Kerry Washington’s Blonde Highlights Feature Such A Distinctly Fall Color

Some hair colors feel more decidedly autumnal than others. They’re usually warm-toned, inspired by nature (think the golds, russets, and reds of changing leaves), and popular year after year. Oftentimes, though, one or two specific shades manage to rise above the noise to become a celebrity-favorite — and in turn, it picks up steam with the general population. 2022 and 2023 might have been all about copper, but this year definitively belongs to butterscotch. With stars like Kerry Washington choosing blonde hair for fall, how can it not be? The deep yet luminous shade is a universally beloved one, stunning on every skin tone and texture type to add an undercurrent of cozy warmth to any hairstyle. Washington would know, too — she’s incorporated the color into a number of different looks already.

Washington first showed off her new look in an Instagram post dedicated to the season finale of her Hulu comedy series, Unprisoned, featuring a series of behind-the-scenes moments. At first, it seemed like her gold-tinged curls, parted on the side and falling down to her to her shoulders, might just be another nostalgic throwback. But even more photos shares to her Story — including one that appears to be snapped just last night — indicate that the butterscotch color is indeed a new addition for fall.

What’s especially mind-blowing (and very enviable, truth be told) is that Washington managed to show off three distinct looks in these handful of posts alone. She has her voluminous natural curls in the Unprisoned wrap-up, a head full of classic twists in her newest Story, and extra-long, knee-length braids in the tile just before it, seemingly taken on the set of her other Hulu series, Reasonable Doubt.

With her pair of extra-long braids, the rich dimension and assorted tones found in her new hair color can fully be appreciated. The woven nature of the hairstyle means different shades pop throughout the plait, which really puts the focus on how intricate a great highlighting job really is — it’s critical to incorporate lowlights, brighter pieces, and adjacent tones all the way through the hair.

Washington isn’t the only star experimenting with butterscotch blonde right now, either. Lori Harvey opted for a similar color blend timed for the start of September, while Hailey Bieber too went for a gold-toned look — her lightest in years. With so much A-list approval, fall 2024 found its signature shade.