According to celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of L.A.'s Nine Zero One salon Riawna Capri, dirty brunette is a universal shade that works for those with both cool and warm complexions. (Much like actress Elizabeth Olsen, as featured above). "It all depends on the skin tone and existing tone of the hair," Capri explained. "If a brunette has fair skin and an ashier natural colour, it’s best to keep her on the neutral side to complement and work with her existing tones. Same goes for warm," she added.
In fact, Capri is so confident about the shade that she even asked Nine Zero One colourist Lauren Burke to create the look on her own locks. "A dirty brunette has a more neutral, smokey vibe rather than super icy or super warm shades," explained the colourist. "Instead, it's a perfect balance of both."
So if you’re thinking about trying the trend out for yourself, it’s best to ask your hairdresser for foilyage, which is basically a balayage technique, but in a foil. As Burke puts it, "dirty brunette is a seamless shade that shouldn't register as too blonde or appear too streaky", so it’s important to accurately and consistently lift the hair then tone it to create the most natural-looking result.
