Want to warm your hair with butterscotch hues? Why we love foodie-themed TikTok trends

Move over strawberry summer, it’s time for butterscotch fall.

It’s Hailey Bieber who kicked off the rage for butterscotch manicure. During the Fourth of July celebrations, the celebrity-influencer showed off her butterscotch-hued fingertips from her American manicure, swapping the whites for buttery hues. However as it turns out, while butterscotch nails are a trend, it’s also a hair trend.

For those who wish to hop on to the latest food-themed fad, here’s how you do it.

The butterscotch hair

Just like the pastry and ice-cream, the butterscotch hair colour has softer notes of warm brown sugar and the buttery blonde. "The ‘Butterscotch’ trend encompasses all aspects, and not a singular technique," explains Manhal Mansour, CEO of Pigment Cosmetics, makeup artist and educator. "It's a feel and a vibe that covers hair, nails and cosmetics. It’s about the colours, think the warmth of Fall and creamy, lemony hues, going into the fudgy, toffee tones of the ‘Latte’ looks that we see also," she says.

When it comes to hairstyles, as the name suggests, the butterscotch hair trend is to do with colouring your hair with shades that range from a pale gold to a rich caramel, shades that remind one of butterscotch, explains Maria Thomas, a specialist in dermatology and aesthetics at Zia Medical Center, Dubai. While it also catches the eye, it also suits a varieties of skin-tones, she explains.

Thee colour adds warmth and richness to your overall look. “As it has variations, it’s easy to find the exact shade of butterscotch family that suits you. For hair that is already light in colour, gloss is the easiest way to achieve a butterscotch look,” explains Thomas. A hair gloss is another method of enhancing hair colour, which has longer-lasting effects. It’s referred to as “demi-permanent”, as compared to semi-permanent, as the treatment lasts longer. In this treatment, the pigment sits on the hair cuticle.

However, if you have darker hair, you might need to lighten or dye to a lighter colour before adding the highlights.

How to go about it

The butterscotch look screams quiet luxury, according to Mansour. "It's neutral, sleek and elegant palette. It’s subtle and instantly elevates a look, especially if co-ordinated with hair, nails and clothes," she says.

It will be different for every person, depending on their hair texture and colour, but here is the broad idea: You can begin with a brown base. "Keeping browns as your base you can play around deeper or lighter shades adding dimension and texture to the hair,"  explains Rekha Upadhyay, stylist and managing partner at Dubai-based Indi Salons. As she says, you can change your whole attitude with your hair colour. 

If your hair is naturally brown, your stylist can start with the highlights instantly. Otherwise, the base might have to be darkened. You can then move to the highlights, which can be applied in any way you like. These highlights should give your hair the ‘warm’ look. Following this, your hair needs to be effectively toned to the required colour and create the butterscotch effect. 

As the butterscotch look requires a particular shine, you need to ensure that you have a suitable hair routine and use the right products. 

Thomas also has a word of caution for those wishing to try the look, “It is important to keep in mind that such lightening treatments open up the hair cuticle and cause a disruption in the internal hair structure and should be avoided in brittle or damaged hair. Even for normal hair, utmost care should be taken to regularly condition and use compatible hair products as well.”

The butterscotch manicure

“It’s a new and softer take on the French manicure,” explains Thomas. The classic French white can be considered harsh, so it’s swapped for gentler shades. “It also has a softer transition from the tip to the base colour, which is different from French manicure, she says.

Why do foodie-themed trends become such a rage?

Whenever fan-favourites like Hailey Bieber share a ‘new look’, TikTok adds a creative foodie twist. After Bieber shared videos of her pink-blushed cheeks, strawberry became a rage. We got “blueberry milk” from influencer Sofia Richie’s nails. We made it through tomato girl summer, where people embraced red in their wardrobe fashion sense as well as makeup. Along the way, we witnessed “glazed donut skin”, cinnamon cookie butter hair, also spearheaded by Bieber. And now, it’s butterscotch.

At the heart of it, the trends are just a mix and match of different cosmetics with delicious-sounding food names. Yet, it’s a craze.

The truth is, that food and beauty have always been inextricably linked. Back in the early 2000s, there was a craze surrounding cake-scented mists and soda-flavoured lip balms. This allowed you to not just wear, but also eat your makeup. Gradually, there has been an increase in food-themed beauty trends, which flourished in 2020 with the rise of TikTok.

According to Shruti Kakar, a dermatologist and aesthetician from the Medcare Aesthetics Clinics in Dubai, it’s what sells, she says. Food is a universal language; it resonates more with people than beauty terms like ‘matte’ or ‘dewy’. There’s so much that names of food convey; the more delicious and popular it is, the more people chase after it.  It’s not just about colour; it can even explain texture.

"These trends resonate with a broader audience as they merge the delightful and familiar realm of food with the creative and expressive domain of beauty. Furthermore, they could also signify a move towards more natural, organic, in the beauty sphere," says Hamdan Abdullah Hamed, a dermatologist and beauty expert at PowerYourCurls.com. "The playful nature of these trends, coupled with the ease of sharing through social media, has created a ripple effect, inspiring others to try out these fun and appetising looks," he says.

So, for example, you would gravitate towards strawberry jelly, that strawberry lip balm. It just sounds that appealing and heightens curiosity. The proof is evident as the viral views on TikTok’s food-themed trends show, racing past the 100 million mark within days.

“Most people are conscious about their looks, and this sets fire to the food industry too, and so they sell it as makeup,” says Kakar. It’s also now an effective marketing strategy that appeals to people’s senses, in terms of taste, smell or atmosphere.

The brands have caught on to the trend. You now have glazed donut shave oil. There are also brands that sell lip balms with flavours that include watermelon slice, salted caramel and strawberry glazed donut.