However, the misconception with most, is the colours is in fact an ‘all over shade’ painted from root to tip across the whole head.  Commonly hair colourists believe it to be 5.4 (Red Mahogany Brown).  In fact the colour is a mixture of base colour (canvas) and technique.

To achieve this colour, simply apply foils to the entire head, with a 0.4 (red tone).  Then paint a 4.0 (Medium Brown) to the base colour (or canvas).  The bright red will intermix with the mid brown, creating an overall ‘Vibrant Copper’ effect as illustrated left.

Debra Messing from TV’s ‘Will and Grace’ sports a healthy mane of flamed tresses.  As with Sharon (above), Debra’s hair is not one ‘block’ colour.  Instead two differing shades are added to give a multi-dimensional effect.

Here the Balayage technique is used and thick sections of hair – across the head – painted with an 8.4 (Light Copper Blonde) shade.  The overall base colour (or canvas) is Debra’s natural shade but this colour can be duplicated by using a 6.54 (Dark Golden Copper Blonde).  The variation in depth, whilst maintaining warm tones, gives Debra a striking overall ‘auburn’ hair colour.

Celebrity Brunettes

Catherine Zeta Jones’ rich brunette hair is a shade that many women aspire to.  Commonly referred to as ‘Chocolate Brown’ the error many make when trying to emulate the colour is selecting a shade that is far too dark.  Typically they pick a dark brown or black and apply the colorant throughout the whole head.  This creates a ‘flat’ black colour that appears more like ‘witch hair’.

To create the ‘Catherine Zeta Jones’ shade a technique called overlapping or ‘smudging’ is used, where two different shades (almost identical) are brushed directly onto the hair, one section of colour sitting immediately on top of the other (almost exact) shade.  The two shades used on Catherine’s hair 4.0 (Medium Brown) and 5.0 (Light Brown).  Both shades have a tiny amount of 0.3 (violet) tone added to them, this violet tinge neutralises any ‘orange’ hue and ensures the hair has a true ‘chocolate’ tone.

Charlotte Church’s Light Caramel Brown is a subtle multi tonal shade that sits neatly between Blonde and Brunette.  The colour is achieved by working with Charlotte’s natural 5.0 (Light Brown) base colour, and adding a three colour foil mix containing: 10.01 (Pale Ash Blonde), 9.0 (Lightest Blonde) and 8.0 (Light Blonde)..

Because Charlotte’s hair would naturally have a degree of warmth to it, the highlights take on a golden tone, however the 10.01 highlights (the lightest in the mix) containing a cool blonde tinge because the ash (0.1) tone neutralises any warmth in these particular areas.  Charlotte’s colour is based almost exactly on the method and the technique used for Jennifer Aniston’s hair.

Jennifer Aniston: The Most Requested ‘Celebrity Blonde’

The hair colour on the left is THE most asked for shade in hair salons across the world.  Since appearing on the TV series ‘Friends’, Jennifer Aniston’s hair has reached iconic status.  The colour looks extremely impressive on screen and displays varying depths that combine to create an overall mid blonde/honey colour.  However, many clients find (after asking for the same effect) that results on their own hair appear streaky and artificial looking.  The secret to achieving the shade is very simplistic, but the technique used is quite detailed.

Jennifer Aniston's hair is naturally a very flat Dark Blonde (6.0).  To achieve this look her colourist, Michael Canale, applies foils throughout her entire head.  The foils contain fine weaves of hair, so no particular ‘weave’ can be noticed above the others.  He alternates the colorant inside the foils, but using only base colours – so absolutely no tone.  The foil mix is as follows:- 8.0 Light Blonde, 9.0 (Light Blonde) and 10.0 (Pale Blonde).  He adds a very small amount of foils containing bleach, but only applies the bleach from mid length to ends onto super fine weaves of hair.  This gives a ‘sun kissed’ look.

Once all the foils are in place, Michael then coats Jennifer’s ‘unfoiled, loose’ hair (or base colour/canvas) with a 7.0 (Medium Blonde) colorant.  This 7.0 (Medium Blonde) base shade, is only one level lighter than Jennifer’s natural 6.0 (Dark Blonde) hair colour, however it bridges the difference in depth from the natural shade to the new ‘artificial one’.  Jennifer now has an overall base colour (or canvas) or 7.0 and the highlight mix within her hair consists of 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, so the colours blend perfectly.  Because her natural colour is quite dark, it displays a degree of warmth when lightened, but all the colours featured on the hair are so close in depth and tone the hair does not appear streaky or artificial.  The big mistake many colourists make, is to use highly tonal colours in the foil mix, but leave the client’s natural base shade (or canvas) untouched.