8 Copper Bronze Hair Color Ideas for a Metallic Glow
Want to add some shimmer to red or brown hair? Look to metallic hues. Hints of copper and flecks of bronze are all you need to give a dark shade a hyper-real, radiant glow. It's a look that begs the question, 'why choose one metallic shade when you can wear two?', and because they work so flawlessly together, copper and bronze have been spotted through some of the most covetable manes of the season.
So, let's take a look at how you can work your own copper bronze hair color creation. From an all-over glassy hue to a molten balayage, here's the inspiration you need...
Copper Glass Hair
Look Credit: @jhair_stylist
For glow-getters, there's a new way to achieve the silkiest, shiniest hair. Enter Golden Glass Hair, our new color and care salon service that's all about layering luminosity. There are six shades to choose from, including Copper Glass Hair – your pick for a bronzy red-brown. And getting the look is easy; simply find your nearest Wella Professionals salon, then show this look to your colorist. First, they’ll mix up your base layer with our always loved, now better-than-ever demi-permanent Color Touch, which gives you true-to-tone vibrancy, no matter your hair’s condition. Then they’ll apply a zero lift, zero damage topcoat with SHINEFINITY, our glazing service that seals in that glimmering glass hair finish.
Brunette Hair with Copper Bronze Balayage
Image Credit: @byjohnsanchez
Brunettes don't have to go red to work this trend. If you want to keep a dark brown base hair color intact, ask for sheer, hypnotic sweeps of bronze balayage that add instant dimension. First, your colorist will need to lift hair with highlights, and for that we recommend BlondorPlex. Not only does it give you up to nine levels of lift, but the bond-strengthening formula also guarantees up to 97% less breakage¹. Then, because shine is top of the agenda, request a SHINEFINITY Color Glaze. This zero lift, zero damage, demi-permanent glaze teams a translucent veil of bronzy, coppery color with shine you can feel.
Dark Hair with Bronze and Blonde Copper Highlights
Image Credit: @nicolerevish
For a truly radiant mane, as seen through this dark wig, embrace golden bronze and blonde copper hair with shimmery highlights. Even those with a dark brown hair shade can get this light, luminous hue, courtesy of BlondorPlex and a SHINEFINITY Color Glaze. Go for root-to-tip, traditional highlights to achieve maximum impact, and don't be afraid to take the gloss even higher with a veil of EIMI Glam Mist. The glow-boosting spray not only finishes your look with a healthy sheen, but it also shields against UV rays – essential when you want to keep warm tones on the right side of rich.
Dark Copper Hair with Hints of Bronze
Image Credit: @artetcoiffuremontussan
We often think of bright, fiery shades when we picture the copper trend, but darker hair shades deliver just as much impact – especially with bronze tones intertwined. So, if you want to take bold copper tones deeper, try a metallic auburn hair color like this. It's a picture-perfect demonstration of how rich and vibrant our Color Touch toner can go. And, thanks to the built-in Metal Purifier, Color Touch shades provide true-to-tone vibrancy no matter the hair condition, so you enjoy rich, lustrous lengths in between salon appointments.
Cowgirl Copper Hair
Image Credit: @danielmbeauty
Giddy up and glow with the cowgirl copper trend. While it's not this shade's first rodeo, the nod to western styling on the catwalks is making it a must-try hair hue once more. So, if you didn't try cowgirl copper when it first rode onto the scene, now's your chance to embrace the drenched-in-warmth hue, which sits in between a tan brown and mid copper on the color spectrum. Hints of copper give it a modern upgrade, as seen in this look – a shade your colorist can mix up with Koleston Perfect, our strikingly intense permanent hair color.
Bronzy Copper Vivid Color
Image Credit: @friseur_brian
This fiery shade of bronzy copper was swept through a darker base tone using the latest in balayage techniques: a hair coloring process called 'air touch'. It involves your colorist blow-drying the shorter pieces of your hair up and away instead of backcombing them, then painting on a pre-lightener, like BlondorPlex, to get an ultra-blended, airbrushed effect. Sure enough, these red-brown strokes seamlessly intertwine through the dark base, delivering dimensional color with a metallic-effect glow. We are obsessed.
Light Copper Bronze Hair
Image Credit: @jeremy.colorist
Prefer lighter shades on the copper spectrum? Then try this dreamy cinnamon hue, which features bronzy brown tones through the dark roots and a copper blonde shade through the lengths. Your Wella colorist can recreate it with a Color Touch Melt service, a hair color technique that sees three to five hues from the same color family melted together. Because they're close in tone, they blend seamlessly to cast a light-reflective effect. Ask for your shades to be applied through hair from root to tip, or combine with a root shadow for an ombre glow. Your colorist can even target silver strays in the process, with Color Touch Plus giving you up to 70% grey coverage.
Golden Copper and Bronze Hair
Image Credit: @kazdoeshair
Want to add even more shine to a bronzy shade of copper hair? Then ask your colorist to inject subtle gold hair tones through your face-framing layers. This incredible Color Touch look is sure to tempt you. It's majorly multi-tonal, with the metallic hues catching the light to give you megawatt shine. Complete the look by blow-drying with a drop or two of Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil for added radiance.
How to Maintain Copper Bronze Hair
Keep those bronzy golden undertones sparkling bright with these salon-approved maintenance tips, whether you're working an all-over color or flaunting bold copper highlights...
1. Wash with Color-Safe Formulas
When it comes to locking in red shades, it’s important you wash with shade-protecting shampoos and color-safe conditioners that also work with your hair type. Try these pro-approved regimens:
For Vibrant Shine – Use INVIGO Brilliance
Infused with antioxidant-rich lime caviar extract, INVIGO Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo and Vibrant Color Conditioner level up the vibrancy of your copper bronze mane. And there's a formula for every hair type; choose the fine to medium formula for weightless care or the medium to coarse formula if you're blessed with thicker hair.
For Care and Color Protection – Use ColorMotion+
If your hair craves extra nourishment, use ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo with Moisturizing Color Reflection Conditioner. They each harness a potent dose of antioxidants to shield your shade for up to 8 weeks³. Then, add the Structure+ Mask to your kit for a weekly treatment that deeply conditions while strengthening internal hair bonds.
For Damaged Hair – Use ULTIMATE REPAIR
Damaged hair needs extra care, so treat it to ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner. This luxe duo repairs the hair cuticle inside out, to give you 12x smoother hair⁴ with 99% less breakage⁵. Then, mist clean, damp hair with ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, a breakthrough leave-in treatment that repairs hair damage in 90 seconds².
2. Shield Against Heat Damage
Next on your list of must-have color-safe products is a heat protectant. Your hair dryer, flat iron and curling iron are all common shade-faders, but the right protection will let you style care-free. We love ULTIMATE REPAIR Protective Leave-In because it not only guards hair against scorching temperatures, but the delicate cream also prevents breakage, frizz, mechanical damage and UV damage.
3. Top Up Your Copper Bronze Color
In between salon visits, touch up your copper bronze shade with Color Fresh Mask in Copper Glow. It's a tinted treatment that refreshes and tops up your tone in just 10 minutes. Simply smooth it through clean, damp hair, evenly distribute it with a wide-tooth comb, and then rinse thoroughly to reveal a brighter copper mane.
Looking for more shade inspiration? Discover this year's hottest hair color trends, from the best in blondes to the boldest brunettes. There's a look for everyone.
¹ When using Wellaplex N°2 with Blondorplex, versus Blondorplex alone.
² When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.
³ When using Structure+ Mask.
⁴ Vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.
⁵ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.