Old trends are new again, with TikTok stars highlighting oft-forgotten fads. The most recent example is two-toned hair. “Oh, the ’90s are back with the high contrast of two-toned colors making a very bold statement,” says creative director of Style & Color at L’Oréal, Jonathan Colombini. “Hair history always repeats itself. Artists like Billie Eilish have reintroduced this typical ’90s grunge into mainstream.”
Garnier’s celebrity colorist Nikki Lee, who has worked with stars like Selena Gomez and Hilary Duff, believes two-toned hair is trending because it’s something different. “It can be done more subtle like a pop of color on the underneath of your hair, or something more dramatic like a thick money piece right in front,” says Lee.
There are very few rules with this trend. Colombini says the colors can be the same tone, such as pink on pink or red on red, or they could be the complete opposite. We got the inside scoop from experts on what to ask for in the salon if you want to nail the two-toned hair trend.
Two-toned hair options
Ahead of your appointment, it’s essential to decide how you want to lay out the dual tones. You can ask for absolutely anything so do some photo research to find an example of what you want to show your colorist. “Two-toned hair can be achieved with chunky highlights or lowlights to create contrasting colors,” says Lee. “The money piece is also a trendy form of two-toned hair,” she adds. Other options include dying the underside of the hair, ombre, dyed ends, stripes and more.
When heading to the salon, be sure to have photos of what you want. Pictures of what you don’t want can also be helpful. Colombini suggests mentioning the “back-to-back foiling technique” to your stylist when looking for two-toned hair.
Color combination inspiration
The fun of this trend is that you can really make it whatever you want. However, if you need a bit of inspiration, the experts have a few thoughts. Colombini loves seeing colors of the same tone together, especially reds. He likes “something that isn’t of contrasted colors but rather tone on tone.”
Lee also suggests “keeping the colors in the same tonal family,” such as warm brown with warm blonde highlights. “If you keep the tones in the same family, you can maintain them at home” with a product like Garnier Nutrisse Color Revivers ($10).
