If you highlight, bleach or dye your hair blonde – you’ll know that one shade definitely does not fit all. From ashy toners and champagne highlights to beachy balayage and a warm root smudge, the number of blonde hair colour trends are endless. But after a summer of Barbie-core-inspired platinum shades, this autumn we’re set to take things down a notch, re-embracing the natural-looking balayage and a warmer, honey shade of blonde: ‘Serena blonde’.  

Dubbed by celebrity hairdresser and Living Proof ambassador Michael Shaun Corby, Serena blonde is a natural-looking, warm blonde shade that looks expensive and healthy. 

“We’re moving away from ‘at the root bleach blonde’ to a more pared-back, old money blonde,” explains Corby. “Think honey shades that are applied more freely – keeping it very Upper East Side.” 

If you’re unfamiliar with the New York reference, ‘Serena Blonde’ plays homage to Blake Lively’s character in Gossip Girl, the upper-class socialite Serena van der Woodsen. “Both Lively and Taylor Swift capture this hair colour perfectly,” Corby says. “It’s your non-obvious colour that will last through autumn and winter. 

“Ask your stylist for soft caramel honey or crème brulee shades, keeping it very soft with a few dustings of lighter babylights around the hairline. You can also do this with a full head of micro foils if you need the coverage.”

No matter your shade of blonde, lightened hair requires extra care to ensure it’s kept looking and feeling healthy. Bleach can dry out your hair, so it’s important to replenish any lost moisture with hair masks, treatments and bond-rebuilding products.

Images: Getty, Instagram, courtesy of brands