Beyonce's highly anticipated "Renaissance" tour has finally kicked off – insert the "praise hands" emoji here – and as we scour TikTok for all the show content, a few things stand out. Besides the obvious FOMO it's causing, the singer unveiled a new hair colour that we predict will dominate summer 2023: "sun-washed hair."
Created by her longtime colourist, Rita Hazan, this bronde shade is bright and fun – perfect for a statement-making look under the spotlight. "It's lighter and brighter in certain areas, and it creates a lot of dimension," Hazan tells InStyle. In short, there are shades of light brown and dark blonde woven throughout the hair, which, according to Hazan, helps the blonde stand out more.
This isn't the first time Beyonce has experimented with shades of blonde; in fact, she was wearing a deep honey shade before the tour began. Hazan notes that the singer really wanted to make a statement with a new hair colour for the occasion.
If you want to recreate this look, good news: it's easier than getting a ticket to the "Renaissance" tour. Hazan recommends asking your colourist to lighten your base colour by two to three shades. Also ask them to customise the placement of the highlights to achieve that dimension, placing them according to the texture and cut of your hair. For maintenance, Hazan suggests using Rita Hazan's "Sunkissed Gloss" and "Weekly Remedy" to keep the colour vibrant between touch-ups.
While we await confirmation on the rumoured potential Beyonce hair care line, consider this new shade your summer reference.
What sun-washed hair actually means
Sun-washed hair is one of those terms that gets used loosely in the beauty world. At its core, it describes hair colour that appears as if the sun has naturally lightened it over time — soft, multi-tonal, with brighter pieces around the face and slightly darker pieces underneath. It's the visual equivalent of having spent a long, lazy July outdoors without ever picking up a bottle of bleach.
The bronde category that sun-washed hair sits within is broad. It can run from very subtle — just a few shades lighter than the natural base — to dramatic, with significant blonde panels framing the face and throughout the lengths. The key is the multi-tonality: a sun-washed look should never appear as a single flat colour, even if it's close to the wearer's natural shade.
What distinguishes sun-washed from traditional highlights is the placement. Traditional highlights tend to be concentrated on the top layers of the hair, with bright pieces visible from above. Sun-washed colour is more dimensional, with lighter and darker pieces throughout the hair's depth. This creates the impression of natural light hitting the hair from multiple angles.
The Hazan approach
Rita Hazan has been Beyoncé's colourist for years, and her technique is widely studied within the industry. Her approach to sun-washed colour relies heavily on what she calls "ribboning" — placing strategic pieces of highlight throughout the lengths, often in slightly different tones, to mimic the natural variation of sun-exposed hair.
The application matters as much as the colour. Pieces are typically placed in soft, vertical sections rather than horizontal foils, which gives the colour a more blended, natural appearance. The toner applied afterwards is also critical: it's what transforms yellow-toned bleach into the warm, golden bronde that sun-washed colour is known for.
Hazan's maintenance products — the Sunkissed Gloss and Weekly Remedy — are designed to keep the colour bright between salon visits. The gloss is a colour-depositing treatment that refreshes the tone and adds shine; the weekly remedy is a deep conditioning treatment that helps repair the damage from bleaching while keeping the colour vibrant.
How to ask for sun-washed hair
For those inspired by Beyoncé's tour colour, communication with your colourist is key.
Bring visual references
A picture is worth a thousand words when it comes to hair colour. Screenshot images of Beyoncé's tour look, or similar sun-washed shades, and bring them to your appointment. The visual reference eliminates the ambiguity of terms like "bronde," "caramel," or "honey," which mean different things to different colourists.
Discuss your base colour
Sun-washed colour works best on a base that's already in the light brown to dark blonde range. For those with darker natural hair, the colourist will need to lift the base several shades before applying the bronde tones. This takes more time and may require two sessions to avoid over-processing the hair.
Talk about maintenance
Sun-washed colour grows out more gracefully than traditional highlights, but it still requires maintenance. Discuss with your colourist how often you'll need to come in for toning and root touch-ups. The honest answer for most people is every 8–12 weeks for a refresh.
Consider your lifestyle
Sun-washed hair looks intentional and polished, but it doesn't require a lot of daily styling to look good. The colour does most of the work. If you prefer low-maintenance hair routines, sun-washed colour is a good option.
The cost and time commitment
The cost of sun-washed colour varies widely depending on the salon, the colourist, and the starting point. In major metropolitan areas, expect to pay between £150 and £400 for the initial colour. Subsequent toning appointments are usually cheaper, in the £80–£150 range.
The initial appointment typically takes 2–4 hours. For those with darker natural hair, the lifting process alone can take an hour or more. Toner application adds another 30–45 minutes. Bring snacks and something to read.
For those who can't commit to the salon time, there are at-home alternatives. Sun-in spray, when applied to damp hair before spending time in the sun, can create a subtle lightening effect. It's much less dramatic than a professional colour, but it's also much less commitment.
Maintenance between salon visits
The work doesn't end when you leave the salon. Sun-washed hair needs regular care to keep it looking fresh.
Wash less frequently
Washing hair every day strips the colour and the natural oils that keep hair healthy. Every two to three days is the recommended frequency for coloured hair. On non-wash days, dry shampoo can absorb oil at the roots while adding texture.
Use colour-safe products
Sulphate shampoos can strip colour faster than sulphate-free alternatives. Look for shampoos and conditioners specifically designed for coloured hair, or labelled as colour-safe. These are gentler on the colour and help it last longer.
Deep condition weekly
Bleached hair, even when carefully done, is more porous than unbleached hair. It loses moisture faster and is more prone to breakage. A weekly deep conditioning treatment helps restore moisture and elasticity.
Protect from heat
Hot tools (blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons) cause additional damage to already-processed hair. Use a heat protectant spray before any heat styling, and consider letting your hair air-dry whenever possible.
Avoid chlorine and salt water
Both chlorine and salt water can strip colour and damage bleached hair. If you swim regularly, wet your hair with clean water and apply a leave-in conditioner before getting in the pool or ocean. This creates a barrier that reduces the absorption of chlorine or salt.
The cultural impact of celebrity hair moments
Beyoncé's tour hair moment is part of a long history of celebrity colour reveals driving beauty trends. From Jennifer Aniston's "The Rachel" cut to Kim Kardashian's platinum blonde to Lady Gaga's ever-changing hair colours, celebrity beauty moments have an outsized influence on what the public considers fashionable.
The current era is no different. Instagram and TikTok have accelerated the speed at which trends move, with a celebrity's hair colour reveal often going viral within hours. Colourists report spikes in requests for specific shades within days of high-profile reveals.
The sun-washed hair trend in particular is well suited to the current beauty landscape. It's flattering across a wide range of skin tones, requires less bleaching than some of the more extreme trends, and grows out gracefully. It's a trend that looks good on everyone from the woman with a Pinterest-perfect hair routine to the busy mother who has 20 minutes to get ready in the morning.
The long-term outlook
The sun-washed hair trend shows no signs of slowing down. The combination of flattering colour, manageable maintenance, and broad appeal has made it one of the most-requested shades in salons worldwide. For those considering the look, there's no better time than the present — and no better reference than Beyoncé's tour.
While we await confirmation on the rumoured potential Beyonce hair care line, consider this new shade your summer reference.