From tone-on-tone dressing to softly coordinated makeup and beautifully blended hair color, monochrome is setting the mood for the season. Meet Copper Glow and Espresso Brunette, two ways to make the trend your own.
Some of the best outfits come together around a single color. A chocolate knit with brown suede and dark leather boots, or a camel coat layered over slightly different shades of the same warm neutral. The colors don’t need to match exactly. It’s the combination of tones and textures that makes the look work.
You see it in interiors, too, where walls, fabrics and furniture share a palette, and in makeup, with similar shades swept across eyes, cheeks and lips. There’s a simplicity to the overall effect, even when several elements have gone into creating it.
In hair, that same approach opens up endless possibilities. Think copper with glints of amber and deeper red woven through it, or espresso brunette with a mahogany reflection through the lengths. The color feels cohesive, with subtle depth and dimension that catch the light.
That’s the inspiration behind the AW26 Monochromatic Edit. Inspired by modern minimalism, Copper Glow and Espresso Brunette bring together low-contrast, tone-on-tone color for a natural-looking finish.
The Trend: Monochromatic Hair Color
Monochromatic hair brings together shades from the same color family. Lighter pieces, deeper accents and subtle variations in tone blend together to create a distinctive copper, brunette or blonde.
The key is controlling the contrast. With tones sitting closer together, the transitions are softer, giving the hair dimension without a pronounced change between light and dark. For brunettes, a warmer reflection through the lengths can give a familiar shade a fresh feel. In copper hair, a blend of amber and red creates subtle shifts in warmth that become more visible as the hair moves.
“Any color palette, any hair cut, any hair type can have their own interpretation of Monochromatic color,” says Wella Professionals Global Ambassador James Earnshaw.
That flexibility is a big part of the appeal. The palette and placement can be personalized to the client’s skin tone, haircut and texture. There’s room for a subtle refresh or a more noticeable change, with the same tone-on-tone approach bringing it all together.
Copper Glow
Copper is an easy color to fall for at this time of year. As temperatures drop, its warmth echoes the rusts and reds making their way back into our wardrobes. Copper Glow captures that mood with a blend of earthy depth, amber light and red warmth.
The look is built around Burl Wool as the base, Amber Glow as the tone and Red Earth as the accent. Together, they create a copper that looks lit from within. As the hair moves, the lighter and deeper tones become more visible, bringing out the shape of waves, curls and layers. Adjusting the balance and placement gives stylists room to make the look their own.
With Koleston Perfect and Color Touch, stylists can build the copper palette around the hair they’re working with and the shade they want to achieve.
Copper Glow: Step by Step
The Formula
1. BASE: Koleston Perfect
- Formula A: Roots: 10g 8/0 + 10g 0/43 + 10g 0/33 + 40g 6/34 + 70g 6%
2. ACCENT: Koleston Perfect
- Formula B: Ends: 15g 77/43 + 30g 0/33 + 30g 10/0 + 75g 12%
3. LIGHTS: Blondorplex9
- Formula C: Highlights: 30g Blondorplex9 + 60g 6%
4. TONER: Color Touch
- FORMULA D: 60g 7/43 + 5g 0/34 + 130g 4%
The Steps
BASE: Apply formula A to all the roots of the hair.
LIGHTS: Create a large chevron section in the top and side of the head. Take thick slices and saturate the lengths and ends with formula C. Leave a slice of hair between each foil & apply formula B.
ACCENT: Starting at the nape, alternate formula A & B through the lengths and ends. On some sections, apply formula A-B-A for a marbled effect. Develop up to 40 minutes.
TONER: Apply formula D to the hair and comb through. Develop for 20 minutes.
Post Color Care: ULTIMATE COLOR
- ULTIMATE COLOR SHAMPOO
- ULTIMATE COLOR COLOR SEALER LIQUID LAYER
- ULTIMATE COLOR LEAVE-IN MASK
- Refresh with Copper Glow Color Fresh Mask.
Espresso Brunette
As autumn moves into winter, richer browns make their way into our wardrobes and our hair color. Espresso Brunette brings that seasonal depth to life with a deep chocolate base and a touch of red warmth that catches the light.
The look is built around Espresso as the base, Chocolate Sauce as the accent and Raspberry Mahogany as the gloss. Together, they create a rich, glossy brunette with subtle highs and lows through the lengths. The raspberry mahogany brings warmth and character to the deeper tones.
With Illumina Color and Shinefinity, stylists can adjust the accents and gloss to bring through a little more warmth or keep the finish closer to espresso.
Espresso Brunette: Step by Step
The Formula
1. BASE: Illumina Color
- FORMULA A: Roots: 30g 4/ + 30g 5/02 + 60g 6%
2. ACCENT: Illumina Color
- FORMULA B: Ends: 20g 5/81 + 20g 7/81 + 20g 6/76 + 60g 12%
3. LIGHTS: Blondorplex9
- FORMULA C: Highlights: 30g Blondorplex9 + 60g 6%
4. GLOSS: Shinefinity
- FORMULA D: 20g 07/75 + 5g 05/98 + 5g 00/56 + 30g Activator
The Steps
BASE: Apply formula A to all the roots of the hair.
ACCENT: Starting at the nape, alternate formula A & B through the lengths and ends.
LIGHTS: In the side sections, take large zig-zag slices and saturate the lengths and ends with formula C. Leave a slice of hair between each foil & apply formula B. Develop up to 40 minutes.
GLOSS: Apply formula D to the hair and comb through. Develop for 20 minutes.
Post Color Care: ULTIMATE COLOR
- ULTIMATE COLOR SHAMPOO
- ULTIMATE COLOR COLOR SEALER LIQUID LAYER
- ULTIMATE COLOR LEAVE-IN MASK
- Refresh with Cool Espresso & Rose Blaze Color Fresh Masks
Bringing the Trend Behind the Chair
Start by asking what they love about their hair and what they’d like to change. That might be a richer version of their usual shade, a little more warmth or some brightness around the face. Those details help guide the tones and placement that will make the look their own.
To build the color, a monochromatic service brings together four elements:
- Base: Cover, lift, deepen or refresh the roots.
- Lights: Add brightness around the face.
- Accent: Bring in subtle tone-on-tone dimension with shades from the same color family.
- Gloss or toner: Bring the tones together for the finished look.
To create a monochromatic look, we suggest building it with 60% base, 30% accent and 10% lights, then finishing with a gloss or toner. Plan where each shade will have the most impact, whether that’s adding brightness through the lengths or bringing out the shape of a cut.
Finding the Right Service
You can introduce monochromatic color during a grey coverage appointment, add dimension to an all-over shade or create a more noticeable seasonal change. Start with the service they’re coming in for, then talk through how much change they want to see and the maintenance that works for them.
Core: Grey Coverage
For someone who comes in for full-head grey coverage, bring a tone-on-tone approach to the service, taking inspiration from Infinite Bronde and Infinite Cocoa. Talk through whether they prefer a lighter bronde or a richer brunette, then choose tones that give them the coverage they need with a soft, natural-looking finish. It’s a way to make a familiar appointment feel fresh while keeping their preferences at the heart of the color.
Signature: Pure Color
If they love their all-over shade but want a little more dimension, add panels in a complementary tone, taking inspiration from Pure Copper and Pure Golden. It’s a way to introduce subtle highs and lows without adding much time to their usual appointment. Discuss how much warmth they’d like to see, then place the panels to bring out the shape of their cut and give their color a fresh feel.
What’s Hot!: Monochromatic Color
For someone ready to take their regular root touch-up further, combine permanent and demi-permanent color to build a complete tone-on-tone look, inspired by Copper Glow or Espresso Brunette. Choose a base, add complementary accents and lights, then finish with a gloss or toner to bring it all together. The balance of depth, brightness and warmth gives you room to make the look their own.
Give the Color the Care It Deserves
Once the color is complete, help them care for it at home. Talk through what their hair needs and how they like to style it, then recommend a routine they can easily keep up with. For Copper Glow, recommend ULTIMATE SMOOTH to nourish the hair and leave it feeling smooth, with a finish that shows off those amber and red tones. For Espresso Brunette, suggest ULTIMATE COLOR for color vibrancy up to 10 weeks.*
*With regular use of ULTIMATE COLOR regimen from salon to home.