How To Get A Pumpkin Spice Hair Color For Fall

With fall in full swing, perhaps it’s time to give your hair a seasonal refresh with a trendy fall hair color, like pumpkin spice. This coppery hair color is inspired by the delicious pumpkin-spice flavored coffee drinks served at your favorite café. If you’re worried that pumpkin spice hair is too orange, think again. Pumpkin spice hair is a warm brown hair color that has red and copper undertones reminiscent of fall leaves. It can also range in depth and tone to be flattering for multiple skin tones. 

If you want to try pumpkin spice hair yourself, keep reading for all the details on how to find the right shade of pumpkin spice hair for your skin tone, how to get the color and how to keep your color spicy through the entire fall season. 

The Best Shade Of Pumpkin Spice Hair Color Based On Your Skin Tone 

One of the best things about pumpkin spice hair is that it’s customizable — meaning you can create a unique shade that’s flattering on you. Use your skin tone as a guide to find the most complementary shade of pumpkin spice hair for you. 

If you have a fair skin tone, opt for pumpkin spice hair with copper and orange tones. If you have a dark skin tone, go for pumpkin spice hair with honey and deep amber tones. You can also add in golden blonde highlights for additional dimension. If you’re heading to the salon, ask your colorist about adding balayage highlights to brighten up your pumpkin spice hair. 

Keep in mind that adding highlights to your hair will require bleaching. The darker your base shade, the more work will be necessary to achieve your desired end result. Plus, pumpkin spice hair isn’t exactly low maintenance — root regrowth will be noticeable. So, you’ll want to budget time for regular touch ups if you want to keep your pumpkin spice hair looking fresh.

How To Get Pumpkin Spice Hair At Home 

Since this shade is customizable, a professional colorist can help you get the look you want. But you can also get an all-over pumpkin spice hair color at home if you’re into DIY hair coloring. Remember, the L’Oréal Paris Haircolor Concierge is available to you to help you pick the most flattering shade for you. 

The L’Oréal Paris Féria in Power Copper is a bright pumpkin spice color that looks beautiful on a wide range of skin tones. It provides shimmering, dimensional color without being too harsh on your hair. 

If you prefer a slightly more muted option, try the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Lightest Auburn which provides a shiny color that's fade-resistant for up to eight weeks. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package to get the best results for your pumpkin spice hair color. 

How To Take Care Of Pumpkin Spice Hair 

Once you’ve achieved your desired hair color, it’s important to use color-safe hair care products to ensure that your hair remains in pristine condition. For your wash routine, try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Color Care Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Color Care Conditioner. This duo is safe for color-treated hair and works to repair damage that can occur as a result of bleaching and coloring by strengthening weak hair bonds from the inside out. 

To enhance your color and add shine to your hair, add the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Copper into your hair care routine too. This at-home hair gloss treatment works to tone your color, boost shine and deeply condition the hair in just one easy step. 

Next: Is It Okay To Bleach Wet Hair?

Written by: Alyssa Kaplan, Photo Credit: Emilia J Evison, IG/@emilia.j.evison

What Pumpkin Spice Hair Shade Complements Your Skin Tone

One of the best things about pumpkin spice hair is that it’s customizable — meaning you can create a unique shade that’s personalized to you. Since this color mirrors popular pumpkin spice latte drinks, the color can vary from light auburn to deep brown cowboy copper — another popular fall color. Use your skin tone as a guide to find your best shade of pumpkin spice hair. 

Pumpkin Spice Hair Colors for Light Skin Tones

If you have fair skin, opt for pumpkin spice hair with copper and orange tones as these colors will shine bright against your skin. Darker auburn and cinnamon orange colors are also gorgeous shades of pumpkin spice, but keep in mind they veer more red and brown against lighter skin tones. Try a bright shade like L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Lightest Auburn or an intense orange with L’Oréal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Power Copper which have vibrant undertones with fiery highlights that won’t wash out light complexions. 

Pumpkin Spice Hair Colors for Dark Skin Tones

If you have a darker skin tone, go for a pumpkin spice shade with honey and deep amber tones. These copper and auburn shades will blend with your complexion for an added radiance that’ll make you look like you’re glowing. Try a shade like the L’Oréal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Auburn Brown or L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Light Auburn which emphasizes natural brown tones for a bright pumpkin spice color.

Regardless of your skin tone, you can play around with the dimensions of your hair by adding golden blonde highlights or strands of strawberry blonde. And if you’re heading to the salon for this look, ask your colorist about adding balayage highlights to brighten up your pumpkin spice hair. Ultimately, the shade of red, auburn or orange that you choose is up to you and as long as you feel good then you’ll look good. 

How to Get Pumpkin Spice Hair At Home 

Take your current color to a pumpkin spice shade without stepping foot in a salon. Thankfully, all you’ll need is to know your desired shade, the right box of at-home hair dye and color-safe hair care for upkeep. And if you’re still unsure about the specific color to get or need some advice from an expert check out the L’Oréal Paris Haircolor Concierge to gain confidence in your color choice. 

If you’re starting with a darker hair color — like a medium brunette or almost black brown — and you’re hoping for a light red or orange shade you may need to lighten your hair with bleach first. The darker your base shade, the more work will be necessary to achieve your desired end result. You can use the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Bleach & Lightener At Home Kit to lift the dark pigment from hair for a brighter base to apply a red box dye on top of. 

Before using an at-home box dye check the shade comparison chart that’s usually found on the top of the kit. This will show you what your end results will be based on a light blonde, medium brown or dark brown hair base. 

 

How to Get Pumpkin Spice Hair Using L’Oréal Paris

As you decide between the array of hair dyes at the store pick one that’ll give you vibrant color without staining your entire bathroom. We recommend using the L’Oréal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color or L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color to achieve pumpkin spice hair since each kit contains everything that you’ll need to dye hair at home. Both kits offer bold pigment with fade-resistant colors that keep the shine in, even after multiple washes.

Depending on how much hair you have, you may want to buy multiple boxes of hair dye. If you have thicker, longer hair consider buying two or more boxes to guarantee an even coverage — it’s always best to have too much than not enough when dyeing hair.  

 

L’Oréal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color

Inside the Féria hair color kit are all the products you need to color your hair and care for it immediately after. The kit includes; a pair of plastic gloves, shimmering conditioning color gel, shimmering conditioning developer créme, aromatic shimmer serum, color booster, conditioning shampoo and power shimmer conditioner. 

Below, we’re sharing exactly what to do with all these products. Just remember to always read the included instructions for specific details to guarantee the best color.  

Step 1. Prep Your Hair

Make sure your hair is dry, detangled and unwashed before applying the product. Unwashed hair is preferred before dyeing strands to allow natural oils to build on your scalp as an added layer of protection from the hair-coloring process. Before applying any hair dye, section your hair into multiple parts to guarantee proper saturation. 

Step 2. Prep the Dye

Put on gloves (you’ll want to protect your hands from any awkward staining). Then, pour the shimmering conditioning color gel and aromatic shimmer serum into the shimmering developer creme bottle and gently shake the bottle (after the applicator cap is secure). 

Step 3. Customize Your Color

Use the color booster to add vibrancy to your hair dye. If your goal is a bright, saturated color empty the entire tube into the dye mix.

Step 4. Apply the Hair Color

Once everything is properly prepped you’re ready to apply the hair dye to your strands. Use the applicator tip of the dye bottle to intentionally apply the mixture without worrying about the dye dripping down your face. Massage the products around your hairline, the nape of your neck and every nook and cranny you’ll want to color. Make sure you saturate your hair section by section and tie it up loosely while it processes. 

Step 5. Let it Set

Put on a timer for 25 minutes and let the hair dye do its thing. And (again) confirm with the instructions to determine exactly how long to keep the dye on. The time can vary based on how much hair you’re dyeing and desired color results.

Step 6. Rinse and Condition

Once your hair is done processing rinse out your strands until the water runs clear and condition hair with the included power shimmer conditioner. You can save the conditioning shampoo for your next hair cleanse day since you won’t need to shampoo immediately after coloring your hair. 

 

L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color

Inside the Superior Preference hair color kit is; a pair of gloves, color optimizing crème, color gel and care suprême multi-dose conditioner. The instructions will be similar to the steps above — but as always follow the instructions included in the box dye for specific details. 

Step 1. Prep your hair in sections and leave your hair detangled, dry and unwashed.

Step 2. Add the color gel to the color-optimizing crème and give it a shake to combine the formulation. 

Step 3. Generously apply the mixture to your sectioned hair and make sure all parts are fully covered. 

Step 4. Let the formula sit on your hair for 25 minutes (set a timer so you don’t forget).

Step 5. Step in the shower and massage the product into your hair as it rinses out. Make sure the water runs clear to guarantee all the color is out. Follow up with the included care suprême multi-dose conditioner to add moisture and nourishment to strands.  

How to Take Care Of Pumpkin Spice Hair 

Pumpkin spice hair isn’t exactly low maintenance — root regrowth will be noticeable especially if you have dark brown or black hair. You’ll want to budget time for regular touch-ups if you want to keep your pumpkin spice hair looking fresh. The best way to keep hair looking as vibrant as day one is to use color-safe hair care products to ensure that your hair remains in pristine condition. 

Use a Color-Safe System

For your wash routine, try the three-step L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Repair system which is safe to use on color-treated hair, and strengthens strands that may have been damaged during the hair dyeing process. When used together in the same hair care routine, the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment, L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Shampoo with Citric Acid and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Conditioner with Citric Acid will reduces breakage, restore shine and repair hair in one use.

Try Hair Gloss At Home

To enhance your color and add shine to your hair, try a hair gloss like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Copper. This at-home hair gloss treatment works to tone your color, boost shine and deeply condition the hair in just one easy step. If the copper color isn’t exactly right for your personalized pumpkin spice hair, use the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Clear which serves as a universal gloss for all hair colors and hair types. 

 

Next: 9 Tips to Prevent Red Hair Color from Fading

Photo Credit: Emilia, IG/@emilia.j.evison, Photo Design: Sarah Duvivier