Trendlet: 'Bronds' have more fun

Fall's haute hair is on the browner side, yes. But thanks to strategically placed golden accents, it's beaming with blond personality.

Consider going "brond" (brown + blond) this month to help your hair make the trendy transition into fall. Also referred to as "tortoise shell," the different shades of brown and yellows used to make brond look rich with the season's textured navy, marsala, hunter green, and eggplant palette.

In the 1970s, teenagers - think Marcia Brady - rocked dirty blond. The old-school version of brond, dirty blond was, for the most part, these young women's natural hair color. For people who wanted to color their hair a natural combination of blond hues, stylists would have to use the popular bleach/foil technique to lighten hair, but the bleach made a harsher blond that looked more streaked than sun-kissed.

The color technology game changed five years ago, when American stylists learned balayage - the French way of painting color into the hair. At first, balayage was used to lighten an entire lock of hair. But as stylists became more familiar with the technique, they used it to create two-toned ómbre looks that were darker at the roots and gradually lightened at the ends.

Now that many colorists have mastered balayage, they are comfortable painting in additional shades, like gold, chocolate brown, and chestnut for a tortoise-shell look. And as famous brunettes like Kim Kardashian and Anne Hathaway are constantly hailed for their natural beauty, bold blondes find themselves requesting a darker color palette that still complements their lighter features.

Gisele Bündchen is the original brond. Other famous celebrities spotted with mixed-tone shades include Miranda Kerr, Blake Lively, Cara Delevingne, Kate Bosworth, Amber Heard, Chrissy Teigen, and Rachel McAdams.

I wouldn't ever dye my hair blond. But I like the lighter-at-the-ends concept. Maybe I'll do a copper version with more chestnut roots. That could be fierce.

Women ready for a new color this fall should definitely try brond. But you must work with your stylist to find the right shades of brown and golden that blend with your complexion. A quick tip: The darker your skin, the warmer your hair-hues. Paler-skinned ladies can easily work more cool yellows into their base shade of brown.

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Model: Nicole Moñoz

Hair courtesy of Sue Mukalian. Makeup courtesy of Harriet Goldman of Bellevue Salon & Spa, 200 S. Broad St., 267-514-8000, www.bellevuesalonandspa.com.