Kendall Jenner is a beauty chameleon, no stranger to a dramatic hair makeover. Just look to her latest Instagram posts for proof, as Jenner decided to track her new hair transformation, beginning with her signature brunette mid-lengths. It then swaps to a choppy pixie cut, then a micro-fringe before landing on her new look: a new shoulder-length golden blonde hair 'do.
The timing is fitting. With the start of fashion month, Jenner was primed to make a bold beauty statement. She did the same thing in 2022, when she appeared on the Prada runway in Milan with fiery auburn hair, while in 2019, she went icy blonde at London and Milan Fashion Weeks, before returning to her regular brunette hair just 22 hours later.
While Jenner has certainly had a brush with blonde before, her newest iteration of the colour looks wholly fresh. Jenner tagged the people responsible for the transformation in her latest Instagram post, namely Jenna Perry who was responsible for colour and Jessica Gillin who was responsible for cut. The former has taken charge with Jenner's previous hair transformations, most notably her coppery look.
'It took me two days to take her this gorgeous shade of golden blonde,' Perry tells Vogue of the transformation. 'She is really inspired by the '90s and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy right now,' right down to the intentionally untouched dark roots (a technique known as smudging).
Blonde for fall? Well, that might be groundbreaking. Commonly the hue associated with sunny spells and warm weather, Jenner's transformation subverts the norm and we aren't mad about it. In fact, the style is a continuation of the colour that has dominated 2024 thus far. Everyone from Rihanna to Zendaya and Selena Gomez have all swapped their signature colours for something more golden.
To replicate Jenner's look, Moe Harb, Hair Colour Expert at Beauty Club London, says, 'ask your stylist for a neutral, buttery blonde that isn’t cool-toned. And, opt for a natural, low-maintenance blonde, focusing on soft golden tones that blend seamlessly with your natural colour.'
Like Jenner, 'if you have naturally dark hair, request a root melt which will ensure that your darker roots are naturally blended into the lighter lengths of your hair,' he adds.
If you're keen to try the look, know going blonde is no easy feat and usually requires a bleaching process in order to lighten strands. This involves penetrating the hair shaft and breaking down fatty acids, which is known to result in a weakened structure that is prone to breakage.
Dr Catherine Leray, Head of Research and Development at THG LABS, explains, 'The process of bleaching hair involves using chemicals that can potentially be damaging to your hair. Stripping away pigments also removes moisture, leaving hair feeling dry, brittle, and prone to frizz… You’ll need to take care of your freshly blonde locks with specially formulated rinse-off products for coloured/bleached hair to provide intense and much needed hydration, nourishment and limit colour fading.'
Luckily there are a host of products out there to help, so if you're in the business of going blonde à la Jenner this autumn be ready to arm yourself with the very best haircare. Harb adds, 'Blonde hair can turn brassy over time due to mineral deposits so we recommend using a metal detox shampoo once a week. A toner can also be used every four to six weeks. Bleaching can dry out your hair, so it’s important to regularly use hair masks or treatments to keep your hair shiny and healthy. A bond repair treatment is ideal for maintaining your hair’s strength.'
It is always recommended to visit a professional colourist for results that will maintain the health of your hair, and don't forget to arm yourself with these, too...
Shop: The Best Blonde Haircare
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Meet the shampoo that promises to nourish hair all while extracting daily build-up. Salicylic acid and activated charcoal combine to remove oils, metals and dirt, while unclogging hair follicles to help promote a more revived colour, optimise the finish of styling products and boost hair with hydration.
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Conditioning is key. K18's offerings are well known to help revive hair even from the depths of damage. This protective conditioner shields hair from three types of daily damage including UV rays (which dull colour), mechanical styling, and environmental aggressors with the help of sealing ceramides and patented K18PEPTIDE™ which gets right to the inner-most layers of hair.
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Perfect for bleached, chemically and heat damaged hair, this enriching and deeply hydrating mask, is loaded with protective niacinamide and a strengthening bio-active blend of five ferments including zinc and magnesium to help reinforce brittle strands.
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Harb says bonding treatments are key to protecting the strength of your hair. This leave-in is clinically proven to rebuild the structure of your hair with a blend of peptides and lipids that condition and patent-pending 3D Fortifying Technology that helps smooth and nourish. The results? A silky, glass-like finish.
Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, working across all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).
