We know, we know. It’s hard to say goodbye to summer, especially after months of glorious British sunshine. That whole mood is spilling over into beauty, with a burst of ‘anti-autumn’ hair colour trending, as the world, quite understandably, seeks to keep the summer vibe alive for as long as possible. Case in point: the defiantly-sunny ‘new term’ blonde look adopted by Susanna Reid for her return to Good Morning Britain.
The ‘anti-autumn’ blonde already has a powerful advocate in the Princess of Wales, who has given the world a tantalising glimpse of what appears to be her lightest hair shade ever. Now we’re seeing the queen of breakfast news taking a similar approach, with a gorgeous, back-to-work blonde makeover.
Susanna returned to GMB with the look of a woman who’s soaked up all the joys of the summer break and brought them straight to the TV studio. Her base hair colour has lightened to a soft caramel, while her mid-lengths and ends are now a rich honey-blonde. Add in the post-holiday tan, vibrant blue dress, and the glossy coral lip, and Susanna is positively glowing.
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Sharing the look to her Insta, Susanna posts: ‘BLUE MONDAY! New term - brings fresh energy and @edballs favourite weather - autumnal rain. Good to be back on the box.’
Her followers were delighted to see her back from the summer break, and quickly flooded her feed with compliments on the new term makeover. ‘Welcome back Susanna love the hair.. You look stunning’ wrote one, while another posted: ‘You look lovely, like your lighter hair’.
The makeover is the work of stylist Christina Beighton, from Larry King Marylebone, who tells GH: ‘I really wanted to switch up Susanna’s colour, especially as she’s been growing out her bob. We gradually lightened her base shade over a few appointments before adding blonde balayage and face-framing highlights to keep the look fresh and youthful.’
Over the past few years, Susanna has been gradually shifting away from her rich, dark brunette shade by weaving in lighter pieces of face-framing balayage, but her ‘new term’ blonde look is easily the lightest we've ever seen her.
Christina tells us: ‘The warm honey tones really lift her complexion and add radiance, while the softer lowlights prevent the colour from looking flat and instead create beautiful depth and variation. Combined with the long layers we added to her cut, the result is hair that feels full of dimension, movement, and effortlessly modern.’
And, of course, it's great for keeping the summer vibes going. ‘It’s a perfect example of what I’d call an “anti-autumn blonde”,’ says Adele Clarke, OSMO Ambassador and owner of Spectrum Hair in St Helens. ‘Rather than heading darker as the seasons change, she’s opted for a creamy blonde finish that still carries some of that summer brightness but with clever softening and smudging at the root to make it feel lived-in and wearable.’
It’s definitely one to add to the moodboard if you’re looking for a low-maintenance way to switch up darker hair, she adds. ‘It works beautifully for natural brunettes like Susanna. By asking your salon colourist for a melted shadow root, you avoid the harsh grow-out line and create a softer transition. Adding a few chocolate lowlights can also add depth and dimension, ensuring it lasts comfortably until the festive salon visit.’
This sort of shade has the added benefit of being incredibly flattering for midlife women. As a general rule, darker brunettes often really suit going slightly lighter as they get older, as having a less stark contrast between skin and hair avoids a draining effect.
‘It’s a flattering choice for brunettes who want lightness without committing to a solid blonde,’ says Jake Nugent, OSMO colour ambassador. It's an especially smart switch-up for Suasanna, 56, he adds. ‘For women in their 50s and beyond, this look works beautifully because it softens features without looking harsh and it gives that youthful glow.’
To keep a colour like this looking salon-fresh at home, ‘I’d recommend using the OSMO Colour Revive in Vanilla to keep tones creamy, plus the OSMO Blinding Shine range for styling for that glossy finish.’
