I tried the viral ‘candlelit brunette’ hair trend – here’s how to get the look
Spring is officially here – and what better way to embark on the new season than with a fresh new mane?
Over the last few weeks I’ve been mulling over what sort of look to herald the start of the lighter months coming in, and the one that appeared most alluring, was ‘candlelit brunette.’
Tipped to be one of the hottest hair hues of the season, alongside auburn and uptown blonde, the concept of candlelit brunette enlists a glossy and rich shade of brown which is subtly lit up with highlights.
Trending on TikTok with over 7.5m views, the look is inspired by the likes of supermodel Kaia Gerber and is warm, illuminated and vibrant.
I entrusted Alexandra McBurnie, a stylist at the renowned Rainbow Room salon on Great Western Road in Glasgow, with creating the look on my hair, which I’d neglected for a matter of months.
“The candlelit brunette trend is a subtle type of balayage but it has a lot more contrasting and varying tones than just simply blonde,” Alexandra explained.
“With this look you use more than one bleach and the colour appears illuminated rather than blocky and it is designed to almost shimmer through the hair, giving it that ‘candlelit’ look.
“TikTok is really pushing out a lot of hair trends at the moment which is inspiring people to come to us with new looks that they’ve maybe never tried before.”
So how can you achieve candlelit brunette hair?
Alexandra explained that the look can be achieved by the stylist first backcombing the root of the hair to prevent the dye from going all the way to the root to create a naturally highlighted effect.
She said: “This is a warm and youthful balayage look, as people are moving away from requesting just blonde highlights and moving into an era where instead they want warmer tones, such as lighter brown highlights running through or a mix of caramel and copper.
“The balayage look has evolved from being blocky or harsh to a warmer, softer look. We used Schwarzkopf products, first using a rich and glossy brunette and then copper and blonde tones to create multidimensional highlights through the hair. I use the copper in chunkier pieces to really make these stand out and pop against the darker shades.
“These are colours that work well together and blend harmoniously whilst providing some contrast against the darker main shade. It’s such a flattering look and the warmer tones can really compliment any skintone.”
Alexandra used a slightly cooler shade of dark brunette on my hair to cancel the warmth of my previous copper strands, a bleach to lift the colour of certain strands more intensely and a mix of copper and blonde tint for the candlelit sections. Both of these were used on very small sections of hair, resulting in a flawless blend of brown tones. A huge benefit is that this look is easy to maintain and can be adapted through the different seasons for an updated look.
I love the way light reflects the different tones in my hair after having this transformation and it definitely provides a glamorous spin on traditional brunette looks.
To book the look at Rainbow Rooms visit www.rainbowroominternational.com or follow @rainbowroomint and @rainbowroomint.gwr
