When you think of getting highlights, you likely think of warmer weather—of sunlight glinting off of honey blonde streaks or platinum tresses. But as temperatures have begun to cool this year, it seems that celebrities have been doing the exact opposite: dying their hair lighter to bring a bit of sun-kissed energy into the colder, darker months. Emma Stone, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Keke Palmer, Kate Beckinsale, and Selena Gomez have all opted for lighter locks recently, and now Lucy Hale has joined their ranks, too.
For a while now, Hale has had dark brown hair, similar to the shade she wore for the majority of her time on Pretty Little Liars. In November, she gave us a glimpse of what her hair would look like much lighter, posing with a wavy blonde wig styled by Renato Campora that starkly contrasted with her dark features and brows. The lighter look must have inspired Hale to experiment with lighter shades, because only five weeks later, she’s opted for cool highlights that give her mane an overall honey brown look.
Hale’s look was styled by Matt Rez, a celebrity colorist and Moroccanoil brand ambassador who’s also styled the likes of Chrissy Teigen, Lili Reinhart, and Ana de Armas. Based in Beverly Hills, he specializes in all methods of hair coloring, including balayage, which is a free-hand method of dying hair in which strands gradually grow lighter towards the ends. Based on the selfie that Hale posted to her Instagram story, this is precisely the technique that Rez used to achieve her look, as her natural brown color is more visible at the roots.
Based on the rate at which celebrities are going lighter for the winter, I have no doubt we’ll be seeing plenty more highlights, balayages, and platinum looks before spring rolls around.
