As someone who has been blonde their entire life, I can say with confidence that there have been many good and many bad trends surrounding this color. My platinum blonde phase has resulted in me manually untagging about 500 social media posts to pretend it never happened, but my newest obsession, champagne blonde, is one I'll feel confident rocking forever.
Champagne is perhaps the trendiest color at the moment, whether for your bridesmaids' dresses, your living room accents, or in this case, your hair. "This color is all the buzz right now," celebrity hairstylist Bradley Leake tells us. "The [minimal] aesthetic has taken over, promoting light makeup, delicate jewelry, and all the neutrals we have in our closets. Champagne blonde pairs perfectly with this trend, adding a [simply stunning] finish to any look. It’s the kind of beauty that can’t hide."
The best thing about champagne blonde? According to experts, it looks good on everyone. "To choose the perfect champagne blonde, you would look at skin tone," notes NuBest Salon and Spa creative director Jamie Mazzei. "For someone with cooler skin, you would want your perfect champagne blonde to have cool or pastel pink undertones. For someone with a warmer skin tone, the perfect champagne blonde would have warmer or peach undertones."
Meet the Expert
- Bradley Leake is a celebrity colorist and stylist and Color Wow brand ambassador.
- Nikki Lee is a hairstylist at Nine Zero One salon and a Garnier celebrity color expert.
- Harry Josh is a celebrity hairstylist and the creator of Harry Josh Pro Tools.
- Jamie Mazzei is the creative director of NuBest Salon and Spa in Manhasset, New York.
I asked the experts for advice on dabbling in champagne blonde hair. While blondes may have more fun (supposedly), I know from experience that the upkeep of most blonde hair is not a walk in the park and can be both expensive and time-consuming. And as the pros confirm, finding the perfect shade is only half the battle.
"When determining the perfect blonde, you have to look at a few things," celebrity hairstylist Harry Josh explains. "The client’s skin tone and natural hair color can affect the ideal shade, but it’s also important to look at the client’s ability for upkeep. Keeping a light blonde can be time-consuming and expensive, so it’s best to make sure they know the commitment before they start the coloring process."
Champagne Blonde Hair Color
How to pronounce champagne: /SHamˈpān/
Choosing a shade: The experts agree that choosing the perfect shade is based on your skin's undertones. A warmer skin tone will require a different shade of champagne blonde than a cooler one. Pre-appointment consultations are helpful for both you and your colorist to achieve the perfect champagne blonde for you.
Maintenance level: Once you achieve your ideal champagne blonde, maintenance is definitely required. That being said, Mazzei shares that the champagne blonde tone is generally "easy" to maintain as long as you keep your color refreshed, typically using a blonde-dedicated shampoo and conditioner.
Goes great with: "Champagne blonde can go great with any tones," Mazzei says. "The key here would be staying with cool tones for cool skin and warm tones for warmer skin. For example, a cool red lip for cooler skin and a warm red lip for warm skin. Neutrals are exactly that: neutral and go with all tones."
Similar shades: Mushroom blonde, ash blonde, cream blonde
Price: There are many factors in pricing, the first being if you'll need to bleach your hair prior to going champagne blonde. Mazzei notes that at his salon, a champagne blonde would start at $150 and go up from there. Location also plays a large part in this answer: Colorists in big cities may charge more, while those in small towns may offer a more affordable price point.
Read on for 20 champagne blonde hair looks that are expert-approved.
Warm Champagne Bronde
Hailey Bieber is no stranger to breaking the internet with her iconic looks. "Hailey's warmer skin tone allows for her to rock a deeper, warmer shade of champagne blonde [as seen] here," Leake says. To achieve this look, you'll want to focus on melting a warmer dirty blonde into lighter ends for a natural balayage.
Champagne Platinum
Is there any color Zoë Kravitz can't pull off? Here, the actress is rocking a neutral light champagne blonde base with some icy silver highlights to make the satin finish pop. Josh notes that "the perfect champagne color is an ashy blonde that has dimension throughout the hair," and we think this look achieves exactly that.
Creamy and Golden
Blonde bombshell Elsa Hosk stands out with a creamy champagne blonde color that dreams are made of. "This shade of blonde [works well on] Elsa because the smidge of gold found in champagne blonde helps to warm up her skin and keep her glowy," says hairstylist and color expert Nikki Lee. "At the salon, ask for a bright blonde with a touch of gold."
Maintenance is key for this champagne blonde hair, but that doesn't mean you have to be running to appointments all the time. "A great way to maintain your champagne blonde tone in between salon visits is the Garnier Nutrisse Color Reviver in Golden Blonde ($8)," Lee adds.
Dimensional Warmth
Real-life Barbie Laverne Cox stunned at her 50th birthday party with the perfect champagne blonde that includes just a hint of warmth. She has a darker base color, but the lighter blonde lays seamlessly throughout her locks. "Champagne blonde can work on any base, keeping in mind that some color will need to be done to get the base to the correct color first," Mazzei says. "How much pre-work will be determined by how dark the hair is that you are starting with."
Lived-In Champagne
Karlie Kloss is one of the celebs who made the champagne blonde color popular, our experts say, and we can see why. "Karlie’s skin tone and blue eyes are perfect with this hair color," Josh explains. "Although it is highlighted, it looks natural with her style."
To achieve this look at the salon, Josh says to ask for "piece-y blonde highlights, but leave enough of the natural base color to create dimension without adding in more color."
Cropped Champagne Waves
Sibley Coles looks stunning with the perfect short finger wave in champagne blonde. Whether you're maintaining short hair or long, "when taking your hair lighter, you’ll want to upgrade your products to maintain a flawless finish," Leake says.
Everyday Ease
She's a staple beauty, and so are her champagne locks. "Jennifer Aniston has been rocking different shades of blonde for as long as we can remember, but the champagne color is a perfect fit for her and creates an effortless, natural beauty glow," Leake says. To achieve this look, "ask for a more lived-in finish, allowing space for new growth at the root."
Champagne Curls
Two words: Queen Bey. Need we say more? This golden champagne with pink undertones complements Beyoncé's complexion beautifully and looks natural with some lowlights in the mix. "A pastel pink undertone works well with cool skin tones, and a peach undertone works better for warm skin tones," Mazzei says.
Bold and Bright
Erika Jayne is most certainly no stranger to the spotlight, and her bright champagne blonde is head-turningly beautiful. "Erika’s soft champagne blonde is perfect to keep her solid blonde hair healthy and long," Lee says. "Keeping the bit of gold instead of a whiter blonde has a bit more longevity [and helps keep] this blonde healthy."
To achieve this look, Lee says to ask for a high-lift base and add soft baby blonde highlights a few times a year for an extra pop.
Mixed Metals
Triple-threat Jennifer Lopez has proven that she's a pioneer when it comes to blonde trends, including this champagne blonde bob with both golden and icy tones from 2020. "Champagne is all about mixing movement with shine and bright color with golden undertones," Leake says.
Radiant Highlights
Josh always likes to make sure Kate Hudson's blonde fits her perfectly. "Kate has light blonde hair with dimension in the color," he says. "The highlights in this look complement her skin tone to make her look like she’s glowing."
Looking to recreate this at the salon? Request allover light blonde highlights and leave enough of the natural color to create dimension throughout, Josh advises.
Ashy Champagne
To create dimension, champagne blonde often stems from highlights. As Josh noted earlier, that's the way to achieve what he calls the "perfect champagne color." Ask your stylist for ashy highlights that seamlessly blend with your roots.
Golden Glow
Hilary Duff proves you can blend two tones for one stylish look, with a champagne blonde root and a golden base. "This shade of blonde looks great on Hilary because her eyes are a warm green tone, so the little bit of gold sparkle really makes her eyes pop," Lee says. To replicate the look, ask for a bright blonde with a little touch of gold and a baby root melt.
Strawberry Champagne Blonde
Pop star Taeyeon of Girls' Generation is no stranger to fun, colorful hair, including this champagne blonde kissed with strawberry. Her cooler skin tone complements the pastel pink undertones of the color and makes them pop.
Sun-Kissed
"The lighter streak at the front of Candice’s style makes it look more natural and sunkissed, which perfectly fits with her vibe and style," Josh says of Candice Swanepoel's warm champagne blonde. "Ask your stylist for a full head of ashy blonde highlights, leaving the front pieces in for longer to lighten [them] slightly more."
Natural Roots
Halle Berry is rocking the best of both worlds with a pixie cut featuring a voluminous champagne blonde top and cropped dark sides. This allows for more flexibility with upkeep: As Josh notes, champagne blonde upkeep can be timely and expensive, but a darker root allows for some forgiveness with hair growth.
Beachy Warmth
Margot Robbie's champagne blonde has a touch of warmth to complement her undertones and help her avoid a washed-out look. "Margot looks lovely with a hint of gold in her blonde to help keep her skin soft and glowy," Lee says. Ask for a soft root and warm blonde highlights to achieve Robbie's look.
Champagne and Dark Chocolate
When worlds collide, platinum champagne hair is born. Soo Joo Park's striking look has a light and bright feel, with a champagne-colored glaze to offset any yellow tones. For this look, ask your stylist for a platinum blonde with an ashy, cool-toned, or champagne toner. Optional: the dark underside for an edgier moment.
True Champagne
If you Google a photo of champagne blonde, Hannah Godwin may just pop up. Her true champagne color is perfectly paired with a bouncy blowout to accentuate the shine and color dimensions. "To get this look, ask your stylist to leave a dirty root, and make sure you have a great round brush to work with at home for styling," Leake says.
High Contrast
Selena Gomez may have gone back to her natural brunette strands, but not before blessing us with this champagne blonde lob. The neutral shade complements Gomez's skin tone and dark brows, and the cut perfectly accentuates her face shape, something Leake says is extremely important. To get this look, ask for some root showing and a natural champagne full color.