SECRETS TO GORGEOUS HAIR COLOUR Tint your tresses with the season’s to-dye-for hair hues. By Jessica Prince.
We all know that colouring the hair copper and brunette are simple ways to give dimension to the hair, and with vibrant vermilion and bleached blonde being all the rage now, hair care has become more complex than just caring for our natural hair shade and texture.
BEST FOR BRUNETTES
The ombré trend is here to stay, but these days “there’s less contrast between the roots and the end colour,” notes celebrity hair colourist Marie Robinson, who says she’s been melding tone-on-tone colours from the mid-lengths to the tips of the hair. WHAT’S MODERN NOW: “Lighter ends are still on-trend, but keep them refined to showcase more natural-looking colour,” says Jennifer Lawrence’s colourist Lorri Goddard. To do this, your mid-lengths to ends should be no more than two to three shades lighter than your roots – a technique some pros have dubbed “sombré”, a softer, more blended version of the traditional ombré. “Lowmaintenance hair colour has been coming back into focus, and sombré is a much more wearable take on ombré,” explains Redken’s creative consultant Tracey Cunningham, whose clients include Drew Barrymore. “It’s flattering on everyone, especially brunettes.” SKIN-TONE SECRET: For fair complexions with hints of pink or red, “avoid warm tones like gold, copper, mahogany, and red,” says Paris-based colourist Christophe Robin. “They can look brassy on pale skin,” adds Goddard. Instead, go for deeper caramel or cool ash browns that won’t make you look washed out. On medium tones, vibrant light and medium brown shades are flattering, while deeper complexions can go as rich as dark brown to black. Shine is crucial: “The darker you go, the shinier it should look,” advises Robin. STYLE TIP: Chopped your locks above your shoulders? “When you’re brunette with short hair, the shape of your cut becomes the statement,” says Robinson. Skip highlights or lowlights and leave the colour “rich but subtle,” she says. “Nothing looks chicer than a well-cut bob that’s really sleek, shiny, and allone-colour brunette,” adds colourist Victoria Hunter. On longer hair, consider softening your look with varying shades of brown to avoid a heavy block of colour and “to see the movement of your haircut,” Robinson says. MAINTENANCE: David Stanko, hair colour consultant for Redken, says, “Brunettes face three basic problems: going too ashy, too brassy, or becoming inky or monochromatic
BOLD BRUNETTES