Blame the TikTok trend reporters or the outdoor chill, but there’s a renewed interest in dark shades, like “expensive brunette” and anything with obvious root growth. You don’t have to ghost your colourist this winter, or call blonde “uncool.” Instead, consider subtly enhancing your natural colour with your chosen form of balayage or an off-the-root highlight. To find your own inspiration, scroll ahead.
Bronde
Celebrity colourist Tracey Cunningham recommends an ombré bronde (a brunette-blonde blend), as seen on model Lily Aldridge and Jennifer Lopez. “Hair is almost always darker at the roots and lighter at the ends, so this trend is the perfect choice for many clients who are looking for low maintenance colour,” Cunningham explains. “Lowlights and multi-dimensional colours tend to stand out best when hair is styled sleek and straight, but look good wavy and curly, too.”
“Expensive” Brunette
The “expensive” in the trending “expensive brunette” is less a take on the tone of brown and more a read on the finish: shiny and glossy as seen on Janet Mock styled by Chuck Amos. If your hair is already dark, great, a clear or tinted gloss can help up the shine factor. If you’re currently a processed blonde, ask for lowlights or a colour correction to help revert back to your brunette roots.
Pumpkin Spice
Somewhere between copper and strawberry lives this definitely un-cheugy warm and soft tone that singer/songwriter Sevda Alizadeh calls “Pumpkin Spice Latte.” It’s just one example of what hairstylist Clayton Hawkins calls “orange and red vibes,” which he predicts will be all the rage come 2022.
Warm Honeycomb
When it comes to blonde-like tones, most colourists are endorsing warm variations, as opposed to anything platinum. Colourist Sienree Du points to “warm and rich” blondes, something with leaning toward golden or wheat. Here, colourist Bianca Hillier shows how to make a variation of blonde read as sun-kissed with a warm undertone and a balayage application.
“Effortless” Highlight
NYC-based colourist Chezney Schulz directs us to what she calls the “effortless” highlight: Essentially, a once-a-year lift — this tone is a soft blonde — directed only to the face frame and ends of the hair, which allows for a long grow out and brightness only where its most noticeable, like the curtain bangs.
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