Five hair colours this autumn according to hairdresser Juan Diego Teo: from amber highlights to dark chocolate - deeper, but not flat

Every autumn the beauty industry announces the "colour of the season", as if the whole planet had one skin tone. Hairdresser Juan Diego Teo, director of Juandiegoteo Hair Salon, says that is exactly what's changing: "I think the big change is that we no longer want everyone to wear the same thing." His formula for autumn-winter 2026/2027 is short: "Colours that are deeper, but not flat." Here are the five shades he picks out.

1. Amber Highlights. Golden, amber and caramel tones with a summery feel. This is a way to brighten brown hair without turning it blonde. The secret is thicker highlights, placed strategically, with balayage or classic highlights and a soft transition. They suit warm and neutral skin tones best. "When the light hits them, they create the effect of shiny hair full of life," says Teo.

2. Dark chocolate. The deepest of the five: dark brown but alive, with walnut and cocoa reflections that save it from looking flat. It is built as a rich, multi-dimensional base. It suits medium, olive and warm skin tones, and on lighter skin it can be adapted with brightening around the face. "The key is for the light to bounce off the colour."

3. Mushroom blonde. Dark blonde in a beige, smoky version, with a neutral, taupe undertone that gives depth and shine without heavy bleaching. Teo builds it on a blonde base with blurred roots, ribbons of beige and taupe and a creamy gloss at the end that softens the contrasts. It's meant for neutral and cool skin tones, and compared with other blonde shades it needs less maintenance.

4. Auburn. A blend of brown and copper that changes with the light. It isn't applied as an even red - the natural base of the hair is studied and the tone is built from different proportions. "It's deeper than classic copper and allows you to play with different proportions of red, brown and gold." It looks best on skin with a warm undertone, and for fair skin there are softer, slightly more golden versions.

5. Maple Cinnamon. A hybrid of red, brown and copper, inspired by cinnamon and maple - very bright and with depth. Warm pigments are blended over a brown or copper base. It suits warm, golden and olive skin tones, and on fair skin the red pigment is toned down. "I like it because it has that hint that changes the hair without necessarily making it red."

All five have something in common that adverts for boxed dye rarely mention: none of them is a single flat colour, and none is done with one tube in the bathroom. Teo himself says that even when it comes to a very specific trend, his job is to adapt it to the face and the hair texture. The natural look, it turns out, is the most work.