What Is Nude Hair?

Each and every season we find ourselves scouring social media and obsessing over red carpet looks to find our next must-have hair color. While rainbow hair (hello, mermaid locks!) was previously trending like crazy, the latest popular hair hue is a lot subtler. Enter: nude hair.

Wait, what? Yes, we were equally as shocked. But when you think about how the fashion scene has been dominated by neutral-hued monochrome wardrobes and “No Makeup, Makeup” is the must-have makeup look of the year, it’s really no surprise that nude hair is now a hair color trend. To give you a better idea of what nude hair is and how to achieve the look, we’ve created this handy fact sheet to answer your questions before you even ask. Check it out!

What Is Nude Hair?

Nude hair isn’t quite as mysterious as it sounds. As it turns out, nude hair looks a lot like natural blonde hair. Where most popular blonde hair colors are on the far ends of the tone spectrum (cool or warm), it’s very rare that a hair color ranks as neutral.

If you’re wondering what tone nude hair has, we’ve got you! Think about it like this: Platinum blonde is a cool shade and golden blonde is a warmer one. But have you ever seen a hair color that falls smack dab in the middle? That’s exactly what nude hair is.

The best thing about nude hair is it looks good on—wait for it—everyone! Yes, really. Since this dyeing technique is meant to mimic your natural hair color, nude hair actually looks slightly different on every person. In fact, it plays upon each person’s unique characteristics and undertones to create an overall look that’s simply unmatched.

How Can You Get Nude Hair?

Once you commit to getting nude hair, you’ll have to choose how to customize your hue. Do so by choosing specific tones that you want to stand out! Say you want to change up your ashy look but you want to keep your hair light—all you’d have to do is opt for more golden hues and you’d have a warmer version of the same effortlessly gorgeous nude hair color. Pretty cool, huh?

In order to really customize nude hair with different tones here and there, it’s best to get your this particular hair color trend hand-painted on at a salon. As with all balayage techniques, although the initial dye job may take a few hours, maintenance will be essentially nonexistent because nude hair grows out beautifully for a natural-looking ‘do. That’s what we like to hear!

Are you swooning yet? We know we are! We have to admit we’re pretty stoked to watch as this gorgeous hair color trend picks up more speed—and even more so to see it paired with nude makeup.

What’s the Best Makeup to Pair with Nude Hair?

Speaking of nude makeup, follow these instructions for all-over nude makeup look to pair with your nude hair. It’s time to get naked (with your makeup, that is)!

Step 1: Apply a tinted moisturizer. After you’ve used moisturizer, apply your base of choice to kick off your nude look. A tinted moisturizer can provide light coverage for low-key days.

Step 2: Use concealer. Grab the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Total Cover Concealing and Contour Kit and dab any red spots and dark circles. Dab a loose setting face powder on top of the concealer.

Step 3: Contour and highlight. First things first, don’t go overboard! All you need is a swipe of matte bronzer in the hollows of your cheekbones paired with a swipe of one of the shades from the L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Glow Nude Highlighter Palette on the tops of your cheekbones leading into your temples.

Step 4: Add blush. Using a cream blush, tap the most natural-looking flush possible onto your cheeks.

5. Perfect your brows. Since this is all about embracing your natural beauty, be sure not to overly define your brows. Instead, fill them in with the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Shape & Fill Mechanical Pencil in Blonde just enough to pull your look together.

6. Create a neutral smoky eye. You want to add depth to your eyes without the use of dark hues, so it’s all about the way you contour with matte nude shades. Pick the shades that suit your coloring from the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow collection.

7. Get catty. To really open up your eyes, trace the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner into a thin line ending in the teeniest flick as close to your waterline as possible. Sometimes, an understated cat eye is all you need.

8. Accentuate your eyes. Top it off with a coat of mascara. Try the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara in Black Brown, which is subtler shade than your regular ‘ol black.

9. Pucker up. Finish your look off with a nude lipstick. Try the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lipstick in Matte-Cademia or Matte-itude.

And just like that you’re gorgeously nude from head to toe. Go on with your monochrome self!

Want to start planning your next hair color after you become a nudist? Let us suggest an understated but stylish gray. Check out our article, Gray Hair: How to Maintain Shiny Steel Gray Strands, to get the look.