'Serena Van Der Woodsen Blond' Is The Easy Way To Capture Blake Lively's Iconic Hair
It's impossible to imagine actor Blake Lively without her stunning blond locks, but it's even more of a feat to deny the influence she had on beauty trends during her time playing Serena van der Woodsen on the TV series "Gossip Girl." Serena van der Woodsen was the quintessential it-girl of the mid-2000s, and her trend-setting style was rivaled only by co-star Leighton Meester, who played the preppy Manhattan queen, Blair Waldorf. The lead actor's iconic blond hair has rejoined the beauty and fashion sphere in 2024 thanks to Los Angeles-based colorist Daniel Moon, who was re-inspired by the beloved "Gossip Girl" character's golden locks midway through a rewatch of the teen drama. "I can't stop thinking about Serena van der Woodsen," Moon told Byrdie. "Not sure if it's her golden locks or how Dan Humphrey continuously keeps letting the perfect blonde out of his sight."
Although blond hair trends have tended to lean toward the cooler side throughout the 2020s so far, everyone is loving this buttery warm shade. "Golden blonde is more low maintenance and universally flattering. The warmth can compliment a wide range of skin tones," master colorist Lauren Paglionico told the outlet. "It also adds a sun-kissed glow, which enhances your features." Lively's gold-toned look has already trickled down into 2024 hair trends, with Zendaya's honey-blond hair and the bunny-blond hair trend, so it's more than likely that we'll see more of this soft color going forward.
Here's how to emulate Serena van der Woodsen's iconic hair color
To pull off "Serena van der Woodsen" blond, as termed by Byrdie, avoid cool or ashy tones while dyeing your hair. Instead, stick to a warm shade with golden-yellow undertones. Similarly, ask yourself whether a honey-gold shade will suit your complexion. "Generally, people with warm undertones look best with warm blonde shades like honey and golden blonde," French balayage and color expert Abby Haliti told Glizour. "Those with cool undertones, like pink or blue, tend to suit cooler blonde shades like platinum or ash blonde."
That said, professional hair colorists know how to perform certain tweaks and adjustments to help make this shade work for different skin tones and hair types. For instance, you can ask your colorist to reduce the warmth level and opt for a more neutral-warm shade. If you're hesitant about trying a warm tone, go for subtler highlights instead of a dramatic root-to-tip color to test whether this golden-honey shade suits you. On the other hand, you can decide to go all out and rock golden blond regardless of a cool undertone; however, your hair will simply require more touch-ups to maintain a balanced look. Frequent salon appointments and diligent at-home hair care will ensure your hair doesn't become too brassy and clash with your complexion.
Tips to maintain this golden-blond look
To maintain honey-blond hair for cooler undertones, pick up a bottle of toning shampoo to tone your hair in between touch-ups. In this case, opt for a purple shampoo to keep brassiness at bay. "On the color wheel, purple and yellow are on opposite sides of each other. They help neutralize each other, meaning when you apply purple on top of yellow, it removes the yellow tones," master colorist Stephanie Brown shared with Harper's Bazaar. A toning shampoo will also extend the color and reduce the number of maintenance appointments.
Moreover, Blake Lively's effortlessly tousled hair always appears dynamic and textured. So, use texturizing sprays while styling, and play around with brushed out barrel curls or a laissez-faire blowout for a signature Serena look. And while this color is designed to be more low-maintenance than cooler tones and balayages, it could still use a little TLC to prolong the color and create a healthy shine. Therefore, make use of hair oils and high-quality hair products, and always use heat protectant before applying heat. The extra effort to support hair health will help you achieve the natural shine of Lively's blond locks.