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

Many pastel hair colors have been ruling the trend cycle as of late, whether it be a bright pink or mint green. But if you’re looking to change your mane in a less drastic way, we have the perfect shade for you — honey brown. Although brown hair might be simple and classic, it doesn’t have to be boring. The honey brown mix adds a hint of sunshine to brunette hair for a look that serves up serious shine and style.

If you’re ready to sweeten up your hair color, find everything you need to know about a honey brown hair color, including a few ways you can try it out, below.

What Is Honey Brown Hair?

Honey brown hair features a warm, brown base that can vary in tone. There’s more than one shade of honey brown hair, but the base is either laced with varying tones of honey highlights or has a golden undertone to give it that sweet-as-honey touch. Since honey brown hair is warm in tone, it can be most flattering on those with warm skin tones. The key to making this hair color trend work for you is finding the right brown hair color for your skin tone. 

How To Get A Honey Brown Hair Color

If you plan to try this trend with highlights, you’ll want to head to the salon so your colorist can expertly place your honey-colored strands. But if you prefer an all-over honey brown ‘do, you can DIY your color with the help of at-home honey brown hair dye.

Always keep in mind that coloring your hair at home may seem easy (and it can be), but it will require patience and some knowledge to keep your hair looking beautiful and healthy. We recommend visiting the L'Oréal Paris Hair Color Concierge to consult with a specialist for tips, tricks and product recommendations (more on that below) if you have additional questions about dyeing your hair at home. 

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