HAIR TRENDS

Nepo blonde is the sleek shade all the A-listers are wearing

Celeb parent not required.

10 August 2023

Nepo blonde is the sleek shade all the Alisters are wearing

Our fascination with nepo babies remains unbroken. We want to know about their lives, their relationships and now it seems… their hair colour. Yep, Nepo Blonde has been pegged as one of the biggest hair shades to watch heading into autumn by pro hairstylist and trend forecaster, Tom Smith. He previously gave us Expensive Brunette (which now has nearly 4 million views on TikTok), so we're intrigued… what is Nepo Blonde?

What is Nepo Blonde?

Some of the most high profile Nepo Babies (see: Sofia Richie, Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber) have helped make the Nepo aesthetic synonymous with “Quiet Luxury”. Their looks – whilst polished and luxe – have the discerning, low-key self-assurance that comes with money and access. Rather than shouty makeup, they focus on cultivating the most expensive looking skin for a single pump of tinted moisturiser to sit on top.

The hair rendition follows the same logic – although you don't necessarily need a celeb parent to recreate it. Essentially, Nepo Blonde is a “bright, clean, finely woven blonde,” says Tom. It's intricate, intentional and perfectly executed, but without looking flashy. It doesn't need to be. It's equal parts sleek and minimalistic.

And, it's playing into where a lot of us want our hair colour to be. “Although going blonde is still a popular choice, clients aren't going for the peroxide blonde colour anymore. Instead they are going for a slightly more natural blonde tone,” confirms celebrity hair stylist, Lorraine Dublin.

“This high class shade showcases a true clarity of blonde," says Tom. “It creates a blonde canvas that is subtly multi-tonal while being globally much brighter than the natural base colour,” he explain adding: "it's energetic and the epitome of ‘blondes have more fun.’”

How to get Nepo Blonde?

It's neither platinum, nor mousy, but a breezy blend of the two, and as with all things expensive. It's bespoke and tailored to each person. The best blondes are all about “adapting the shade to your individual skin tone, just like we create natural make up,” explains Harriet Muldoon, colour specialist at Larry King Salon. There's a couple of ways you can do it, although they both require a trip to the salon and an experienced colourist.

“This is a tone-on-tone layered blonde," says Harriet who recommends using a combination of glosses. "It’s a baby light stitch with a golden smudge one shade darker at the base, finished with a lighter global gloss so you can’t see where the blonde begins, but I would always leave the ends out so you get a natural lift,” says Harriet. “If you’re wanting to carry this trend into autumn, keep it muted at the roots and find an overall tone that suits you – either cool or warm depending in your skin tone,” agrees Dom Seeley, International Creative Director at ColorWow.

Tom recommends foil highlights. “That is exactly what this shade requires to achieve the clarity and brightness that makes it ‘nepo’. A full head of finely woven highlights can achieve a blonde brightness and can be combined with a (very subtle) shadow root, but otherwise avoid toners and work on getting the perfect clean lift,” he says.

How to maintain Nepo Blonde?

To keep the colour in tact, Tom suggests introducing the Olaplex No.3 Home Repair Treatment, because: “Nepo Blonde isn’t Nepo if its not healthy and strong.”