Brunettes Will Swoon Over These Fall-Friendly Rainbow Hair Ideas

Updated on 9/27/2017 at 5:10 AM

When I first covered rainbow hair in the Summer of 2014, I was spotlighting a select few women who were bold enough to rock unexpected colorful coifs in everyday life. Since then, the style has evolved to become a universally beloved look. Whether you're walking through the streets of New York City or Hong Kong, you'll see dozens of varied manes, including rose gold hair, amethyst strands, or denim dye jobs.

Equally apparent as these vibrant heads of hair is that the rainbow trend is especially popular among blondes (both natural and bleached). This is because light strands are an excellent foundation for electric dye . . . the color just pops on top. As a brunette, I felt jealous of this advantageous hair color and bemoaned my darker 'do. That is, until colorist and Brush In Hand owner Hannah Edelman created the now-viral chocolate mauve trend, which incorporated the client's naturally brunette roots.

According to Edelman, almost all hair needs to be prelightened for rainbow.

"I ask my clients to imagine they have a half white, half dark brown piece of paper in front of them," said Edelman. "If they painted a pink line with watercolor paint across both halves, where would they see the color? Only on the white paper. Semipermanent hair color is the same: completely translucent." She added, "You cannot get around the fact the hair needs to be lightened."

In the world of hair dye, there is a color wheel that assigns numbers to (natural) hair colors, starting with one — black — and ending with platinum 10. To tint their strands with rainbow shades, brunettes need to lift their natural color to a minimum of a level six on the hair color wheel (which is the darkest shade of blond you can be without being a light brunette).

That said, if you are wary about making the plunge and fully committing to platinum blond, you can make the process easier on yourself and your hair. Try an ombré balayage style, which will fade nicely into a standard blond and require much less upkeep than a completely bleached foundation.

The rainbow hue you select will also indicate how much you should lighten your hair. "Blues and violets should have a level eight or nine base," said Edelman. (These are pale blonds.) "For reds, oranges, and yellows, and greens, hair needs to be lifted to a level seven or eight," but she acknowledged that red will be visible (albeit less powerful) on a level six blond. Those who feel passionate about achieving pastel hair should know that you must bleach your hair all the way to a "level 10 with minimal warmth" (white blond).

Now that you're likely feeling more intrigued about pursuing colorful hair, we have good news. Edelman has divulged her favorite Fall/Winter rainbow styles that cater best to brunettes. Should you be convinced that you won't be able to pull off your top pick with your complexion, don't be: your skin tone should not be the ultimate deciding factor.

"Vivids are already breaking the rules," she said. "You can rock anything as long as you're sassy." So whether you're in search of a more subtle style or a vivid rainbow look, you'll find some serious inspiration when you read on.

Chocolate Mauve

The color: Chocolate Mauve

Description: "This is a practical way to wear Fall's more muted tones without playing into clichés like pumpkin spice," noted Edelman, who described the shade as a harmonious blend of mauve, deep chocolate, pink, and warm, light brown.

Who it works for: Because it melds cool and warm hues, this is a flattering color on all complexions. It's also an excellent option for someone who wants a more subtle rainbow hair look.

Technique: After creating a shadow root using chocolate brown, Edelman painted irregular, diagonal sections of the hair with multiple tones, alternating as she went. Ask your colorist to concentrate the darker shades on the lower layers, while focusing the lighter shades on the top. "Even though the color is unnatural, following the light/dark placement that occurs naturally is always a good idea," she shared. "I think that's what makes this toe the line of natural and unnatural."

Ceylon Sapphire

The color: Ceylon Sapphire

Description: This vivid yet deep cobalt looks blue-black in indoor lighting, but shows off its spectacular dimension in direct sunlight.

Who it works for: Women with naturally dark brunette to black hair, especially those who have complexions with cool, neutral, or olive undertones. The green-blue tones in your skin will be quite complementary to this rich cyan color.

Technique: Before this transformation, Edelman's model had naturally black hair with blond highlights. The colorist then made her entire mane sapphire. "If you have an existing medium/light blond hair painting, ask your colorist for a deep-blue semipermanent single process," she advised. "I like to use Pravana Vivids blue mixed with a splash of violet and black."

Dark Moonstone

The color: Dark Moonstone

Description: "This is a fresh take on oil slick hair," stated Edelman, who used varied shades of violet, indigo, lavender, navy, and cobalt to achieve this look.

Who it works for: "The hair has to be about a level nine, ideally a 10, to achieve the paler shades," she cautioned. Overall, however, this color trend will be especially flattering on medium to light brunettes.

Technique: Edelman suggests looking for a colorist who specializes in using Vivids. "Ask them to concentrate depth on the underlayer of the hair and place light colors on your top layer and around your face," she said. This will add extra dimension to your look.

Slate Violet

The color: Slate Violet

Description: "This color melt is perfect for brunettes who have a platinum blond balayage from the Summer," said Edelman, who noted that dark roots will help blend the color's transition from purple into dark silver. "It's got the seasonal depth while remaining metallic and edgy."

Who it works for: Because of the naturally cool coloring of this hue, it will look best on those with cool or neutral undertones. If you have light eyes, the stormy base of this dye job will make your irises look even more piercing.

Technique: "Ask your colorist for a color melt," she recommended, "with deep violet at the root, medium slate-gray on the midsections, and a silver on the ends."

Stormy Gray

The color: Stormy Gray

Description: "This hair painting is a softer, lower maintenance take on silver," said Edelman. The deep roots beautifully contrast the silver ends, which are all brought together by ash-brown midsections. It even fades in a gorgeous way! "The ash brown and silver will behave as a toner for a cool, balanced blond," she added.

Who it works for: "I consider gray to be a neutral, so it can work for anyone."

Technique: To achieve this look, you'll need some patience as well as willingness to go platinum at the ends of your strands. (Underneath that icy silver is a level 10 blond.) For your toner, Edelman advises that you "ask for a double ash brown on the midsection that melts to a silver tone."

Neon Hibiscus

The color: Neon Hibiscus

Description: Instead of the typical moody Fall hues, this incorporates superbright tones of violet, magenta, orange, and pink. "This is a rad way to play with Summer's double-processed blond hair," Edelman remarked.

Who it works for: "When I do far-out colors, I'm looking at their personality more than their physical features," she stated. "Sometimes hair color needs to fit an attitude, not a complexion."

Technique: You will need to lift your hair to at least a level eight blond to proceed with neon hibiscus. Ask your colorist to melt sections of your hair with alternating colors to create a "natural" effect. "On the underlayer, violet was generally my beginning tone," Edelman noted. "As I went higher up the head, I used magenta as my base."

Blush Brunette

The color: Blush Brunette

Description: This is a brunette hue that's been livened up with hand-painted caramel dimension and pops of rose.

Who it works for: Women in search of workplace-friendly color that is very low commitment. Edelman pointed out, "This hair painting is three months old and looks brand new." She added, "there are no rules for the accent color." It would look stunning with the substitution of any vibrant hue!

Technique: Use this style to freshen up an existing balayage. "Ask for very thick slices (about half an inch) of your preferred fun color foiled in between the toner," she said. To add extra drama, you can rock that accent tone at the front of your hairline.

Pomegranate Brunette

The color: Pomegranate Brunette

Description: This balayage uses crimson, burgundy, and violet tones to create a bold, dimensional look. "It reminds me of a freshly fallen maple leaf," added Edelman.

Who it works for: As you might imagine, the contrast between this color and green/hazel eyes looks especially stunning, but pomegranate brunette is beautiful on all complexions. The colorist advises that women with cool undertones stick with these exact shades. "If you have warm peach and honey tones, ask for coppery accents instead of violet," she advised.

Technique: Ask your colorist for a burgundy shadow root with small irregular sections painted red and violet. For a more simplified version, Edelman suggests a bright red single process using semipermanent color.