Creating the perfect expensive brunette

The term 'expensive brunette' has been trending, with even classic celebrity blondes such as Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid recently opting for richer tones. While the demand for darker hair usually increases during the colder seasons, many colourists have seen a particular shift this winter.

Creating a bespoke brunette is all about crafting the perfect shade for your client. “In terms of tone, it’s completely dependent on skin tone, eye colour and individual style,” says Vas Mikellides, for L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.

"For those with cool colouring (think green or blue eyes) cooler tone brunettes like iridescent mauve ash is particularly complementary. Those with dark eyes should opt for a luxurious mocha or warm based brunette,” adds Vas.

Offering a tailor-made colour for your client will enhance the expensive feel of the hair, as well as create a luxurious experience in-salon. “Block colour that is extremely dark can be too harsh and unlikely to look classy, especially on mature skin tones,” advises Robert Eaton, Wella Professionals UK and Ireland technical director and British Hairdresser of the Year.

“For mature clients, using multi-tonal colour with some lighter pieces of caramel and coffee shades around the face will help blend grey for longer, and create a much softer look that will take off a few years in an instant,” he says.

However, brunette hair doesn’t have to be boring, explains Matrix Artist ambassador, Michelle Summers Davies.

“Adding a quick T-section balayage or a placement of a contrasting colour using natural tones of caramels, golds or something more fun with a vivid or pastel shade like copper, peach or pink blush, will create a soft dimension of excitement to any brunette shade,” she says.

Clients are also becoming more willing to experiment with warmer tones, say the Directions ambassadors at Inn The Closet, Southampton: “We also love to add a touch of flame or neon red ebony to give a warm, rich chocolate.”

For clients that like to switch up their hair colour, it can be useful to have a record of your colour formula saved. “Using Vish technology at the colour bar to record client’s tailored recipes means each stylist has access to every colour service application performed on our guests,” says Rebecca Adams, colour educator at The Chapel.

Whether it's through balayage or adding neon shades, creating that perfect rich brunette is bang on trend this season. This feature is a condensed version of our article which originally appeared in the January issue of HJ. You can read the full feature here.