Au courant pastel hair highlights get even more temporary—and wearable—with the uptick of hair chalking

What did Thakoon, Narciso Rodriguez and Peter Som’s Spring/Summer runway beauty have in common? It’s not a particular lip or liner style, but brilliant streaks—ranging from a sweeping bang to allover­ color—of pastel hues in models’ hair done with chalk, the latest and greatest technique to hit the world of hair color. And recently celebrities including January Jones and Chloe Moretz have gotten into the temporary highlight game with rosy pink splashes that are chic not grungy thanks to their restraint.

Perhaps the best thing about hair chalking is its impermanence—it’s literally chalk that washes out harmlessly in one wash, unless your hair is very blonde and processed and then it may take a couple, says Tina Dizon, owner of Beverly Hills’ The Private Room, which houses the new Color Pop Bar, where clients can get a wide variety of vibrant nontoxic pastel chalk streaks. “It’s fun, and best of all it’s temporary. It allows people to add a pop of color without the commitment.” She adds it’s perfect for those with conservative jobs who want “a little bit of an edge” for just one night out.

Also a boon to hair chalk’s blossoming popularity is that it can be done easily at home. Dizon advises styling clean, dry hair as desired with little or no product before twisting the section to be colored and rubbing the chalk on it. It can be placed root-to-tip or done in an ombré pattern where “similar colors fade from dark to light on a single strand, like indigo to purple.” While Dizon calls out pink as the runaway favorite for blondes, she says purple and blue are other popular shades. “Summer is always the season people experiment with fun hairstyles,” she says. “This allows people to be part of a fashion-forward trend—bright, colorful clothes are popular this season, therefore their hair can accentuate their style and outfit.”