I'm Lazy, so Stylists Told Me 8 Hair Colors That Require Minimal Effort

No matter what high-maintenance hair color trend I come across that I fall in love with, I know in my heart of hearts that I am simply too lazy. I never want to go out of my way to make regular hair appointments, and I don’t have patience for at-home upkeep, either. When it comes to my hair, I want it to be as easy as possible but still look good, even when I neglect going to the salon for far too long.

Luckily for me, many of this spring’s hair trends are as low-maintenance as possible. Painted ribbons of natural-looking color are in for all hair colors, and many of the season’s hair trends, like “expensive brunette” and “greige” are easy to achieve and keep up with. I spoke with hair colorists to find out the best low-maintenance trend for every hair color. Keep reading for inspiration to bring to the salon, and the best possible products to help you with upkeep in between visits.

"For a low maintenance blonde, there can be a few routes. I recommend a hand painted balayage with lighter hues of blonde or even classic highlights, while maintaining your natural base." —Richy Kandasamy, colorist and R+Co Collective member 

"The hot trend for blondes right now is greige blonde. The perfect combo of a natural based with a 'smoky meets beige' finish." —Matt Rez, celebrity colorist and Redken ambassador

"Babylights are a great option for those with red hair looking for something lighter. Babylights can help create light, natural highlights throughout the hair which brighten up a look." —Rez

"For red, semi-permanent color will add red pigments to your hair, and the best part is that it washes out, so no line of demarcation, which means no real roots. You get to the brightness of fresh color without it being permanent." —Rita Hazan, celebrity colorist and founder of Rita Hazan

"For brunette hair, [ask for] tone on tone highlights, which means you can add very few highlights sporadically around your hair to give your color movement so it does not look dense." —Hazan

"Expensive brunette is trending right now and a great option for those looking for a dark low-maintenance color. This trend focuses on multi-tonal brunette color, adding depth and gloss." —Rez

"Demi-permanent hair gloss adds color and shine without committing to a permanent change." —Rez

"If you already have dark hair, you can add a clear gloss for added shine." —Hazan