Key takeaways
- Jenna Ortega debuted maple cinnamon hair, a rich warm brown with coppery-red highlights, at the Klara and the Sun photocall in London.
- Hairstylist Cesar Deleon Ramirez created a center-parted style with crown volume and smooth, kinetic lengths reaching past the middle of the back.
- The look proves that significant hair transformations can result from shifting undertones while maintaining depth, without requiring dramatic cuts or bleached brows.
The Event and the Look
Jenna Ortega stepped out at the Klara and the Sun photocall in London wearing a fresh take on her signature deep brunette palette. Her hair has historically explored the richness of dark tones, including espresso brown, nearly black, and cherry cola shades, but her latest color represents a deliberate shift toward warmth while maintaining depth. According to Allure, she introduced a maple cinnamon hue: a rich, warm, still-dark brown threaded with coppery-red highlights that fall into the season’s trending auburn territory.
The Calvin Klein ensemble she wore to the event, a white, yellow, and black color-blocked design with mod and modern sensibilities, provided the perfect frame for this understated transformation. The interplay between the structured fashion and her softly styled hair created a balanced aesthetic that avoided extremes in either direction.
The Maple Cinnamon Shade Defined
What Creates the Color
Ortega’s new maple cinnamon reflects a specific formula: a base of rich, warm, still-dark brown enhanced with coppery-red tones rather than ashy or cool undertones. This color profile sits distinctly different from the cooler espresso and near-black tones she previously wore, trading some of that gothic intensity for autumnal warmth. According to Allure, the shade brings out her natural freckles in a way that seems particularly fashionable for the moment.
Depth Without Drama
The transformation illustrates how deep brunette holds far more range than conventional thinking suggests. By shifting the undertone from cool to warm while keeping the overall depth intact, Ortega achieved a noticeable change that reads as fresh rather than radical. Her hair color history, cycling between espresso, almost-black, and cherry cola, proves that staying within the brunette family does not limit transformation; it simply requires understanding how undertones create visual impact.
The Styling Structure
The Foundation
Hairstylist Cesar Deleon Ramirez created a center part with deliberate volume built into the crown area. This architectural approach to styling gives the hair movement and dimensionality without requiring texture or layers—crucial for allowing the new color to read clearly without competing with cut or wave patterns.
Length and Movement
The style stretched well past the middle of her back, maintaining smooth, straight lengths that, according to Allure, are described as “straight-yet-kinetic.” This balance between polish and fluidity meant the hair could move and respond to light, which is essential for showing off undertones in a maple cinnamon shade. A low ponytail secured the length, keeping the style practical while showcasing the color’s full range from root to tip.
Why Restrained Shifts Register as Striking
According to Allure, Ortega’s look demonstrates that captivating hair transformations do not require gothic ensembles, dramatic haircuts, or the bleached brows she has previously worn. Instead, this appearance proves that tweaking the tone within your existing depth level can create visual impact typically associated with more extreme shifts. The result shows restrained oomph; enough change to read as fresh and intentional, not so much that it reads as an entirely different aesthetic.
How to Get the Maple Cinnamon Look
To replicate Ortega’s color at home or with a colorist: request a rich, warm, still-dark brown base with coppery-red highlights. This works best on existing dark brunette or near-black hair, as achieving the warmth without lightening the overall depth matters for this particular trend. For styling, ask your stylist to create a center part with volume concentrated at the crown, then style the length smooth and straight. A low ponytail keeps everything polished while displaying the color’s movement and undertones.
Source: Allure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is maple cinnamon hair color?
Maple cinnamon is a rich, warm, still-dark brown base with coppery-red highlights that falls into the trendy auburn territory while maintaining significant depth.
Who created Jenna Ortega's style?
Hairstylist Cesar Deleon Ramirez created the look, featuring a center part with volume at the crown and a low ponytail with lengths reaching past the middle of the back.
Can you get this color on dark hair?
Yes; maple cinnamon works best on existing dark brunette or near-black hair, warming the undertones without lightening the overall depth.
