Toasty Melt, Brown Ale, Mulled Wine: No, these aren't menu items at a hot new restaurant, but the latest crop of food- and drink-inspired hair colors that are blowing up on Instagram.
The latest shade to join the party is a perfect way for brunettes to get into the red trend without going all the way. Named "Raspberry Bourbon" by Popsugar, the color takes a cue from its namesake drink and has a rich mahogany base swirled with ribbons of warm red on the ends. It's perfect for the colder weather.
"I think Raspberry Bourbon hair color is so appealing because it feels like highlights for the winter," Devon Toth, hairstylist at NYC-based Salon SCK, tells Glamour. "It's an unexpected way of brightening up your hair color during a season when people typically take their hair shade a bit darker. The depth is still there but it melts into this bright, rustic mahogany tone. It's an evolution of the cherry hair color with an added hint of purple."
Stephanie Brown, master colorist at New York's IGK Salon Soho, says she's recently noticed an uptick in her brunette clients trying red shades and credits Zendaya's gorgeous copper shade at the Emmys. "Seeing how amazing it looks on her is probably why people are wanting to play with reds now—maybe not as bold, but are trying more of an ombré with it," she says. She also adds that winter is the perfect time to dip into this trend, since "warming up your color for fall and winter helps add a little glow to your skin when we now see little sunlight."
Brown suggests asking your stylist for a partial ombré with the copper shade because it can look brassy if there's too much color. She also says to bring photos of the exact red you want in order to ensure you're happy with it, since everyone interprets red differently. For brighter pops of color, Toth suggests asking for a touch of purple in your highlights and for balayage on your ends. For something more subtle, he says to "ask for foil highlights if you want to see the raspberry hues throughout the whole style from roots to ends."
Both experts are quick to point out that this particular shade needs some extra TLC because red trends to fade much faster than other colors. "Make sure you use color safe products to prevent your hair from oxidizing," says Brown. "Don’t take too-hot showers, the water should be as cool as you can take it so your hair doesn’t oxidize. Dry shampoo is your friend!"
In order to keep the color vibrant, Toth also recommends using an at-home color-depositing shampoo and conditioner (try Overtone). He also suggests going into your salon for a monthly gloss. "What I like about this is you can enjoy some of the color fade before it gets too aggressive, and while you're in the salon, they can really richen up your roots with a single process as well," he says.
If you're looking to ease into red yourself, scroll on for some of our favorite ways to wear Raspberry Bourbon hair.
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty associate at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
