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Martha Stewart's Latest Hair Transformation Has Everyone Talking

By Maya Ernest

Published on Aug 18, 2026 • 3 min read

Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

From hot honey blonde to caramelized brunette, hair color trends have leaned more natural lately, proving people are looking for more wearability and less maintenance. The tides are changing over on social media though—and there’s an unexpected celebrity leading the charge. You might have already noticed peachy pink and rose gold hair colors popping up on your FYP, but what you probably didn’t see coming is none other than Martha Stewart officially kicking off the trend. For her 85th birthday, the entrepreneur worked with hairstylist Chris Appleton to switch up her signature blonde bob to a rose gold hue. After all, there’s no age limit on having fun with your hair, and you can leave it to Martha to find the perfect recipe for what’s next.

Pink hair has already been in the spotlight this year, with Adéla and Addison Rae both making a neon version of the color a pop star staple. The softer tones of rose gold hair make it a great look for those not hitting the stage, however, and the peachy shade is easier to upkeep and try out than a hotter pink hue. That’s why, in the spirit of rosé season and embracing our inner Martha, we’re exploring the subtle pink shade. Ahead, we tapped a color specialist to walk us through the rose gold hair look, including how to ask for the color at the salon and why it’s trending.

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Leslie Shores is a color specialist at Eric Marshall Salon in Nashville, TN.

Martha Stewart knows how to pull off an iconic moment—whether that be launching her entertaining empire or snapping a viral pool selfie. We’re adding her hair makeover to the list too, since she’s officially brought back the rose gold hue that once dominated celebrity hair trends in the 2010s. Everyone from Christina Aguilera and Kylie Jenner to Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez was rocking the look, and most of the pastel “sorbet shades” were done by Appleton himself, as he shared in an earlier Instagram post.

Leslie Shores, a color specialist at Eric Marshall Salon in Nashville, says the hue is partially trending because of the 2010s nostalgia that has us bringing back other looks like Millennial mint makeup, sharp contouring, and peachy makeup. “It’s soft, warm, and girly,” she says of the subtle pink shade, adding that it reminds her of the romance of rose gold jewelry.

If you’re looking to duplicate Martha’s new look, Appleton shared his exact formula on Instagram: “For a rose gold formula, highlights BlondeMe 9+ 20vol, all-over gloss 9.5-19, and 9.5-5 rose gold base, clear 0-00,” he wrote. Unless you’re a color specialist, however, that formula probably doesn’t make any sense to you, which is why we asked Shores for an easier way to describe the color at the salon.

Depending on the look you want—and depending on your base hair color—ask for an all-over soft pink shade with several shades of pink mixed in, or start with some ribbons of light pink balayage with highlights, says Shores. If you’re already blonde, the shade will be easier to achieve and keep, as it’ll fade into a very light, airy pink, she adds. Otherwise, going peachy pink can be “up there in the maintenance range and costly to keep up for someone in the brunette family,” she adds.

Still, while we’ve seen stars embrace all-over neon and bubblegum pinks, rose gold and peachy pink feel a bit more whimsical and wearable. It’s the perfect shade to consider if you’re experimenting with fashion hair colors for the first time, or if you’re looking to amp up your already light-colored hair. Plus, it’s one of the only hues that will shine even after it’s faded—and if you need an inspo photo, you know who to count on.

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