Adriana Karembeu embraces her dark roots over platinum blonde at 54
What if visible dark roots were no longer a flaw to fix, but a genuine style choice? That’s certainly the message Adriana Karembeu sent on 18 August 2026, when she shared a photo taken on a plane before flying off to Tahiti. Her hair, more than her destination, immediately caught everyone’s attention.
The shadow roots technique: what it actually does
In the Instagram photo, the model’s short blonde crop clearly shows a darker base. This contrast between dark roots and blonde lengths is what hair professionals call shadow roots. The principle is straightforward: keeping or creating a darker root to add depth to a blonde colour, rather than trying to make it uniform.
On a short cut, the effect is even more graphic. The interplay of tones visually structures the hair, adds dimension, and avoids the sometimes flat look of an all-over bleached blonde. This type of colouring can also give the impression of thicker, more natural-looking hair.
For anyone considering the technique, here is what it concretely delivers:
- A dark base / blonde lengths contrast that defines the cut
- A sense of depth and visual density
- A more natural result than a uniform blonde
- Potentially lower maintenance, since regrowth is built into the look
Adriana Karembeu’s hair evolution since late 2025
This choice didn’t happen overnight. As early as December 2025, Adriana Karembeu had already debuted a two-tone colour that hinted at her natural shade, which is far darker than the blonde her audience had come to expect. Then, in March 2026, she pushed the experiment further with a very light platinum blonde paired with a pixie cut, and even bleached brows to sharpen the fashion-forward edge of the look.
At 54, Marc Lavoine’s partner is building a coherent, ever-evolving hair identity. Her short blonde crop has become one of her signature beauty statements in recent months. But at each stage, she adds a detail that tips the look into something bolder.
A nod to the 2000s, but in a more confident version
These visible roots echo a trend that was everywhere in the 2000s. Back then, the contrast between blonde hair and dark regrowth was ubiquitous, yet it was often read as a lack of upkeep, something to be corrected as quickly as possible.
Today, the perception has shifted. The 2000s beauty revival is partly driving this comeback, but with a more modern, less rigid approach. Dark roots are no longer something that happens to you, they’re something you choose. In that sense, Adriana Karembeu’s look perfectly captures this shift: embracing your natural colour while keeping a luminous blonde is precisely what the shadow roots technique is all about.
A balance between natural and modern
What makes this look particularly effective is how cohesive it is. The dark base brings naturalness, the short cut brings character, and the blonde lengths retain luminosity. Adriana Karembeu brings together three elements that reinforce one another, without any single one overpowering the rest.
And that is the real paradox of this trend: by leaning into what looks like regrowth, you end up with a result that appears more considered than a uniform blonde. The model seems to have found the sweet spot between chic and modernity, turning her dark roots from an incidental detail into a fully intentional style statement.
