Gingers rejoice! Red hair of every hue and shade is all the rage this year. The hot pizzazz that is copper has got us completely obsessed. All everyone wants to know is, can you get copper hair at home?
In the world of hair colour, it’s a new and exciting trend. This golden red shade is just as beautiful as it is bold. But will it suit you?
If you’re looking to try out this look at home, there are a few things you need to know before going all-in to get the coveted bronze glow.
We’re here with everything you need to know to get the on-trend look on point!
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Contents
- 1 What is copper hair colour?
- 2 What skin tone looks good with copper hair?
- 3 Can I pull off copper hair?
- 4 What hair styles suit copper hair?
- 5 Is copper hair hard to maintain?
- 6 How can I get copper hair at home?
- 7 Which copper hair dye should I use?
- 8 Best copper hair dyes at a glance.
- 9 TOP PICK!
- 10 Garnier Olia Copper Hair Colour Permanent.
- 11 How do you keep copper hair bright?
- 12 John Frieda Radiant Red Boosting Daily Shampoo For Red Hair
- 13 Catwalk by Tigi Fashionista Purple Shampoo and Conditioner.
- 14 Parting words
What is copper hair colour?
This hot hue is one of this years most popular red hair shades right now. It’s a bold, fiery, statement colour that gets you noticed and keeps you warm from season to season.
It’s a heady mix of golden, red and orange tones that magically combine to create a soft, subtle colour with a pop of brightness.
Along with rich auburn and cool rose gold, it’s one of the most coveted hair shades this year.
Despite it’s metallic name, most natural redheads have copper tones in their hair rather than the red tones you’d expect.
Natural red hair looks more like a dark red copper-blonde than an actual vibrant red. Those kinds of red colours are thanks to the wonders of our best friends the box dyes.
It’s also a fantastic base colour for all kinds of styles. From copper balayage to ombre, dark roots, colour melts, hair streaks and highlights. For all kinds of hair lengths and textures too.
From the deep dark copper tones of pumpkin to the more soft and subtle peach copper shades, there’s a tone or shade for everyone.
Check out the latest looks for ideas and inspiration.
What skin tone looks good with copper hair?
This colour is extremely versatile but whether or not it really suits you depends on the natural colour of your skin, your eyes and your base colour to begin with.
This colour really shines on people with a lighter base colour and those with fairer skin tones will glow in the contrast it makes. With tanned and olive skin, it’ll add richness and bring out your warm undertones.
Although copper is a warm colour that will suit people with warm tones, there are ways to cool it down.
If your undertones are cool, go for darker red-brown copper shades and steer away from colours that are too light or vibrant like mango or pumpkin.
You can also blend highlights and hair streaks to tone your hair down with ashy blonde or brown colours. These will add beautiful dimension and texture too.
Use our checklist below to find out whether your undertones are warm or cool.
If you have cool undertones:
- Your skin tone is pink or pale.
- You blush easily!
- Jewel and pastel colours are so your thing.
- The colour yellow washes you out and does not look good on you.
- You have blue not green veins in your wrist.
- Pearls and silver jewellery look awesome on you.
If you have warm undertones:
- You have red or golden tones in your natural hair.
- Your skin tone is golden, tan or olive.
- You might have freckles.
- You have green not blue veins in your wrist.
- You suit bright or rich shades better.
- Gold jewellery looks awesome on you.
Can I pull off copper hair?
You can also take our quick quiz to find out what colours you’re most suited to! Just click the image below.
You can also try on some virtual hair colours with the Best hair colour changing apps you need to use in 2022
What hair styles suit copper hair?
Copper hair looks great in a variety of styles, including sleek and straight, curly or wavy.
If you have layered hair, your copper locks will look especially fab with some tousled waves or curls.
For a red carpet-worthy look, try a chic updo or half-up, half-down style.
No matter what your hair type or length, there’s a gorgeous copper hairstyle out there for you!
Copper balayage
Copper balayage is a fantastic way to add a touch of fiery copper to your locks.
This technique involves painting on highlights in strategic places to create a natural-looking, sun-kissed effect.
You can ask your stylist for a few face-framing highlights, or go for an all-over copper balayage.
If you’re not ready to commit, try doing a copper balayage on your natural hair color.
This way, you can add as much or as little of the fiery hue as you want.
Plus, since the highlights are painted on, they will gradually fade out over time. So if you change your mind about the look, it won’t be permanent!
Red ombré
Another fun way to wear copper hair is with a red ombré.
This look involves transitioning from a rich, copper hue at the roots to a brighter, more fiery shade at the ends.
You can go bright and vibrant with a pillarbox red, or more subtle and softer with deep pink rose. You can also add blonde highlights at the end for a super gorgeous firey effect.
You can ask your stylist to do a gradual ombré, or go for a more dramatic effect by making the transition closer to your mid-lengths.
Blonde highlights
If you have a copper base, dyed or natural, you can also add blonde highlights to create a beautiful contrast.
The blonde highlights will help bring out the red tones in your hair, and give it a multidimensional look.
Go for cool blonde shades like ash or beige to contrast the warm tones or add golden blonde and honey shades for a hot look.
Auburn lowlights
If you want to give your copper hair a little depth, try adding some auburn lowlights.
This will help create a more natural-looking color, and give your hair some deeper. richer shades of reddy-brown.
Shadow roots
One of the hottest hair trends right now is dark roots. This look involves leaving your natural hair color at the roots, and transitioning to a lighter shade towards the ends.
It’s a great way to add depth and dimension to your hair and it’s a low maintenance style that grows out beautifully.
Is copper hair hard to maintain?
Because it’s part of the red colour gang, it means, just like red hair dye, it will unfortunately fade rather quickly.
This is because the dye is made up of extra large molecules that slide out of your hair with every wash.
To keep the colour locked in, you’ll need to use specially formulated shampoos and conditioners to make the colour stay rich and vibrant for longer.
How can I get copper hair at home?
It’s always a good idea to have a chat with your hairdresser if you’re thinking of trying a new colour. They’ll be happy to help.
How well your hair will take to this shade depends on the condition it’s in, whether it’s already colour treated and other considerations, as well as what your base colour is right now.
If your base colour hair is light brown to blonde – you have a good base for darker copper colours. If you want to go lighter or achieve that ultra-bright orange/ginger colour, you’ll need to pre-lighten your hair with bleach first.
If your base colour is mid-brunette and darker – you’ll need to pre-lighten your hair with bleach first to get the right colour base.
If you’re feeling confident and fancy taking the plunge at home, you’re in luck.
There are a wonderful range of bang on-trend copper box dyes that you can buy off the shelf to achieve that perfect all over bronze sheen.
Which copper hair dye should I use?
Here are some of the best copper box dyes you can try to put some bold, bronze beauty on your bonce today!
Our TOP PICK is below but you can read more about each one in our in-depth copper hair dye reviews.
Always do a strand test to determine what the colour will look like on your hair, compared to the picture on the box. And a patch test to check for any allergies.
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Best copper hair dyes at a glance.
| Product | Looks like | Best for | Buy now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schwarzkopf Live Intense Colour Hair Dye, Mango Twist. |   | Warm tones and blending. | |
| Garnier Olia Copper Hair Dye Permanent. |   | Vivid, long lasting copper hair colour. | |
| L'Oreal Preference Infinia, Mango Intense Copper Hair Dye. |   | Super soft copper hair colour. | |
| Garnier Nutrisse Natural Light Copper Permanent Hair Dye. |   | Subtle copper hair colour. | |
| Clairol Nice' n Easy Crème, Golden Auburn. |   | Warm, golden copper hair tones. |
TOP PICK!
Garnier Olia Copper Hair Colour Permanent.
They say:
- A vivid, bright, oil-powered hair colour
- No ammonia and a nice smell.
- Visibly improves the quality of hair
- Olia is all about oil that infuses and nourishes your hair.
Reviewers say:
“I used this hair dye along with the highlighter to lighten my hair first as it was a little too dark to begin with. What an awesome result . The colour gave my hair a glossy shine and covered all my pesky grey hairs. Love it.”
“This colour has serious staying power! I wash my hair every week and I only have to top up my hair every other month now. With other brands I was refreshing the colour every 3-4 weeks!”
“I have dark ash brown hair so I wasn’t expecting it to be too bright but it was! My hair has a lot of shine and when the sun hits it it’s so bright and glossy. I’m so pleased.”
We say:
This is a mighty vivid colour and for us it came out just like the box! We tried it on light brown hair and it’s on the orange side of orange-red and will no doubt become more orange as it washes out.
But the natural glint and richness of the colour is stunning and it’s a warm, almost golden-orange that made our skin look glowing too. It also lasted better than the other dyes we tried.
How do you keep copper hair bright?
This colour will fade fast if you don’t look after it with the right products.
Don’t wash your hair until at least 48 hours after you dye it at home and try to wash it no more than once a week if you can get away with it.
When you do, make sure you wash only with a shampoo and conditioner specially formulated to tone metallic hues. Which one is right for you depends on whether your colour has more red or golden undertones.
For red undertones:
You want to prolong the effects of any orange brassiness with red toning shampoos and conditioners. We love these from John Frieda that will deposit red pigment back into your hair, not take it away.
John Frieda Radiant Red Boosting Daily Shampoo For Red Hair
For golden undertones:
If your hair colour has golden glints to it, you need to prevent any yellow brassiness spoiling your vibe with a good purple shampoo and conditioner. We love the Catwalk range from TIGI.
Catwalk by Tigi Fashionista Purple Shampoo and Conditioner.
And don’t forget to follow all of our top coloured hair care tips in How to look after coloured hair can keep it luscious for longer.
Parting words
If you’re looking for a natural hue to brighten up your locks, copper is the colour of the year.
You can find it in all shades and hues – from ginger-blonde highlights to orange undertones with red accents.
Some people might think that they’ll need to go see their stylist if they want this look at home, but there are actually tons of ways you can get the look without any salon trip required.
We hope this article has given you the confidence to get this gorgeous colour at home!