Last updated: December 01, 2023

Expensive Brunette: Your Guide To 2022’s Biggest Color Trend

Photo via Instagram @andrewfitzsimons

Master This Year’s Brunette Craze—Every Tip You Need To Know

2022 already looks to be the year of brunette. The monochromatic look took off on social media when celebs began trading their signature styles for dark tones without dimension. Check out our must-know tips from the pros for filling lightened hair, avoiding muddy tones and shade matching hacks to take your blonde clients darker and your dark clients richer!

Choosing Shades To Fill Blonde Hair

Lightened face frames like money pieces were big last year, so filling them is an important step before applying dark colors. Tedious we know, but do NOT skip this. Lightened hair is porous and needs the filler pigment added to create a solid base for the brunette shades to process. (Not to mention—this will avoid your client calling you in a week with green hair!)

Color specialist Kelley Brandon (@kelleyscanvas) recommends using your client’s natural undertone to choose your filling shades. “I used Schwarzkopf Professional tbh Hair Color in shades 5-06N with a splash of 6-04 because my client’s color is not super warm, so I wanted to maintain a good balance and mimic the natural hair,” Kelley explains.

Pro Tip: Let clients know their maintenance appointments may be more frequent. “Color will fade because of the porosity of previously lightened hair! I always make sure I communicate that with my clients,” says Kelley.

Transition From Balayage To Natural Brunette WITHOUT Splotches

Avoid splotches when transitioning from light to dark by paying VERY close attention! Saturation is crucial to achieving a rich, believable shade without hollow spots, so be careful of hair clumping together while you apply color.

Get the most even blend possible by brushing color through the client’s hair. “I start off the application with a normal color brush, then immediately follow with a hairbrush through each section. I do this because I can color large surfaces quickly, which cuts my application time in half while evenly distributing the color,” says Anna Marie (@anna.m.neun), a color and extension specialist from Woodbridge, Va.

Formula: Joico LumiShine YouthLock Permanent Crème Color 4NNG + ⅛ part 4AA + 5-Volume LumiShine Developer

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Create Visible Texture On Dark Hair

Once you’ve achieved the rich, dark brunette of your client’s dreams, it’s time to give her a style that shows off your work. But yes, it can be tricky to style brunette hair AND showcase texture. That’s why Carolynn Judd (@styled_by_carolynn) layers products on wet and dry hair to build texture from the start. Here’s how she does it:

Wet Hair: Start with Moroccanoil® Volume Shampoo & Conditioner followed by Volumizing Mousse to create a solid base before styling.
Dry Hair: Apply a combo of Moroccanoil® Perfect Defense, Texture Clay (at the roots) and Dry Texture Spray for long-lasting volume you can see on dark hair!

Pro Tip: Send clients home with Moroccanoil® Color Depositing Mask in shade Cocoa for a refresh between visits. This foolproof product not only richens their brunette shade, it also provides the treatment benefits of a deep conditioning mask—without disrupting your base formula.

Trending Inspo

You’ve probably noticed celebs like Camilla Cabello, Megan Fox and Billie Eilish showing off their spin on the expensive brunette—a term forecasted by Evo artist Tom Smith (@tomsmithhd)—trend this season. Grab inspo from the celebrity stylists who have taken the a-listers to the dark side!