Hair Trends

Kate Middleton's '3d brown' hair literally lights up her face and we'll all be copying, according to top colourists

Soooo flattering.
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Now that salons are finally open again, we're seeing some long-awaited hair trends rearing their heads. Whether it's fresh-faced fringes or undone blonde hair, the hair gurus at our favourite salons are giving us some much-needed inspo for our next trip to the hairdressers, because 'I woke up like this' hair is officially over.

And, of course, trend trailblazer Kate Middleton has dictated a new colour trend for summer following her first trip back to the salon. The royal, who usually plays it safe by sticking to her natural brunette hair hue, has given her ends a major freshen up for summer with a colour we're dubbing '3d brunette'. It's the perfectly way to add a touch of lightness to brunette hair without doing a Britney, basically.

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Kate debuted her three dimensional brunette hair on a royal engagement and the general public collectively lost their sh** at how flattering her new 'do was. Perfect for anyone with darker hair looking for a post-lockdown lift, 3d brunette actually makes your skin glow thanks to the way the light falls on your hair and lifts your skin tone. It's the blondest Kate has been and we're so into it (and keen to emulate it).

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As Bee Cottington at Lockonego, Kings Road for Redken & Pureology, explains: "3d brunette is super flattering, it brightens the skin tone, adds texture to hair and can help disguise grey hairs when they grow through.

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"The warmer hues complement most skin tones as they are less harsh and draining than cooler, flatter browns. When choosing a warmer tone for my clients, I always look at eye colour and try and pick out the warmer flecks I see.

It’s great post-lockdown as it gives your hair - and your complexion - a boost! It is a more natural and low-maintenance tone to keep on top of and gives you a softer grow-out."

Bee maintains that the look is super easy to achieve via bespoke balayaged highlights (basically asking your colourist to lift areas to complement your skin tone and hair colour) combined with a Redken SEQ gloss. "This duo will achieve the same look as Kate," she said. If you have grey hair or a few natural greys creeping in post-lockdown, she suggests combining a root touch-up with the gloss.

The best part? It doesn't require much maintenance. Whilst many people visit their hairdresser for a colour refresh every 6 weeks or so, the 3d brunette look is so much easier to keep on top of. "I would recommend my clients go come back every 4-6 weeks for their Redken SEQ gloss and would only need the highlights refreshed every second or third visit." To maintain the look at home and save yourself trips to the salon, Bee suggests buying toning haircare at home to keep the colour looking fresh in between appointments.

Anyone else tempted to keep up with Kate?

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