15 Caramel Brown Hair Ideas That Everyone Can Pull Off
This warm, mid-toned brown is seriously sweet.
January 07, 2025
There’s something incredibly flattering about a rich caramel brown hair color. When paired with dark brunette lowlights, it transforms into a luxurious and dimensional hue perfect for those with deeper skin tones. Brighten it up with blonde highlights, meanwhile, and you’re left with a summery honey brown hair color that makes fair skin glow. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this versatile shade suits everybody.
If you’re in the mood for a hair update but aren’t sure which take on the color to try, keep scrolling. Below, we’ll show you 15 of our favorite ways to embrace a caramel hair color and share tips to help ensure your sweet new hue shines.
If you want a solid caramel color, you can transform your hair right at home—all you need is a caramel brown hair dye and a bit of patience. We recommend opting for a warm, mid-toned brown hue, like the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Sparkling Amber.
For a brighter take on caramel brown, consider opting for a light honey brunette shade with soft golden, wheat, and buttery blonde highlights woven throughout. If you’re wary of the upkeep that can come with having a lighter hair color, consider asking your colorist for a root smudge. This technique helps blend your natural root color with your brighter dyed color to help mask regrowth. It also lends the color a laid-back, lived-in feel we love.
Liven up your natural dark brown hair by embracing a warmer take on your classic shade. This caramel chocolate brown hair color is definitely more brown than gold, but boasts a distinct warmth that makes it feel vibrant and fresh. If you’re up for DIY-ing the look, we recommend snagging a permanent hair color kit, such as the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Medium Chestnut Brown.
When you think of caramel brown hair, you likely picture this shade—a gorgeous mashup of rich amber, gold, and honey brown highlights set atop a soft brunette base. While you can hit the salon to achieve the dimensional hair color, it’s not necessary. You can achieve a similar effect at home with a permanent hair dye, such as the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Medium Golden Brown.
Balayage is a hair coloring technique that involves hand-painting individual strands of hair to add brightness and dimension—without the maintenance required of traditional highlights. It’s adaptable for nearly any hair color, but we’re especially fond of the way light caramel brown balayage livens up a neutral brunette base. Try it out for yourself with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit, which comes with an expert applicator for a natural, blended effect.
If you’re in the mood for a hair update but aren’t sure which take on the color to try, keep scrolling. Below, we’ll show you 15 of our favorite ways to embrace a caramel hair color and share tips to help ensure your sweet new hue shines.
What Hair Color Is Caramel Brown?
Caramel brown hair color is best described as a mid-toned brunette hue with a distinct warm undertone. Often, it features subtle amber, bronze, and maple strands woven throughout for natural-looking dimension. It’s worth noting, however, that there are numerous takes on this sumptuous shade. Light caramel brown hair is often referred to as honey brown hair, and typically features golden highlights in place of the classic bronze and amber tones. Darker variations of the shade include chestnut, toffee, and even golden chocolate brown. Because of the warmer undertones, this versatile shade is an excellent pick for those with warm skin tones. However, it can easily be adapted to flatter neutral and cool skin, too.How To Get a Caramel Brown Hair Color
Since caramel brown hair is so versatile (and customizable), there are countless ways to achieve the luxurious look. Here, we’re sharing 15 of our favorite variations of the timeless hue.1. All-over caramel brown
If you want a solid caramel color, you can transform your hair right at home—all you need is a caramel brown hair dye and a bit of patience. We recommend opting for a warm, mid-toned brown hue, like the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Sparkling Amber.
2. Light honey brown
For a brighter take on caramel brown, consider opting for a light honey brunette shade with soft golden, wheat, and buttery blonde highlights woven throughout. If you’re wary of the upkeep that can come with having a lighter hair color, consider asking your colorist for a root smudge. This technique helps blend your natural root color with your brighter dyed color to help mask regrowth. It also lends the color a laid-back, lived-in feel we love.
3. Dark caramel brown
Liven up your natural dark brown hair by embracing a warmer take on your classic shade. This caramel chocolate brown hair color is definitely more brown than gold, but boasts a distinct warmth that makes it feel vibrant and fresh. If you’re up for DIY-ing the look, we recommend snagging a permanent hair color kit, such as the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Medium Chestnut Brown.
4. Warm caramel brown
When you think of caramel brown hair, you likely picture this shade—a gorgeous mashup of rich amber, gold, and honey brown highlights set atop a soft brunette base. While you can hit the salon to achieve the dimensional hair color, it’s not necessary. You can achieve a similar effect at home with a permanent hair dye, such as the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Medium Golden Brown.
5. Honey brown balayage
Balayage is a hair coloring technique that involves hand-painting individual strands of hair to add brightness and dimension—without the maintenance required of traditional highlights. It’s adaptable for nearly any hair color, but we’re especially fond of the way light caramel brown balayage livens up a neutral brunette base. Try it out for yourself with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit, which comes with an expert applicator for a natural, blended effect.
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6. Caramel money piece
You don’t have to commit to an all-over dye job to embrace caramel brown hair. This on-trend look involves only lightening the front sections of hair to add brightness and help accentuate your features. Opt for a classic caramel brown money piece if you have darker brown hair or liven up a honey brown hair color with buttery golden blonde highlights.
7. Caramel brown babylights
For those who love the look of highlights but want them to appear as natural as possible, babylights are a great way to subtly weave a caramel shade into your existing base color. This highlighting technique involves lightening ultra-thin sections of hair, typically around the face and crown of the head. The effect is subtle—almost as if you’d just spent a week sunbathing in the tropics. It’s also fairly low-maintenance, which is always a nice perk.
8. Caramel with honey brown highlights
If you’re starting with a caramel base, adding honey brown highlights is a gorgeous way to get a tonal caramel hair color. You can get this look with classic highlights or a balayage technique—either way will result in a rich, warm shade that’s packed with head-turning dimension.
9. Cool caramel brown
Caramel brown is traditionally warm-toned, but it doesn’t have to be. If you have cool skin, consider opting for an ashier caramel brown hue—the cooler undertones will help brighten your complexion in an incredibly flattering way. Try the look out for yourself with an ashy honey brown hair dye, such as the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Downtown Brown.
10. Honey bronde
Bronde hair is the perfect middle ground for anyone who can’t decide between going blonde or brunette. This blend of honey brown hair and warm golden blonde creates a natural, beachy effect that works well for a range of skin tones. To DIY the summery hue, snag the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes in Natural Dark Blonde.
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11. Blonde with caramel brown lowlights
Caramel brown hair isn’t just for brunettes—natural blondes can experiment with the hue by adding in warm caramel lowlights. The ribbons of caramel create gorgeous dimension without requiring you to dye all of your natural golden strands. Plus, you can customize the look to your preference by adding a few subtle pieces or including them all over for a more dramatic effect.
12. Caramel brown ombré
If you want to skip coloring your roots altogether to keep touch-ups to a minimum, consider opting for a soft caramel brown ombré. This coloring technique involves coloring your mid-lengths and ends to create a subtle gradient of color that brightens up your look while leaving your roots natural. It’s commonplace to get ombré done in the salon, but if you’re up for it, try DIYing it with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Ombré Bleach kit.
13. Face-framing caramel highlights
Similar to a money piece but with more sections and blending, face-framing highlights brighten the sections around the face to create depth and contrast. The look is gorgeous on it’s own, but it’s also a great way to test out a caramel hair color before making a bigger commitment.
14. Honey brown with highlights
Put a beachy spin on a light honey brown hair color by weaving golden blonde highlights throughout your mid-lengths and ends. This tonal brown-meets-blonde shade feels naturally sun-kissed, flatters a wide range of complexions, and doesn’t require as much upkeep as an all-over color. If you really want to keep touch-ups to a minimum, consider pairing your highlights with a soft root melt.
15. Copper caramel
Copper and caramel make for the perfect pairing—both shades fall squarely into the “warm” category and each feature golden undertones that make the skin appear glowy and bronzed. If you’re not sure whether you’re ready to commit to red hair, test the waters with a golden reddish-brown hue, such as the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Light Amber Brown.
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How To Maintain a Caramel Brown Hair Color
Dyeing your hair is just the first step in your hair color transformation. Maintaining your new hue is equally as important. Below, we’re sharing our tips on how to keep your new color looking fresh.1. Use color-safe hair care
Anytime you dye your hair, you’ll want to invest in a color-safe shampoo and conditioner to help preserve your color when you lather up. There are plenty of options to choose from, but we love the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Glossing Shampoo and coordinating L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Glossing Conditioner. The pH-balanced duo gently cleanses, softens, and adds shine to give dull, lackluster hair a glossy-looking finish. They also boast an anti-fade UV filter to help protect your color long after you step out of the shower.For an extra shiny finish, add the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Glossing Glaze into your routine two to three times per week. The in-shower treatment helps seal the hair cuticle, leaving the hair smooth, silky, and full of long-lasting shine.
2. Skip the hot tools
If you find yourself reaching for the blow dryer or flat iron every day, here’s your sign to take a break. Frequent exposure to high temperatures can dry out your hair and cause your color to fade faster. Heat styling can also be damaging, especially if your hair is already brittle from chemical processing. Let your strands air-dry naturally when you can, and if you must use hot tools, be sure to shield your strands with a heat protectant. We like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Moisture 21-In-1 Spray.3. Use a hair mask
Bleaching and coloring can damage the hair, leaving it susceptible to brittleness and breakage. If your hair feels a little worse for wear post-coloring, you may want to add a deep conditioning mask to your regular routine. The L’Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm Rinse-Out Mask is an excellent pick for when your strands need a little TLC. It’s packed with a 17% repair concentrate with protein and helps condition, nourish, and repair damaged, color-treated hair.Shop the Products
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