Looking for summer hair inspo? Katie Holmes has got you covered. The actor turned director, beauty icon, and graphic tee connoisseur has done it again, turning heads with yet another legendary hairstyle and corresponding shade.
Holmes gave a masterclass on how brunettes can shake things up for the summertime, debuting a fresh take on her usual brunette shade with face-framing caramel highlights. Also known as brownie batter brunette or soft-frame espresso highlights, this look elevates deep natural brown hair with highlights and balayage, weaving dimension throughout the hair with hazelnut, caramel, honey, and brond tones.
“It’s a soft, rich brown-toned face frame; a mixture of teasy lights and balayage creates this simple yet luxurious appearance,” Lauren Mildice, a color specialist at Maxine Salon, tells Glamour. “This is an amazing change for brunettes, since most feel they have to add blond into their hair to create dimensions or a new look.”
Holmes and her go-to colorist, Gina Gilbert of New York City’s Marie Robinson Salon, pulled it off seamlessly, while her waist-length mermaid waves, created by celebrity hairstylist DJ Quintero, showed off the beautiful and bold dimension perfectly.
Holmes’s summertime shade, which she gave fans another glimpse of before hitting the red carpet, is right on trend. According to Mildice, hazelnut and caramel highlights are on the rise for brunettes in particular.
“The contrasting colors make a bold dimensional look on such a classic technique,” she says, describing the look as strong hazelnut brown color paneled throughout the hair with burnt hazelnut lowlights along with contrasting light blond pieces creating a glow of fun. “It’s a paneling technique with strong ribbons to create a whirling pattern with her back-combed hair structure,” she explains.
Holmes’s new look is also a cool new take on brownie batter brunette, which stars like Mindy Kaling and Camila Cabello have worn lately too. And you can see the dimension even better when her hair is straight.