When seasons change, so do hair trends. Many of us love trying on darker, moodier colors for fall and winter—rich browns, deep reds, bold blacks.
But this year, the hottest hair trend is meeting us in the middle. Buttery cup (or peanut butter cup) hair is the best of both dark and light worlds. And even better, it’s super easy to achieve on virgin hair.
It’s time to bust out your coziest sweaters and hop aboard the buttery cup hair train.
What Is Buttery Cup Hair?
I’ll be honest—when I first heard the term “buttery cup” hair, my mind flashed to the bright yellows of the buttercup flower. Peanut butter cup is a slightly more accurate description of this warm, multi-tone color.
Colorist at Chicago’s Maxine Salon Karissa Schaudt coined the term “buttery cup” hair. Schaudt explains to Pop Sugar that the color is “mostly a deep brown with a minimal amount of highlights to add dimension.”
The highlights are typically light, golden blonde. When paired with rich, chocolatey browns, the result is a multidimensional look that’s vintage and modern all at once.
The Perfect Solution For Bored Brunettes
In addition to its amazing aesthetic, buttery cup hair is a great solution for first-time dyers or bored brunettes.
“Brunettes can feel stuck in their dark shades,” Schaudt explains. “They don’t know how to change it up without becoming a blonde. This is minimal and natural, especially on virgin hair.”
The buttery cup trend branches off of last year’s money piece trend. To achieve that look, the front strands of hair are dyed several shades lighter than the rest of the hair.
For buttery cup hair, Schaudt suggests asking your colorist “to give you a deep, warm shade and paint it from mids to ends.”
Celebrity colorist Guy Tang told Glamour that the golden highlights should be kept towards the front of the face.
“This frames your face and mirrors where the sun naturally lightens your hair,” Tang explains.
Tang also suggests only going one or two levels lighter than your base color to keep things modern. Ask your stylist to feather your highlights for an even more seamless transition.
I can’t think of a better addition to PSL season than buttery cup hair—cozy, cute, and irresistible all around.