The Brunette Version of Rose Gold Is Ridiculously Pretty

Much like the rose gold hue that we've been coveting for years, chocolate mauve lends an opalescent pastel color that elevates your natural hue—sans the use of bleach. And while the new color has yet to take off in the way that its predecessor did when Kylie Jenner debuted her look on Instagram in 2018, it was dubbed the new otherworldly shade for hair color experimentalists to try. 

A bit of background: In December 2017, PopSugar (by way of Reddit) ID'd New York-based creative color specialist Hannah Edelman as the mastermind behind this growing trend. They note that her work is actually the result of experimentation and an expert eye, melting warm Pravana Vivids brown hues with iridescent pink tones to create a natural balayage effect.

From there, the trend gained traction, and there was an explosion of beautiful chocolate-mauve shades in all these mesmerizing variations. The look is subtle, but deceptively so; it actually requires five different tints, and is crafted from greens, reds, yellows, and oranges, if you can believe it.

"It's a way to have a color in your hair that is still not too vibrant or too bold for everyday life," Cherin Choi at Nova Arts Salon says, "It fades quickly and is low commitment for someone wanting to try something new and different without feeling super uncomfortable with it being vibrant."

Adding a subtle mauve tone gives hair a slight dimension to it without looking like all one color, salon owner Jessica Scott says. Though this depends on what technique a stylist uses.

This overall color scheme is perfect for people who want creative color but might have work environments or other constraints preventing them from making any significant changes to their hair. It gives what's normally a flatter look a little more intrigue, forcing people to look a second or maybe even third time to get the full effect. No matter what, it's guaranteed to keep eyes on you.

Edelman advises either seeking out a stylist with experience in pastels or creative color or asking for a full head of balayage with a mauve toner or color melt. And as with any pastel color, these pink hues will fade very quickly—keep them around for as long as possible with a solid color-saving shampoo like Davines Minu Shampoo ($29).