Off-Black Brunette Is the Edgy Solution to Summertime Hair Color Trends

BACK TO BLACKOff-Black Brunette Is the Edgy Solution to Summertime Hair Color Trends Perfect if you fancy a grungier, alternative spring hair shade.May 4, 2022off black hair color trend on megan fox lily james and lucy haleGetty Images

Spring and summer trends can be pretty predictable – like florals, pastels, and taking our hair color a little lighter. But one rebel trend is changing all that. Off-black hair is intercepting normal proceedings with a renegade shade that offers up a grungier, richer alternative for the season. 

Of course, deep brown is a beautiful natural hair colour in its own right, but almost-black – well, that requires hair dye. Hair tends to be multi-tonal across all shades and textures, even if those shade nuances are super subtle, so though naturally dark hair "may look black from first impression, what we're actually seeing is the darkest brunette, with a very, very cool tone," explains colorist Tom Smith. 

Natural dark brunettes such as Olivia Rodrigo and Megan Fox are sporting "off-black hair," explains Smith, but recently we've seen natural blondes and mousey brunettes looking to get in on the action by switching to ultra-deep brunette shades. 

Lily James is the latest celeb to swap to the dark side, trading in her cappuccino blonde strands for a darker gradient after surprising us all with platinum blonde strands for her stint as Pamela Anderson in Hulu's Pam & Tommy. Likewise, actress Zoey Deutch traded in her trademark auburn red hair for a rich brunette at the 2021 Met Gala in September, and she's been inching closer to black ever since. Natural blonde Katy Perry has made raven strands her signature, and Dove Cameron has made the same switch recently. Plus, after bleaching her hair white blonde for this year's Grammy Awards, Dua Lipa dyed her hair back to (almost) black straight after.

While it's not the default direction most of us tend to head in for spring/summer, an ultra-deep brunette hair color is edgy, unexpected, but still super pretty. It has grit and depth you can't get from blonde. 

Fancy it for yourself? "Cool-toned colors always appear darker than warmer colors," says Smith. So to achieve the depth that dark-haired babes enjoy, ask your hair colorist for "extremely ashy and cool tones with no red tones or warmth in there. It almost has a bluish tone in certain lights," he adds.

As for the rest of your beauty look, a dramatic new hair color usually requires tweaking your makeup routine. Darker hair colors can make you look a little washed out — ideal if you're feeling the grungy aesthetic that's popping off on TikTok. But if not, introducing warmer tones and going a little heavier with your bronzer can balance things out. And since our skin tone naturally warms up going into summer, it's actually a perfect time to go dark.

Here's how the celebs are doing it.

Lily James

James matched her brunette hair with warmer tones using bronzy makeup, gold eye shadow, and a rich rosebud lip.  

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Dua Lipa

Lipa has gone back to almost-black, which is her natural hair color, so the shade already suits her beautifully. But we love how she's added interest through hairstyling with baby braids and highlights.

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Zooey Deutch

Deutch's hair is entering black-brown territory, but she's nodding to her auburn shade with a teensy hint of warmth in the undertone as well as warm-toned plum liner.

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Megan Fox

Fox has always been known for her dark hair, but it's even darker than usual currently, as she's moved away from the subtle latte highlights and ombré that she's rocked previously. 

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Lucy Hale

Lucy Hale is a chameleon when it comes to her hair colour, having tried everything from platinum blonde to honey, amber, cinnamon, copper, and standard brunette. Lately, she's settled on an ultra-dark, almost-black brunette, which she tends to pair with fresh makeup and lots of pretty pink tones.

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Katy Perry

Katy is a natural blonde, surprisingly. But she's made almost-black-brunette her trademark, and the deep shade works perfectly for her.

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Dove Cameron

Dove swapped out her long blonde hair for a darker brunette that makes her blue eyes stand out even more. To soften it up, she's opted for a little warmth in the undertone rather than heading all the way to black.

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This story originally appeared on glamour.co.uk.

More on hair color:

  • "Vanilla Almond Butter" Is TikTok's Favorite Summer Hair Color Trend
  • 24 Summer Hair-Color Trends to Try This Season
  • The 22 Best At-Home Hair-Color Kits for a Successful DIY Dye Job

Now, see how hair color has evolved within the past 100 years:

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Elle Turner joined GLAMOUR as Deputy Beauty Editor in June 2019. Elle previously worked for The Telegraph and was part of The Pool’s founding team. She has built up a vast knowledge of the digital landscape and is an award-nominated beauty journalist. Her special interests include in-depth skincare (the more... Read moreKeywordssyndicationNewshair colorbrown hairHairlily jamesLucy Halezoey deutchMegan Fox

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Originally posted on: https://www.allure.com/story/off-black-brunette-hair-color-trend