It's finally happened—We've just hit the half-year mark and beauty editors and everywhere are starting to ID the trends that will take us into the latter half of 2024. So far, the biggest hair trends we've spotted this year have a reoccurring theme of piggybacking off huge trends we saw at the tail end of last year. Could it be considered a coincidence? Perhaps... but probably not. As we all know, trends come and go and often receive new, fresh names for us to fall in love with. One of the biggest trends that's made frequent reappearances over the past few months has been copper hair.
A select few of the most recognizable celebrities, content creators, and beauty gurus have all subscribed to at one point or another, and we're continuing to see more of it as we inch our way through summer. For me, the intrigue lies in the color's versatility; anyone can wear it with the right undertones and shades. I even gave it a try with my knotless braids last summer after seeing singer-songwriter and actress Halle Bailey appear as Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid wearing copper-colored locks!
Keep scrolling for a look into the trend through the eyes of one of the industry's biggest celebrity colorists and salon owners, Rita Hazan.
Finding The Perfect Shade of Copper
According to Hazan, the trend's popularity can be traced back to the viral Cowboy Copper color—a natural-looking shade that includes caramel highlights and red and brunette undertones (also widely referred to as warm undertones). The copper look can be achieved with a vast range of tones, including honey red, auburn, medium brown, and pumpkin spice. The tricky part is determining which of those tones are most complementary of your natural features.
Wondering if copper hair will look good on you? Pulling off copper hair comes down to curating the perfect hue for your skin tone. "If you have fair skin, freckles, etc., light brown and strawberry blond tones should be added to the copper color (almost like a strawberry color)," Hazan explains. "For those with medium or deeper skin tones, adding red or violet/mahogany hues to the copper will look best. Warm terracotta and rich sienna hues will also look great with this skin tone.
The Salon Visit and Upkeep
For the best results, Hazan discourages coloring your hair at home. It's best to let a professional tackle the challenge. While it can certainly be pricey and timely, she believes a salon visit is worth it to achieve healthy looking and feeling copper strands. Below, she shares with us her tried-and-tested guide to requesting your dream copper shade.
- For Strawberry Blond Copper hair, ask for copper with a strawberry blond undertone
- For Golden Copper hair, ask for deep red tones with dark multidimensional tints
- For Cherry Red Copper hair, ask for deep red tones with dark multidimensional tints
- For Natural-looking Copper hair, ask for true copper and red shades
- For Light Copper hair, ask for a soft red shade between blonde and strawberry blonde
- For Copper Brunette Hair, ask for chocolate brown and dark copper
- For Copper Highlights, ask for a shade between red and brunette
Like any other hair color, maintenance is important for extending its wear. Copper hair is renowned for being very high-maintenance because red colors fade the fastest. Depending on the person, Hazan recommends receiving touch ups every 4-6 weeks; targeting the ends and roots at every appointment to combat fading and root regrowth. You should also expect to get a maintenance gloss that will promote a brighter color for about 8-10 washes.
Between appointments, over-washing should also be avoided as it can easily lead to faded color. Hazan encourages anyone who has copper hair to be extremely picky about which products you use on wash day. "It is recommended to use color-safe shampoos and conditioners to keep the red color as vibrant as possible before your next appointment," she says. Additionally, using heat on your hair can also cause the color to fade. Stay on top of your upkeep and touchups to hit the breaks on fading (and keep an eye on the ends, as that's where you'll see signs of it first).
Ready to dive into your copper era with confidence? Keep scrolling for a detailed list of our favorite color boosting, protecting, and nourishing products as well as the content creators and celebrities we're looking to for hair inspiration.
Copper Hair on Content Creators
Allison Ho announced her hair color (a departure for her natural shade) with a car selfie. Her hair catches the sunlight and highlights her best features.
New York City-based content creator Ana Rivera shows us how she styles her luscious copper curls with an eye-catching floral accessory.
Allison McNamara, founder of Mara Beauty, shows off her vibrant copper strands while visiting Santa Barbara on a wine country adventure.
We're not saying she's a time-traveler, but this picture of Symphani Soto sporting long, luscious copper hair has major Hollywood starlet energy.
Copper Hair on Celebrities
EmRata nearly broke the internet when she posted this picture last July. Her bright strands were the creation of celebrity hairstylist Jenny Perry.
We'll always look to veteran actress Julianne Moore for copper hair inspiration (especially when there's eye-catching texture).
Looking for a new style? Try a sleek, copper-toned ponytail like Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira wore on the red carpet of the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
If you're feeling hesitant to go completely red, take the Hailey Bieber route and opt for a natural-looking, brown-copper shade for your strands.
Here's another example of a copper-brown shade that's versatile and timeless worn by actress Olivia Cooke for the Loewe Paris Fashion Week 2024 show.
Dynevor is majorly missed in the Bridgerton universe, but we're happy we don't have to say goodbye to her gorgeous copper hair anytime soon.
To say we're obsessed with Tell Me Lies' Grace Van Patten's light (borderline orange) copper color would be the understatement of the century.
Sydney Sweeney wore this sleek, strawberry blonde copper style in 2022 on The Ellen Show and we're still not over it.
Hazan's Favorite Products for Copper Hair
According to Hazan, the True Color Ultimate Shine Gloss is designed specifically for color-treated/color-damaged hair and helps be adding shine to strands. The shine gloss is safe for all hair types and textures and formulated without sulfates, sodium chlorides, and parabens.
Hazan likes these because, "[they're] crafted from a vegan, sulfate-free formula that's great for cleansing color treated hair."Formulated with detangling and hydrating agents to restore your hair to its healthiest state, this duo is a must for extending the wear of your copper color with a high-gloss finish.
Lastly, Hazan encourages adding this Redken mask to the haircare routine since it's ultra-conditioning, helps lock in moisture, and addresses damage. It also promotes shine for three days and delivers 72 hours of hydration to the strands.