The light changes in October. New Bedford goes from soft summer sun to that cold blue New England winter light, and the warm balayage you wore all summer suddenly reads orange in your bathroom mirror. Fall and winter are the seasons clients book the most color transitions, and the colors we're seeing requested most in our chairs this season tell a clear story. Here's what's actually trending at Joseph's right now.
The shift everyone's making: warmer roots, cooler ends
The biggest movement this fall is the inverse of summer. Summer color was bright, sun-kissed, light-at-the-ends. Fall color is rich at the root and slightly softened at the ends. It's still dimensional, just compressed. Less contrast between root and end. More tonal depth.
What that looks like in the chair:
- Adding a warm root smudge over existing highlights
- Glossing ends from honey to cool caramel
- Dropping a full balayage half a level richer
This is the easiest fall transition because it doesn't require a full color session. A gloss appointment can do most of the work.
Expensive brunette is having a real moment
The "expensive brunette" trend started on TikTok and finally landed in our chairs in a way that's not going away. The look: rich, glossy, almost-black at the root, with subtle face-framing dimension and warm tonal ends. No bright highlights. No bold contrast. Just depth and shine.
If you're going from blonde to expensive brunette in winter, plan a fill-and-deposit session. We'll restore the pigment that was lifted out by summer blonde services and tone it cool-warm. It's a 90 minute service and one of the most flattering fall transitions we do.
Copper is the brave choice this winter
Real copper. Not subtle red, not auburn, clear, rich, intentional copper. We're booking this at least once a week now. It photographs beautifully in fall light, complements New England fashion (camel coats, deep greens, burnt orange), and reads as a confident color statement.
Copper requires commitment. The maintenance is real:
- Copper-depositing shampoo at least weekly
- A toner gloss every 5 to 6 weeks
- Cool water washes (heat fades red faster than any other color family)
- No clarifying shampoos between gloss appointments
If you want to test the waters first, ask about a copper gloss over your existing color. It washes out in 8 to 12 weeks. Low commitment, full payoff.
Cool blonde is moving cooler
For blondes who want to stay blonde through winter, the move is going cooler. Toner with more blue-violet base, less honey, less buttercream. We're seeing requests for "icy blonde," "Scandinavian blonde," and "neutral platinum" climb every week from October through February.
Cool blonde for winter:
- Book a tone-down gloss to cool out summer warmth
- Add purple shampoo back into your weekly rotation
- Plan a full re-foil 6 to 8 weeks out from any major winter event
The face-frame is back, and bigger
2021 to 2023 saw the subtle "money piece", two to four foils framing the face. 2026 wants more. We're getting requests for full face-frames: bold contrast pieces at the front, sometimes a shade or two lighter than the rest of the head. It's the look that gives the most return on the smallest service.
If you want to try it without commitment, ask for a glossed face-frame. We lighten just the front pieces and tone aggressively. It's a 90 minute service and a fraction of the cost of a full color.
Black cherry, espresso, and cool wine tones
For our brunette clients who want a shift without going lighter, the depositional tones for fall are: black cherry, espresso, and cool wine. These read mostly natural in normal light, then come alive in direct sun. Subtle, sophisticated, and they pull the eye to your face.
These are gloss services. No lifting required. Most clients book a 60 minute gloss every 6 to 8 weeks to maintain the tone.
What we're seeing fade out
- Heavy, high-contrast chunky highlights from spring
- Beach-y, brassy summer balayage left to fade
- Super-warm honey blonde (most clients are toning these cooler)
- The "Hollywood foilyage" of late summer
How to plan your fall transition
- Book a free consultation. Bring photos. We'll map a single service or a two-service plan to get you to your fall color.
- Time it before Thanksgiving. Holiday photos are the season's documentation. Color 2 to 3 weeks before your earliest photo opportunity.
- Add a gloss appointment in mid-January. The midwinter gloss is the difference between fall color that lasts and fall color that goes flat by February.
- Plan your winter cut. Most fall color changes look 30 percent better with a fresh layered cut. Book together.
For more on color maintenance through the seasons, see our color touch-up cadence guide or our balayage vs. highlights comparison.
Book your fall color appointment
Joseph's Hair Design, 54 Wood St, New Bedford. (508) 998-7147 or book online.