"Illuminated Brunette" Is The Dreamiest Hair Color Trend Sweeping Brazil

Trying to imagine new ways to revamp your dark hair can get tricky when you don't want to go blonde or aren't really into bright color transformations. That's why we recently expanded our search for beautiful hair trends all over the world — and found a look in Brazil that brunettes will absolutely love.

Down in the land of Gisele waves, Brazilian women are asking for "illuminated brunette," or as they call it in Portuguese: "morenas iluminadas." The color technique is all the rave in São Paulo, where local hairstylist João Bosco's Salon 1838 is located. He says almost half of his clients are now asking for the color — which is quickly becoming his most-requested style after blonde. And it's not just at his salon: On Instagram, the hashtag #MorenasIluminadas has more than 192k posts.

Bosco achieves the look by hand-painting one-inch strands all over the head just three shades lighter than the client's natural color. He sweeps the color from the ends up, teasing the hair around the midlengths so there is no line of demarcation. He then smudges the roots with a toner that matches the client's base so it all blends together into dreamy perfection.

The best part? It's super low maintenance and the grow-out is seamless (since you're painting on top of your natural base color). Bosco tells us the color typically lasts six months. "I've even had clients who come just once a year," he says.

If you're looking for a way to change up your dark hair before 2019, we've rounded up all the inspiration you need, ahead. Take them to your stylist, or just book a flight to Brazil in time for New Year's.