Lowlights are the solution to faded, brassy color. Celebs love them. Genius colorist Denis de Souza explains why you should too.
The Definition
Think of the process as the reverse of highlighting: Instead of bleaching away pigment, color is added back into your strands. “We’re bringing highlighted hair closer to its natural shade,” says Denis De Souza, colorist at Andy Le Compte Salon and Color Wow artistic director.
The Need
It’s all about timing. Summer sun wreaks havoc on bleached hair, so by the time cold weather hits, your highlights are probably looking a little ragged. Plus fall is a great time to go deeper with your color. “Brown highlighted hair tends to get brassy and fade over time,” says De Souza. “Putting darker color over highlights makes hair look richer, more vibrant and boosts shine.”
The Maintenance
De Souza says your main defense against color fade and brassiness is a sulfate-free shampoo, like Color Wow Color Security Shampoo ($22; colorwowhair.com) “Sulfate-free shampoo keeps your hair cuticle flattened so pigments deposited during the coloring process don’t leech out as quickly,” says De Souza.
Check out your favorite celebs rocking lowlights in the gallery above.