As we approach 2026, a new kind of hair alchemy has emerged: color melting. A subtle fusion of balayage and highlights, it doesn’t just brighten hair or add dimension, it makes it vibrate. The depth! The body! The movement! That’s color melting for you. Here’s everything you need to know about this new art of perfect blending that you’ll want to bring to your January 2026 hair appointment—or earlier, if you’re following Amal Clooney or Gigi Hadid’s lead.
What is color melting?
Color melting is a hair-coloring technique that takes the art of gradation to its apogee. Where balayage and highlights play on light and contrast, color melting is about creating absolute harmony. The aim is to make the shades slide into each other, without visible demarcation, as if the color had naturally melted into the fiber.
“Color melting is a seamless, sun-dripped technique that we do a lot of,” explains Jenna Perry, the Manhattan-based colorist responsible for heads like Bella Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, and Chloë Sevigny. “It has a soft and impossibly natural finish that gives effortless and expensive results.”
“Color melting is all about creating a seamless transition between shades. No lines, no boundaries,” says Tracey Cunningham, Schwarzkopf Professional’s US creative director of color and technique. (Who coined another celebrity favorite color, the molten brunette, for Lana Del Rey and the like. You’ll also see her color prowess sported by the “spiced sienna”-headed Emma Stone.)
“It’s when your root color, mid-tone, and ends flow together so effortlessly that you can’t tell where one starts and the next ends,” Cunningham adds.
The approach: Apply three to four shades in delicate superimposition, from root to tip, respecting the hair’s natural tone. The colorist works with a brush, and sometimes by hand, in an almost painterly gesture. This creates a fluid transition among your hair strands. In the end, the result evokes a sunset-like quality, reflections blending and responding to each other in perfect balance.
What makes the color-melting technique different to balayage or highlights?
Unlike highlights, which draw sharp separations, or balayage, which plays on a targeted light effect, color melting doesn’t isolate or draw emphasis to anything. “Balayage is more about placement and light,” says Cunningham. “It’s a hand-painted technique designed to mimic how the sun naturally brightens the hair. You get those soft ribbons of light that feel organic and lived-in.” Traditional highlights, she adds, “give you more contrast and brightness starting at the root. They’re placed with foils, which gives a stronger lift and a more defined, dimensional effect.”
Ultimately, this technique plays with the natural depth of the hair, while adding luminous, sophisticated dimensions.
“You should see depth at the root, a soft shift through the mid-lengths, and a delicate glow toward the ends. Nothing should feel abrupt or overly done.” says Cunningham. “It’s a whisper of dimension—think luxurious, glossy, effortless movement. When the hair catches the light, every tone melts into the next like a gradient. It’s polished but incredibly natural.”
Who is color melting for?
Color melting is the perfect option for anyone looking for subtle color and natural shine, without that usual root effect. This technique can be adapted to all hair types, but it’s particularly striking on already shaded bases: golden blondes, honey-browns, more lighter and luminous browns, for example. On these shades, the fusion of colors looks like watercolor. Blondes find a way to add depth without sacrificing clarity (no need for the purple shampoo here), while brunettes gain a silky, almost velvety dimension. Redheads see their coppery highlights elegantly amped up.
Cunningham emphasizes the power of color melting for anyone who can’t hack the maintenance of high-contrast color but still wants that shine, depth, and dimension. “The grow out is way easier to maintain!” she affirms. “It’s an effect that can be achieved on any hair color. It’s a more subtle color change that creates a dimensional effect via toning.” Color melting also enhances hair texture, whether straight, wavy, or curly: The more natural the movement, the more the color works.
Still umming and ahhing about your color-melting journey? Cunningham just worked with Michelle Monaghan to achieve this look, which she created using Igora Vibrance to seamlessly blend the tones together. For Dakota Johnson, she executed what she calls a “glossed chestnut” color, and the aforementioned “molten mink brunette” for Lana Del Rey.
Here’s who else has already taken up the trend among the celebrity set, from Daisy Edgar-Jones to Suki Waterhouse:
