Brunette enhancement: The most beautiful way to elevate brown hair
This way for glossy, multidimensional colour.
Calling all brown-haired babes. If you’re ready to take your colour to the next level – for summer or beyond – we’ve got the answer. It’s called brunette enhancement, and it’s all about subtle, natural-looking shades.
“It’s not about going blonder,” says Joe Savine, artistic director at Paul Edmonds London. “It's about enhancing what someone has. We might take very fine sections and make them two to three shades lighter, but the colour is still brown. It creates lots of dimension and elevates the brunette.”
Joe describes these glossy, multitonal colours as luxe browns. “It's working with your bronde colours, your mochas, your cool chocolate and latte sort of shades.” The brunette equivalent of cashmere blonde, suede brown is “darker, similar to velvet, with lush tones woven in the hair.”
There are several routes to the elevated brunette hair look. Here, Joe explains everything you need to know about the brunette enhancement colour trend, from choosing the perfect shade to maintaining your multidimensional look…
WHAT IS BRUNETTE ENHANCEMENT?
The key to creating a subtle and chic enhanced brunette colour look is weaving multiple brown shades within the hair.
“As a brunette, your colour can be quite solid,” Joe says. “By adding different tones or something that's a couple of shades lighter gives a lot more flexibility, dimension and movement. It shows off your haircut more and looks amazing in photos.”
What’s the difference between multidimensional and multitonal colour? “By dimension, we mean how light and dark shades are sitting next to each other and how the hair appears to have more depth and shine. Multitonal could mean several different tones within the same colour spectrum or a few different colours.”
Joe lists pop star Selena Gomez, actress Dakota Johnson and model Lily Aldridge as great celebrity examples of glossy brunette hair, and says that the overall look can be warm or cool toned. “We're talking about brunette shades like espresso, chocolate and mocha, which are more cool tones, and toffee or caramel, which are on the warmer side.”
HOW DO YOU CREATE THE ENHANCED BRUNETTE LOOK IN SALON?
There are a variety of ways to create a shiny, multidimensional brunette look, ranging from a few carefully placed sections to a full head of foils.
“You've got foiling, balayage – which is your freehand, open air technique – and Airtouch,” Joe says. “There’s also teasylights and shatush, which use a teasing method to create a soft gradient at the root.”
When deciding which technique to use, your colourist will assess whether your hair is virgin or coloured, and if so how long you’ve been colouring it for. “Those are the factors that will decide if we can do open-air balayage or need to put the hair in a foil. Having colour on the hair may hinder the lift, and using foil is more reliable.”
When thinking about which brunette shades to choose, your colourist can advise on whether cool or warm browns will suit your skin tone and eye colour best, and how many tones from within that spectrum – for example, iced espresso or rich chestnut – to use. “The choice is virtually unlimited,” Joe says, “because we can intermix all the tones, so each colour can be exclusively personalised to each client.”
As for placement, if you’re opting for warmer or brighter tones, Joe says, “sometimes we might leave the natural hairline in so that the colour doesn’t wash someone out. However, it’s more about choosing the most flattering tones as a brunette because they can either make or break the look.”
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THE ENHANCED BRUNETTE COLOUR LOOK?
Shiny, healthy hair is essential when it comes to brunette enhancement. Not only because it looks gorgeous, but because it will help your colour stay vibrant for longer.
“Depending on external factors like how often you're blow-drying it, straightening it or tonging it, if you're washing it a lot or you’re out in the sun, will depend how fast the colour fades,” Joe says. “And all colours fade warm. No matter if you start with a cool brown or a cool gloss treatment, they will fade warm, but there are ways to slow the process.”
For starters, he recommends the K18 bond-building treatment as part of any colour appointment. “Even if you're not doing a lightning service, K18 is a really good product because it repairs damage by rebuilding the bonds, which keeps the pigment locked in.”
How often should brunettes get their colour done? “I always say appointments every 12 weeks for foiling or balayage and then every six weeks it’s good to get a gloss treatment to refresh the tone.”
At-home haircare is also crucial for brunette upkeep. “My go-to's are the Beautiful Color shampoo from Oribe, which I love, and Kevin Murphy Angel.Wash is amazing for fine hair,” Joe says. “From Davines, the Alchemic range has pigmented tobacco and chocolate conditioners that will help maintain your colour for a longer period of time.”
And finally, don’t forget to use a heat protection spray or cream before blow-drying or styling, and finish with Joe’s favourite shine-giving product, Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Extreme Repair Concentrate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is enhanced brunette hair?
Enhanced brunette hair is a colour trend that uses multiple brunette tones to create a glossy, multidimensional effect, adding depth, movement and shine.
How do you make brunette hair look dimensional?
Creating dimension in brunette hair involves blending different shades of brown throughout the hair using techniques such as balayage, foiling, Airtouch, teasylights or shatush.
What brunette hair colours are trending?
Luxe brunette shades are having a moment, including espresso, chocolate, mocha and latte-inspired tones for cooler brunettes, alongside warmer shades such as toffee, caramel and rich chestnut.
What are the best products for glossy brunette hair?
To maintain shine and colour vibrancy, use a shampoo for colour treated hair such as Oribe Beautiful Color Shampoo or Kevin Murphy Angel.Wash. Davines Alchemic conditioners in tobacco and chocolate can help refresh brunette tones between appointments.
How the colourists at Paul Edmonds London can enhance your brunette look
The brunette enhancement trend is all about elevating your natural colour, and the colour team at Paul Edmonds London can help create a luxurious bespoke look that’s perfect for you.
Working with your existing colour and factoring in your skin tone and hair type, your colourist will help you choose the most flattering multitonal hue, from espresso and chocolate to toffee and caramel.
Ready to enhance your brunette? Book an appointment with the colour team at Paul Edmonds London.
