I am not someone who changes her hair color on a whim. I dyed it once, very subtly, in college, then let the color completely grow out, which means I’ve spent the better part of the last six years with my natural, deep chocolate brown hair. I like being a brunette, and I had absolutely no interest in going blonde, black, or red. But after seeing "espresso brunette" everywhere this summer, I started to wonder if there was a way to make my hair feel a little more fun without going overboard.
That was exactly what I told Pamella Gonzalez, colorist at BENJAMIN Salon in New York, when I sat down in her chair. I wanted something flirty and fresh that would brighten up my face but still have enough depth to feel like my hair. Her answer was a barely-there veil of dimensional brown highlights without reading as obviously lightened—or requiring bleach, for that matter. In other words, I still looked like a brunette, just a slightly more expensive-looking one.
