If you’re looking for a subtle way to switch up brunette hair, this is for you. What’s more, it won’t overly damage your locks. Here’s how to recreate the eye-catching look
From curl clouding to ring light highlights , this year’s been awash with hair colour inspiration. But as the weather starts to cool off, there's one trend that hair pros are expecting to see more of; shimmering rose brown. "Rose brown becomes really popular in the autumn months because the soft pink pastel hues are good for brightening up the skin, which we need as our tans fade," says stylist Jason Collier , who has worked with the likes of Victoria Beckham, Eva Longoria and Justin Timberlake.
Rose brown sees touches of blush pink interwoven through a brown base – thinks of it as rose gold for brunettes. It involves using a combination of bleach, Olaplex treatment, and brown and red dyes, Australian stylist Thi Thao Tu, the pro widely credited as being the man behind the trend, told Allure . If you’re a brunette who’s looking for a subtle way to switch up your hair colour, your search is over.
Trichologist Hannah Gaboardi , told us that the look is best achieved by freehand balayage, leaving a warm brown root and painting on pink and caramel tones towards the ends to achieve a high-shine metallic finish. It’s a super versatile trend, one that gives stylists plenty of options when it comes to customising it to pretty much any brunette.
Is rose brown damaging? It depends on how much lightning is needed to get the rosy tone you’re after. However, the lift involved generally isn't massive and Olaplex or L’Oreal Professionnel Smartbond can be used with it to protect the integrity of your strands. Ask your colourist to give you a colour gloss or conditioner to take away with you afterwards. Using a sulphate-free shampoo and a good hair oil can also help keep your ends hydrated and safeguard the vibrancy of your colour.
If you're wary of damage, you don’t necessarily need to use bleach to make hair blush. “The majority of the colours used in creating rose brown are toners and semi-permanent which can be mixed in with Olaplex to give you extra shine and protection,” says Hannah. A good leave-in treatment is worth its weight in gold for keeping your hair in good nick afterwards too.
Versatile, eye-catching, relatively easy to recreate and not overly damaging to hair, it’s easy to see why it’s become the hair colour of the autumn. It’s going to be hard for another to take its title.
Read more: How to re-energise your hair colour in between appointments.