Apple Cider Hair Is Trending Like Wild For Fall & It's SO Pretty

I'm not much of a Pumpkin Spice Latte girl — in fact, from an early age, fall has always signified for me the start of apple cider season, whether served hot, iced, or donut-style. Not only is my fave drink delicious, it's also the inspo behind fall 2019's top hair color craze. Yes, you read that right: the apple cider hair trend is taking over this autumn, and while my brown hair technically does match a basic coffee, the thought of my strands twinning with a festive cup of cider is honestly so much more exciting.

I first heard the phrase "apple cider hair" from Kim Bonondona, a hair colorist specializing in balayage, who I found via her Instagram account, @mane_champagne. (FYI, she also runs @balayagesociety, which is basically hair inspo heaven.) Bonondona dubbed apple cider hair an official trend after she noticed mutiple clients asking for the same warm tones when fall rolled round. "I coined the name apple cider because we’re approaching the autumn season, and everyone is ready for a hair color change," explains Bonondona. "Usually people ask for more warm tones in the fall season, and lately I have been getting a lot of copper requests," she says.

"When I think of apple cider, I think of the warm tones, and this is the mother of warm tones!" says Bonondona, and wow, I'm booking an appointment ASAP:

"I describe apple cider hair as a crisp, warm copper color," says Bonondona of the autumn-appropro hue. "It’s a color that stands out and compliments a lot of clients," she insists. Bonondona also notes that the shade is unique in that it can transform a client's look without hours in the salon spent piling on bleach. "It brightens their skin and eyes, and is a relatively low-maintenance look. It's also quick in the salon, unlike blondes that can take a long time to apply and lift," she explains.

This hue really does make me crave an apple cider donut, y'all:

When talking to your colorist about nailing apple cider hair for yourself, Bonondona insists clients know that apple cider strands lean far more copper than traditional redhead hues. "Apple cider is more in the copper family, and not so much in the red family," she explains. "Copper differs from classic reds because they have different undertones. You don’t want to be too red, you want to stay in more of the orange family to be trendy and try copper this fall! Being too red can change the whole look," she says.

That said, Bonondona notes that all hair colors can achieve some customized version of apple cider this fall. The dark-rooted blonde to apple cider transition below, by colorist Michelle Gonzalez, is proof:

"This is a look that anyone can achieve!" says Bonondona, who notes that her blonde clients are the ones who most frequently ask for this copper-toned color come fall. "I mostly transform blondes into this spicy apple cider look; however, brunettes can totally pull of this look as well!"

If you're a brunette who isn't looking to go full-on red, asking for a few copper-toned highlights can give your strands an apple cider update for fall:

And of course, if you're a redhead, you've really got it made. "Redheads are the closest color to this style, but sometimes they can use a few pieces a shade or two lighter," says Bonondona. "This will allow their manes to pop!"

Amping up a classic red with copper tones gives cider vibes, color-changing leaves vibes, pumpkin patch vibes...basically, all the fall vibes, people:

You heard it here first, people: Apple cider is so much more than a drink and a donut this season. Be sure to book an appointment to give your strands an apple cider-inspired upgrade ASAP.