Craving Copper Blonde Hair? Here are 9 Ways to Wear It

Dimensional hair is everything right now, and if there's one failsafe way to inject some movement, it's highlights. Balayage, ombre, babylights – anything goes, as long as you're adding new tones. This is why even staple hair colors like copper are enjoying a new-season upgrade, segueing from a single-tone red to a copper blonde that exudes healthy-looking radiance.

Intrigued? Then let's look at nine ways you can add a little blonde to your copper mane, featuring a range of fresh bleaching techniques, from balayage highlights to face-framing ribbons...

Strawberry Blonde vs. Copper Blonde: What's the Difference?

Strawberry blonde and copper blonde both sit on the light end of the red hair spectrum, but if you want a bolder color, a coppery glow is the way to go. Strawberry blonde tends to be soft and almost-peachy while copper blonde is a more intense hair color, dialling up the brightness and shine for an irresistible red haze.

But, ultimately, both shades are light, bright and beautiful. So, whether you want a juicy burst of strawberry or a vibrant copper color, you're going to lock in a red-blonde hue that's unforgettable. They each have orange, gold, and yellow undertones in common, brimming with the kind of richness that contrasts flawlessly against cool skin tones, while also working in harmony with warm complexions. With that kind of versatility, no wonder they're both such popular shades.

How Can I Wear Copper Blonde Hair?

1. Copper Blonde Ombre Hair

Image Credit: @jeremy.colorist

Calling all brunettes craving a copper blonde: this ombre look is for you. Dark at the roots and light through the ends, it’s a coppery masterpiece that’s not afraid of contrasting hues. Make it yours by asking your Wella colorist to use BlondorPlex for the pre-lightening phase, our bond-strengthening lightener that gives you up to 9 levels of lift and reduces hair breakage by 97%*. Then indulge in Color Touch for your toner, our vegan and ammonia-free demi-permanent color, now packed with Metal Purifier for true-to-tone vibrancy, no matter the condition of the hair. With more than 100 shades in its palette, it's easy for your colorist to mix up every shade in your ombre look: the dark root shadow, the copper mid-lengths and the red-blonde ends.

2. Auburn Blonde Hair Color

Image Credit: @uvasalon

If you love the hints of warm brown in an auburn mane but still crave lightness and brightness, ask your colorist to keep your lower layers a touch darker while focusing copper blonde tones through the top half. Not only does this lend an authentically sun-kissed appearance – the sun tends to hit the surface of your hair – but it also adds depth that feels fall-ready for a truly transeasonal look. We love Koleston Perfect for this kind of intense creation, our iconic permanent hair color that gives your colorist (and you) true-to-tone results. Think vibrant, intense and packed with shine, thanks to the built-in Metal Purifier. It also delivers up to 100% coverage of grey hair – ideal if you want your coppery auburn blonde hue to double up as camouflage.

3. Copper Blonde Balayage

Image Credit: @iamtonybelu

If you’re a natural redhead who wants to give blonde a try, balayage is the perfect technique. The lightness is focused through the mid-lengths and ends of your hair, so you can leave your roots untouched for the most seamless regrowth. In this show-stopper, you're seeing a zero-lift, zero-damage SHINEFINITY Color Glaze give hair a glow-up, resulting in copper blonde tones so glossy, you can almost feel the shine. Already pre-lightened blondes: you'll love this look too. The translucent veil of color will revive your grown-out highlights, leaving you with smoother and softer hair from one session. For a mirror-like finish, maintain the look at home with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum, a lustrous elixir that nourishes hair in 30 seconds for smoothness that lasts up to 3 days**.

4. Copper Hair with a Blonde Face Frame

Image Credit: @tuliorodriguees

One of the quickest and lowest-commitment ways to add blonde to copper hair is with face-framing highlights. Painting a halo of lightness through the front layers will make your hair and skin glow, while being subtle enough to keep hair firmly on Team Red. Our bond-strengthening lightener, BlondorPlex, is ideal for this look as it's also gentle on the often-fragile front layers of hair. Your colorist can sweep it through the face frame to give you up to 9 levels of lift and 97% less breakage*. Then, maintain the look at home with Color Fresh Mask in Copper Glow. Apply it to clean, damp hair on hair wash day, and the color depositing mask will nourish with argan oil while reviving those sparkly red tones.

5. Golden Copper Blonde Hair

Image Credit: @chiriac.ionela

This mane appears copper at first glance, but once the sun hits, those golden blonde tones beam through, giving hair a shiny, shimmery, ethereal finish. Illumina Color is the permanent hair color formula behind this look, and you can see the Microlights at play. This clever technology helps protect cuticle clarity, allowing light to actually enter your hair and illuminate it from within. The result: youthful, radiant, 100% natural-looking color. And the product benefits don't stop here. It also gives you up to 100% grey coverage, so you can disguise stray white hairs seamlessly.

6. Apricot Blonde Glass Hair

Image Credit: @heathershaw.hair @stephenaikencolour @francescohair.salons

Heard of glass skin? It's a Korean beauty trend that bestows your complexion with a mirror-like glow, built on layers of dewy toners, essences and serums. It's a look so irresistible that we're bringing the same aesthetic to your hair. Enter Golden Glass Hair, a Wella's menu of six signature looks that radiate a lustrous, glass-like finish. Here, you're seeing Apricot Glass Hair, a natural-looking shade that features copper blonde reflections, built like the skincare trend; with layers of color and care to illuminate your lengths. Book the service at your nearest Wella salon and your colorist will give you the glossiest copper.

7. Copper Honey Blonde Hair

Image Credit: @charlesjuniorlouw

Work two trends in one by giving this season’s lust-have honey blonde hue a hint of rich copper, as seen in this captivating, curly creation. With more than 100 shades in the portfolio, Color Touch is the perfect formula for the look, as it gives your colorist a wide range of options to fine-tune a shade that enhances your unique skin tone. So, whether you want to make it lighter, darker, warmer or cooler, embracing a copper-tinted honey blonde is simple. Wear the color all over or in highlights through a dark base shade for a burst of brightness. Then, dial up the glow with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum for mirror-like shine.

8. Peachy Copper Blonde Hair

Image Credit: @huesbygabrielle

If you want to give copper blonde a statement twist, ask your colorist for hints of pastel peach. You’ll still be working a wearable red but with an eye-catching, spring/summer-ready edge. We love SHINEFINITY Color Glaze for this look, because it comes in a range of peachy hues, letting your colorist mix up a pastel-tinted copper that suits your skin tone and style. Plus, the zero-lift, zero-damage, translucent veil of color also gives you 250% shinier hair***. Because what’s a copper peach without a lit-from-within glow?

9. Coppery Golden Blonde Hair

Image Credit: @romeufelipe

How dreamy is this? A sun-kissed golden bronde mane glints copper under the light, giving naturally brunette, pre-lightened blondes a subtler way to work red tones. We love a SHINEFINITY Flash Glaze for this look; a high speed toner with a five-minute processing time, injecting already-light lengths and ends with a 'blink and you'll miss it' rush of red. What's more, this translucent veil of color is zero damage and ammonia-free, so you can replicate these coppery curls with confidence. Just add NutriCurls Curlixir Balm for added bounce and definition through ringlets.

How to Maintain Copper Blonde Hair

1. Reveal Shine From Root to Tip

Lustrous, healthy hair is the perfect base for a copper blonde mane, so focus on shine-boosting care every wash day. Start with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo and ULTIMATE SMOOTH Conditioner, your dynamic duo for smooth, radiant strands. Powered by Squalane and Omega-9, they revive dull, frizzy hair with intense nourishment. For a weekly treat, apply the ULTIMATE SMOOTH Intense Mask. This rich, creamy, concentrated formula cares for hair inside out to leave it soft, silky, and visibly glowing.

2. Top Up Copper Tones at Home

Your copper blonde mane deserves a little extra love between salon visits, so keep the color looking salon-fresh with the Color Fresh Mask in Copper Glow or Peach Blush. On pre-lightened or colored hair, it boosts brightness and adds richness, all in just 10 minutes. Smooth it through clean, damp strands, let it develop, then rinse for a refreshed, amped-up hue. Bonus: it conditions while it colors with a dose of Argan Oil.

3. Repair and Glow with *This* Power Pair

Frizz and breakage can sap your hair’s shine, so fight back with this repair-and-glow combo:

• First, mist ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue from roots to ends. This ultra-fast leave-in treatment repairs visible damage in just 90 seconds**** with a blend of AHA and Omega-9.
• Follow with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum for fast-acting frizz control. Not only does it smooth, nourish, and give hair a healthy luster, but it also shields against heat damage and UV rays.

Now you've got the full lowdown on copper blonde hair, it's time to try the trend for yourself. Use our salon finder to discover your nearest Wella salon, and make these looks a reality.

* When using Wellaplex N°2 with Blondorplex, versus Blondorplex alone.

** When using ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum, if unwashed for 3 days vs. untreated.

*** Versus untreated bleached hair.

**** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.