Kyle White is one of the best in the biz when it comes to hair color. He has been singled out in New York Magazine’s “Best of” issue multiple times, and has been featured in ELLE, Vogue, InStyle, The New York Times, Allure, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Self, and countless other glossies. He’s even appeared on Oprah. We talked to the colorist, who works at the famed Oscar Blandi salon, to get his take on must-have products, the newest trends, and how we should be adjusting our hair color for the new season.
Most people look for a fresh color update. How do you explain to your clients on how to properly transition?
In the same way that we switch out our summer clothing for the fashions of fall, we should always adjust our hair color and the way we care for it in accordance with the change of season and the unique challenges this presents…I like to think of hair color as an accessory, in fact the most important accessory you have, because unlike a great bag or pair of Jimmy Choos, hair color is the one accessory you never take off.
Come the fall adjust your color by making it slightly darker and warmer than the bright pale shades that work so well in summer. As the sun begins moving further away from the earth and casts a bluer light, golden tones in your hair will bring warmth back to your skin that begins fade when we’re spending less time outside and our skin loses that sun-kissed glow. Deepening your color slightly will also ensure you’ve got contrast between your skin and your hair when the pale summer locks that worked so well with our summer glow can suddenly begin to wash out our fairer complexions.
Can you talk about ‘Sombré’?
Sombré is a softer, more natural looking version of the ombré trend. It’s about having a fine connecting highlight marrying the lighter ends to the darker roots, rather than the heavy bands and rings of color we’ve seen in the past. Still darker roots but the light ends are in sections, not solid tips, and the connecting strands drag the eye and blend the lines between the shades.
What products should you change to keep hair healthy when transitioning color?
At the salon, having a gold gloss will add depth and warmth to any shade in minutes. There has also been an explosion of at-home glosses that you can try yourself, like the Rita Hazan Foaming Color Gloss
Between the indoor heat and cold temperatures, everything seems drier during winter months. To keep hair healthy, try sleeping with a humidifier at night. This is a great way to boost moisture without weighing hair down, like serums and heavy conditioners can do.
If you’re not already doing a deep conditioning treatment once a week, then in the fall/winter months it’s more important then ever that you do. I’m a huge fan of essential oils for conditioning hair. One of the main reasons I love these so much is that the different oils each have their own unique benefits. For example olive oil has natural UV blocking properties and rose oil is great for removing dead skin cells and unclogging hair follicles, so you can customize your treatment based on your on specific needs. You can add these to your usual hair masque to boost its potency or just use them on their own. My personal favorite is coconut oil. It’s one of the heaviest oils and it penetrates two levels of the hair shaft making it long lasting and very effective, plus I just love the smell of coconuts. Simply heat a table spoon in the microwave, apply it to damp hair and leave for at least fifteen minutes, then shampoo out.
Do you predict any one color trend that will stick out this fall?
Bronde is going to be the big color for fall. It’s a mix of blonde and brown (think Jennifer Aniston and Sophia Vergara). I predict a lot of these in-between shades will be happening after seasons of white and platinum hair. Women are over these hard cool colors and want softer, more feminine shades, with bronde being on the top of the list.
