30 Luscious Dark Brown Hair Color Ideas

Brunettes are huge right now. They are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. In recent years, we have seen many celebrities go from blonde to brown or brown to dark brown locks.

So, no one is blaming you for thinking about jumping on the dark brown hair color train. Here are some things you might want to know before hopping on board.

Will I Look Good with Dark Hair?

Many trends have evolved from a “blonde dominant” trend to a trend all dark brunette hair enthusiasts can rock. Money pieces figuratively and literally became bigger and bolder than ever. Chunky and peekaboo highlights pop up all over our feeds. So, you should not always be torn choosing between brown vs. blonde. Anyone who has truly worked with brunettes or has been a dark brunette knows that dark brown hair has diverse shades and is just as customizable as blonde hair is.

A lot of guests that consider getting some dark brown hair colors are scared that this is can be too harsh or wash them out. Consult with your colorist to set on the right levels of lightness and darkness and either a warm or cool shade of brown hair.

The easiest way to find out which tones work well for your skin tone is by looking at your wardrobe. If you are most comfortable in red, warm beiges, coppers, etc., you will feel more confident in a warm brunette color. On the other hand, if you find yourself wearing grays, blues, maroons, etc., you might find a cool brunette tone more flattering.

Dark Brown Hairstyles

The fun part about being a brunette now is any of the techniques applied to blonde hair can also be applied to brunette. You don’t have to lose your dimension or brightness around your hairline. These common techniques of balayage, money pieces or foilyage are not just for the blondies anymore. Here are some great deep brown hair ideas to consider.

1. Light Brown Money Pieces for Brunettes

A little hair color update never killed nobody! On the contrary, changes like that are always for the best, as they allow to spice up natural hair color, make it glossier and thus bring more attention to its owner. Apply golden highlights around your face to create this beautiful face-framing effect.

2. Dark Brown Hair with Chocolate Highlights

Rich brown and chestnut shades perfectly complement each other. This combination works well for all skin tones, so it can be a win-win option for your new hairstyle. Emphasize the dimension of your hair color with stunning beach waves.

3. Dark Brown with Cool Brown Highlights

One of my favorite things about these locks and dark brown hair colors is that we can offer our clients a longer-lasting time period before warm starts creeping back in. One of the things we are seeing in the industry right now that is very trendy is pairing these cool-toned brunettes with cool-toned brondes.

4. Shiny Brunette Balayage

This combination of brunette shades is super shiny and dimensional! Opt for this striking espresso-brown balayage and romantic beach waves to pump up the volume of your long dark hair.

5. Loose Waves with Highlights and Lowlights

Blonde shades are great for those who want to achieve a volume-boosting look that will be easy to maintain in the future. Ask your hair stylist for blended highlights in tones that will complement your dark brown mane.

6. Extra Long Brown Hair and Bangs

The best way to brighten up your long hair is to apply subtle highlights here and there. Playful waves and feathered bangs add lovely, girly vibes to this style and help you look younger.

7. Warm Brunette Locks

There’s a reason that rich, warm brunettes are so aesthetically pleasing on our Instagram and Pinterest feeds. Not only does warmth attract and reflect light, but so does brunette hair. It doesn’t help that we often think of warm, yummy, and cozy things when we think of warm brown hair. That’s why brown shades are always called something like chocolate truffle or brown sugar espresso.. because these things appeal to us!

8. Warm Chocolates Tones for Brown Locks

Warm highlights in chocolate shades deliver so much sunshine and charm! This coloring will perfectly emphasize darker skin tones. P.S.: curl the locks for a more romantic and appealing look.

9. Espresso Hair with Face-Framing Highlights

Caramel midshaft-to-end highlights look gorgeous on black hair. They add movement and dimension to your tresses and create a beautiful transition from dark to lighter hair color. Accentuate your complexion with face-framing locks of the same shade as highlights.

10. Piece-y Blonde Highlights on Black Wavy Hair

This blend of dark chestnut and the blonde is very seductive! The front locks, highlighted with contrasting hair color, spice up this look, making it more vibrant. If you want to repeat this style, make an appointment with a professional hairstylist and use this photo as an example.

11. Dark Auburn Brown Hair

Your brunette locks will become a talking point with these warm reddish hues or auburn highlights. Soft and subtle, it has a flattering effect and takes less maintenance than traditional highlights. A deep mahogany shade with amber undertones is perfect for a cold season since it is a great way to go deeper and richer for the cold weather while offering a touch of warmth.

12. Astonishing Blonde Ombre Lowlights

If you really like warm brown and golden blonde hair tones, you will fall in love with this mesmerizing balayage, worth the red carpet. Classy Hollywood waves will complete this look and emphasize the depth of your ombre hair.

13. Dark Locks with Medium Brown Babylights

Some girls and women stop themselves from hairstyle experiments due to the strict rules at their college or workplace. But what if we tell you there’s a way to change your hair color without coloring it? Brown babylights will add slight accents to bring more brightness and texture to your voluminous dark mane.

14. Sleek Dark Hair with Natural Gloss

This long sleek nearly black hair with soft waves gives you a glamorous yet romantic look. The natural gloss emphasizes the hair texture. Use a deep moisturizing conditioner to maintain the healthy look of your hairstyle.

15. Elegant Layered Look with Subtle Highlights

Lighter brown babylights not only boost the radiance of your dark hair but emphasize the beauty of your face and facial features. Pick the shade that will match your skin tone, like this juicy caramel color, and enjoy your new dimensional look!

16. Voluminous Mushroom Brown Hair

Mushroom balayage has become one of the most popular highlighting techniques, as it is low-maintenance yet brings interest to your natural hue. This style will look awesome on ladies of any age.

17. Rich Auburn Highlights on Brown Strands

This effortlessly chic hairstyle will leave your friends speechless, so get ready to receive dozens of compliments with your new highlighted chocolate hair. Note that barely noticeable auburn ribbons will also bring more dimension to your gorgeous brown mane.

18. Mid-Length Shag with Blonde Lowlights

Honey blonde or ashy highlights can enhance the attractiveness of dark mane without making you dye your hair every month. Go for this messy shaggy look to add movement to your hair and emphasize the texture of this two-tone style.

19. Dark Hair with Soft Waves

If you are a proud owner of dark hair and you want to spice it up a little, consider minimalistic brown highlights expertly placed to naturally swirl with your curls. It is a great way to frame your face and compliment your hair texture. It is about a low-key, hyper-natural look.

20. Chic Brunette Balayage for Thick Hair

A warm cacao tone is made to boost the beauty of dark brown hair and complement the skin tone. Make this look softer and cozier by curling your locks and tousling them with your fingers.

21. Espresso Brown Hair with Slight Highlights

Thick voluminous hair with rich texture and delicate sheen will attract immediate attention and awe. The deep dark brown color is accentuated with subtle highlights to give it dimension and shape. For fair skin, blonde or light brown highlights will work best.

22. Dark Hair with Mahogany Undertones

Trying mahogany undertones is a perfect way for brunettes to get into the red trend without going all the way in. Dark brown gets a totally new dimension with the sun bringing in the red. The depth is still there but it melts into this bright, rustic mahogany tone.

23. Dark Hair with Golden Brown Tones

It is the perfect example of how to achieve a healthy look of your dyed hair whilst adding dimension and depth. Lightening your natural color by a few shades will make your hair look more voluminous and glossier. Natural brown roots with lighter brown shades towards the ends create a waterfall effect.

24. Long Dark Hair with Subtle Highlights

This long brown hair looks gorgeous with light brown highlights. Balayage creates a more natural, blended, sun-kissed color. It is a perfect way to brighten up your brown hair and create a trendy look, which is easy to maintain.

25. Mocha Brown Highlights on Dark Hair

If you are looking for a way to make your hair color more dimensional, try to repeat this beautiful ombre effect on your long hair. Mocha tones will refresh this look and enhance the inner radiance of your gorgeous brown mane.

26. Dark Brown Hair with Face Framing Highlights

Add a touch of color to your dark hair with face-framing highlights that come from the front hairline. This new addition will give your style a hint of playfulness and freshness. The stronger the contrast between your natural hair color and the new color, the more distinctive look you will get.

27. Dark Brown Hair with Red Highlights

A good hairstyle starts with a good cut. Ask your stylist to advise the best cut and shape for your face as well as the perfect color to suit your skin tone. The ideal colors for medium skin tones would be chocolate browns and reds.

28. Dark Chocolate Hair with Golden Highlights

You will feel lighter and even more radiant with this beautiful sun-kissed hairstyle. Dark brown combined with warm shades of honey gives you a relaxed look as if you are spending all your days surfing on a sunny beach. So you can say that the sun did all the work for you because it is that effortless.

29. Long Dark Brown Hair

Play a game of hide-and-seek with highlights on your hair! The deep shade of dark chocolate is underlined with caramel highlights that are scattered around in a playful manner. When trying to recreate this style, consider all the ways you might want to style your hair to bring up the highlighted locks.

30. Dark Brown Straight Hair

When it comes to timeless hairstyles, there is one trend that will never come out of fashion: sleek hair. With healthy long hair, creating a smashing hairstyle comes with little to no effort. Hydrated and frizz-free, this hair looks gorgeously glossy and deep. Try adding hair accessories to bring variety to your everyday look.

Will Getting Dark Brown Make My Hair Healthier?

I hear this behind the chair pretty frequently. So, let’s break it down: all hair colors and lighteners react with a developer to change your hair color. All hair color is a chemical process. Does this mean it’s going to damage your hair outright? Absolutely not. Does this mean that every time you color your hair you are slightly altering it? Yes.

It’s a common misconception that if you are blonde and you’ve been lightening your hair, it’s getting damaged, while as you switch to darker locks, your hair will instantly become healthier. This misconception is often due to the shine that brunette hair has. Unfortunately, going brunette is not a magic potion, it will not repair your split ends, eliminate that mid-strand breakage, and, most importantly, it won’t erase the previous damage to your hair.

We’ve watched deep brown evolve from the lesser dominant hair color to being one of the predominant things we see on Instagram. We’ve watched many celebrities not only go darker but stay darker. And I know I’m not the only one who has spent hours scrolling through those makeover reels and TikTok’s! One of my biggest passions in this industry is educating clients all about hair color and hair care and I frequently share many hot tips and hair hacks on my Instagram @lindseymayhair. Follow along!