1 / 8
Bronde Ambition: 7 women rocking 'bronde' hair
Fads come and go, but on the whole and unsurprisingly, it’s the trends that both flatter and free up our time that stick around. Cases in point; trainers, athleisure, BB and CC creams and multi-use makeup sticks. None of the above are going anywhere, and neither, I predict, is ‘bronde’ hair colour. With minimal upkeep, a natural feel and the potential to create the illusion of thickness, it’s the antithesis to overly processed, high maintenance all over colour. Here’s how to achieve a harmonious blend of blonde and brunette, along with inspiration courtesy of the women wearing ‘bronde’ particularly well…
2 / 8
Olivia Palermo
Palermo is a perennial purveyor of all things chic, so it follows that her especially shiny take on the trend is essentially the ideal blueprint for ‘bronde’. As Taylor Taylor London Colour Director Michael Kelly highlights (sorry), Olivia’s dark roots are still visible, keeping the look ‘earthy’ but from there her hair ‘melts into honeyed hues’. As for that shine, Michael emphasises that you needn’t embark on an expensive course of colouring:
“Bronde really is the perfect segue between blonde and brunette, as the name suggests. It can be a gamechanger for anyone feeling as though their hair is looking lacklustre and in need of jazzing up, especially at this time of year when the weather is warming up and the days are getting brighter. Maintenance isn’t really an issue; brondes may go up to 12 weeks without needing any colour touch ups (n.b, I get a good six months out of my bronde), and if you do feel that your bronde needs a refresh you can just pop into your salon for a gloss to add shine and richness.”
If you’re used to spending your spare time (not to mention your salary) on lengthy salon outings, going bronde could prove economical as well as elegant à la Olivia.
3 / 8
Chrissy Teigen
If you think that your base is too dark for bronde, let committed bronder Chrissy be your poster girl for multitonal colour. In fact, as John Frieda colourist Natasha McKay underlines, natural brown colour is often the perfect starting place for well blended bronde:
“To me, the definition of a bronde is a warm chocolate brunette base with a few scattered sparkly blonde pieces to give tone, contrast and character.”
Rather than dated, stripy highlights, flashes of colour are the way forward, particularly if you’re brunette to start with, as Taylor Taylor’s Michael Kelly iterates:
“If you're a brunette and wanting to add some light to your colour I would recommend highlighting underneath the main section of your hair, so that you add soft dimensions for a ‘peek a boo’ result.”
4 / 8
Ashley Greene
It’s fair to say that Ashley doesn’t play it safe; for hair transformation inspiration, she’s up there with the likes of Rihanna, Taylor Swift and any given supermodel. From her Twilight pixie crop to auburn lengths and her current wavy bronde, Ashley Is one of those women who seemingly makes any given style or colourway work. With a chestnut base, her colour is concentrated in all the right places according to Michael:
“It’s important to make sure that your colourist keeps the lightest parts of your colour tumbling down towards the lengths only.”
That’s not to say that bronde is a close relation to the dip dye; the hand painted, ‘balayage’ effect keeps colour graduation soft, well blended and a lot more random (read, natural).
5 / 8
Millie Mackintosh
Caramel hued with flecks of gold, Millie has one of the most versatile, polished brondes on the block. Her balanced bronde is chameleonic; it seems to change shade almost before your eyes according to the light. As Michael reveals, being a bronde offers a lot of flexibility:
“The great thing about bronde colour is that you can easily tweak the tones to be lighter or darker depending on how you're feeling without causing too much stress on the hair, as it may just involve a few lowlights or highlights contoured in the right place to give you that extra dimension to do the trick.”
Subtle switch ups are the name of the game for Millie and many others.
6 / 8
Karlie Kloss
An example of the fact that you don’t need flowing lengths to make bronde work, Karlie’s mid length bronde is sporty, beachy and devil may care in its effortlessness all at the same time. Blonde ribbons lift her naturally light brown base, and along with a bend in hair texture, create additional volume and movement in her fine hair. Basically, like her attitude, it’s anything but fake looking and as wholesome as her Karlie’s Kookie business.
7 / 8
Blake Lively
Blondes going bronde aren’t necessarily the norm, but nudging to the dark side as Blake has done of late is most definitely possible, as Michael affirms:
“Over the years we have witnessed many celebrities moving away from an all over highlighted blonde to a more organic, nature driven bronde. If you are ‘bronding’ from a highlighted blonde, make sure that you still have some subtle variation through the crown and parting of your hair, as this will keep the colour natural and sunkissed rather than looking as though you have instant regrowth.”
If you’re fed up of sky high salon bills, crave something lower key for summer or simply feel that it’s high time for a colour switch up, aiming for a ‘cinnamon swirl’ effect from a blonde base could well look as delicious as it sounds. Just be wary of going too dark; browns should be light and tawny to blend in with your blonder starting point.
8 / 8
Jennifer Lopez
Where better to finish than where bronde really started? Jenny has been pioneering bronde since she left the block, and her luminous flaxen ends and rich roots are still going strong, no matter what style she’s experimenting with this week. She’s nailed what suits her, which happens to be a particular ‘Lopez’ blend of blonde and brunette, and she’s sticking with it. If only they bottled JLo lights
Follow me on Instagram @annyhunter