Any time I find myself scrolling through the Instagram feeds of celebrity hairstylists (come on, I know you do it, too), my eyes immediately light up when they display a new and exciting hair trend. Whether said trend has to do with a cut or color, I'm always ready for whatever newness they throw at us because they're the masterminds behind the best celebrity looks.
Just days ago, I happened to be scrolling through the feed of none other than Beyoncé's incredible colorist, Rita Hazan, and was immediately intrigued by a cool new way of doing highlights that I just had to take a second to appreciate and call it out. Introducing shadow highlights—a gorgeous, strategically placed set of highlights that are multidimensional and create the illusion of thicker hair. Sound like this style is for you? If so, keep scrolling for Hazan's breakdown of the fresh trend—it's coming in hot!
What Are Shadow Highlights?
Many great trends start with a muse, so it should come as no surprise where the inspo came from for this idea. "I created the shadow highlights look with Beyoncé," explains Hazan. "Shadow highlights are the strategic placement of multidimensional, sun-kissed highlights that are made to accent a cut and or style. This technique gives hair the illusion of being full and thick. I lightened her base to make it a toffee blonde with ribbons of sun-kissed bright highlights. I focused on framing her face with brighter highlights and blended the same highlights this time throughout her hair. I also placed highlights underneath so when Beyoncé wears a ponytail, there's a bright effect that is continuous throughout the entire look."
It's an adaptable look that works well for so many hair colors—not just blondes or those with lighter brunette strands. "It gives a bright color impression without a lot of damage," Hazan adds. "Your hair appears to be thicker by doing fewer highlights and making it multidimensional. No matter what your color is, it will brighten up your face and hair." If you're interested in channeling your inner Beyoncé and trying the look for yourself, there are a few things to tell your colorist. "I would ask your colorist to do foils framing the face and hairline and highlight some throughout depending on the cut and style. The highlights should not be too chunky or fine—more like somewhere in the middle. Lastly, highlight some ends to pull it all together. A little goes a long way in the actual highlight."
Hazan also recommends a few hero products to help maintain your look. For those, keep scrolling below plus a few of our own color-care favorites.
Products to Help Maintain Shadow Highlights
"I designed this to repair severely damaged [and] color-treated hair. It's an innovative and lightweight treatment that works immediately to repair hair from the inside out, leaving it soft, manageable, and frizz-free for up to 24 hours." — Hazan
"This is the salon secret to keeping color vibrant and hair as shiny as the day you got it colored. It's an in-shower color saver that enhances shine and brilliance with mess-free application." — Hazan
Hazan's luxe shampoo removes build-up and unwanted oil without stripping dyed hair of any pigment. It's infused with nourishing and gentle botanical cleansers like rice protein and moringa-seed extract, which boost hydration and keep color from fading too fast.
The conditioner, on the other hand, is packed with Japanese camellia oil and other antioxidants that help shield the hair from breakage and UV damage. It's also lightweight enough for everyday use.
"This is an anti-breakage hair repair complex formulated with 'smart' polymers to eliminate frayed hair. It immediately seals broken hair and split ends, while preventing future breakage by strengthening the strands. It also shields hair from UV rays, hot tools, and environment aggressors, which prevents color fading and damage." — Hazan
Olaplex's No.3 Hair Perfector is a stylist and fan favorite for so many reasons—one being that it's so versatile. It's especially great for color-treated hair, as it helps strengthen and repair the hair's structure from the inside out. It contains a single molecule (free of silicones and oil) that delivers instant results and leaves hair softer, more manageable, and visibly healthier.
This shampoo-and-conditioner set from L'Oréal is infused with rosemary to add hydration and shine to color-treated hair. The formulas are gentle and keep color pure for up to four weeks without weighing it down.
Luxury haircare retailers Oribe offer this moisture-rich shampoo with bioflavonoids to protect hair color from fading. The formula also features baobab-tree extract, which hydrates dry, brittle strands, and Oribe's signature complex, which protects against oxidative stress and keratin deterioration in the hair shaft.
Key ingredients in this lush Oribe conditioner for color-treated hair include plant-derived glycerin for moisture and shine, a sun protection system, and Oribe's signature complex.
Color Wow's Dream Coat is a great smoothing treatment for color-treated hair that acts as a mini keratin treatment. It also has an anti-humidity complex, calendula extract to prevent dryness, and chamomilla extract to protect color and enhance its radiance.
This rinse-out gloss treatment strengthens and seals up your strands with lactic acid, tartaric acid, and amino acids. It's designed to specifically target color damage and prevent color striping or fading.
For a deeper treatment, try Amika's Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask. It's color-safe and contains jojoba-seed oil and sea-buckthorn oil to add softness, strength, and shine to the hair.
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