Hair "Shadowing" Is the Best Thing That's Happened to Fall Dye Jobs

A darker dye job for fall? Groundbreaking, I know. But as of late, it's not as simple as taking your single process down a few levels. Hair painting innovations have upped the ante for getting the longest shelf life out of a dye job. Two recent examples are Gigi Hadid, who took her California beach blonde to an autumnal bronde (blonde + brown) and Jennifer Lawrence, who was platinum over the summer, but is now a dark, icy blonde.

In both instances, their colorists used the "shadowing" technique to not just create more dimension, but to roll out the red carpet for grow out—which let's be real, has officially transitioned from I-must-hide-this-under-a-hat to Parisian insouciance. Chic with lazy-girl appeal, the color just gets better as you skip touch-up appointments and indulge in cozy cold weather behavior like bingeing on Netflix or getting "cuffed" to a significant other (because 'tis the season).

So if you're looking to go darker this fall or winter, make like the effortlessly-cool Gigis and JLaws of the world and ask your colorist to use a gloss for a rooting/shadowing effect. "If you're lifting your natural base color, I wouldn't go any lighter than two levels," explains celebrity colorist Matt Rez. "For highlights, it shouldn't be any higher than three to five levels."

Be it for a classic ombré, or just to hold onto some of that summery, sun-kissed lightness, darker roots give you freedom. "The face-framing highlights and shadow through the top and interiors will give you a pop to the color," says Rez.

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