Brown Hair Color Ideas That Are Anything but Boring

Updated on 3/31/2023 at 9:45 PM

If you're a brunette but are tired of your regular old brown hair color, prepare to find yourself inspired to switch it up. It's a misconception that dark hair is boring or limited in options; in reality, there are so many different hair color ideas for you to play with — just like with blond or red.

"Translucent" brown, "chocolate" brown, and strawberry brunette are just a few shades that have proven to be popular in 2024, but that's only the beginning. Whether you're a light brunette that borders brond or have brunette hair with highlights, there's a catalog of shades out there to refresh your look. To find your perfect hair color, you should consider your skin tone, as well as your eye color. Many brunettes also have brown eyes making shades like warm caramel brown and ash brown flattering on them.

Despite many stars going blond over the last year following the 2022 premiere of Hulu's "Pam & Tommy," there are also a handful of celebrities proving brunettes can have just as much fun. Just look at Julianne Hough who recently went light brown, Kim Kardashian who went back to her dark brown hue after rocking platinum for quite some time, and Kaley Cuoco with her new medium-brunette color. Not to mention, famous brunettes like Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lopez, and Selena Gomez.

To get inspiration for your new brown hair color, keep scrolling to see some of the most popular variations of the year.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Golden-Brown Hair

Golden-brown hair, aka "winter gold," looks really chic and warm when the light hits it.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Chocolate-Brown Hair

This is a perfect example of the dark chocolate-brown hair color with some highlights throughout.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Mocha-Brown Hair

Mocha-brown hair is on the darker side and has swirls of medium brown throughout for dimension.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Caramel-Brown Hair

Caramel-brown is a light-to-medium hue that will brighten up your face. It looks especially flattering on medium and dark skin tones.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Red-Brown Hair

If you want something a bit more interesting, try red-brown hair or dark auburn.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Ash-Brown Hair

A popular cool-toned brown hair color is ash brown or smoky brunette.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Cinnamon-Brown Hair

Cinnamon hair is a great shade for brunettes year-round, not just the cooler months as the name may make it sound.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Mushroom-Brown Hair

Mushroom-brown hair trended big in 2021 but the cool-toned hue is still a classic choice for today.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Strawberry-Brunette Hair

"Strawberry brunette" is a happy medium between the ever-trendy red hair color and dark brown.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Medium-Brown Hair

Medium-brown hair looks great with warm honey or blond highlights in it to add dimension, like the "tranluscent-brown" trend.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Dark-Brown Hair

Rich, dark-brown hair that borders black is a head-turning look.

Brown Hair Color Ideas: Honey-Brown Hair

Honey-brown hair is a shade of light brunette that can even pass as "bronde" in some light.