When it comes to hair colour, your first impulse may be to avoid traditional brown hair colour ideas in favour of platinum blonde or fire-engine red, but you should give brunette another shot. Brown hair often gets the term “boring” branded on it because someone decided blondes had more fun—take it from one of us, we don’t—which couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, brown is one of the most adaptable colours available. It might read as classic, edgy, or mysterious depending on the tone. It looks good on all skin tones. Plus, with limited salon access in the near future, there’s no better time to embrace your natural brunette roots.
There are also more possibilities than ever before if you wish to join the dark side. This season’s top take on the shade is to add some warmth to your brown, whether it’s caramel swirls or almost-red tints. “We’ve been infusing brunettes with dimensions ranging from honey, chestnut, peanut butter taupes, and tawny tones,” says Mark DeBolt, co-owner and master colorist at Mark Ryan Salon in New York. “Warmth in hair colour reflects more light, giving your hair a brighter and healthier appearance.”
Wood Brown
This is a lovely alternative for darker brunettes who want to change up their colour without going too light but yet want something. Consider how dimensional a beautiful piece of lacquered hardwood furniture with swirls of brown appears. To replicate this, request a thick, black foundation with swirling highlights of pale ash and lighter brown colours from your stylist. Finishing with a shine will give your hair the same lacquered look.
Cinnamon Brown
Another technique to bring out the red in your brunette? Cinnamon Brown, which has been making the rounds on Instagram this fall. If you already have a brunette base, the hue is quite simple to achieve—all you need are some warmer highlights. “This warmth added to a brunette colour palette can be appealing on a variety of complexions,” Tardo explains. He recommends asking your colorist for warm brown tones to get in on the trend: “They can take a brunette colour as the foundation of their formula and add light bronzes and reds to the mixture to produce this new glow.”
Medium Brown
Chrissy Teigen’s hair is always a medium brown with ash blonde highlights, and we love it on her.
We love shades of brown that are a bit too cool to be labeled warm, but with enough warmth in them to counteract any grey you might have. This can help keep your color looking fresh longer, and add depth to your hair.
Brown Ale Hair
Brown ale hair has a deep mahogany foundation with amber highlights swirled throughout. “It’s different from standard brunettes because of the richness and depth,” colorist Colin Caruso adds. “It’s warm without the brassy or mousy overtones that some people associate with brunettes.” He thinks the shade is ideal for this time of year because it allows you to go deeper and richer for the upcoming cold weather while still providing a touch of warmth.
Honey Brown
This look is lively and eye-catching without being too extreme a departure from darker tones,” Dark and Lovely celebrity stylist Derick Monroe explains. Monroe emphasises the significance of keeping your hair healthy enough to handle colour if you’re going lighter. “The last thing you want to do on already damaged hair is a chemical procedure,” he explains. “A maintenance routine will maintain your hair healthy, lustrous, and hydrated.” This could be as simple as a home deep-conditioning treatment.
