Brilliant Brunettes

Going darker doesn’t always mean completely changing your hair colour. Here, hair expert and award-winning stylist David Long reveals the brown tones that are trending this autumn/winter

Changing up your hairstyle and opting for a darker shade in autumn and winter is a common choice, as low lights and rich warm brunette tones are a favourite way to welcome in the cooler months. Lower maintenance and pared back, darker locks have that enviable gloss and shine that we all long for. Whether you want to join the dark side from blonde or simply amplify a natural brunette hue, here is everything you need to know about making the most of brunette hair.

BRunette haiR tRends

Hair expert and multi award-winning stylist David Long, owner of Color Me By David Long, explains that those warmer tones are something he is seeing gaining favour in his salon chair. He cites a famous blonde for getting him into hairdressing initially, but the colour expert is well versed in working on hair of all hues and textures. “I was always mad about Barbie dolls, and loved shaving their heads and cutting their hair. They were a big influence in my childhood and that carried on through,” he says, jokingly.

Touching on the trends he is seeing, David adds, “Warmer autumnal tones are making their way back, there was even high demand for auburns and coppers during the summer. We are seeing more diversity in the hair colours people are going for, and there is versatility in those warmer shades that people are more open to.”

A cosy cinnamon brown hair colour with warm red undertones is one of the most popular shades to try out for brunettes this autumn and winter, following on from the incredible popularity of red and copper hair throughout the summer, with celebs like Kendall Jenner and Megan Fox going ginger in massive hair changes recently.

Meanwhile, for natural brunettes, an easy balayage style colour can compliment mid-tone brown hair, and deep, rich brunette hair colours with a smattering of highlights around the face to add dimension is another subtle change that natural brunettes can make to change things up for the new season.

When it comes to warm shades, brown hair has a myriad of options to brighten up the face, but it’s important to select the right hue to suit you.

Choosing the CoRReCt BRown tone

People can generally be cool toned, warm toned and neutral. Neutral individuals can get away with almost any hair colour and tone, but David says that choosing the right brown for you can be decided by your warm or cool disposition. “Always go with the tone of your skin colour and your eyes,” he continues.

“If you are more warm tones, something cooler on a warmer base can be lovely as it will bring out our skin tone and features even more. If you are quite pale and cool toned, I would not opt for cool, as that can be draining on the skin tone and eye colour.”

PRePaRing to go daRkeR:

One of the key things to note before going darker is that healthy hair takes on colour better, and colourists will be able to be more accurate with their colouring when working on hair that has been well looked after. David recommends shampoo and conditioner that is free of sulphates, cleanses the hair and scalp well and enriches the hair with nutrients such as Keune’s Vital Nutrition range.

“I recommend a good course of Vital Nutrition to add nourishment to the hair before going darker,” he says. “The best thing you can do is add that nourishment, if your hair is on the more porous side it can tend to grab the colour and go a little bit darker than your target shade might be. Vital Nutrition has so much moisture built into it.”

Best PRoduCts foR BRunette gloss

David’s tips for achieving high shine hair with the right products are simple:

Opt for sulphate-free wash products

– Professionals are against sulphates for good reason. Sodium laureth sulphate is a strong foaming detergent used in many beauty and hygiene products, and it runs the risk of stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture, as well as your carefully applied hair colour.

Invest in a great shine spray –

The Keune Style Brilliant Gloss Spray N.110 is the perfect finishing spritz to your look, enhancing its natural brilliance and leaving it looking healthy and lustrous.

Be aware of flyaways

– Keeping hair under control can be a battle, but not with the correct care. The Keune Style Humidity Shield protects sleek blowouts and styled curls from frizzing out, and adds light shine that doesn’t weigh hair down. “Humidity Shield is great for any kind of flyaways, or if you end up being caught in the rain, it’s good to always have,” adds David.

■ Find all of these products and more at keune.com, or reach out to your local Keune salon for a consultation for your fresh new look.

We are seeing more diversity in the hair colours people are going for