Kim Kardashian West has had a seasonal hair switch-up, with her new hue being unveiled by celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton on Instagram. The A-list hair guru captioned the photo of his famous client: “Autumn hair color Cool Chocolate brown” – adding an emoji of fall leaves for good measure.
Inspired by the reality star’s transformation? You’re not the only one. “*Books an immediate hair appointment,*” one Instagram user commented beneath Appleton’s photo, which has already garnered more than 119,792 likes. So what does it take to get “cool chocolate” locks for yourself? Here, professional colorist Tony Culver gives his verdict on Kim K’s new do and breaks down everything you need to know to cop the look.
View this post on Instagram
First, Culver recommends going to a professional colorist to achieve the perfect Kardashian-inspired color. “I would do a baby balayage [to create this look]. So you pre-lighten some of the ends of the hair, as you can see on Kim’s,” he explains. “Balayage is when you freehand comb color into hair, predominantly through the mid-lengths and ends. But not tons of balayage – just very, very gentle.”
When you’re talking to your colorist about the look you want, be sure to key in on these details, provided by Culver. “You would tone it with some sort of suede-y, frosty brown. It’s that perfect mix between cool and a little bit of the warmth of chocolate.”
If you’re already a natural brunette, you’ll get the best results. “Brunettes, traditionally with modern hair dye, always ‘wash up’ warm, which most brunettes hate. They want it to be cool, so it would be geared towards people with brunette hair,” says Culver.
It will also need a lot of upkeep. “What happens with color like that is, it ‘washes up’ warm, so it’s a commitment to toning it every few weeks to keep the coolness in it,” explains Culver. Fortunately, there are plenty of shampoos and conditioners with violet or blue undertones that are perfect for keeping the coolness of the color intact – and one of our favorites is super affordable.
And last, but certainly not least, Kardashian’s specific shade can be a little pricey to maintain. “You definitely can’t do this at home. It takes real expertise for this kind of brunette,” adds Culver. “You would price it like a set of highlights. It takes the same amount of time, so depending on where you go, it could be anything from £150 to £400 (AED 680 to 2,000).”
