Elie Kashi, stylist and color expert at Royals Hair Castle Hill, Sydney, Australia is all about embracing the dark side. As the land down under heads into their winter season, this celebrity-inspired hue pro suggests that you consider the following before you opt to take your strands to the deep end.
Color Fading - Especially when you go toward reddish, auburn, even wine-inspired colors, these tend to fade faster than other colors, which means your hair appointments will be closer together for the necessary upkeep.
Color Grabbing - If you were really light and blonde and would like to go darker, the color might grab about 70-80 percent for the first time because of the empty pigmentation of the hair. It will also fade faster until you color it for the second time.
Going Back Lighter - depending on how dark you are going, you will also need to consider if you want to go back lighter at some point. I recommend avoiding being too dark or too red, as it will take you a few stages/appointments to go back to blonde.
Maintenance of dark hair is straightforward. Typically, Elie recommends a salon visit about every 6-8 weeks to refresh your color due to regrowth and color fading. However, it depends on how fast your hair grows, how many times you wash your hair during the week, and if you use thermal styling tools, as these all affect the rate of fading.
When it comes to taking care of your dark, colored hair, Elie recommends:
- Ensure that you use a shampoo and conditioner formulated for color treated hair, and is recommended by your salon professional/hairdresser, as it helps to lock your color in for longer.
- Avoid using hot water in the shower, as this can assist in stripping the color.
- Use a hair mask treatment once a week to maintain the shine and softness of your hair.
- Most importantly, use a leave-in product after you wash your hair to protect it from the heat of hairdryers, straighteners, the sun or other environmental pollutants - the hair can absorb all of these and will cause loss of shine and that healthy, glossy look.
Celebrity-Worthy Brunette Trends
Coffee Balayage
It's almost like color melt balayage where the top will be as deep as espresso and melting to a soft latte tone and adding that glossy finish to the color.
Sweet Caramel Lowlights
Adding honey and caramel lowlights to a rich deep brunette hue is absolutely stunning. Subtle and natural, it gives the best balance and movement to the hair but at the same time, it is not a hugely drastic change.
Chilli Chocolate
This is a combination of the depths of a chocolaty brown color with an Auburn hue mixed through. This is perfect for people who want to go darker and warmer but nervous about going the whole way.
Melted Wine Hair
This particular hue works for all skin tones as it has multi-dimensional tones in it and just by looking at it makes us feel warm in the cold winter.
Images courtesy Pinterest
