We might have had a slightly extended summer thanks to the unprecedented warm weather over the last few weeks, but the seasons are changing, the clocks go back in a few weeks and you might be starting to wonder how to transition your hair from summer into winter mode.

If that is the case, you’ve come to the right place. We spoke to hair stylist and trend forecaster Tom Smith, who tells us that this year’s answer to the ‘expensive’ blonde and brunette trends from last year come in the form of ‘beurre brunette’ and the ‘Bündchen balayage’, which is inspired by supermodel Gisele and her naturally highlighted hair colour. 

“These shades are not only great options to refresh tired brown or blonde hair, but they can also work in harmony with any leftover summer highlighters, or if you’ve noticed a sprinkling of natural grey that you may want to cover,” says Smith.

But what are these shades and what should you be asking your colourist for? First up, we asked Smith about beurre brunette. “My references for this shade are Helena Christensen, Alexa Chung and Emma Mackey,” he says. “Beurre brunette translates as ‘brown butter’ and it’s a great choice for softening any potential harshness when colouring with a darker base.”

It’s a shade that sits under the same umbrella as ‘expensive brunette’ in that it’s luxe and has lots of multi-tonal dimensions. “It’s a great way of upgrading brown hair for winter or to make the most of any leftover lightness from summer or it can be a great option for those who are mostly dark-haired but are starting to see natural grey hairs making their way in,” says Smith. 

“By adding lightness and dimension to the hair, while not necessarily covering the greys, draws the focus away from them, making it an ideal choice for anybody wishing to work in harmony with their changing hair colour rather than fighting against it.”

Beurre brunette is ideal for darker to mid-brown bases, and Smith says that your colourist should weave buttery, golden ribbons into the hair in fine pieces, ensuring they’re lighter around the sides of the face and gradually disappear as they get closer to the root.

Meanwhile, Bündchen balayage is inspired by the model herself, alongside the likes of Blake Lively and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. “Gisele isn’t a new source of inspiration, but her ‘better than natural’ dimensional blonde is perfect for those who love their hair the most when they’re just back from a sunny holiday,” says Smith. 

“We’re seeing more versions of her earthy golden tones on other celebrities – like Blake and Rosie – and the main trick to achieving the colour is to keep hand-painted highlights away from the root, while retaining some of the deeper base colour in the mid-lengths and ends.”

The only downside here is that it’s a shade that relies on a light brown or dark blonde natural base colour, so Smith says it doesn’t tend to look as harmonious or understated on dyed hair.

Images: Getty