For those wondering what direction blonde is heading in for autumn, Bambi blonde is about to take the spotlight, according to top hair colourist and John Frieda Salons creative director, Zoe Irwin.
Given how much woodland creatures have influenced our haircuts (see: the wolf cut and fox cut) and makeup trends (see: doe eyes), it was only a matter of time before they infiltrated our hair colour, too. But besides the cute name, there's a lot to like about baby deer hair colour, especially heading into the autumn months.
What is Bambi blonde?
According to Zoe, Bambi blonde sees a movement away from beachy bleach and flashy gold to a slightly more muted, fawn-inspired palette. It's a “mix of beige and flattened honey,” she says. “These aren’t yellow golds, they’re much more softened. They’re within the fawn palette which is a little bit flatter and wearable.” She cites “vanilla taupes” and “fawn buffs” as the tones to introduce.
“The amount of beachy balayage is lessening and we’re going toward something that’s more softly merging,” says Zoe. “One of the things we’re seeing, is not wanting such a heavy blonde at the bottom,” she adds. Instead of “dominant beachy bottom ends, people are wanting to see slices of warmth and softer colour throughout,” she confirms.
But rather than a one-shade-fits-all colour, the trend offers more of a spectrum. “The good thing about the name for the colour is that it works really. Obviously Bambi has those flecks of beige, muted gold and darker pieces, and a sprinkle of the light vanilla on top, so it’s a very good example of how to explain a colour,” says top celeb hair colourist and Virtue ambassador, Nicola Clarke. She describes the colour as “quite beige but it’s still got flashes of vanilla through it." Overall, she say, "it’s a flattened beige-gold.”
Why get Bambi blonde?
If you want to introduce a little extra warmth into your autumn colour palette, Bambi blonde can help. “Sometimes in winter, if your shade of blonde isn't right, you can get really washed out,” explains Zoe. “Most people feel a bit washed out when they lose their tan and their hair is bright blonde, so we always tend to incorporate warmer tones within the colour,” agrees Nicola. So, introducing “a lot more honey, caramel tones into blonde can warm it up and create softness,” Zoe says.
But aside from a toasty glow, Bambi blonde offers a shade that's a little more low-maintenance. Nicola explained that her celeb client, Chloe Grace Moretz, fell into the shade naturally after seeking out a more low-key hair colour. “We’ve gone quite blonde on Chloe before and she didn’t need to work for a while, so she let her hair grow out. We decided that we didn’t want to go as blonde, so we incorporated her natural colour, warmed it up a tiny bit and just added in a few vanilla pieces – just on the ends and around her face – so it’s really organic. With Chloe it’s about maintaining the health of her hair but still having something quite interesting," Nicola says.
Who does Bambi blonde work best on?
The colour translates easily to existing blondes, but “this works really well on a dark blonde or light brown as well,” says Zoe, who explains it can add extra dimension to mousy base colours. If your hair is darker, a root smudge can create a transition between your roots and the lighter hair shade. Nicola insists it can work beautifully across different skin tones and hair types, too. “Whether your hair has a natural curl or is smoothed out, it's nice to have those caramel-y pieces and those light tones on the end. On curly hair it gives this little halo,” she says. “And it's really complimenting on skin because of the darker root and the light vanilla on the top surface and ends,” she says. Plus you can tailor the exact depth of those caramel, camel and honey tones to you.
What to tell your stylist?
“The process of Bambi blonde is not like highlights where you'll have a colour next to your natural colour,” explains Zoe. “It's got thicker slices in it, but because they're really soft, it all kind of blends.” So, it's a slight departure from balayage. Here, “we're taking slices of fawn and camel and then just above it, we’re doing a really fine weave, so it’s not like a traditional highlight,” Zoe says. “Then at the end we put a glaze over the whole thing.” If that sounds too technical, don't worry, rope in a proper colourist because it's not the type of thing you'll be able to do easily at home.
As for all the inspo, here's some of our favourite ways to wear Bambi blonde…
Beige Bambi blonde
Caramel Bambi blonde
Vanilla Bambi blonde
Coily Bambi blonde
Midi Bambi blonde
Short Bambi blonde
Curly Bambi blonde
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
