Pro colorists weigh in on how to recalibrate blonde, brunette, red, and raven hair color for autumn.
How to Transition Your Hair Color from Summer to Fall Like a Pro
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once said. The first step towards reinvention? Changing up your hair color, of course. “It's all about making [hair] richer, warmer, or cooler, as well as getting rid of unwanted tones from the sun and elements,” says colorist Aura Friedman, who suggests cleansing hair with Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo to undo the damage of fade-inducing sunlight, chlorine, and seawater. Once strands are detoxed, you can recalibrate your choice shade, she says. Here, the most sought-after pros weigh in on how to tweak your hair color come autumn.
BLONDE
Photographed by Theo Wenner, Vogue, January 2017
For blondes, there's no time like fall to embrace warmth. Why? Because “ashy and beige shades wash out your complexion,” explains Rita Hazan, the woman behind Beyoncé’s blanched lengths. Mèche Salon’s Matt Rez agrees; for glowing color with a graceful grow out, he first creates dimension with butterscotch lowlights, then bolsters highlights with a golden gloss, he says.
John Frieda Color Refreshing Warm Blonde Hair Gloss
Before lightening up, a brunette must go darker. "Usually brunettes get brassy in the summer, so go one or two shades darker with your single process to counteract any unwanted orange or red tones," says Hazan. For movement and pop, Rez likes to paint on soft ribbons of honey highlights, especially around the face.
Redken Color Extend Brownlights Blue Toning Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, August 2019
Whether washed-out ginger or eye-popping vermillion, avoid cool undertones. "Warmer tones, like auburn, tend to be more flattering," explains Hazan, who is partial to a solid color for redheads. To maintain vividness, the stylist's three-minute in-shower Ultimate Shine Gloss will protect color while giving it an extra boost. If you do want the balayage treatment, tone highlights with a copper or strawberry hue, adds Rez.
When the temperatures begin to drop, nothing suits jet-black hair like a cool-girl violet or a red tint achieved with gloss. But if it's simply more dimension you desire, deep cinnamon baby-highlights are key: "They add sparkle when the hair moves."
