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    1. Beauty
    2. Hair

    Shiny, Sun-Kissed And Seriously Chic — Golden Hour Blonde Is Summer's Most Expensive-Looking Hair Colour

    Think early evening light in hair colour form

    Jazzria Harris's avatar
    By Jazzria Harris
    Published 14 July 2025 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Golden hour blonde hair lindsay lohan
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    If winter is a time for rich, moody hues and long, languorous beauty routines, then summer is its antithesis. When the weather warms up, we want trends that feel easy and effortless, styles that look just as at home on a beach as they do for air-conned days in the office and, when it comes to our hair colour, shades that err on the soft and sun-kissed.

    So, it's probably unsurprising to hear, that the latest hair trend taps into this summer mood perfectly. It offers all the ease we expect from a summer beauty trend with the luxe-looking finish we aim for year-round. Introducing golden hour blonde, the expensive-looking hair colour that all the chicest women can’t get enough of this summer.

    What is golden hour blonde?

    Golden hour blonde is a hair colour that brings together many of summer's trending shades and expertly blends them to create a warm, golden, almost honey-blonde tone. “It fuses the best of copper and blonde into one hyper flattering shade,” said hairstylist, Tom Smith, when I questioned him on the trending look, “It’s not as intense as a soft copper but [it’s] as rich as a golden blonde can be and a little deeper than the sunflower blonde we saw last summer.”

    To create the perfect golden hour blonde hue, your hairstylist will need to expertly blend shades to create the signature sun-kissed tone, “It’s made up of a combination of gold pigments alongside hyper-dilute copper tones,” Tom told me, “It also contains an earthy depth of a darker blonde to avoid it reading as brassy or yellow.”

    How to maintain golden-hour blonde hair

    What's great about golden hour blonde is that, unlike other blonde shades, which tend to require lots of upkeep, golden hour blonde requires minimal effort.

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    “Hair tends to fade warmer, and so this tone can be relatively low maintenance as far as home care goes,” Tom told me, “Nourishing masks and leave-in serums are ideal to retain and enhance the shine and gloss that keeps the golden tones looking expensive,” Tom advises, “Reducing heat where possible will also help to retain shine.”

    “Also, golden-toned conditioners. like evo fabuloso in caramel, will help to top up tones,” Tom told me, “which is ideal after summer holidays or when trying to put off a salon visit.”

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    The best golden hour blonde inspiration

    1. Golden Hour Magic

    A post shared by Danielle Priano (@daniellepriano)

    A photo posted by on

    Lindsey’s blonde locks sit perfectly between copper and caramel blonde.

    2. Caramel Curls

    A post shared by Stephen Aiken (@stephenaikencolour)

    A photo posted by on

    Imagine how this golden hour blonde tone catches the light.

    3. Sunkissed Strands

    A post shared by R O C K Y B A R N E S (@rocky_barnes)

    A photo posted by on

    If you don’t want to go full blonde, opt for golden hour-toned ends paired with darker roots.

    What to read next
    • Heatwave hair loss and seasonal hair shedding Heatwave Hair Shedding Is Real—Here’s How a Dermatologist Recommends Protecting Your Hair and Scalp
    • hair I Haven't Trimmed My Hair in a Year—I Credit This Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner For My Surprisingly Silky Ends
    • How to make your blow dry last I've Been Styling Celebrity Hair for 30 Years—Here's How to Make Your Blow-Dry Last for Days

    4. Braid Envy

    A post shared by It’s Jōnës (@brianna.who)

    A photo posted by on

    Golden hour braids? Just perfection.

    5. Straight and Sunkissed

    A post shared by Wendy Rowe (@wendyrowe)

    A photo posted by on

    Nicole’s golden hour blonde locks are incredibly flattering.

    6. From beach to boardroom

    A post shared by Amelia Dimoldenberg (@ameliadimz)

    A photo posted by on

    Amelia’s tousled golden hour waves look just as good in the office as they would on a beach holiday.

    7. Bombshell hair

    A post shared by Senior Hair Stylist 10+ years (@maria_the_hair_stylist)

    A photo posted by on

    Golden hour blonde and a bouncy blow dry? The perfect duo.

    Jazzria Harris
    Jazzria Harris
    Freelance Fashion & Beauty Writer

    Jazzria Harris is a freelance fashion and beauty journalist with over 8 years experience working in the industry. At just 4ft 11, she’s an expert in petite dressing and previously wrote the column Jazz’s Short Stories giving tips and advice on dressing for petite proportions. Her wardrobe staples are a great black blazer, a hardworking slip skirt and of course a great pair of heels (for the extra inches, of course). Jazz has written for publications including ELLE UK, heat magazine, Eliza, Women & Home and more.

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