"Wheat Blond" Hair Color Is the Low-Maintenance Way to Do Balayage This Fall

The best way to transition your blond hair color from Summer to Fall this year is by trying our new favorite hue: "Wheat Blond." Colorist Jack Howard, who works at Paul Edmonds Salon in London, gave POPSUGAR the lowdown on how to try the beautiful warm shade of blond for yourself this season.

"A fresh, wheat-colored glaze softens everything up after Summer," said Howard, who describes wheat blond as a warm, buttery hue with ribbons of gold painted throughout. "It's an anti-ash blond, perhaps as a reaction to the mountain of ash tones we've been seeing everywhere".

But why wheat blond hair for Fall, you might ask? "We're not in Winter wonderland, and there are no snow whites just yet, so wheat blond is a lovely way to transition into something softer," said Howard. It's a great direction to go in before possibly trying something a little cooler and lighter — marshmallow blond, for instance — for the snowier months. It's also just a beautiful option that you can maintain all year long.

Wheat blond isn't just pretty, either; it's much easier to maintain than other blond shades like ash, bronde, or platinum. And it can work for anybody. If you're a natural blond, wheat blond will work nicely with the pigment and undertones of your hair color, resulting in a hue that's more natural and lived-in. However, it also works for those who have already lightened their hair with either foil highlights or balayage.

To create the warm, buttery hue, Howard uses the new Schwarzkopf BlondMe Bond Enforcing Premium Clay Lightener, instead of bleach, painting it on using his signature balayage technique. "Prelightener is for the hair; bleach is for your toilet bowl," Howard laughed. Once the the prelightener has lifted the hair's pigment to the shade he wants, Howard then finishes with the Schwarzkopf Igora Vibrance Glaze to add back overall warmth.

The balayage technique works perfectly for wheat blond hair as the colorist can add a variety of custom pieces depending on the overall look you want. Even if you've previously had a head full of foils, your colotist can add strategically placed micro-balayage pieces — such as money pieces — working with your natural hair color to lift or tone it down.

"Work with your natural tones, and come up with a game plan with your colorist for the entire Summer to Autumn season transition," said Howard. This could be using more balayage pieces with heavier application at the beginning of the Summer and then gradually letting these grow out for a slightly darker tone. Or, it could mean taking your natural hair color and adding some micro-balayage pieces to add definition around the face and creating the illusion of more movement to your hair.

Ahead, see exactly how Howard created wheat blond hair, plus even more variations of the trend to take to your colorist for inspiration — which Howard says is always useful as a guide for any hair colorist.