Mother of Pearl Hair: How to Get This Summer's Hottest New Hair Color Trend

Take one scroll through social media these days and it’ll become very clear that many of us have a serious obsession with all things iridescent. Whether it’s mermaid scales, soap bubbles, unicorn-inspired makeup, oil slicks, or metallic madness, iridescence is totally on trend. There’s just something about the color-shifting sheen that’s entirely eye-catching however it’s worn, so it makes sense that what started out showing up on clothing and accessories quickly took a turn for makeup—and now holographic hair. Similar to unicorn and mermaid hair, mother of pearl hair is all about embracing the rainbow with a tone-on-tone approach (think: pearly silver, pale pink, baby blue, and muted lavender) that blends beautifully to create a unique look that’s perfect for summer 2017.

How to Get Mother of Pearl Hair

Like many of the rainbow hair color trends before it (such as succulent hair), this one can take quite a bit of work to achieve. In order to get the muted pastel shades featured in mother of pearl hair to actually show up, you’re going to need to bleach your strands until you’ve reached the whitest blonde as you can. If you’re starting with a dark brown base, that could mean it’ll take multiple sessions to get the mother of pearl hair color you’ve had your eyes on. Since this is such a unique shade, it’s best to visit a professional colorist who can expertly weave in shades of silver, pink, blue, and purple after bleaching your mane.

How to Take Care of Mother of Pearl Hair

Color-treated hair requires special care. So, once you’ve achieved the mother of pearl hair color of your dreams, take a few steps to help care for your strands. Follow the below tips for color-treated hair.

1. Use a system of shampoo, conditioner, and mask formulated for color-treated hair. Any ol’ shampoo and conditioner won’t do. Make sure to choose products that are formulated for color-treated hair. Try the system of L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Shampoo, L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Conditioner, and L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Ultra Recovery Mask. Gently massage the shampoo into wet hair, then rinse out. Follow up with the conditioner, leaving it on for 1-2 minutes before rinsing out. Once or twice a week, swap out the conditioner for the mask, leaving it on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing out. When it comes to washing your hair, turn down the dial in the shower and cleanse and condition in lukewarm water instead, as hot H20 can strip your hair of essential oils.

2. Use a heat protectant before blow-drying. Ready to give yourself an at-home blowout? Spritz on a heat protectant, like the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle BOOST IT Blow Out HeatSpray, first. If you’re planning to flat iron your hair, apply the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle SLEEK IT Iron Straight Heatspray beforehand.

3. Air dry your hair. As beautiful as mother of pearl hair looks when paired with straight, smooth strands, it also looks gorgeous when paired with curls or waves. Create a beach-inspired look by spritzing on the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Wave Swept Spray to towel-dried hair, braid your hair, then undo the braid once your hair has dried.

To help enhance your hair’s texture and add volume, apply an egg-sized dollop of the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Ruffled Body Mousse to wet hair. Then, flip your hair over to scrunch and allow it to air dry. To help add a touch of softness and shine to your look, apply a small amount of the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Undone Style Cream to clean, damp hair, evenly distributing it from roots to ends using your fingers as a comb. You can also apply a small amount to your ends once your hair has dried.

4. Go in for regular touchups. Help keep your mother of pearl hair looking as fresh as possible by scheduling regular touchups with your colorist. Enjoy your new seasonal hair color!