There is no shortage of gorgeous brunette shades to try, but if you’re hoping for something richer than your classic medium brown, chestnut brown hair is hard to beat. This decadent shade features soft reddish or golden undertones, making for a warm hue that complements warmer skin tones beautifully. But like many brunette hair colors, chestnut brown is super versatile, and it can easily be made cooler, lighter, darker, or warmer, depending on your preferences. If you want to give the inviting brown hair color a try, keep scrolling—we’re sharing 20 of our favorite takes on the trend below.
There are several variations of chestnut-colored hair, but the most common take on the hue is a rich medium-brown hue with soft red and gold undertones. While it technically falls under the umbrella of reddish-brown, chestnut brown hair is much more subtle than other red-tinged brunette hues, such as copper brown or auburn. Instead, the brown is dominant, while the red and gold tones provide an ultra-subtle wash of warmth. While classic chestnut brown is incredibly flattering on those with warm-toned skin, it’s customizable, and can easily be cooled down to complement cooler skin tones, too.
From sun-kissed golden chestnut brondes to deep chestnut hues woven with vibrant red highlights, here are 20 of our favorite ways to embrace a chestnut brown hair color.
When it comes to solid hair color, you can’t go wrong with a classic chestnut brown shade. It’s inherently bright and dimensional, meaning that it won’t look flat or dull. Plus, the mid-toned brown works beautifully on both fair and deep complexions. Recreate the timeless look at home with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Medium Chestnut Brown.
Put a summery twist on chestnut brown by asking your colorist for a caramel chestnut brown hair color. The dimensional hue features prominent gold and bronze tones with just a slight hint of red that emerges in the sunlight.
There are all kinds of different chestnut tones to experiment with, so if a lighter shade is your thing, you’ll love a light chestnut. It’s still warm and rich, but with a lighter overall tone than a classic medium brown chestnut color. Because it’s on the lighter end of the spectrum, this is a great hue for blondes looking to slowly transition to a deeper shade. If you want to DIY the look, try the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Sparkling Amber.
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance option, chestnut brown ombré hair is perfect for you. Going this route keeps your base color intact at your roots while allowing you to embrace a warmer, richer chestnut brown hair color at the mid-lengths and ends.
Up the ante with your chestnut hair color by infusing a dark chestnut brown base with vibrant auburn highlights. This vivid shade of red plays perfectly with the warmer tones in chestnut hair, providing brightness and dimension without too much harsh contrast.
Another highlighting option—but perhaps one that’s easier to maintain—is chestnut brown balayage. With balayage, the highlights start a bit further down the strand, rather than directly at the root. This placement means regrowth will be less noticeable, and you can typically extend the time between touch-ups without your hair appearing obviously grown out. Balayage is often done in the salon, but if you’re up for DIYing it, pick up a box of the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit in Medium to Dark Brown—it has everything you need for a seamless at-home transformation.
Add a little something special to a classic chestnut brown hair color by incorporating copper highlights into your look. This color features a reddish tone that pairs beautifully with brown hair and will spice up your ‘do for an ultra-warm color.
If you want a warm hair color but don’t want to veer too far into red territory, try a bronze chestnut brown. This warm hue features dark gold, champagne, and rich bronze tones, which add warmth and depth—without making the hair appear red. Achieve a similar dimensional hue at home with the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color In French Roast.
Chestnut lowlights are a great way to add depth to a blonde or light brown base color without committing to an all-over dye job. This coloring technique involves adding highlights darker than your base color throughout your mane. Unlike traditional highlights, it can often be done without the need for bleach—a bonus for those looking to avoid unnecessary damage.
Sombré is a highlighting technique similar to ombré, but the transition between hues is softer than with traditional ombré. This results in a subtle, gradual shift from a deeper hue at the roots to a slightly lighter color at the ends. You can do sombré with any hair color, but we think the lived-in look is particularly well-suited to naturally-dimensional hair colors, like chestnut brown.
If you want to embrace a new look but aren’t ready to ditch your natural color entirely, a chestnut brown money piece may be a great option. This trend involves coloring only the front pieces of hair that frame the face. A bright chestnut money piece is a great option for brunettes looking to add warmth and dimension to their current hue without committing to an all-over color change.
Golden chestnut brown sits on the lighter end of the brunette spectrum—you can think of it as a warmer take on the classic bronde. The summery hue features amber, honey, and caramel tones woven throughout a medium warm brown base color and results in a sun-kissed hue that leans more golden than red.
Chocolate chestnut is perfect for those wanting to maintain a deep brunette shade, but give it a very subtle hint of warmth. The marriage of cool brown with warm red is flattering and dimensional—and it complements both cool and warm skin tones beautifully. Recreate the luxe look at home with the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Dark Chocolate Brown.
Adding chunky blonde highlights to a chestnut brown base color is a great way to embrace a brighter hue for the warmer months. When opting for this look, make sure the undertones of the highlights match the undertones of your hair for a cohesive, natural-looking end result.
Red hair remains one of this year’s biggest color trends, but if you’re looking for a softer take on the vibrant crimsons dominating your social media feeds, cherry chestnut brown may be worth considering. The hue blends a classic deep chestnut brown hair color with striking cherry highlights for a bright-yet-approachable foray into red hair color.
For a low-maintenance hair color option with serious impact, we love the color melt. This take on the trend pairs dark chestnut brown roots with sun-kissed golden chestnut ends for a luxurious look that feels completely natural—both when you first get it done and as it grows out.
This tonal look is a great example of how chestnut can be customized to suit cooler or lighter skin tones. The soft hue stars a lighter chestnut base woven through with soft honey and champagne babylights that add dimension, but in an incredibly natural-looking way. Because babylights are so fine—and the placement is so precise—we suggest heading to the salon to achieve this tonal look.
When dark ash brown hair meets deep chestnut highlights, magic happens. The contrast between the two opposing colors results in a dimensional hair color that, in some light, appears almost metallic. To keep the contrast from overpowering your pretty hue, aim to keep your chestnut balayage within two to three shades of your base color.
If, on the other hand, intense contrast is what you want, weaving bright chestnut bronde highlights throughout a neutral black base is the perfect way to do just that. Note that in order to achieve this striking look, you’ll need to bleach the strands you want to color. If you’re up for DIYing it, use the L’Oréal Paris Colorista At-Home Hair Bleach & Lightener before applying your chestnut highlight color.
Last but most certainly not least is chestnut red—the warmest variation of this sultry brunette hue. With this color, the red tones and brown tones exist in equal measure, creating a balanced red-leaning hair color that complements warm skin tones beautifully. Get the look at home with a dark reddish-brown hair dye, like the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Dark Soft Mahogany Brown.
Once you’ve successfully transformed your hair into a pretty chestnut brown hue, you’ll want to care for it properly to keep it looking its best. Here are some tips to keep in mind to protect your color and keep your mane looking healthy.
When you dye your hair, it’s important to use products that are safe 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 color-safe duo helps reinforce weak hair bonds to strengthen hair from the inside out. This is especially important when going lighter with your color because bleaching—even with a flawless technique—can damage your hair. Pre-treat your tresses with L’Oréal Paris Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment as needed for extra reparative benefits.
If you’re planning on using heat to style your chestnut brown hair, make sure to prep your strands with a heat protectant, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer Heat Protectant. When applied to damp strands, this leave-in helps reduce frizz, enhances style memory, and shields against temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit without weighing the hair down.
If you find that your hair is looking dull in color and tone, you don’t need to run back to the salon for a touch-up. Use an at-home hair color gloss, like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss. It’s an in-shower toning gloss that works to deeply condition your hair while enhancing shine and toning your color. The tinted versions also add a fresh hint of color that lasts up to 10 days.
Next Up: How To Dye Dark Hair Without Bleach
Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris
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