LIFE

The New Platinum Hair Color Trend Is Here

Harsh gray tones are so last season. Now, it’s all about softer, warmer colors–that are actually more gentle on hair.


Aura Friedman, a colorist for Sally Hershberger has observed the rise of platinum hair. Five years ago, she transformed Korean model Soo Joo Park‘s dark brown hair into a snowy white blonde. And the rest is history. “Once that happened, so many girls started going platinum,” she explains.

“The trend has evolved in so many different ways since then,” Friedman adds. “It went from being about white to grays, and then there was this big pink craze around February. I can’t tell you how many people I pinked back in early spring.”

Now, with fall looming, Friedman says she’s starting to lean toward warmer shades of pale blonde, like champagne or flesh tones. ”I’m finding that people of all ages want to play with platinum these days, which is great, but a silver gray platinum can look really harsh, so adding warm pink or beige tones to the color softens the look up and brings out skin’s natural flush,” she explains. “It’s also gentler on hair.”

Chloé dress and scarf. Beauty note: For a complexion that’s off the charts, try Giorgio Armani Compact Cream Concealer.

Photograph by Amy Troost. Hair by Tamara McNaughton. Styled by Samantha Traina at streeters; Makeup by Karan Franjola for Chanel at Management + Artists. Manicure by Rica Romain for Tom Ford at LMC Worldwide; Model: Veronika Vilim at Wilhelmina models; digital technician: Andrew Katzowitz; photography assistants: Henry Lopez, Javier Villegas; fashion assistant: Taryn Bensky.

The tone here, which she describes as oyster beige, is easier on both the eyes and the hair. “It’s softer and gentler than white white,” she notes—but it still offers all of the fringe benefits. “It kind of makes you a more interesting person. All of a sudden, you’re a rock star.”

While Freidman can’t take credit for bringing Veronika Vilim (the model above) to platinum initially (“I think Guido [Palau] originally did it”), she did take over, eventually switching the coloring process from bleaching directly on her scalp to to a gentler delivery system using foils. “Hair can only take so much. Eventually, you just have to cut your losses and go short,” she says. “Plus, the foils also make it easier to control the color.”

And that’s always a good thing.

From Marilyn Monroe to Kim Kardashian, the Best Platinum Blondes Throughout History

Jayne Mansfield, circa 1955.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Marilyn Monroe, circa 1953.

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Courtney Love at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, March 1995.

The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Gwen Stefani at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, December 2000.

Chris Weeks/Liaison

Lady Gaga at the 88th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 2016.

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Carey Mulligan at the 82nd annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, March 2010.

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Soo Joo Park at the premiere of Youth during the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 2015.

Venturelli/WireImage

Taylor Swift at the BMI Pop Awards in Beverly Hills, California, May 2016.

Mark Davis/Getty Images

Michelle Williams at the Louis Vuitton exhibition in Hollywood, California, February 2015.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Zosia Mamet at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards in New York, New York, November 2014.

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Kristen Stewart at a screening of Cafe Society in New York, New York, July 2016.

Andrew Toth/FilmMagic

Kim Kardashian at the Balmain Fall 2015 show in Paris, France, March 2015.

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Miley Cyrus at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 2015.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Rita Ora at the Q102 Jingle Ball in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 2014.

Mike Pont/FilmMagic

Jared Leto at the Balenciaga Fall 2015 show in Paris, France, March 2015.

Jacopo Raule/GC Images

Jennifer Lawrence at the premiere of Woman in New York, New York, May 2016.

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Maria Grazia Chiuri at the Valentino Haute Couture Fall 2016 show in Paris, France, July 2016.

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From Marilyn Monroe to Kim Kardashian, the best platinum blondes throughout history.

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