"Crunette" Hair Is the Easiest Way to Try the Copper Trend as a Brunette

Although some hair color trends seem to die as quickly as they come alive, the copper hair trend has remained steady since it started popping last year. Countless celebs are still hopping onto the trend (like Megan Fox at the 2023 Oscars), and there’s no sign that copper hair won’t be everywhere this spring, too. Still, if copper hair seems like too much of a leap from your current color, you can try the shade's subtler little sister: "crunette" hair color.

The Trends

"Crunette" is what happens when you mix copper and brunette—although this sounds dark in theory, the result is way brighter IRL and mimics the hue of a freshly baked croissant (yum). “[Crunette] is a great choice for those who are drawn to the intense copper shades but are hesitant to wear a brighter or bolder hair color,” says celebrity colorist and Creative Director of Evo, Tom Smith, who coined the term. “Crunette is an intensely warm and rich lighter shade of brunette with tones of butter and caramel.”

As a result, the crunette hair color features soft auburn tones that offer depth and brighten the complexion without being too in-your-face. Basically, crunette hair is the answer for those who've been hesitant to try copper hair because it's too fiery for their liking, If you’re looking for celebrity inspo to show to your colorist, stars like Jessica Chastain, Shakira, and Lana Del Rey during her "Born to Die" era are great examples of this trend.

How to Get Crunette Hair

When going for traditional copper hair, it's best to lift any darker brunette tones before adding in the red dye. Approaching crunette hair, however, is completely different. Says Smith, “This definitely isn't copper or blonde, so start with a light brown base shade (in hairdressing speak this is around a level seven). This shade requires golden, chocolate and copper tones—in that order.” Smith warns that the golden-to-chocolate-to-copper ratio is critical to nail since “too much copper will have the shade feel too orange, while too much chocolate can make the shade feel deeper and more classic brunette”—so it’s best to see a professional colorist who can mix a concoction for this hair color.

And if crunette hair sounds too monotone for you, Smith reminds us that you can have fun with it: “This color also works great with multi-tones so you can ask your stylist to play with high and low lights of copper, auburn and golden tones to give you more variation.” You can use crunette hair as a base for your chunky Y2K highlights, add money piece highlights for a face-framing look, or deepen the look with lowlights. The beauty of this hair color is that you can wear it however you want while still staying on trend for spring.