I love to joke that I’ve tried all the brunette hair colors in existence. From nearly black espresso to dimensional caramel, I’ve been bleaching and dyeing (and re-bleaching and re-dyeing) my brown strands since seventh grade. That said, there’s nothing like finding the best, most flattering brunette hair color for you—and there's always something new and trending to try out.
Though LA is full of blondes, celebrity hairstylist Nicolas Flores also knows how to make a brunette's head shine. He's the co-owner of the elegant Flore Salon on Melrose, and his client list includes iconic brunettes like Simi and Haze Khadra, Summer Fridays' Marianna Hewitt, and Jen Atkin (when you find the celebrity hairstylist's hairstylist, you know you're in for something special). "California Brunettes deserve more credit. It's not just a plain 'brown,'" Flores tells Marie Claire. "Being a brunette can offer richness and dimension. It can also enhance your facial features, such as eye color, skin tone, and eyebrows."
Celebrity hairstylist Temur Hamilton also notes that brunette hair can be "effortlessly timeless, elegant, and natural. "It has a classic and sophisticated appeal that never goes out of style,” he says, adding that brunettes have the incredible perk of being lower maintenance than lighter colors while still looking “rich and luxurious.”
Countless celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Khloé Kardashian, and Gigi Hadid have recently joined the dark side, ditching their honey-blonde hair for more chocolatey tones. Whether you're looking for a major hair transformation or just itching to add some subtle highlights as summer approaches, there are so many beautiful brunette shades to pick from.
The never-ending brunette hair color options can feel overwhelming, but that’s what I'm here for! Not only have I tried out an array of brown shades myself, but I’ve also compiled a list of 40 luxurious brunette shades that you can use as inspiration for your next salon appointment.
Old Money Brunette
Another color icon to brunettes far and wide is Jacob Schwartz. Although he's been big with the blondes lately (he regularly works with A-listers like Bella Hadid), you can't discount his contributions to the brown color canon. Recently, he's been inspired by the "sophisticated Old Money Brunette" he previously created for the supermodel. It doesn't get more luxe than that.
The key to nailing an old money brunette color is neutral tones and ultra-subtle highlights (maybe even baby lights?) that create an impressively natural look. While you may be in a salon chair for hours, the seamless blend of a deep, cool base with a mix of neutral and warm highlights comes across as absolutely effortless.
Dark Suede
Another Schwartz-crafted shade of note? Lily Collins’ velvety, dark suede brunette. "At first glance, these hues might appear similar—but the variation in warmth, depth, and tonality makes each one uniquely its own," Schwartz tells Marie Claire. "To achieve this kind of richness and shine, I love using Schwarzkopf Professional’s IGORA Vibrance. It’s a demi-permanent formula that delivers beautiful color deposit and an incredible glossy finish.”
Deep Golden Brown
Let's be real: Zendaya could never look bad. However, celebrity hairstylist Rogerio Cavalcante points to her deep brunette bob with subtle pops of warm highlights as his all-time favorite hairstyle. "This color is rich and chic," he says. The golden undertones are gorgeous and work on most skin tones." He also shares that this shade is "great for those who can't decide if they want to go darker or lighter," since the level will vary depending on lighting.
Muted Mushroom
"We’re seeing a lot of celebrities, influencers, and tastemakers embracing their natural hair color these days," Flores says. For some, that means sticking with muted tones. Enter: mushroom brown. It's cool, soft, earthy, and entirely wearable.
Espresso Martini
This luxurious shade of dark brown is what Hamilton calls espresso. "This extremely deep brunette shade creates a rich, dramatic color similar to the dark tone of coffee," he says. "It’s definitely more intense than other shades of brunette and gives hair a bold and sophisticated edge." Michael Rincon, an LA-based colorist, says that the best way to achieve an espresso shade is by glossing with a warm, gold-leaning tone to help bring out all that brilliant richness and depth. "Full of warmth, it makes olive and warm-toned skin absolutely glow," he says.
Enchanted Espresso
London-based celebrity colorist Nicole Kahlani consistently calls out the next "it shade" as an evolution of espresso. She naturally calls it "Enchanted Espresso," and just crafted the shade for Poster Girl co-founder Natasha Somerville. When paired with her classic sun-faded ends, the rich, dark shade has an "effortless, mysterious, magical finish."
"I use a sun-faded technique on my brunettes, where I tone the ends one or two shades lighter than the roots to appear more youthful and natural," Kahlani explains. "I also like taking brunettes this color during the summer. Hair color fades, so this helps the color last longer."
Honey Latté Ombré
I'll never forget when ombré was all the rage circa the 2010s. But, according to Cavalcante, the shading technique is more timeless than you would think, especially with a warm brown ombré. "I love the warmth of this hair color and the very subtle dimension and playfulness that the highlights add," he says. "I personally like brown hair with lighter ends. A homogeneous full color usually looks too harsh and heavy."
Dark Chocolate
While many brunette shades lean warm, a cool or neutral-toned base can sometimes look incredibly natural and chic. Just take it from Hamilton, who says, "This cool-toned brown is incredibly luxurious and sleek. It's a timeless, classic shade that adds warmth to the skin, flattering almost everyone."
Deep Walnut
Cavalcante says this near-copper shade is "definitely one of the most desired browns in my experience behind the chair." He even showed off this exact picture of Sophie Thatcher as inspiration. "I really like the richness and cool undertones. I would recommend this brown to anyone afraid of going dark. "
Caramel Drizzle
This sunkissed brunette color uses a blend of brown with hints of golden undertones, which Hamilton calls "caramel." He says, "This is achieved by applying warm highlights to add dimension to the hair." While beautiful, Hamilton does warn that this color will require more upkeep than most other brunette shades to maintain its vibrancy. Consider adding a hair toner to your shower routine.
Ash Brown
This ultra-dark brown teeters on black due to its lack of dimension and cool undertones. But who said all-over color can't be stunning? Just look at Demi Moore. "This is a fuller color, with less dimension and the most natural look—it seems like she just let her hair grow out," Cavalcante says of the star's hair. "This works for people who have a natural high contrast beauty, but I would not recommend it for people with natural blonde hair or very fair skin because it can make them look washed out."
Cowboy Copper
Cowboy Copper was the ultimate hair trend in 2023, and Keke Palmer is bringing it back in full swing. It's the perfect mix of blonde, brunette, and red. Brown locks are toned with a deep red shade, shining bright when the light strikes and giving the hair a brighter overall appearance.
Cinnamon Spice
The queen of cinnamon-themed nails, makeup, and peptide lip tints even rocks shiny cinnamon hair. Hailey Bieber's hair color combines a beautiful blend of a warm brown base with lighter warm brown highlights all throughout the hair. The dimension is out of this world and is sure to bring light to your face.
Cherry Cola
This spunky shade of brown is super subtle—but don't underestimate its dimension. To achieve it, a dark brown base is toned with a deep red, almost purple shade, which peeks through beautifully. The burgundy hue of the final product is unmatched.
Bronde Balayage
For the ultimate beachy vibes, a bronde balayage is the perfect choice. As opposed to typical highlights, balayage is a highlighting technique that involves hand-painting the hair without any foils. The result is a super natural, soft blend of bright highlights on the ends with a darker root.
Strawberry Brown
We all know and love strawberry blonde, but take the brightness down a few levels, and you've got a gorgeous strawberry brown. The mix of a light brown base with bright pops of orange-toned highlights is unique and chic.
Teddy Bear
This light brown shade utilizes a blend as soft as your favorite stuffed animal. Rincon calls teddy bear brunette "the perfect brunette shade for natural brunettes who want something low maintenance but elevated. It adds softness, warmth, and a touch of golden light."
Extra subtle highlights create impressive dimension and lighter-looking hair overall, while the golden tones pop in the sunlight. To get the look, the artist does both his gloss and highlight with neutral golden tones. "It’s delicate but makes a big impact," he says.
Mocha Milkshake
When you combine a deep chocolate shade with streaks of warm highlights, you get a mocha milkshake. Camila Morrone effortlessly rocks this color, especially with her thicker, bright brown money pieces.
"It’s soft, rich, and has a slight blush-y tone that gives the hair a romantic feel," Rincon says of the mocha shade family. "I highlight using copper/pink tones and add just a kiss of red. It makes the skin look soft, glowy, and super chic."
Cool Smoke
A cool-toned dark brown is so simple and never disappoints. It's a rich, full shade that's bold enough to bring the drama. Plus, the stark color allows lighter features to really stand out—just look at Dove Cameron's bright green eyes!
Hazelnut Highlights
Hazelnut highlights are a three-color trifecta. The sunkissed brunette combines warm brown highlights with burnt hazelnut lowlights and a few blonde pops for a glowing contrast.
Amber Waves
Miley Cyrus and her go-to hairstylist Alexis Yoshico have perfected a brown hair color with an amber wash. The singer boasts stunning warm brown locks that are highlighted with a slightly brighter amber shade to frame her face.
Brownie Batter
This fudgy brown color looks good enough to eat. Anna Hathaway has worn dark brunette locks for a long time, which makes sense—the all-over rich tone with barely-there ribbons of lighter swirls is timeless.
Creamy Latté
If wanting my latté as creamy as Jessica Alba's brunette blend is wrong...maybe don't take my coffee order? Her medium brown hair is perfectly highlighted with swirls of neutral blonde pops to brighten up the look.
Chunky Blonde Ribbons
'90s fashion will always be iconic, and so will the decade's favorite hairstyles—chunky highlights included. Winnie Harlow's hair is the perfect example of a modern take on the look. The thick ribbons of blonde are ever-so-slightly blended into the rest of her chocolate brown hair.
Ashy Bronde
I've covered cool bases and warm highlights, but what about cool highlights? The pops of ashy blonde can blend so nicely into a warm brown base. The end result is a true bronde tone that's super flattering on those with cooler skin tones.
Hot Cocoa
Olivia Rodrigo is Miss Swiss Miss with dark brown hair straight from the chocolate powder packet. The cool undertone gives her hot cocoa hair a sophisticated, luxe vibe.
Golden Graham Cracker
Before going platinum, Beyoncé was rocking a mane of golden highlights and warm brown locks. Her money pieces were the perfect gilded shade, while her all-over bronze highlights just melted into her base.
Basic Brunette
Let's bring it back to the basics, because you truly can't go wrong with a classic dark brown. No fancy highlights and complicated toner combinations are needed for this look—just a neutral brunette color that's never out of style.
Subtle Warm Dimension
It doesn't take much to add dimension. Take Khloé Kardashian's brown bob, for example, which is ever so slightly highlighted with teeny warm blonde streaks around her face.
Sandy Beige Bronde
Blair Waldorf may be one of the most iconic brunettes of all time, but Leighton Meester's sandy bronde hair is too good. Her roots to mid-length boast a stunning, neutral beige brown color, while her ends hold a brighter blonde-ish hue.
Barely-There Ombré
Rachel Bilson rocks a super faint ombré that ensures the trendy style stays timeless. Her roots are a super rich espresso—almost full-on black—while her ends are one to two shades lighter with a warmer undertone. This is a great option for a low-maintenance, easy hairstyle.
Deep Chestnut
Selena Gomez's dark brown hair color is incredibly rich and luscious. Her uniform locks hold an amber undertone that shines in just the right light.
"Undone" Brown
Balayage and babylights are great, but undone, low-maintenance, natural brown hair is still very much in style. To barely spice up your natural color, you can add subtle streaks of nutmeg underneath and through the ends.
Soft Suede
You can add some life to your dark brown locks by adding a slew of chestnut highlights throughout. With a simple root smudge, the brightening streaks will look natural and blend seamlessly into your roots for months at a time.
Dimensional Mocha
This mocha caramel color is exquisite. The dark brown base is made super dimensional with streaks of warm caramel and pops of middle-toned mocha, creating a kissed-by-the-sun appearance. "Dimensional brunette gives the illusion of a single process color, but with light catching dimension throughout," Rincon explains. To achieve a similar look, he starts with a deep brunette base, highlights over it subtly, and then glosses with the same base tone to bring everything together. "It gives that perfect shimmer in the light but still looks seamless," adds the professional.
Vibrant Chestnut
Vibrant chestnut is a bright brunette shade paired with subtle undertones in red or golden hues. Its extra warmth and chocolatey richness add extra oomph to a classic brown color.
Sunkissed Streaks
If your hair naturally lightens after a day in the sun, lucky you! If not, you can easily emulate the sun-kissed look by adding a few warm blonde streaks throughout your head, especially around the front. Just look to Chloe Fineman for inspo.
Steamy Cappuccino
Sofia Vergara's bombshell brown hair speaks for itself. The rich espresso tone is packed with neutral highlights for an ultra-dimensional appeal and gorgeous swirl of creamy color.
How to Find The Best Brunette Shade for Your Skin Tone
Finding a shade of brown that perfectly complements your skin tone can be tricky. Fortunately, Hamilton broke it down easily. Those with warm undertones will want "warm shades like caramel brown, which enhance the golden undertones," he says. Meanwhile, those with cooler skin tones should "look best with deeper shades like espresso brown or ash-toned brunettes." And if you have a neutral skin tone? Almost any brunette color will do the trick.
How to Maintain Brunette Hair
While brown hair is much lower maintenance than blonde, there's certainly still upkeep. The amount of upkeep, however, depends on your natural hair color. "If your brunette shade is significantly different from your natural color or if you have a lot of grays, a root touchup every three to five weeks helps keep it fresh," says Cavalcante. "But if your natural color is close to your chosen shade, you can go a few months without touching up—just adding a gloss in between for extra shine."
For color-treated brunettes, Hamilton recommends using color-safe shampoos and conditioners to prevent fading and help preserve vibrancy. He also suggests using color-enhancing hair masks like the Christopher Robin Shade Variation Mask to extend the color and enhance the shade vibrancy. "I really like that it nourishes and hydrates the hair while correcting unwanted tones," he says.
How to Style Brunette Hair
Anything blondes (or redheads, gray-haired beauties, etc.) can do, brunettes can do, too. But Rincon does have some brown hair-specific styling tips to share. He loves Moroccanoil Treatment Light for brunette clients, because it "adds shine and glossiness that makes the hair look super luxe without feeling heavy."
"A big blowout always takes brunette hair to the next level. He adds that I use wide ceramic rollers to lock in bounce and volume, making the color pop even more.
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