Passionate author specializing in the vibrant world of hairstyling. With a knack for unraveling trends and sharing expert insights, Marissa crafts engaging content on the latest hairstyles, techniques, and industry innovations. Committed to empowering readers with knowledge, inspiration, and the confidence to embrace their unique style.
Read full bio Editorial guidelinesAs comforting as your childhood plush.
We dare you to come up with a cuter name for a hair color than a teddy bear brunette! And it is as cozy as it sounds. What is this new trendy shade, how to achieve it, and how to maintain that right-out-of-a-salon glow? We’ve got all the details and tips you need – just check out our article for the full scoop!
When stylists predicted the rise of rich, multidimensional brunettes with freehand balayage in 2025, we naturally expected a lot of luxurious, delectable shades, from caramel to coffee brown. But we didn’t expect a hair hue with such an unbearably cute name and plushy texture.
A teddy bear brunette, aka teddy bear brown, is a brunette with a complementary blend of lighter tones. “It’s basically a brunette with soft, neutral-toned, light brown highlights,” says color artist Cara from Westport, Connecticut.
This multi-tonal coloring cleverly mimics the delicate fluffy texture of a favorite childhood toy, hence the name. Think of a Paddington bear and how sunlight picks out lighter tones in his fur.
A cross between a true brunette and bronde but make it airier? Here’s your teddy bear brunette. It feels natural and not overdone, easily getting in sync with the current trend for understated elegance.
Natural brunettes have a headstart with this ritzy hue. If your hair is brunette you might want to bump your base a level or half a level and add lighter tones around the face. With any other hair color, you’ll need to get a brunette base first and add balayage highlights to your service.
In terms of complexion, the teddy bear brunette is as adaptable as a box of LEGO bricks (sorry, we couldn’t help it). If your skin has more bluish or pink undertones, go for cooler tones for the lightest shade in the mix. Try ash brown, mushroom brown, or the latest craze – mocha mousse. Warmer tones of highlights, like honey or caramel, will brighten up your complexion, adding a natural glow.
We said it a hundred times and we’ll say it again – to be on the same page with your colorist, bring pictures of what you expect to walk out of the salon with. Because everyone’s starting hair color, existing highlights, and hair condition differ, you might expect different services.
Brunettes with blonde highlights might only need a glazing or glossing service to tone down the brightness and contrast of the streaks. Darker shades will need to lift color to achieve the desired lightness. Think of it as your hairstyling Build-A-Bear.
This shade will last you as long as your childhood teddy bear did without much effort on your part. The color is super low-maintenance and has a good grow-out phase, especially if you’re starting with brunette.
Of course, color-protecting hair care products never hurt anybody with dyed hair. Washing your hair with lukewarm water and dialing down the heat on your hair styling tools will help pigments stay in place too. And don’t skimp on that heat protectant!
Trying a new hair shade feels as exciting these days as getting a new toy when you were a kid. Spoil your inner child with a teddy bear brunette or choose one of 35 Hot Shades that Scream 2025 Hair Color Trends.
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