Beautiful Blonde

With blondes, colourists have always aimed to create depth and texture in the hair. "And that approach still looks great," says top colourist Zoe Irwin who championed a rooty, two-toned look this summer with her Cobain Chic technique (Google recent pictures of Drew Barrymore’s and you’ll get the picture).

But while the slightly grungy, rock chic blonde still looks fresh, this autumn she has serious competition from an altogether glossier, more grown-up blonde, epitomised by top model Raquel Zimmerman in Chloe’s zeitgeist-capturing AW10 campaign. Zimmerman’s caramel cascade reflects this season’s trend for hyper real hair – colour that’s effortless but enhanced, so it looks naturally perfect rather than perfectly natural.

One way to get it is to go organic. Cashmere Caramel is the new colour technique from Karine Jackson Hair and Beauty salon in Covent Garden, where a creamy pale blonde is layered over your natural hair colour and darker caramel tones swirled into the top layers. And the best bit? The colour used is ammonia-free, so hair will be soft and damage-free even after its transformation.

On the home hair front, Clairol have created five new blonde shades in their Nice ‘n’ Easy range, (£5.49 each). With a technology for eliminating brassy tones, they’re great for creating warm, golden, multi-tonal hair that looks rich and glossy. Think Park Avenue blonde, but for a teenth of the price. To maintain colour, try Daniel Hersheson’s new shine spray in Caramel Kiss, £20. Comb it through clean, damp hair and watch your colour gleam again.

New season colour secrets