Summer Switch: How to Get an Ombre 'Do Like Kim Kardashian

Unless you've gone on some sort of social media hiatus (teach us your ways 🙏), you're fully aware of Kim Kardashian's recent "midnight haircut" and new ombré 'do. The latter being the pièce de résistance of the look, IMHO.

Softer and more honey-hued than the dip-dyed dye jobs she's gone for in the past, it's perfect for easing into the warmer months. Not to mention, it works perfectly with summer's messier, lived-in texture.

So that you can recreate Kim's new ombré color, as well as her strategically-layered cut and beachy waves, we got the play-by-plays from the man behind the look himself Cesar Ramirez, MIZANI's global artistic director.

The Ombré Dye Job

Okay, so here's what went down AKA what you should ask your own colorist to do. First, Ramirez started of with a chocolate brown base with fine, tone-on-tone highlights for subtle dimension right off the bat. Then, he painted on some bolder toffee and caramel pieces to frame her face. Ramirez calls this a "revamp" to the traditional ombré as it'll give you more of a lived-in, grown-out feel so people don't think you're trying *too* hard.

The "Invisible" Layers Cut

After cutting off 5 inches of Kim's hair, he created "invisible" layers, which are more muted than standard layers. The trick is that rather than cutting bluntly across the hair, he used quicker snips that follow the way the hair falls naturally. This is because Kim likes to be able to style her hair as if it were all one length for special occasions, but loves a cool bedhead look for day to day. Et voilà! The best-of-both-worlds cut of your dreams. (*Taking notes.*)

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The Beach Waves

Full disclosure: the secret to this look is not trying so hard, says Ramirez. After prepping the hair, Ramirez added MIZANI Thermastrength Heat Styling Serum to the colored ends to make them look strong again. Then, he rough dried the hair (AKA finger-combing while blasting with the dryer) before using a flat iron to build texture, as the heat will help set the styling. Boom.

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Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.