Golden Hour Brunette & Other Summer-To-Fall Transitional Hair Color Trends To Try In 2026

As summer winds down, cooler temperatures aren't the only seasonal change we have to look forward to. New season, new hair trends. As proven by the hair color trends that are firmly outdated in 2026, this year has been all about bold haircuts combined with soft, transitional hair colors. Think mod bixies and curly wolf cuts mixed with multi-dimensional (not all-over one shade!) blondes and brunettes. For the awkward, in-between period of summer and fall, those muted colors come in especially handy. 

As we transition into autumn, the color trends that dominated summer 2026, like champagne blond, caramel highlights, and fun pastels, are being swapped out for more seasonally appropriate shades. Instead of the fair champagne blond, many are opting for warm honey blond or ashy mushroom blond to accommodate the muted energy of fall. Brunettes who used caramel highlights to lighten their hair for summertime are turning to the trendy golden hour brown that gives dark-haired women a subtly sun-kissed vibe for autumn. There are plenty of beautiful colors that can ease your hair transition from summer to fall this year, but here are a few of our favorites. 

Of all the fall 2026 hair color trends, golden hour brunette is one of the best transitional options. For natural brunettes especially, the golden hour look is a low-maintenance option for late summer and early autumn. This style is meant to mimic the way brown hair looks in the pre-sunset light: shiny, warm-toned, and slightly flecked with amber, honey, and gold. 

To achieve the look no matter what time of day it is, hair stylists blend a combination of gold and beige highlights on a medium to dark brown base in order to create the depth and dimension that comes during the golden hour. For those with naturally brown hair, the golden hour trend won't require lightening your full head of hair, which makes the style both low maintenance and low damage. Golden hour brunette's warm tone and natural vibe are a perfect fit for the transitional period between seasons.

Another excellent transitionary color for the late summer/early fall period is honey blond. This timeless color is one of the best neutral blondes, working beautifully with nearly every complexion and all undertones. A warm honey blond works perfectly for both the cooler and warmer months, as it is a healthy medium between light brown and true blond; unlike the icy platinum blond that is often associated with summertime, honey blond has additional depth and warmth that suits early autumn. 

Like golden hour brunette, honey blond is more low-maintenance than you'd think. The style starts off with darker hair at the roots that gradually transitions into a lighter mix of gold and honey tones, so your root touch-up appointments can be further apart. To maintain the perfect shade, one of the biggest things you need to know about maintaining honey blond hair is how to reduce brassiness. Warmth is important for attaining honey blond, but too much brass can be overwhelming. Tone regularly with purple shampoo to keep your honey blond hair looking flawless as we enter fall 2026. 

Maple cinnamon is our favorite reddish brown color for early fall 2026. Unlike other shades of copper, maple cinnamon leans more on the medium brown side — making it a versatile choice for the transition between seasons. Knowing your skin undertone is essential when choosing a copper hair color, but maple cinnamon works on a wide variety of complexions. Unlike other, bolder red shades like cherry, toasted copper, or pumpkin spice, maple cinnamon is rich and contains a natural dimension that's universally flattering. 

If it's your first time trying red, or you simply want to ease into the transition between summer and fall, reddish brown shades like maple cinnamon are the right move. The unique color is considered an understated version of the formerly popular cowboy copper, which was one of our favorite hair colors for fall 2023. This season, the comparatively low-key and chic vibes of maple cinnamon are more on-trend.

If cool, ashy hair colors are your thing, look no further than mushroom blond for your fall 2026 transition style. Unlike the warm-toned honey blond that is also en vogue this season, mushroom blond features ashy highlights in shades like beige and taupe, blended roots, and an all-over beige gloss. This style is low maintenance for blond and brunettes alike, as it adds more dimension to the former and doesn't require over-the-top lightening (which can be damaging) for the latter. 

Unlike mushroom brown, another popular cool-toned color, mushroom blond serves as an in-between shade for the light, breezy summertime and dark, muted autumn. Mushroom blond is also infinitely customizable — meaning you can add additional blond highlights for extra dimension and lift during the late summer, and then transition into an all-over mushroom blond as the temperature cools down. Mushroom blond is also one of the blond hair trends perfect for older women, so individuals of all ages can rest assured that the soft shade will work beautifully on them.