Hair Glossary: The 8 Color Trends That Dominated 2015

By Marianne Mychaskiw
Updated Dec 24, 2015 @ 10:00 am
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/AMA2014/FilmMagic

2015 was an especially colorful year, and the one that gave your old-school ombré some serious competition, at that. In a surprising departure from the contrasting tips and roots that have been the norm for years, the new and improved ombré took on many variations, from the sombré technique (short for subtle ombré) to the blonde-brunette hybrid better known as "bronde" to stars like Jennifer Lopez. But that doesn't mean 2015 was centered around the natural look—stars like Tyra Banks proved that the rainbow movement is here to stay, at least for now, with highlights covering most of the ROYGBIV spectrum.

To end the year on a beautiful note, we put together a list of the 8 hottest hair color trends you should add to your vocabulary, stat. Scroll down to check all of them out now, and to learn about the subtle nuances that define each one.

RELATED: These Are the 13 Best Rainbow Hair Colors of the Year

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Bronde

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Walking the line between sunny blonde and a rich brunette, the bronde trend popularized by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively is the hair equivalent of a flattering one-size-fits-all shirt for its ability to flatter both warm and cool skin tones alike.

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Pastel Tips

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Who knew Day-Glo strands had such staying power? While many dismissed the rainbow hair trend as a passing fad, celebrities like Tyra Banks, Nicole Richie, and Miranda Lambert among many others proved that unconventional hues were here to stay, with pink tips being one of the most popular choices. 

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Sombré

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Sombré—or subtle ombré—involves the same general idea as its OG incarnation with the lighter tips and natural roots, but is less obvious and results in a more natural-looking end product, à la Chrissy Teigen's sunkissed highlights.

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Gray Hair

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In a striking contrast to the days we once spent attempting to cover our grays, stars like Dascha Polanco hopped on the silver hair movement, which became a trending topic across just about every single social media platform ever shortly after.

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Tortoise Shell Highlights

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Also referred to as "écaille," tortoise shell hair color, à la Jessica Alba, is similar to the sombré technique, but involves warmer colors as highlights and involves a few well-placed lowlights to make your base hue much darker and richer.

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Pumpkin Spice Hair

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Unlike the venti latte by the same name, pumpkin spice strands like Christina Hendricks's are anything but basic. To get the rich auburn tone, ask for a color with more copper and gold highlights, rather than the traditional red-on-brunette combination.

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Oil Slick Hair

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In what might be the brunette's answer to the pastel hair trend, the oil slick effect involves painting jewel-toned dyes onto a dark base to mimic the multi-tonal appearance a real life oil slick gives off.

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Strobing

Credit: Jeff Kravitz/AMA2014/FilmMagic

Just like the strobing technique for your face amps up your features with a touch of shimmer, the strobing method for your hair follows the same rule. Using your base color as a guide, certain parts are lifted ever so slightly to impart a natural-looking effect similar to what you'd get after sitting in the sun, but are strategically placed to flatter your face shape, as demoed by Gigi Hadid.

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By Marianne Mychaskiw