The moment summer arrives, I ask myself one question: How blonde is too blonde? This season, however, my normal desire to go as bright as the sun has been softened, partly thanks to conversations around ‘recession blonde’, which embraces more lived-in looks for the warmer months. While the top line might be about saving money (less bleach = fewer salon visits), the move towards a more relaxed blonde is exactly what my over-processed hair has been crying out for — and one particular shade has piqued my interest.
Enter: “teddy” blonde.
What is the teddy blonde hair color?
If you’ve taken one look at Pinterest lately, you’ll know that soft, grown-out blondes are everywhere, and no color is more popular than teddy blonde — a shade said to resemble the golden nuances of a teddy bear’s fur. The color has been spotted on celebrities like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Sofia Richie Grainge, who have left their bleached lengths behind to embrace more honey-hued, natural shades like this one.
According to Emily Payne, a colorist at George Northwood salon in London, the shade is defined by golden, warmer tones rather than the cool ashy ones we’ve been seeing recently: “There’s more depth to the blonde,” Payne told me, adding, “It’s not just a bleach blonde — there are much richer tones within it.” As such, it’s more of a low-maintenance blonde, as it can incorporate your natural color in between the lighter strands.
Payne cites cost and busy schedules as reasons behind people seeking more low-effort looks, but she also thinks that hair health is a key component: “I think a lot of people are trying to be in their healthy girl era and don’t want to bleach their hair as much as they used to do,” Payne told me. “Even brunettes, who maybe had highlights or balayage, want to go back to more of their natural color,” she reports.
What is the process to dye your hair teddy blonde?
As a blonde already, I was keen to know how the teddy blonde process would differ from my usual bleach and tone. According to Payne, it depends on how much blonde is already in the hair: “If there’s a lot of blonde and you want to add dimension, you can weave in more of the client’s natural color throughout the strands,” says Payne, much like this look on Glory Rose. She refers to the process as “reverse balayage”, essentially hand-painting dashes of darker hues.
As we were starting from a grown-out bleach balayage, Payne began by adding some reverse balayage to the back, which would help tone down some of the bright blonde and introduce more golden tones. Then she applied some sporadic bleach pieces to refresh the existing color and make the newly dyed pieces pop against the lowlights. Then we moved to the front of my hair, where we started to pack on the color, layering neat foils of bleach highlights around the top and sides, each interspersed with reverse balayage lowlights to add depth.
Instead of using permanent dye for the lowlights, Payne reached for salon favorite, Redken Shades EQ gloss, which fades out naturally and doesn’t leave behind regrowth lines. Even better? It’s less harsh on your strands: “A gloss is an updated version of a toner, where the color is a little bit more sheer and adds a shine as it closes down the hair cuticle post-dye,” Payne explains. Once all the highlights and lowlights were in, Payne layered on another slightly darker gloss at the backwash to soften the blonde pieces and to create a more golden sheen near the roots.
Is teddy blonde suitable for both light and dark hair?
Viral trends like this one won’t work for every hair colou, or it could take a while to get there. According to Payne, achieving the perfect teddy blonde requires starting from a handful of specific base colors: “For this look to work best, you would need to start from a ‘dirty’ blonde, dark blonde or light brown shade,” says Payne. For those with a darker base, Payne says that it’s possible to lift the hair to a richer, more caramel tone that’s similar but not as light.
How long does teddy blonde hair last?
The main appeal of teddy blonde is that it requires very little effort. For me, the looming feeling of having to get my roots done is never a fun one. Seeing a darker root emerging is something I’ve enjoyed, but anything that requires less work was always going to be a win for me.
That said, it’s still hair color, so with that in mind, how often do you need to refresh teddy blonde? “To start with, I would say every three months,” suggests Payne, but because it’s slightly darker than your average blonde, you might be able to stretch it to three or even four months. That’s all thanks to the lowlights, says Payne: As time goes on, the lowlights will gradually penetrate deeper into the hair shaft and bond more strongly over time, making the shade last longer. At the same time, any bleach will relax and soften, says Payne. The appeal of the softer, lived-in look is that it fades more naturally. In other words, if you choose not to refresh it over the summer, it won’t look severe come fall.
How do you best maintain teddy blonde hair?
While teddy blonde is low-maintenance, it still deserves some love. Payne suggests investing in a deeply hydrating shampoo and conditioner: “I always recommend the Pureology Hydrate range, and the Hydrate Nourishing Superfoods Treatment Hair Mask is lovely, too.”
How do you style teddy blonde hair?
Styling is equally important to maximize the nuances of teddy blonde: “A lot of the reference photos people bring in are of that ‘90s bouncy blowdry, which really does complement the color,” says Payne. Adding, “I also think using your natural texture works great, especially if you have beachy waves or natural curls, because the blonde bits really pop and the darker pieces will create more dimension.”
While I usually wear my hair brushed out or in a slicked-back ponytail, Payne recommends enhancing natural waves with a hair cream (try Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Frizz Control Styling Hair Cream) to help define strands, smooth hair and limit frizz. For curly hair, her top pick is the Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream, which nourishes parched strands and imparts shine, all while enhancing your natural curl pattern.
To elevate the shade, hairdresser Harry Payne recommended cutting in some texture to amp up the ‘lived in’ look. He took inspiration from ‘00s icons like Sienna Miller and Kate Moss, making my hair more piecey at the front with subtle curtain bangs. Now I get those soft, flowy pieces around my face even when I wear my hair up. Payne’s top tip: Tuck the bangs behind your ears when your hair is damp to achieve the perfect C-bend shape when dry.
What’s teddy blonde like IRL?
I expected something super warm, but teddy blonde turned out much more subtle on me. The dark blonde tones woven through the honey blonde hues suited my complexion way better than the bleach blonde I’d outgrown. The gloss made my hair feel heavenly soft, and teamed with a much-needed cut, it left my hair feeling so much healthier. What’s more, the added layers somehow made my hair look longer and thicker. Since I’m on a mission to grow my hair out this year, it was much appreciated.
Bounding into the office, I was met with cries of “It looks so natural!” and “It suits you so well!”, confirming my feeling that the color was a good match for me. While the sun is likely to brighten the tones slightly over the summer, I know that I can go back to tone my hair at any time, without having to spend hours in the salon chair. Better still, it will look even more natural as it starts to grow out. Teddy blonde is a triumph, if you ask me.
This story was originally published on Refinery29 UK.
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