Scan your Instagram feed and you’ll notice a pattern. A pattern of people dyeing their hair red.
But not just any old shade of red. I’m talking about a very specific dimensional blend of golden oranges and reds I’m calling ‘cinnamon hair’.
Cinnamon hair isn’t entirely new – people have been coveting red hair for decades. But this week, I noticed two former Aussie reality TV stars have given cinnamon hair a go.
WATCH: Here are five ways to lift your hair game, post continues after video!
The first is Martha Kalifatidis, former Married At First Sight contestant-turned-influencer. She posted her hair transformation from dark brown to this light, golden copper over two salon sessions on Instagram.
Former Bachelor contestant, influencer and podcaster Abbie Chatfield has also gone red.
Her colour starts dark at the roots and fades lighter on the ends, and even includes a few face-framing pieces around her face.
So now I’ve got to thinking… wait, do I want to go red?
It doesn’t help I work with the perfect colour reference, a walking Pantone swatch for what I’d ideally like to achieve – Mamamia’s Senior Lifestyle Writer and beauty guru Amy Clark. Have you seen her red hair? It’s glorious.
Sadly, we can’t all have luscious virgin locks like Amy. She literally woke up like that.
But we can achieve a version of it, says Edwards & Co founder Jaye Edwards. The hairstylist behind some of the most coveted manes in Australia confirms the colour trend is indeed a thing.
“It’s definitely something I’m seeing with my clients, a lot of them are requesting it,” he says. “It’s a beautiful golden copper cinnamon tone.”
Here, Edwards shares what to consider when making the switch, and how you can go about achieving it with your colourist.
Will red hair hair suit you?
Most likely, absolutely. The good thing is there’s an interpretation of this colour for everyone, Edwards says.
“I think this particular trend suits so many different people,” Edwards explains.
“The different variations of cinnamon, whether it be gold or more coppery, suit different skin tones. I feel like a couple of years ago women would NEVER have this done to their hair – but it’s so complimentary.”
How to choose your shade of red.
If you think cinnamon hair might be for you, the first thing you’ll want to consider is your natural tone, Edwards says.
“This type of colour works best when it’s kept in the same realm of depth as your natural colour. If you stay close to your natural colour and don’t venture too far out, it will last so long. If you’re light naturally, and you go darker to create those tones, that won’t last as long.”
So if you’ve got a naturally lighter base, you might go for lighter, brighter cinnamon tones to ensure your colour goes the distance. But if your base is brunette or black, he suggests opting for a darker cinnamon-tinted brunette that will wash out subtly, like Kendall’s colour.
Euphoria actor Zendaya has been doing a lived-in take on a deep brown-red for months now, and it’s working for her.
How do I achieve my chosen colour?
“Firstly, always take a photo with you,” Edwards says. From there, it can be a relatively easy transition to make – as opposed to achieving the ashy blonde tones that have been popular in the past.
“When you lighten hair, depending on what base you’re starting from, first it may have to lift to orange, and then to gold, and then to yellow,” he says.
“To create a cinnamon tone you only have to lift to yellow, so you’re keeping that warmth in the hair. Whereas two or five years ago women wanted ash – so you have to lift past yellow to get that, and then put colour back into the hair, and it would wash out. Because essentially the tone in the hair was fake.
“With cinnamon, the tone lasts longer in the hair. It won’t wash out as quickly, because it has more to hold onto.”
You might just find your new forever colour. The Politician star Zoey Deutch has naturally lighter strands, but her covetable tawny bob has become her signature.
Should I ask for highlights or balayage?
Edwards prefers to achieve these colours using highlighting techniques, so foiling.
“That’s my preference because you can really control the result you’re going to get. You can predict what the hair will lift to, how much you want to put into the hair, if you want it to be really soft and subtle, or if you want it contrasting and vibrant.”
And if you’re thinking you should be going lighter for summer because that just seems to be what people do, it’s time to shift that paradigm.
“I think there’s a movement away from that,” says Edwards. “It’s moving towards ‘Let’s get that golden glow happening’.”
Now COVID-19 restrictions are easing and it’s safe to have a socially-distanced salon visit, all that’s left to do is gather the courage to go red. I believe in you.
Feature image: Instagram/@marthaa__k and @abbiechatfield.
Would you try cinnamon hair or dyeing your hair red? Tell us in the comments below.
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