Hair Colour Trends 2026: The 7 Trends We'll See in Greece

Hair colours in 2026 are turning towards warm, "edible" shades and towards techniques that brighten the face instead of radically changing the colour. The 7 trends we are already seeing in Greece are: creamy/buttery vanilla blonde, bropper, cherry cola, espresso/onyx brunette, almond/caramel brown, hair contouring with a money piece, and grey blending. The common denominator: colour that looks healthy, glossy and made for your own skin tone.

1. Creamy / buttery vanilla blonde

Creamy vanilla blonde is a warm, creamy blonde replacing the icy, silver blondes of previous years. It has soft golden and beige tones, recalls butter and vanilla, and gives shine without "hardening" the face.

• Who it suits: light to medium skin tones with a warm or neutral undertone. It is easier to achieve from a natural blonde or light brown base.
• Technique: we lighten with babylights or balayage and finish with a toner in a creamy shade, so it turns neither yellow nor grey.
• Maintenance: the toner usually needs refreshing every 6–8 weeks; warm blondes are more "forgiving" at the root than platinum.

If your blonde tends to turn yellow, see how we tell it apart from brassiness in our guide to fixing brassy blonde.

2. Bropper (brown + copper)

Bropper is brown with copper highlights — the "gentle" red for anyone who wants warmth without strong orange. In the light it looks copper, in the shade it stays brown.

• Who it suits: warm or neutral undertones, with brown, green or hazel eyes. Ideal from a medium to dark brown base.
• Technique: colour in a copper-brown shade or a gloss over existing brown; for a more natural result we add fine copper highlights.
• Maintenance: coppers fade faster than neutral shades, so a gloss every 6–8 weeks keeps the shine.

You will find more about red shades in our guide Copper, Bropper & Cherry Cola.

3. Cherry cola / dark cherry

Cherry cola is dark brown with deep red-burgundy reflections, like the colour of cola in the light. It is the elegant version of red for dark hair.

• Who it suits: cool or neutral undertones and medium to deep skin tones; it "warms up" dark hair without colour removal.
• Technique: colour or gloss on a dark base; on very dark hair a little lightening may be needed for the red to show.
• Maintenance: red pigment fades faster, which is why we recommend a refreshing gloss and lukewarm water when washing.

4. Espresso / onyx brunette

Espresso brunette is a very dark, rich brown with a mirror-like shine, while onyx approaches a soft black with no blue reflection. It is the "expensive" dark hair trend.

• Who it suits: almost all skin tones; it particularly flatters dark eyes and medium-to-olive skin.
• Technique: colour or gloss in a dark shade, often with translucency so it does not look "flat".
• Maintenance: easy; the root shows less if your natural base is dark. With grey hair, the root needs more frequent coverage.

5. Almond / caramel brown

Almond and caramel brown are warm, medium browns with golden-caramel tones that add dimension without strong contrast. It is the "sun-kissed" brown that looks natural.

• Who it suits: warm or neutral undertones and a medium brown base.
• Technique: balayage or babylights in a caramel tone, with a toner that unites root and lengths.
• Maintenance: balayage usually lasts 4–6 months, with a gloss in between so it does not get too "warm".

6. Hair contouring / money piece

Hair contouring places light and shadow in the hair to "sculpt" the face, its best-known version being the money piece — two bright sections at the front. It is the trend with the biggest impact on the face for the least commitment.

• Who it suits: every base; on dark hair the light simply stays softer (caramel rather than platinum).
• Technique: targeted highlights around the face, on their own or together with balayage.
• Maintenance: because it sits close to the root, it needs refreshing more often than classic balayage.

We analyse the whole technique in our article Money Piece & Face Framing.

7. Grey blending

Grey blending "marries" grey hair with highlights and lowlights instead of covering it completely, so the root grows out without a hard line. It is the most liberating solution for anyone tired of root colour every few weeks.

• Who it suits: anyone with a little to quite a lot of grey who wants fewer appointments.
• Technique: fine highlights and lowlights that imitate natural mixed colour, with a toner for a unified shade.
• Maintenance: usually less frequent than full coverage; how much depends on the percentage of grey and your base.

See how we work the technique on our page for grey blending in Athens.

Summary table: which trend suits you

| Trend | Base / undertone | Technique | Maintenance | |---|---|---|---| | Creamy vanilla blonde | Light brown to blonde, warm/neutral | Babylights or balayage + toner | Toner usually every 6–8 weeks | | Bropper | Medium-dark brown, warm/neutral | Colour or gloss, fine copper highlights | Gloss every 6–8 weeks | | Cherry cola | Medium-dark, cool/neutral | Colour or gloss on a dark base | Refreshing gloss, gentle washing | | Espresso / onyx | Any base, ideally dark | Colour or gloss with translucency | Low; root if there is grey | | Almond / caramel | Medium brown, warm/neutral | Balayage or babylights + toner | Balayage usually 4–6 months | | Money piece / contouring | Any base | Highlights around the face | More frequent refresh at the front | | Grey blending | Base with grey | Highlights + lowlights + toner | Fewer appointments than coverage |

How to choose the right tone for you

The most reliable guide is your skin's undertone: warm undertones are flattered by gold, copper and caramel, cool ones by cherry, beige and espresso. A simple test is the veins on your wrist: greenish suggests warm, blue-purple suggests cool, mixed suggests neutral. Eye colour, face shape and your natural base also play a part.

For anyone who wants certainty before changing colour, Face Metrics Pro (in Greek) is a 45-minute AI face analysis with Thodoris Ikonomakis that helps us choose tone and placement of light based on your features (€100). If you are wondering specifically about blonde, see also Will blonde suit me? (in Greek).

What applies to every trend

Whichever trend you choose, the health of your hair determines how beautiful the colour will look. Three things make the difference:

1. A consultation before every change. Colour history, porosity and grey hair change the technique.
2. Gloss or toner in between. It refreshes the tone without new colour — see what hair gloss is.
3. Proper care at home. Shampoo for coloured hair, lukewarm water and heat protection; more in how to keep your hair colour fresh.

Looking ahead, see where these shades are heading next in our forecast of hair colour trends 2027.

At Ikonomakis Hair Atelier

At Ikonomakis Hair Atelier in Chalandri, Athens (Irakleitou 80, Patima Chalandriou), we have been working with colour since 1995, as second-generation hairdressers, with 4.9/5 from 2,199 verified reviews on Fresha, and the team speaks English. Every appointment starts with a consultation, so the trend you love is adapted to your own base and tone. Guide prices: colour from €43, highlights from €80, balayage from €150, gloss/toner from €55.

See all our services on the hair colour in Athens page or book online via Fresha or call +30 211 800 4132.