Some people might find it difficult to separate Dakota Johnson from her most recognisable role as Anastasia Steele. The two women, after all, have similar beauty looks: low-maintenance makeup, signature fringe, and long, brown hair. But fans might be surprised to learn that Johnson is not a natural brunette — in fact, her real hair colour is a muddy shade of blond. And for the first time in a long time, she's getting closer to her roots.
With the final instalment of the Fifty Shades trilogy hitting cinemas in February, Johnson appears willing and ready to drop Steele's look and try something totally different: blond highlights. Johnson stepped out yesterday afternoon with fresh set of buttery blond highlights — a sunnier look than we've seen from her in over a year.
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According to the star's colourist and Redken Creative Consultant Tracey Cunningham, Johnson's hair transformation went down last week. "We had been using a gloss to darken her hair colour to brunette, but she’s naturally a dark blond, so the highlights were an easy transition," Cunningham tells Refinery29. "I used Redken Flash Lift to foil highlight all over, then went in with a ShadesEQ gloss around her root area to lessen the line of demarcation." Cunningham adds that this final touch around the hairline will help Johnson's colour look more natural during the grow out process.
So what prompted the sudden change? Cunningham tells us that Johnson's new hair colour is for a role in 2018. With everyone else opting for warmer shades of brown and vibrant acid wash hues this season, it's safe to say Johnson's brighter look is just what we needed.