We’re interested in hair health now more than ever before, and while we used to box bleach our entire mane without giving it a second thought, a lot of people are rethinking the way they color their hair. Tons of celebs and influencers are even ditching excessive bleach and subtly transitioning back to shades closer to their natural brunette roots. Luckily, there’s a new hair color trend on our radar that involves getting expensive-looking, dimensional brown hair color while minimizing the effects of bleach damage. In case you haven’t guessed it yet, we’re talking about the expensive brunette hair trend.
Interested in trying expensive brunette hair? Read on for everything you need to know, including how to achieve the look in eight different ways.
Good hair day by @lorenhairstylist.
What is expensive brunette hair?
Coined in fall 2021 and first debuted by a certain notoriously blonde model, influencer, and popstar wife, the expensive brunette hair trend is all about achieving natural and low-maintenance yet expensive-looking brown hair. Whether you’re gradually growing out a blonde hair color in favor of going back to your natural hue or looking to enhance your natural brown with dimension, expensive brunette hair is all about creating shiny, rich-looking color—without actually breaking the bank or leaving your mane with a ton of damage.
Your colorist will use a blend of subtle highlights and lowlights, ranging in tones like warm-toned blonde, copper, or ash blonde, to create a natural yet dimensional look that blends seamlessly with your roots. They will also complete your appointment with a hair gloss service, leaving you with high-shine and softer, healthier-looking strands. Because expensive brunette hair is meant to blend with your natural hair, it will grow out gracefully and leave you with more wiggle room between touch-up appointments.
Good hair day by @jonas_dpaula.
Who does the expensive brunette hair trend work best for?
This trend works great for anyone looking to keep their hair color low-maintenance—and best of all, it’s customizable to flatter any skin tone. It’s best for natural brunettes who want to add subtle dimension, brightness, and shine to their mane without bleaching their entire head of hair.
Color Extend Magnetics Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair
A gentle cleansing shampoo to care for colored hair.
Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair
A moisturizing conditioner for colored hair.
Color Extend Brownlights Shampoo
An essential color-depositing blue shampoo to tone and neutralize brassy orange tones in highlighted, balayaged, or natural brown hair.
Color Extend Brownlights Conditioner
An essential color-depositing blue conditioner to help tone and get rid of brassiness in highlighted, balayaged, and natural brown hair.
Color Last Deep Treatment Pack Multi Use Hair Mask
A deep treatment hair mask for colored, dull, or damaged hair.
How To Care For Expensive Brunette Hair
While expensive brunette hair is very low-maintenance, you’ll still need to care for it at home to keep your hue looking its best between salon appointments. Start with a shampoo and conditioner like Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner. This sulfate-free system helps protect the vibrancy of your salon color. You should also invest in a blue toning system like Redken Color Extend Brownlights Shampoo and Conditioner to keep your lightened hair bright and brass-free. These products are made specifically for highlighted, balayage, or natural brown hair that’s prone to brassy orange undertones. Blue pigments neutralize brass and prolong cool tones between salon visits.
Expensive brunette hair requires far less bleach than, say, a full head of blonde highlights, but your colorist may still need to use a bit of lightener to create your chosen look. Hair lightening will always cause some damage, but your colorist can work to mitigate the look and feel of damage before you leave the salon. When it comes to at-home care, you can use a weekly hair mask like Biolage Colorlast Deep Treatment Multi-Use Hair Mask to deeply moisturize color-treated hair.
Remember when we mentioned hair gloss earlier? Well, aside from using a hair gloss to create your ideal expensive brunette shade, you can also opt for the salon service to give your hue a quick refresh. Ask your colorist about Redken Shades EQ, a demi-permanent hair gloss that can tone, add shine, or color correct in just 20 minutes. Shades EQ also conditions the hair, leaving your hair looking and feeling healthier. Your colorist can create a custom Shades EQ formula to enhance your unique expensive brunette shade.
Want to try the expensive brunette hair trend for yourself but don’t know where to begin? Keep scrolling for eight ideas you can bring to the salon.
The Best Ways To Try Expensive Brunette Hair
Good hair day by @ericmichaelhair.
Cool Toned
This ashy, cool-toned expensive brunette shade is cool, dimensional, and so on-trend for 2023. Ask your colorist for delicate ash blonde highlights while leaving your natural roots visible.
Good hair day by @hairbyshannonmckew.
Ash Brown With Teasylights
We love this warm blonde to dimensional ash brown transformation. The teasylights are so subtle throughout the ash brown base. You can barely tell they’re there.
Good hair day by @texasbalayage.
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Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/texasbalayage/
Chocolate
If you’re more into warm tones, ask for a chocolatey expensive brown hair color with hints of red.
Good hair day by @leysahairandmakeup.
Curly And Sunkissed
These curly highlights with sunkissed warmth are gorgeous no matter the time of year.
Good hair day by @brooklynhairs.
Dark Brown With Subtle Dimension
If you want to stay on the darker side of expensive brunette, opt for a dark brown hair color with thin, blended highlights.
Good hair day by @live_love_dohair.
Brunette With Champagne Balayage
Not ready to totally ditch your salon blonde? Ask for an expensive brunette shade like this brunette balayage with champagne blonde throughout the mid-lengths and ends of your hair.
Good hair day by @lorenhairstylist.
Extra Glossy
The key to getting expensive-looking hair is always more shine, which is why we love this extra glossy espresso.
Good hair day by @colorbymarina.
Brunette With Money Piece
The money piece is the OG expensive hair trend—so why not incorporate a bright face frame throughout your expensive brunette look?
Interested in trying expensive brunette hair? Use our salon locator to book an appointment at a salon near you.
Color Extend Magnetics Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair
A gentle cleansing shampoo to care for colored hair.
Color Extend Magnetics Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair
A moisturizing conditioner for colored hair.
Color Extend Brownlights Shampoo
An essential color-depositing blue shampoo to tone and neutralize brassy orange tones in highlighted, balayaged, or natural brown hair.
Color Extend Brownlights Conditioner
An essential color-depositing blue conditioner to help tone and get rid of brassiness in highlighted, balayaged, and natural brown hair.
Color Last Deep Treatment Pack Multi Use Hair Mask
A deep treatment hair mask for colored, dull, or damaged hair.
