Copper Hair Is the Colour of the Season. Here's Exactly How to Ask for It

Copper has been creeping up for a few seasons, and it suits the moment. After years of cool, ashy blondes and mushroom browns, warmth feels fresh again. It also photographs beautifully, catching light in a way flat brown never does, which explains why stylists' feeds are full of it.

It is more flexible than its reputation suggests. Copper is a family, not a single colour, running from pale strawberry blonde to a deep, almost brown auburn. There is a version for most skin tones. The trick is picking the right temperature.

Strawberry copper. A soft, pinky-gold shade for fair skin and natural blondes. The lowest commitment, as it grows out gently.

True copper. Bright, coin-coloured and unmistakable. Best on light to medium skin with warm or neutral undertones. If gold jewellery suits you more than silver, you can probably wear it.

Cowboy copper. A browner, dustier copper, like a well-worn saddle. It is the easiest version for most people, and particularly good on olive skin.

Deep auburn. Red-brown with a copper glow in the light. Gorgeous on deeper skin tones and dark brunettes, and achievable without much bleach, so it is kinder to the hair.

Bring three pictures: one you love, one that's close, and one you definitely don't want. Words like red, ginger and copper mean very different things to different people, and a picture of what to avoid is often more useful than the dream shot. Ask whether your hair needs lightening first. Going from dark brown to a bright copper usually does, which means more time, more money and more aftercare.

Always ask for a strand test, especially if you have had colour before. And be honest about how often you'll come back. Copper fades faster than any other shade, because red molecules are the largest and slip out of the hair quickest. A gloss every six to eight weeks keeps it bright.

Wash less and wash cool. Hot water opens the hair cuticle and lets colour escape. Use a sulphate-free shampoo like Colour Wow Color Security, and top up between appointments with a colour-depositing product. John Frieda Radiant Red is an easy pick from Boots, and a copper-tinted gloss mask once a week makes a visible difference. If you've lightened to get there, a bond-repair treatment like K18 helps keep hair strong.

Heat protection is not optional. Straighteners can literally cook the colour out. And UV fades red fast, so a hat on bright days helps, even in October.

Copper hair changes what suits you. Brown and bronze eyeshadow look richer. Peach and terracotta blush suddenly make sense. Cool pinks can look a bit flat. Our guide to blush and bronzer this autumn has the right shades. In the wardrobe, chocolate brown, cream, navy and camel all make copper glow. Bright orange is too much of a match. Black works, but it is harsher than you'd expect.

Getting out of copper is harder than getting in. Red pigment lingers, and going back to a cool blonde can take several sessions. If you're unsure, try a semi-permanent gloss first. It washes out in a few weeks and tells you whether the warmth suits you. Not a flaw, just good sense.