Almost three years ago to the day, Kaia Gerber took to an at-home bleach kit (side note: do not try this at home, please) for a transformative hair look – it was lockdown, after all. Alas, now (and post-natural brunette interlude), the model is bringing back the blonde with a golden hour 'do for summer 2023. This time, however, she's let the professionals take the reigns... *Collective sigh of relief*.
Over the weekend, Kaia took to her Instagram Stories with a golden hour selfie. And while the lighting was doing bits, shall we say, her freshly-dyed gleaming strands were, too. Enter: a golden hour duality.
Letting her new hair colour do all the talking, Kaia simply captioned her snap crediting the genius behind the look, Matt Rez.
As shown, Matt has ever-so-naturally lightened Kaia's locks just in time for the warmer season and though not a dramatic black-to-bleach transformation, the honey blonde shade screams sun-kissed hair goals.
To compare the before and after, allow us to remind you of what she looked like prior to reaching for the bleach:
She's definitely jumped up a few levels on the hair colour charts!
Everyone's clicking on...
This new, natural blend of mocha-hued roots into the lighter shade looks so natural, while still slyly benefitting from some clever colouring.
As the unspoken rule assumes (that is, going lighter for spring/summer and darker for autumn/winter), Kaia isn't the only star to have freshened up their locks this season. Kendall Jenner and Dakota Johnson have both played around with bleach and despite Camila Cabello channeling her inner emo phase, y'know what we always say: three is not only a crowd, but a trend.
So, what are you waiting for? Get those colour refresh appointments booked in, ASAP!
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Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
