Now Trending: Expensive Brunette

image shot at Aro Ha

There are certain accoutrements that make you feel rich. A designer bag, luxe cashmere sweater, and a diamond ring, to name a few. But giving off rich mom energy doesn’t mean you have to treat yourself to a Net-a-Porter shopping spree—all you have to do is take a quick trip to the salon to test out this season’s hottest hair color trend.

WHAT IS EXPENSIVE BRUNETTE?

The “expensive brunette” trend has been popping up all over Instagram of late after Hailey Bieber opted for a brown dye job with a certain je ne sais quoi of luxury. The style is characterized by a depth of different brown tones woven into hair to make it look just as multifaceted as traditional blonde dye jobs always have.

Think of “expensive brunette” as the exact opposite of the single-tone shade you’d expect to get out of an at-home box of dye. It’s characterized by a multi-dimensional mix of deeper shades, so you don’t have one flat color all over. An artful smattering of lowlights in multiple different brown shades—warm ones like coffee, caramel, copper and gold, or cool ones like chocolate, ash, taupe, silver, and ice—help to elevate the look from basic brown to something else entirely.

HOW TO GET THE EXPENSIVE BRUNETTE SHADE

To get the exact expensive brunette look that you want, talk to your stylist about both the lightest and darkest shade you’d like to see. Then, they’ll be able to choose colors within that spectrum to achieve the final dimensional look. Using the balayage technique with a combination of highlights and lowlights, your stylist will create a final look that beautifully reflects light and makes you look just as luxe as the name implies.

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR NEW BRUNETTE COLOR

Though the name implies that this style will cost a pretty penny, it’s actually surprisingly low maintenance. Because the color is a gradient, it will still look gorgeous as it grows out, which means you’ll be able to stretch a single dye job for months on end. To keep the style looking fresh at home, opt for Redken’s Brown Lights Shampoo and Conditioner. These products (both of which are sulfate free, by the way) are designed to color-correct brown hair by depositing a blue pigment that neutralizes brassy tones in brown hair. Use them every time you lather and rinse, and your color is sure to last you for the longhaul.