'Vanilla almond butter' blonde is the chic new hair colour to ask for this winter

‘Vanilla almond butter’ may sound like a protein shake flavour, but it’s actually the latest blonde hair trend sweeping social media.

Joining other culinary-inspired shades such as mushroom blonde and lemon-honey highlights, the colour combination has reached 10.7 million views on TikTok and counting.

Made popular by @hairby_chrissy, the nutty blend is described in its namesake video as the ‘perfect colour for summer’. But we think the transition of darker, cool-toned roots and softer ends would actually provide the perfect shake-up for bleached blonde at any time of year.

To learn more about how to embrace this colour melt, we spoke to Revlon Professional’s Blonde Ambassador and Hair By Rhie salon owner, Rhiannon Dimaria. 

The good news? She thinks the trend would suit most people.

“The mix of lightness and depth can be changed in order to create the perfect balance for anyone,” she says. “The dimmed roots, yet bright but subdued ends also soften out the overall feel of the colour.”

If you’re already blonde, you’ll have an easier time achieving the finished look as “the bulk of the lightness is already there”.

“You would just need to add any additional brightness followed by a root stretch to create depth, and tone the mid-lengths and ends to reflect the vanilla almond butter tone.” 

If you’re starting from a brunette base, however, a few lightening sessions will be required before the main event. “The colour is created by first lightening — a full head of foils or foiliage — then adding the tone in a 'colour melt' or ‘zone toning’ technique with a face frame,” Dimaria explains.

She adds that it’s always best to take reference pictures with you to ensure communication with your hairdresser is on point.

As for maintenance, it’s music to our ears to hear that it’s low for the vanilla almond butter hair trend. 

“The root stretch allows the colour to grow out really softly,” says Dimaria. “[It’s] perfect if you only want to get to the salon every 3-6 months for colour, with a toner and cut in between for a freshen up.”

For at-home toning, Dimaria recommends the Revlon Professional Nutri Colour Filters in ‘931’ ($25.95 at Adore Beauty) for maintaining a shade like this.

And if you’ve endured a few rounds of bleaching, make sure to incorporate a repairing and hydrating mask into your routine too. We like:

#1/ weDo Rich & Repair Mask, $36.95 at Look Fantastic

#2/ John Frieda Hydrate & Recharge Deep Soak Masque, $10.69 at Chemist Warehouse

#3/ Wella Professionals Invigo Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing Mask, $25.40 at Oz Hair & Beauty

Main image credit: @sofiarichie

Not a fan of vanilla almond butter blonde? Check out the other biggest hair trends for 2022.