Discover why this soft and vibrant hue is trending right now and how you can bring the colour of the year into your salon
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Pantone Color of the Year, first introduced by the Pantone Color Institute in 1999 with PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean Blue. Throughout the years the colour of the year has served as an expression of a mood and an attitude for the year ahead; this year PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz demonstrates a need for nurturing, empathy and compassion as well as hopes of a more peaceful future. “A cosy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute.
Image Credit: Christian Wiles
What’s All The Fuzz?
In 2023, we witnessed a growing trend of warm and rich blondes with caramel hues taking centre stage. “In 2024, this trend of warming up is expected to continue, with the Peach Fuzz Trend gaining popularity among blondes who want to achieve a soft and comforting peach blonde look,” says Rio Agor-Watts, Group Education Manager UKI for Revlon Professional Brands, adding: “It is a dream come true for hairdressers. It revolves around an orange hue with pops of pink mixed in.”
Explaining the significance behind the colour of the year, Diego Miranda, Maria Nila ambassador tells us: “It has a big influence, working its way through the catwalk and fashion publications before arriving in the salon. It’s there to have fun with.”
Using it as inspiration, and a signifier to encourage creativity in any salon team, Stevan Dulay, Kao Salon Global Creative Awards Gold Editorial Award 2024 Winner states: “For me, the term Peach Fuzz incorporates both colour and style. Stylists can create bespoke tones with Goldwell‘s Pure Pigments and Colorance Pastels. The ‘Fuzz’ in my opinion is the styling; a looser wave or a bouncy textured look.” Dan Spiller, JOICO Europe and Marc Antoni Salons, adds that Peach Fuzz is fresh, revitalising and something the industry has needed, agreeing that it encourages stylists to play around with tones: “It encourages colourists to explore the transitional techniques within colour and gives us the chance to experiment with shades and tones.”
Peach Please!
At a time when many people are working from home or pursuing creative passion projects, clients want to shake off their previous corporate style and a colour like Peach Fuzz provides the perfect avenue for expression says Ben Nott, ELEVEN Australia Brand Educator: “I would pre-formulate a range of bespoke peach formulas on different bases and promote these unique-to-your-salon formulas to your clients.”
Trends such as Peach Fuzz can be used in a number of ways, with Robert Eaton, Russell Eaton for L’Oréal Professionnel stating that he loves to create fresh interpretations of the colour. He says: “It is a great opportunity to refresh our colour menus, such as adding a pastel peach glossing to our highlight and balayage clients. It is a brilliant way to upgrade a colour service, add a fashion inspired element to the salon visit and to elevate our colour services.” Christian Wiles, Matrix ambassador agrees that being aware of trends such as Pantone Color of the Year present an opportunity to update your service menu: “Colourists can use it as a basis for custom colour palettes that complement a variety of client preferences. Utilising products like Matrix Tonal Control can help achieve the desired warmth and delicacy of Peach Fuzz.”
And for clients who are hesitant to make a big change? “Stylists can incorporate subtle hints for conservative clients or bold applications for trendsetters using the new ASP Puretone or Dynamics range,” says Sheree Thompson, ASP ambassador, going on to say that this can range from soft highlights to full transformations, and will cater to individual preferences.
Keeping trends front of mind throughout the entire client experience can also bring Peach Fuzz to life - Let Lew, ASP ambassador, encourages salon owners to think about their salon interior: “Putting up some colour of the year hair imagery in seating areas, placing decorative items of a similar shade can encourage a mood. This is a very useful and fun tip for stylists to introduce the shade to clients. It is all about the vibes.”
Keep It Peachy
According to Moroccanoil's International Artist and Educator, Samantha Kenyon, achieving the Peach Fuzz shade requires
an understanding of the client's complexion: “Subtle adjustments in tone and intensity can complement different skin tones.” Elgon Educator Sarah George, advises using colour swatches next to your client’s face to find out whether more coolness
or warmth will complement their skin tone, adding: “Elgon I Care is perfect for maintaining the tone and condition at the same time.” Discussing client commitment is also key to deciding how you’ll add in this trend. “Try tipping to the more yellow, pink or orange side to suit your client's complexion,” says Hayley Penny, Yellow Professional Educator, who recommends a Yellow UK Colour Refresh Mask in Shade 4.
Real About Retail
Encouraging clients to try something new is also a great opportunity to boost retail sales explains Ben: “Adding a peach-toned direct dye to a salon retail conditioner is a great revenue booster for the salon and a time saver for clients too.”
“My key to retailing effectively is to talk about the benefits, the features and the how and why they need the product,” says Rachael Lomax, The Copper Queen and Yellow Professional Guest Artist. “With coppers and peaches, clients are going to need products such as Colour Care by Yellow Professional and to keep those colours refreshed the Colour Care Masks in copper and red can be customised for the guest.” Claire Chell, Uberliss Educator, also recommends making a client a takeaway conditioning treatment with a pop of peach in to enhance the colour once a week: “The Uberliss Bond Sustainer in Peach Hydrangea, launching this year, is perfect for both in salon and for your client to take home.”
One thing to note, it’s crucial to provide clients with lasting peachy tones between salon visits. Adele Clarke, OSMO ambassador, emphasises her commitment by creating personalised hair masks using OSMO Colour Revive shades like Café Latte, Intense Copper, and a touch of Wild Pink Colour Psycho, clients can maintain a peachy undertone to their colour conditioning mask. Adele sees this as a fantastic retail opportunity, encouraging clients to invest in these customised masks. On a similar note, Nikki Clifford, Wella Top Artist advocates for salon visits every 4-6 weeks for vibrant hair. However, she also highlights the importance of at-home care, with her preference for Wella Professionals Colour Fresh Mask in Peach Blush, combined with a System Professional Colour Save Shampoo and Hydrate Conditioner for optimal results.
It’s safe to say the colour trends and the Color of the Year have a powerful influence on hair trends and the industry as a whole from both a stylist and client perspective. So why not let these be a guide to creating fresh and creative transformations that will keep your clients coming back for more.
