We Tried 6 of Fall's Biggest Hair Color Trends — Here's How They Look
Dramatic or subtle, one of these beautiful autumn shades is for you.
Quiet caramel highlights, blue mermaid waves and deep purple curls — this autumn is full of gorgeous trends to try. We had six people head to the salon to get these modern shades for themselves.
Brie: Before
Model: Brie Schwartz, Senior Lifestyle Editor
Prior to having it colored, Brie's hair was her natural deep brown shade. "I had never dyed my hair before, so I was a little wary at first," she admits.
Trend: Warm Autumnal Highlights
To create this beautiful multidimensional look, colorist Delilah Fernandez applied highlights, spaced out approximately one inch apart, to create a lot of contrast. This allows for rich warm tones to show through and keeps your hair from looking monotone. As for the shades used, Fernandez recommends any warm hue reminiscent of autumn. "Think amber, caramel, chestnut, chocolate or even auburn for fall," she advises.
Before & After: Brie's Warmed-Up Color
With just a few scattered highlights, Brie's hair looks thicker and richer than before — and she loves the results! "The subtle color tweak gave my locks so much more movement," she says. "Now, instead of my hair hanging limply, the highlights frame my face better."
Makeover performed by colorist Delilah Fernandez and stylist Antonio Susino at Pierre Michel Salon.
Cameron: Before
Model: Cameron Glover, Freelance Writer
Cameron already had a bold colorful style, but it had faded and grown out a bit, so she was ready for a new look. She was concerned about damaging her natural curls and was sure to tell the salon beforehand — a smart move to ensure the colorist went extra gently and able to consult with her ahead of time.
Trend: Deep Eggplant
A fresh, deep purple is a totally unique way to go dark for the cooler temps. "I pre-bleached Cameron's hair to a pale blonde color, then used two shades of Color Design — magenta and deep purple — to achieve our desired hue," explains master stylist Paul Labrecque. He let her hair process under heat, then cool off a bit before shampooing her strands again and styling with products specifically made for curls.
Before & After: Cameron's Vibrant Curls
Her new violet shade compliments Cameron's style and illuminates her eyes. "I feel good about this shade," she says. And she's learned a trick to keeping it looking fresh: "When I wash my hair, I add a bit of semipermanent hair dye to my deep conditioner and let it sit for a while to keep the color vibrant."
Makeover performed by master stylist and salon owner Paul Labrecque at Paul Labrecque Salon.
Trend: Delicate Babylights
This season, folks are either making dramatic shifts with their hair or just the tiniest, subtlest switches — Laurie opted for the latter. "For her fine, virgin hair, I used foils for her color with L'Oreal's High Lift on the roots," explains Labrecque. He then used the balayage technique to paint color in an ombre pattern towards her ends, giving it a thicker, richer look.
Before & After: Laurie's Subtle Dimension
Laurie was a bit apprehensive at first, but in the end, she fell in love with how dynamic and multidimensional it turned out. It brightened up her face and illuminated her complexion, too.
Makeover performed by master stylist and salon owner Paul Labrecque at Paul Labrecque Salon.
Carina: Before
Model: Carina Hsieh, Assistant Snapchat Editor at Cosmopolitan
Carina's long silvery layers have been right on trend for the last few years, but she wanted to try something new for Autumn 2016. Cooler temperatures call for cooler tones, right?
Trend: Smoky Purple
"With the seasons changing, we start to dress differently and match accordingly with the time of year," explains stylist Kelly Lin. "Blondes tend to go slightly darker, redheads go slightly richer and brunettes go a bit deeper." Basically, the goal is to add more dimension in the same color family. For Carina, this means going with a smoky, deep violet. She started with the lilac equivalent of platinum blonde, and ended with the purple version of being a brunette.
Before & After: Carina's Deeper Purple
"I love the color — I've never done such a bold dye job and I was very surprised by how wearable it is," she raves. Plus, it's encouraged her to experiment with darker colors in the future.
Makeover performed by stylist and salon cofounder Kelly Lin at Salon SCK.
Sam: Before
Model: Sam Escobar, Beauty Editor at GoodHousekeeping.com
After having platinum blonde, lilac or pink hair for the past two years, I was getting a little sick of light colors. I let my roots grow pretty long (as you can see) and allowed my previous pastel magenta hue fade to a warm rose gold. Still, part of me missed the vivid blue hair I had in my teens and early twenties, so I asked a pro to help me make the switch.
Trend: Mermaid Blues
To capture the mermaid hair color trend completely, the stylist applied multiple blue tones, ranging from turquoise to navy. "Blue hair is a color trend that continues to evolve with fashion and seasonal changes," says Ilias Zarbalis, master stylist and owner of Ilias Zarbalis New York City. The best part? Zarbalis says that "blue is a color that can work on almost any skin tone."
Before & After: Sam's Beachy Waves
I'll admit it: I'm obsessed with this hair color. I feel like myself again! In the sun, the variety of blue tones glitter and make my eye color stand out. Plus, having a slightly grown-out root means my style doesn't just look lazy if I don't go to the salon every six weeks on the dot.
Makeover performed by senior stylist at Ilias Zarbalis New York City.
Stephanie: Before
Model: Stephanie Fisher, Social Media Editor at GoodHousekeeping.com
Prior to her makeover, our resident social media pro had experimented with all sorts of colors, from pink to purple and beyond. But this autumn, she wanted to try a trend that gave her skin a radiant glow.
Trend: Sun-Kissed Ombre
To give Stephanie's hair a bit of brilliance, Labrecque used the balayage method to paint in two different shades. "One color is a lowlight to tone down the previous color, while the other is a medium golden blonde to weave in the honey hues she wanted," he explains. This is one trend that's guaranteed to come back year and after, so if you're curious, definitely give it a go.
Before & After: Stephanie's Brighter Tones
While her previous color was cute, it's clear that Stephanie's new look gives her skin a natural radiance. "I loved that it was such a subtle change — it was a really quick and easy update — yet made such a big difference in warming up my whole look," she says. "I feel like it gave my skin tone a boost just when my summer tan was starting to fade!"
Makeover performed by master stylist and salon owner Paul Labrecque at Paul Labrecque Salon.
Sam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things relating to cats. In their spare time, they enjoy watching scary movies, putting avocado on everything, and seeing how many shades of the rainbow they can dye their hair before 30.
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