, richer tone with pronounced golden undertones, often appearing warmer and more uniform,” explains Leake. “After-sun blonde, on the other hand, is a more dynamic shade that incorporates a blend of tones, including soft, lighter highlights for a multidimensional, sun-kissed effect. It feels less golden than honey blonde and has a more natural, sun-kissed finish.”
Mimicking the effect of the sun on your hair is exactly what after-sun blonde is going for. And that makes it stand out from other light blonde colors.
“This shade mimics the natural lightening that happens to your hair after a summer spent basking in the sun on the beach,” Boruff explains. “The end result is unique to each person, depending on your natural hair color. If you have naturally darker hair, your version of after-sun blonde may have caramel or toffee undertones. On the other hand, if your hair is naturally lighter, you might see more honey and sand tones.”
Maintaining After-Sun Blonde
Even though after-sun blonde is all about getting that sun-kissed look, you don’t actually want to submit your hair to UV damage.
“First, I would recommend wearing a hat and trying to stay away from the sun,” advises Kinoshita. “However, if you do get some sun, I recommend that you use a UV protection spray and a revitalizing mask before going outside.”
By shielding your hair from further UV damage, you can extend the life of your color and protect the health of your hair.
“Consider using a purple shampoo once a week to counteract brassiness and maintain the cooler, lighter tones in the highlights,” adds Leake. “And schedule regular salon visits for toning and to refresh the highlights for a consistent after-sun glow.”
