50 Gorgeous Brunette Hairstyles And Color Ideas
Whether you’re a natural brunette or you’re excited to dye your hair in a cocoa shade, I’ve put together the ultimate guide for brown-haired beauties. Below, you’ll find a huge range of brunette hairstyles, from cuts to styling ideas and more.
For women who want to go brunette, I’ve included a variety of light, dark, and reddish brown tones for inspiration. You’ll also enjoy flattering ideas for ombre, highlights, and balayage brunette hairstyles.
1. Beachy Waves Hairstyle for Long Brown Hair
If you have long brown hair, one of the prettiest brunette hairstyles you can try is beachy waves. They’re easily attainable by leaving braids in overnight or using a curling tool. To get that soft, effortless texture, gently brush your hair to pull the curls apart.
2. Long Brown Hair with Low Layers
Up for a routine trim at the salon? Take it one step further by working some low layers into your haircut. The process doesn’t involve removing a lot of length, but rather adding depth and dimension to the bottom half of your hairstyle.
3. Casual Long Loose Curls Hairstyle for Brown Hair
For brunettes with long and straight hair, loose low curls are the go-to for chic daily styling. To get the best results, use a flat iron and wrap your hair around the utensil. Lightly tap from place to place for a second or two at a time to hold the curls.
4. Long Brown Hair with Face Framing Curtain Bangs
If you’re thinking about getting a fringe cut to go with your long hair, curtain bangs are ideal for framing your face. The bangs style complements the overall length of your locks and works well for both summer and winter hairstyles.
5. Half Up Half Down Curly Brown Hairstyle
Girls with naturally curly brown hair can flaunt their ringlets with a half up half down hairstyle. To accentuate your curls in the process, bring them forward and allow a few strands to flow loosely around your face.
6. Choppy Angled Medium Bob Haircut for Brunettes
A fresh crop that will emphasize your chocolatey tresses is the top-trending choppy bob. With the weight line about halfway down your neck, it’s ideal for transitioning from a long to shorter hairstyle. The choppy tips enrich your look with texture and an edgy vibe.
7. Shaggy Fringe Hairstyle for Shoulder-length Brown Hair
For even more edginess, dip into the world of messy shag cuts. When you couple one with a medium-length, point-cut fringe, you’ll get a choppy hairstyle all around. To frame your face, ask your stylist to carve in layers around the sides and feather out the edges.
8. Feathered Layered Shoulder-length Haircut for Brunettes
On that note, feathering can be used as the primary technique in your new haircut. If you’re looking for texture in abundance, get a shoulder-length haircut with feathered layers on both sides. When styling, push the layers towards the back for a dynamic and eye-catching look.
9. Vintage Curls Bob Hairstyle for Thick Brown Hair
Take a trip back in time with a medium bob haircut with vintage curls. The short and bouncy haircut can be accompanied by a blunt or side fringe. Once your hair is cut, curl the tips and a few full strands in the front. Make sure the curls are larger and looser for a 1920s-inspired outcome.
10. Messy Choppy Pixie Cut for Brown Hair
If you don’t plan on putting any additional brown tones in your hairstyle, make your solid color foundation come to life with a short choppy cut. The piecey and textured pixie, for instance, will boost movement in your hairstyle and help you express your adventurous personality.
11. Curled and Twisted Loose Braids for Brunettes
Fishtail braids can highlight each of your cocoa-colored strands, especially when curled and twisted together. The secret to achieving this hairstyle is loosely pulling the multiple braids apart once they’re in place.
12. Mambo Twist African Braid Hairstyle
From the wealth of African braiding styles available, mambo twists look particularly stunning in brown. The tight twists protect natural locks and promote hair growth at the same time. The longer the set of braids is, the more the earthy tones will shine.
13. Half Pull Through Braid Pigtails for Brown Hair
With long brown hair, you can turn average pigtails into spectacular half pull through braids. Using small clear hair ties, pull each braid section into the next until you reach the final quarter of your scalp. From that point, use your own hair to close off the braids and let the remaining locks in the pigtails flow.
14. Long Brown Cornrow Braids Hairstyle
Cornrows are yet another beautiful alternative for protecting afro-textured hair. Choosing brown as the shade for the braids will complement your skin tone and bring out the best in your facial features.
15. Zigzag Side Braid Hairstyle for Brown Hair
If you want a side braid but not necessarily a boho one, try a tighter Dutch braid with a creative twist. Instead of braiding directly down, form a zig zag along the side of the head for a dynamic braided hairstyle.
16. Faded Honey Highlights on Dark Brown Hair
One way to go about highlights on a dark brown foundation is a subtle, faded, honey-colored set. The goal here is to add a sun-kissed look to the dark base without lightening the overall hairstyle too much.
17. Milk Chocolate Lowlights Brunette Hairstyle
If you want something even more low-key, swap highlights for some lowlights. For a barely noticeable effect, choose a tone that is only one or two shades lighter than your base hair color. The results? Subtle shimmer whenever light hits your tresses.
18. Reddish Blonde Contour Highlights on Brown Hair
To warm up a cool dark brown base, pick a shade of highlights with a bit more saturation. For example, reddish blonde highlights with some contouring in the front will effectively brighten your appearance.
19. Wispy Blonde Highlights on Medium Brown Hair
The former chunky highlights trend has now been replaced by wispy streaks. These aim to accentuate locks and boost the appearance of texture. Moreover, a medium brown foundation will enjoy more movement with the help of wispy blonde highlights.
20. Subtle Warm Brown Highlights on Dark Brown Hair
If you’re not big on mixing contrasting tones, you can experiment with highlights from a similar palette. A darker brown body can be emphasized through some warm, medium-width brown highlights all around.
21. Milk Chocolate to Dirty Blonde Ombre for Brunettes
Women with naturally brown hair can use the ombre coloring technique to lighten their hairstyle without committing to a full blonde look. For an alluring transition, you can choose dirty blonde as your secondary shade.
22. Light Brown and Blonde Balayage Lowlights on Brown Hair
To obtain a more harmonious transition, look into balayage lowlights as a dyeing method. Here, the brown top will appear to melt into the lighter brown and blonde bottom without much effort.
23. Red to Blonde Fire Ombre for Dark Brown Hair
For a more outgoing approach, mix flame-inspired colors for the ultimate three-way ombre. Start with a natural dark brown foundation. Blend out to a darker red, then to a burnt orange. Make the tips blonde to complete the look.
24. Dark Roots to Medium Brown Body Brunette Balayage
The subtle sister of the classic ombre is balayage. For brunette hairstyles, consider melting chocolate brown from dark brown roots. As a result, the body will appear to have more volume and density.
25. Pale Brown to Silvery Blonde Ombre Hairstyle
To hop on the ashy hair trend, use two pale shades – mousy brown and silvery blonde. The individual tones go hand in hand for a soft and feminine ombre hairstyle with a modern touch.
26. Medium Auburn Hair Color
Red hair inspiration is key to adding warmth to brunette hairstyles. For instance, a medium auburn hair color retains a brown foundation while making it brighter and warmer. It’s so beautiful that it works as a solid color base for your hairstyle.
27. Cinnamon Brown Hair Color
If you’d rather have a balayage effect, try a blend of cinnamon brown hues. In this case, you’ll have reddish undertones that effortlessly blend into the brown body. To increase contrast, keep your roots a touch darker than the rest.
28. Mahogany Hair Color with Red and Violet Undertones
Aside from red undertones, you can mix in subtle violet hues for a shining mahogany hair color. It’s another option that is rich enough to be worn on its own, without any other highlights or lowlights.
29. Amber Brown Hair Color
For some summery glow, opt for a more vivid amber brown hair color. With discrete honey shine, the hairstyle will glow in the sunshine and brighten up your entire appearance.
30. Maple Brown Hair Color
Both rich and natural-looking, maple brown is the ideal balance between brown and red hair colors. The two shades are blended seamlessly to create a deep yet luminous foundation base for your whole body of hair.
31. Deep Mocha Brunette Hair Color
Contrary to common belief, some of the most radiant brunette hairstyles are on the dark side of the spectrum. Mocha is a popular option that resurrects lifeless locks and adds a natural sheen.
32. Dark Brunette Balayage Hair with Subtle Warm Brown Accents
Balayage works not only for lightening hair, but also for working in deep tones on dark foundations. A brunette base with subtle warm brown accents is well balanced and ideal for women who want to explore the dark side of earth tones.
33. Charcoal Ash Brown Hair Color
Take ash brown to a darker level with charcoal undertones. You can get the color in the form of ombre or balayage to emphasize the ashy and earthy shades. Alternatively, use the combination as a solid color.
34. Espresso Hair Color
If you want to go as dark as possible without reaching black hair, espresso is the direction you need. The tone is darker than mocha, but light enough to fall under the brunette category. It also enriches the body with natural shine.
35. Dark Chestnut Hair Color
Look at that Shine! Dark Chestnut Brown & One Length Cut.
36. Warm Caramel Brown Hair Color
Whether you have a darker skin tone or you’re freshly tanned, caramel is the best hair color option for enhancing your complexion. If you want something between brown and blonde, this glowing shade is the way to go.
37. Honey Brown Highlights and Contour on Medium Brown Hair
You can keep a medium brown base and simply touch it up with honey brown contourage highlights. Integrate wispy highlights throughout the base and reserve some wider chunks for the front to frame your face.
38. Copper Brown Hair Color
A hair color trend that seems to always be in style is copper brown. It’s as rich as brown tones can get, with enough warm undertones to boost the brightness of your hairstyle. Use it as a solid foundation or with lowlights for emphasis.
39. Beige Brown Hair Color
Silver is also a fantastic source of inspiration for blending brown with additional tones. The result will be a light ash brown color with an overall beige shine. The adaptable color complements any skin tone and hair texture.
40. Golden Brown Hair Color
Vivid and warm alike, golden brown successfully bridges the gap between brunette and blonde. It’s a natural shade that still stands out in any dye job through a visible boost of sheen.
41. Romantic Loose Chignon Brunette Hairstyle
A vintage chignon is the perfect match for any formal or informal occasion. The bun should be loosely styled above your nape, with some light teasing on top. Pull out two strands in front and some wisps in the back to complete the romantic hairstyle.
42. Side French Braid Messy Bun Hairstyle
For everyday wear, pair a messy updo with a loose side braid. Weave a larger section of hair into a French braid on the side and wrap the tips into a twisted bun. Grab a scrunchies to put the bun in place.
43. Loose Piece Flower Bun Updo for Brunettes
An updo hairstyle fit for dates, proms, or weddings is the jumbo flower bun. For brunettes with a solid hair color, the piecey updo adds texture for a dimensional hairstyle. Make sure you have enough bobby pins to secure each individual strand in place.
44. Braided Updo Hairstyle with Rhinestone Pins for Brown Hair
Overlapping strands can result in a gorgeous braided updo for fancy events. In this situation, it’s best to keep the braided area tighter and finish everything off with rhinestone pins sprinkled randomly.
45. Messy Curly Bridal Updo Hairstyle
If you’re getting ready to be a boho bride, you need this messy, curly, and ornate updo in your life. It all starts with lightly curling your hair and tousling it. Then, it continues with a careless low bun and loose strands from every angle. The decorative headpiece pulls the look together with grace.
46. High Side Ponytail Messy Hairstyle
To make dark brown hair pop, you need an attention-grabbing hairstyle like this high side ponytail. After you tie the ponytail, curl the tips and tease them as much as you can for a fabulously messy outcome.
47. Sleek Low Ponytail with Braided Section and Finger Waves
For a sleeker alternative, go for a sleek, vintage, low ponytail. To customize the hairstyle, braid a small section above the pony and style the remaining locks in soft, loose finger waves.
48. Half Up Ponytail Hairstyle for Dark Brown Hair
To increase the appearance of high density, you can trick the eye with a strategic half up hairstyle. Provided your hair is a single brown tone, section the top and blend the tips into the rest of your hair for more fullness.
49. High Ponytail Hairstyle for Brunettes
For an Instagram baddie hairstyle, straighten your hair until it’s as sleek as possible. Take your time combing and slicking all of your strands into a high ponytail right on the crown of your head. Wrap the pony with your own hair to finish the look.
50. Boho Ponytail Hairstyle with Fishtail Braid
Yet another pretty low ponytail idea adds fishtail braiding to the mix. Create two Dutch fishtail braids for the sides, wrap the rest in a low pony, and tease the top for a retro bouffant. Leave out some face-framing bangs to boost the wow factor of the hairstyle.
Conclusion
In closing, brunette hairstyles are wonderful for getting a natural, earth tone, feminine look. If you already have brown hair, you now know how to shine light on it with refreshing haircuts or styles like braids, updos, and ponytails.
On the other hand, if were curious about what brunette shade options you have at hand, you’re now equipped with the color palettes you need. When dyeing your hair somewhere in this range, go for an option that creates contrast against your skin tone.
As a Foreign Languages graduate, my passion for writing and translating came naturally from a very young age. I was always an artistic person but after college, this hobby turned into a job and then into a business. With a huge passion for beauty and fashion, my areas of interest became more and more clear. For the past few years, I have been writing about my main topics of interest which include, among others, hairstyles. Now, my most ardent wish is to expand my professional horizons and keep writing about my passions and delivering top-quality content to my readers, regardless of where they are living.
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