When the leaves start turning in the Smokies and the mornings around Knoxville get crisp, bright summer blonde can start to feel a little out of season. Honey blonde is the easy answer. It’s warm, golden and soft, and it glows in the low fall light.
If you’ve been saving photos of honey blonde hair and wondering whether it would work on you, this guide walks through the shades, who they suit, how to get there (from brunette or from a brassy summer blonde), and how to keep your color warm all winter.
Book your free color consultation →
What Is Honey Blonde Hair?
Honey blonde is a warm, golden blonde with a soft amber glow. It sits between a light golden brown and a bright golden blonde. Think of the color of honey held up to the light: rich in the middle, lighter at the edges.
Good honey blonde isn’t flat or yellow. It has dimension, with lighter golden pieces and slightly deeper tones woven together, so it moves and catches the light.
That’s why it’s a favorite for fall and winter. It keeps you blonde, but it feels cozier and more grown-in than a bright summer shade.
Popular Honey Blonde Shades
“Honey blonde” covers a whole family of warm shades. Here are the ones clients ask about most.
Light Honey Blonde
A brighter, buttery honey with soft golden warmth. It’s a great choice if you’re already blonde and want to warm things up for fall without going darker.
Golden Brown Hair with Honey Pieces
Golden brown hair is a warm brunette with a gold glow. Add honey pieces around the face and through the ends, and you get a sun-kissed look that’s easy to grow out. Light golden brown hair is a lovely in-between if you want brightness without fully going blonde.
Bronze Hair and Honey Bronde
Bronze hair blends warm brown and golden blonde into one rich, glowing shade. It’s sometimes called “bronde.” It’s perfect if you can’t decide between brunette and blonde, and it looks beautiful against fall sweaters.
Honey Blonde Balayage
Balayage is color painted by hand directly onto the hair, without foils. It gives a soft, natural, sun-kissed finish. Honey balayage melts warm blonde into your natural base, so regrowth looks soft instead of harsh.
Long Blonde Hair in Honey Tones
Honey tones really shine on long blonde hair, because there’s more length to show off the dimension. Want more length or fullness? Extensions, in lengths up to 24 inches, can be color-matched to your honey blonde.
Who Does Honey Blonde Hair Suit?
Honey blonde is one of the most wearable blondes. The secret is choosing the right depth and warmth for your skin.
Warm Skin Tones
If gold jewelry looks best on you, or you tan easily, honey blonde is a natural fit. Rich golden and amber tones tend to make warm skin glow.
Cool Skin Tones
If silver flatters you, or your skin has pink or rosy undertones, a softer honey with a little less gold usually looks best. A neutral, beige-leaning honey keeps the warmth without fighting your skin.
Neutral Skin Tones
Lucky you. You can usually wear most of the honey family, from light honey to bronze.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. At Whitney Evans Beauty, your colorist designs your color around your hair type, skin tone and the look you want.
How to Get Honey Blonde Hair
How you get to honey blonde depends on where you’re starting. Here are the two most common paths we see in the fall.
From Brunette to Honey Blonde
Going lighter takes a plan. Blonding can take more than one session, and a good colorist will map out each step with your hair’s health in mind. Balayage or highlights are often the best way in, because they add honey pieces gradually instead of lightening everything at once. For more on the process, read our easy steps for going blonde.
From a Brassy Summer Blonde to Honey
Sun, saltwater and chlorine can all leave summer blonde looking brassy by fall. The good news? Honey blonde is warm on purpose. A salon toning service can turn unwanted orange and yellow into a soft, intentional honey. If your blonde feels dry after summer, a glaze service helps restore softness and shine to sun-stressed hair. Here’s more on how to prevent and fix brassy blonde hair.
Skip the Box Dye
Box color is tempting, especially for blonde. But it’s one-size-fits-all, and warm blondes from a box can turn orange fast. Box color often has to be removed before new color can go on later. If a box dye already went wrong, it can be fixed with a color correction. Corrections take more time than a regular color, so they start with a consultation and a correction plan.
How to Keep Honey Blonde Hair Warm and Glossy
Honey blonde can fade, dull or tip into brassy over time. Here’s how to keep it looking fresh.
Book a Gloss Between Colors
A Redken Shades EQ gloss is a salon-only gloss and toner made without ammonia. It refreshes faded color, tones highlights, neutralizes unwanted tones and adds shine. It’s a great way to keep your honey warm, not brassy, between appointments.
Use Color-Safe Products
Wash with a shampoo made for color-treated hair. Be careful with purple shampoo. It cancels yellow, so using it too often can cool your honey more than you want. Ask your colorist how often to use it.
Protect Your Hair from Heat and Sun
Use a heat protectant before hot tools. On sunny days out on the lake or the trail, wear a hat or a sunscreen made for hair.
Keep Your Hair Strong
Lightening can be hard on hair. Olaplex treatments help repair and strengthen damaged hair, and Olaplex can be added to your color service to help protect your hair along the way.
Stay on Top of Roots
Root touch-ups are typically every 4–8 weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows and how much your color contrasts with your natural shade. Your colorist can recommend a schedule that fits your color.
Getting Honey Blonde Hair in Knoxville
If you’re ready to warm up your blonde for fall, our team offers hair color in Knoxville using Redken color, with custom formulas built around your hair and skin tone. That includes balayage, blonding and highlights.
A few things to know:
- Consultations are always free. Bring a few inspiration photos, and your colorist will look at your current color, texture and style and talk through your goals.
- You’ll get a custom plan. Bigger changes, like going from dark to blonde, may take more than one visit, without compromising your hair’s health.
- Every color appointment includes a complimentary cut and style, so you walk out ready to show off your new color.
Dreaming of long blonde hair? Our hair extensions in Knoxville are made from 100% luxury human hair, come in lengths from 16″ to 24″, and are shade-matched to your color by our team. Ask about them at your consultation, too.
Thinking about going darker instead? Read our guide to chocolate brown hair.
Book your free color consultation →
Honey Blonde Hair FAQ
Is honey blonde warm or cool?
Honey blonde is a warm blonde. It has golden and amber tones. If you have cool skin, your colorist can soften the gold for a more neutral honey.
Can I go from brunette to honey blonde in one appointment?
Sometimes, but it depends on your starting point. Going blonde can take more than one session. Balayage or highlights can ease you in gradually. A free consultation is the best way to plan it.
What’s the difference between honey blonde and golden brown hair?
Golden brown hair is a warm brunette with a gold glow. Honey blonde is lighter and brighter. Light golden brown sits in between, and bronze hair blends the two.
How do I keep honey blonde from turning brassy?
Use a shampoo made for color-treated hair, protect your hair from sun and heat, and book a Redken Shades EQ gloss between color appointments to refresh tone and shine.
Is honey blonde good for fall and winter?
Yes. It’s softer and warmer than a bright summer blonde, so it feels seasonal. It also grows out gently, which makes it easy to wear through the holidays.
Can you fix a honey blonde box dye that turned orange?
Yes. Box-dyed or uneven color can be fixed with a color correction. Corrections take more time than a regular color, so we start with a free consultation to build a plan.
