2010 Hair Color Trends Around the World: A Throwback
A throwback to 2010 hair color trends around the world, from fiery red in Mexico to champagne blonde in the UK, and which looks are still big today.
Remember 2010? Side-swept bangs, big beachy waves, and the very first ombré dip-dyes. It was a big year for hair color, and it looked different depending on where in the world you lived.
Back in late 2009, Marie Claire editions around the world, from Mexico and the UK to India, the Czech Republic and the Middle East, looked at how women were coloring their hair and what was coming next. Here's a throwback to what they found, and how much of it still feels familiar today.
Mexico: Red Hot
In Mexico, fiery red was the shade of the moment, worn by stars like singer and actress Dulce María. According to L'Oréal Paris Mexico, coloring started young, with around 80 percent of Mexican women dyeing their hair from the age of 15.
Salons were a big part of social life. More than half of salon clients chose rich brunette or red, about a quarter went blonde, and around one in six preferred jet black. Blonde was more popular in the north of the country.
Women spent nearly $490 million on at-home hair color in 2008, and in lower-income areas, many salons let clients bring their own drugstore dye and charged just a small fee to apply it.
The prediction for 2010? Taking a cue from Brazil, with golden highlights woven through chocolate and mahogany brown hair.
Czech Republic: Bold and Fearless
Eastern Europe was falling in love with hair color, and Czech sales had jumped by around 180 percent since 2002. Prague stylist Petra Mechurová said Czech women loved bright shades and weren't scared of a short cut.
Around 90 percent of Czech women colored their hair. With salon color costing far more than a home kit, many saved their money for a daring haircut and did the color themselves.
City women liked natural-looking highlights in the style of Jennifer Aniston, while smaller towns went for bolder reds and blondes. There was also growing interest in gentler, natural options like henna.
United States: Warmer Tones
Americans spent more than $1.6 billion on at-home hair color in 2008, and close to 60 percent of women aged 18 to 64 had colored their hair at least once.
In salons, most women went lighter. After the recession, many started switching between highlights and simpler single-process color to save money, and more than a quarter said they got their color ideas from friends.
There was a fun city divide too. Los Angeles loved the glossy, single-process Hollywood look, while New York preferred subtle, fashion-insider lowlights.
The forecast for 2010 was all about warmth: gold woven into blondes and reds, warm highlights in brown hair, and a hint of violet in black hair.
United Kingdom: Champagne Blonde and Bright Red
In the UK, quick 10-minute home kits made root touch-ups easier than ever. And grown-out roots? They were starting to look more Madonna-cool than lazy.
Champagne blonde, as worn by models Agyness Deyn and Kate Moss, was expected to stay huge. For the bold, Lily Cole's bright red hair was the inspiration for spring.
India: Highlights and Henna
In Indian cities, confident young women were showing off highlights in everything from blonde and red to blue and purple.
Henna was still the go-to for many women, thanks to its natural color and long tradition. Women with lighter skin were experimenting with blonde highlights, while those with deeper skin tones were loving soft copper and mahogany.
Lebanon: Salon Lovers
Lebanese women were some of the most dedicated salon-goers in the region, often visiting at least once a week, and more for special occasions. Most started coloring between 18 and 20, and home color sales rose by 29 percent between 2002 and 2007.
Single-process color was the favorite, usually touched up monthly. About one in ten women used henna, and there was a clear age split: women in their 20s and 30s loved rich chocolate, while women in their 40s and 50s leaned toward golden blonde.
What Happened Next?
Looking back, a lot of those predictions came true. Warm golden tones were everywhere in the early 2010s, and highlights woven through brown hair turned into the ombré and balayage obsession that took over the decade.
Bold red had a big moment too, with stars like Rihanna rocking bright red hair around 2010 and 2011. If you're thinking of going red yourself, our list of famous redhead actresses is full of inspiration.
And the at-home color boom never slowed down. If you want to try it yourself, here's our step-by-step guide on how to color your hair at home.
Final Thoughts
It's fun to see how hair color trends traveled the world back in 2010, from Mexican reds to British champagne blondes. Some looks have come and gone, but plenty of them, like warm highlights and rich chocolate brown, never really went out of style.
