With a new season comes new trends. Experts are predicting that a hair color they call copper-berry will be trending this fall. The bright, fresh, but somehow still warm shade is stunning, so we’re not surprised that we’ll soon see it everywhere. We chatted with celebrity colorists to get all the details on the fall hair color and how to achieve it so you can be ahead of the trend.
What is the copper-berry hair color?
When you hear copper-berry hair imagine a slightly warmer version of strawberry hair. Redken brand ambassador Matt Rez, who recently gave Ashlee Simpson a fall hair color refresh with this shade, describes it as “the perfect marriage of copper with strawberry blonde pops.”
Why is copper-berry hair trending for fall?
“It’s got fall vibes all over it,” says Rez. “She’s got the red undertones, gold in there and a little bit of strawberry—the perfect color for fall.” He notes that if you’ve always wanted to try going red, fall is the perfect time to do so. “We see a lot of that color in this season.”
Celebrity colorist Rita Hazan also says it’s a great fall hair color, noting that it works well with fall fashion. “It has depth, and a great transition from golden blonde to a rich copper red,” she says. Celebrity colorist Tania Whittier agrees that the color is trending, in part, “because it’s an easy way for a summer blonde to transition into fall.”
What to tell your colorist if you want to achieve the cooper-berry color:
Hazan suggests asking for “natural but bright copper tones with some highlights for dimension.” Whittier advises always bringing in pictures since people may have different versions of the color in their heads.
The experts also note that ahead of your appointment, you should decide whether you want to commit to this hair color long-term or short-term. “This is a color you will see grow out,” says Whittier.
For a short-term commitment, Whittier suggests highlights that help create dimension and have a softer regrowth, as compared to all-over color, which will require more time in the chair. “If it’s short-term and you want to try it on, I would highly suggest using Redken Shades EQ Gloss to get a red result,” suggests Rez. “It depends on your starting level, so if you’re in the blonding world, you can add gloss to it, but if you’re in the darker world, you can bump your base slightly, so there’s a lift and then deposit the gloss. It’s better than going the permanent route.”
Achieving the copper-berry color on Ashlee Simpson
If you want to nab Simpson’s exact color, Rez gave us the scoop on how he did it. It sounds like even her sister, Jessica Simpson, has her eye on the shade. Jessica commented on her Instagram post, calling her sister’s hair beautiful. “It looks like you have done it again…effortless trendsetting icon. Why can’t I be as cool as you?” writes Jessica.
Rez notes Simpson’s natural hair color is about a level 7.5. “I baby-lighted with Redken Chromatics clear and 10 volume Developer (my regular go-to mid-light formula) as her highlight and shifted her color to a level 8.5,” says Rez. “After removing her foils, I glossed her with Redken Shades EQ: 1.5 oz of Shades EQ 08C + 1.5 oz of Shades EQ 09AA + 1 oz of Shades EQ Bonder Inside Crystal Clear + 12g of Shades EQ Orange Kicker for 10 minutes. I did this twice as we decided we wanted more copper after the first time.”
He points out that it’s very important to add copper slowly since you can always add more, but it’s harder to take it out if you go overboard. “My motto is slow and steady when going warmer to give a client time to adjust,” says Mez. “This will fade on tone as it’s not a permanent color. The Redken Shades EQ Bonder Inside Crystal Clear helped to keep Ashley’s hair super healthy during the transition, and her color is super reflective as the integrity of her cuticle was preserved with bonder.”