Lucy Hale’s New Ombré Blond Hair Is So Pretty It Hurts

Pretty Little Liars finished filming its last season four days ago, and apparently Lucy Hale is done with her days as an all-over brunette as well. After seven seasons of staying pretty consistent with her hair during filming, Lucy’s ditched her signature dark brown mane and gone for something a little lighter: an ombré look that fades to blond with an added beauty bonus.

Although she stayed brunette when duty called, Lucy’s played around with blond between seasons. She’s tried out honey highlights and even gone full-on platinum. But for this new look, hair stylist Kristin Ess, who’s responsible for Jenna Dewan Tatum’s shaggy cut and Lauren Conrad’s icy blond, lifted her color to give her a super pretty ombré.

Take a look at the fade: It’s gradual—but just dramatic enough, and the buttery blond really warms up her skin tone. Plus, Lucy’s signature dark brown color is still peeking through at the top, meaning her brows remain looking natural while contrasting just enough to pop against the blond.

Check it out:

Loading

View on Instagram

Loading

View on Instagram

We’ve reached out to Kristin for comment and will update you with more details as we get them!

UPDATE: Wednesday, November 3, 2016 Kristin says that the goal was to see “lots of soft golden blond,” but she wanted to do it “safely.” The trick? Keeping some root in place and gradually getting blonder. The process took two highlights/ First, a “pre-highlight highlight”: “Some pieces have to be painted over twice to get light enough, so those are done first,” says Kristin. “Then a second highlight which gives more dimension around the crown and top of the head.” Kristin says that this is a good trick for getting through that mid-length state because it helps with roots growing out.

Lucy is a great example to learn from for brunettes who want to go blond: “If you’re thinking of going from a dark rich warm brown to a shade of blond, your first concern should be the safety and integrity of the hair,” says Kristin. “No one wants to hear that when they’re eyes are set on sparkly blond, but if you’re not careful you’ll ruin your hair—and that’s just a fact.” By going for the rooted look, as she calls this iteration on ombré, it helps graduate the lightening process so it’s kinder to your hair—and you get a cool look in the meantime.

P.S. If this means that Lucy is going blond, we can’t wait to see what’s next!