How To Elevate Your Brunette Hair

by BR Amelia

I'll be honest, the problem with owning a head of brunette hair is that it so often feels quite... blah. I see those with auburn tresses and I'm jealous at all the different shades that fleck their hair. Blondes do seem to have more fun by being able to switch up their colour so it's cooler or warmer toned, or by adding in pretty much any other shade. But brunette hair? It feels like it's easy to go wrong when adding colour. The tone can be off, the contrast too much, or so weak a contrast your hair still looks the same. So when I saw a new hair trend pop up called 'expensive brunette', I was intrigued...

What is 'expensive brunette'?

The idea behind expensive brunette is to take your natural hair and to add colour to create dimension, rather than the basic allover brown shade that one might have thanks to their genetics, or that can be achieved through a box dye.

In the Northern Hemisphere it's been considered one of winter's hottest trends, which makes it perfect for those of us Downunder as we head into the coolers months.

How do you get the expensive brunette look?

Your hair stylist will work with you to figure out the tones you're after - cooler or warmer, not to mention the shades. It's important to communicate what shade range you'd like placed in your hair, from darkest to lightest. From there your stylist can work out the shades of brown inbetween and where best to place them in order to suit your cut and your hair's texture in order to create a dimension-filled but natural look.

By the end of the process you'll walk out with elevated brunette hair - more depth, more shine, richer in colour, but in the way that looks so subtle that people will think you just have amazing hair.

Is it for all brunettes?

Technically, yes. It is for all brunettes. However, this is where I fear it gets its name... If you want to rock the expensive brunette look, you're going to have to pony up the salon dollars. Unless you're trained yourself, I don't see it as being a look one can replicate at home. So yes, it's for all brunettes... if you're willing to spend the money to get it looking as expensive as the name suggests. On the upside, as it's meant to be natural looking you won't have to pop in every five or so weeks to have it touched up, so it's more affordable than being a brunette trying to maintain a blonde look.

What about the rest of us?

If the rich and famous over in Hollywood can go from blonde or red head to rich brunette, then so can the rest of us. I wouldn't envy you the price of the upkeep though.

So, do you like the sound of expensive brunette? Is it how you'd love your brunette hair to look? Or are you happy with your cheap and cheerful (and non-pretentious sounding) brown hair? Get chatting below!