AMBER IS SET TO BE 2023’S MUST-HAVE RED

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02.01.2023

AMBER IS SET TO BE 2023’S MUST-HAVE RED

With golden-red tones that shimmer and shine in the sun, amber hair color is set to be one of 2023’s most vibrant trends. Your red-haired clients are likely to start requesting this copper-meets-ginger shade. Here, we reveal exactly how you can create amber hair in the salon – complete with formulas, inspiration, and tips

WHAT COLOR IS AMBER HAIR COLOR?

Ginger hair It’s beautifully bright and vibrant, delivering warmth and boldness in a single look. If your clients want a show-stopping red, point them in the direction of a true amber hue, or take it softer with amber brown and amber blonde looks. This is one vivid yet versatile red hair shade.

HOW DO YOU Create the perfect AMBER look?

1. ASSESS WHICH AMBER SHADE WILL SUIT YOUR CLIENT

With the right formula tweaks, amber hair color can suit both warm and cool skin tones. For cool tones, lean into lighter amber hues with a little more apricot or strawberry blonde added into the mix. For neutral or warm skin tones, you can take the shade as bold as your client craves, or even create amber brown hair with rich chocolate and golden brown pieces. You’ll find plenty of inspiration below.

2. PRE-LIGHTEN TO SUIT YOUR COLOR TECHNIQUE

There are so many ways to create amber hair, from freehand looks like balayage and foilyage, to patterned techniques such as highlights and ombre hair. If you plan to paint your client’s amber hues freehand, reach for Blondor Freelights, which has an adhesive mass to ensure it stays exactly where you sweep it. Bond-strengthening BlondorPlex is perfect for more precise painting, so use it when your client wants an all-over lift or defined root-to-tip highlights.

3. CHOOSE VIBRANT REDS WITH A HINT OF GOLD IN THE FORMULA

In the Koleston Perfect and Color Touch palettes, you’ll find a collection of shades called Vibrant Reds, from which you can mix up an amber hair color with ease. Plus, if your client is hoping to camouflage grays with their new shade, Koleston Perfect permanent hair colors will offer up to 100% gray coverage. Look for hues with a 3 after the stroke in the color number, as this indicates there’s gold in the shade. For example, 7/43 (a medium red gold) or 8/34 (a light blonde gold red). Meanwhile, Shinefinity Color Glaze in 08/34 Spicy Ginger, 07/34 Paprika Spice and 06/43 Copper Sunset will serve up some warm amber flawlessly.

6 AMBER HAIR COLOR FORMULAS

TRUE AMBER HAIR COLOR

Image Credit: @so.lacie

This gold-flecked, vibrant amber hair color is as true to the trend as it gets. Bold, bright and brilliant, it was crafted first with BlondorPlex + 3% to lighten locks to perfection. Then, Koleston Perfect 77/44 + 77/43 was applied as a root shadow, which melted into 8/43 + 77/43 + 1.9% through the mid-lengths. 10 minutes later, the mid formula was run through the ends, so it only stayed on the hair for four minutes. This was just long enough to create the most seamless glow from root to very tip.

AMBER BROWN HAIR

Image Credit: @rosicurls

For a more muted take on amber hair, make it an amber brown mane. The shade will still be striking, but also ultra-wearable, thanks to undertones of auburn, ginger and caramel. Case in point: this amber brunette hair masterpiece, which was perfected using Koleston Perfect 8/41 + 8/34 on the roots, and a single dose of 8/34 on the mid-lengths and ends. Because the formulas were applied to an existing brunette base, the red toners gave just a kiss of amber color to brown strands – soft and seamless.

AMBER BLONDE HAIR

Image Credit: @mareksyriste

Hello, amber glow. This bold amber blonde hair color is a Koleston Perfect creation, featuring 8/34 + 0/30 + 12%. Try applying the formula to hair that’s first been lifted with BlondorPlex, and consider diluting with Clear 0/00 if your client wants the shade to be softer and blonder. Amber blonde shades are perfect for light-haired clients craving a dose of red, and you can personalize the color to be as subtle or bold as they like.

LIGHT AMBER HAIR COLOR

Image Credit: @jhonyveiga

It’s easy to see why this light amber hair color has been stacking up so many ‘likes’ on Instagram. With a soft-focus sheen, it delivers unrivaled radiance to Jhony Veiga’s client’s curls. This is thanks, in part, to the inclusion of Illumina Color in the formula; a permanent color that reveals unseen light reflections in the hair. Try it by pre-lightening hair with BlondorPlex first (if needed), then mixing 9/43 with 7/43 for an amber shade and fresh color that’s, in a word, mesmerizing.

SPICED AMBER HAIR COLOR

Image Credit: @colormeamberr

If your client already has copper hair and they want to give it a bold amber edge, the Color Fresh Mask in Copper Glow is their go-to. With just a touch of tint, it will elevate their copper to create a gem-like glow – and best of all, it’s premixed and quick to apply, so you can refresh their shade fast. Simply apply the mask to clean, damp hair in place of a conditioner, and comb it through with a wide-toothed comb to evenly distribute. Then, after 10 minutes, rinse the mask out thoroughly. For a bolder result, leave it in for longer; here, AmberLynn allowed it to work for up to 30 minutes.

GOLDEN AMBER HAIR COLOR

Image Credit: @energy.hair

Golden blondes and amber tones work in perfect harmony, so this look can only be described as our ultimate amber hair goals. Our freehand lightener, Blondor Freelights + 9%, was used to create the multi-tonal base, before Illumina Color 7/43 + 9/43 + 1.9% was swept through to tone from roots to ends. If you wanted to make this look even more impactful (if that’s even possible), you could also add some peach blonde highlights for contrast.

Don’t forget to share your creations with us on Instagram by tagging them with @WellaHairUSA.