10 Honey Brown Hair Color Ideas for 2025

As far as hair color trends go, honey brown hair is something of a timeless and versatile favorite. The warm, golden-brown hue commands attention with its radiant glow, reminiscent of the liquid gold it's named after. Whether you're looking for a subtle sun-kissed look or a bold, rich transformation, honey brunette offers an array of possibilities that can suit any skin tone. Below, find everything you need to know about honey brown hair color, including how to find the right shade and our favorite products to maintain its vibrancy for weeks to come.

What Is Honey Brown Hair?

Honey brown hair is a warm, golden-brown shade that resembles the hue of its namesake liquid. Much like real honey, which can vary from pale yellow to deep amber, honey brunette hair color can also range from light to dark for a highly customizable look. The warm undertones of this sumptuous hue make it particularly flattering on those with warm skin tones, but you can easily adapt it for cool and neutral tones—the key is finding the right brown hair color for your skin tone. This brings us to our next point…

How to choose the right honey brown hair color

Whether you’re opting for warm, honey brown hair or cool-toned blonde, choosing a hair color based on your undertones generally yields the most flattering result. If you’re unfamiliar with undertones, they’re simply the pigments that lie beneath your skin that never change. Undertones can be either cool, warm, or neutral, and picking a hair color within the same category will often best complement your complexion. Once you know your undertones (learn how to find yours in our article, How To Identify Your Skin's Undertones), you can start browsing your hair color options:

• Warm undertones: The rich golden, caramel, and amber notes in classic honey brown will beautifully enhance the warmth in your complexion.
• Cool undertones: Although honey brown is a warm shade, you can cool it down with a touch of ash or more neutral brown tones. Your hue should have a balanced mix of brown and honey without leaning too much into golden or yellow warmth.
• Neutral undertones: If your undertones are neutral, you can pretty much take your pick from any honey brown variation. In this case, it’s more about whether you want your new hue to be subtle and light or dark and sultry.

When in doubt, we recommend visiting the L'Oréal Paris Hair Color Concierge.The virtual tool allows you to consult with a specialist for tips, tricks, and product recommendations—plus, you can virtually try on a variety of brown hair dyes from the L’Oréal Paris portfolio.

How To Get Honey Brown Hair Color

If an all-over transformation is what you’re after, we suggest picking up a honey brown hair dye. We love the L’Oréal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Honey Brown, which delivers a dramatic color transformation (even on dark hair) in just 25 minutes. Plus, the kit comes with a vitamin-infused shine serum and a Bonding Care Complex Conditioner to help reinforce weakened hair bonds and strengthen hair by up to 40%. If you prefer to go more subtle with your honey brown look with highlights or balayage, you’ll want to head to the salon so your colorist can expertly place your bright, warm-toned strands.

10 Honey Brown Hair Color Ideas

There are plenty of ways to make this warm, radiant color your own. Here are some of our favorite honey brown hair color ideas to inspire your next look.

1. Light honey brown hair

Anyone who is fond of light brunette manes and all-over color should give light honey brown hair color a try. Since this option involves a single shade, you can easily DIY the look at home with a honey brown dye kit. Our pick: L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Lightest Golden Brown.

2. Brown hair with honey highlights

If you’re all about a dimensional ‘do, you’ll love lacing your brown base with honey highlights. Perhaps the most classic take on the trend, this color option offers plenty of natural-looking movement. Keep it simple with a few glistening streaks, or take things up a notch by asking your colorist to incorporate some warm reddish-brown highlights throughout.

3. Medium honey brown hair

Medium honey brown might be the perfect choice if you're looking for a rich, golden hue that's warm and inviting but not too overly flashy. It's a great way to achieve that timeless honey brown look with just the right amount of depth. Color your strands with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Hi-Lift Gold Brown for an at-home hair color transformation.

4. Dark honey brown hair

Honey brown hair doesn't always have to be light to showcase its stunning golden undertones. A rich honey brown gives you all the warmth and dimension of the color while allowing you to lean into a darker brunette shade. For a dark honey brown hair dye, reach for the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Créme Permanent Triple Protection Hair Color in Dark Golden Brown.

5. Honey brown ombré hair

An ombré offers a more low-maintenance take on the honey brown hair trend. The coloring technique leaves your roots untouched while transitioning the mid-lengths to ends of hair into a shimmering honey blonde, creating a gorgeous gradient effect. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about a harsh line of demarcation as your hair grows out, so you can go longer between touch-ups.

6. Golden honey brown balayage

While ombré hair dramatically switches from dark to light, honey brown balayage uses seamlessly blended highlights to give hair a natural-looking, sun-kissed effect. You can DIY a balayage at home with the help of the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit. Available in three colorways, the kit has everything you need to create luminous, blended highlights, including a salon-inspired applicator brush and a toning mask to blur the color at your roots.

7. Ashy honey brown

An ashy honey brown features a mix of sandy, neutral brunette shades with subtle gray undertones, creating a soft, muted look. Ideal for those with cool undertones, the smokey pigments help play up the naturally blue tones in your skin, bringing vitality to your complexion.

8. Honey brown money piece

Those who want to dip their toes into honey brown hair should consider a money piece. This approach involves noticeably lightening the panel of hair around your face, creating a halo of brightness. A honey brown money piece on dark brown to black hair can instantly give your mane a bit of je ne sais quoi without forcing you to abandon your base color.

9. Honey brown lowlights

Lowlights, which are often applied using demi-permanent or permanent color, can help introduce rich honey brown tones into lighter hair without excessive bleach damage. The method adds contrast and visual interest to your base, giving hair more depth and dimension.

10. Copper and honey brown mix

The only thing better than one trending hair hue is two. Add a touch of copper to your honey brown hair color for a seriously vibrant, head-turning shade. Gold and reddish tones are just what those with warm undertones need to bring out the radiant glow in their skin.

How To Care For Honey Brown Hair Color

While coloring your hair—both at home and in the salon—may seem easy, it also requires patience and some knowledge to keep your hair looking healthy and beautiful. To increase the lifespan of your honey-dipped ‘do, heed the following haircare tips.

Switch your shampoo and conditioner

First things first, you’ll want to swap your current wash day duo for a pair specifically formulated for color-treated hair. We love the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Shampoo with Citric Acid and the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Conditioner with Citric Acid. The citric acid-infused formulas, which are designed for bleached and dyed hair, help repair weakened hair bonds for stronger hair in just one use.

Utilize a hair gloss system

To prevent your color from getting dull, rotate a glossing system into your routine twice a week or as needed. Our go-to hair gloss treatment is the three-step L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System. The collection includes a Glossing Shampoo to gently cleanse hair, a Glossing Conditioner to help moisturize and smooth strands, and a Glossing 5-Minute Lamination Hair Mask to help seal the hair fibers and boost shine. Learn more about the range and how to use it in our article, What Is a Hair Gloss?

Never skip heat protection

Heat protection is always a must, but it’s especially vital for colored hair, which is more prone to fading and damage. The L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Repair Hair Oil-in-Serum is a great option for warding off heat damage because it goes the extra mile: it reinforces weakened hair bonds, protects hair from future damage, and leaves hair intensely shiny with a lightweight, non-greasy finish. Best of all is its versatility—you can use it on damp hair before styling or on dry hair as a finishing touch.

Next Up: How to Find the Best Brown Hair Color for Your Skin Tone (and Undertone)

Photo Courtesy of L'Oréal Paris