8 Hair Colors To Try That Will Pump Up Your Basic Brunette

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Whether you're a natural brunette or simply looking to take your hair darker for the colder months, don't fall for the misconception that brown hair is boring. With hair trends moving toward more bespoke shades, you can get lots of dimension with artfully colored hair. Whether you're adding strategic lowlights for elegant dimension or brightening your look with honey highlights, there are nearly infinite ways to amp up the depth and shine of brunette locks.

"Hair color techniques have changed in recent years with the rise of balayage, and clients, now more than ever post-lockdown, want low-maintenance styles with an expensive feel," celebrity hairstylist Liam Curran told Stylist. "For years, blondes have experienced beautiful blends of light tones, and now brunettes want the same experience. Mixing numerous different shades and finishing with luxe toners not only injects beautiful colors but adds beautiful shine too." These days, the boldest hair statement you can make might just be transitioning to a subtly handcrafted brunette.

With expensive blonde being among the hottest blonde hair trends, it's only right that brunettes should have their own take on this subtly chic technique. Expensive brunette is a richly dimensional dark brown shade — achieved with color deepening lowlights — polished off a high-gloss finish. "A lowlight adds depth and dimension to give the hair life," hairstylist Nikki Lee explained to Popsugar. Part of what makes it look "expensive" is the hand-painted balayage application, which intermingles different shades of brunette for a unique color, rather than applying one single color to all of the hair. "Expensive brunettes should have an overall blended tone-on-tone effect usually in the neutral and cool tones," hairstylist George Papanikolas told The Zoe Report."Neutralizing unwanted brassy tones creates the difference between brunette hair looking expensive and faded, brassy, and cheap." With that in mind, maintain the vividness of your color by using toning hair products like Redken Color Depositing Purple Conditioner.

Chestnut balayage adds warm golden ribbons throughout medium-dark brown hair. When perfectly executed, it will give hair the sort of natural-looking dimension that comes from spending time in the sunshine. "One solid color can look flat and inky," colorist George Papanikolas told Byrdie. "It's always best to have richer roots and glaze the ends about two shades lighter. This is not only more flattering, but it's also what brunette hair would naturally do in the sun." It's an easy-to-maintain color with coppery tones that will last, and since it's balayage, the look is organic and lived in.

Ever wondered about the difference between babylights, balayage, and highlights? Balayage is applied freehand for a sort of ombre effect, mimicking the natural effect of sun exposure. By keeping the color away from your roots, you'll avoid falling victim to the zebra effect from the highlights.

If you're looking for a cool-toned brunette option for fall, consider mushroom bronde, a dynamic, ashy color that walks a trendy line between brunette and blonde. While many popular brunette color trends are meant to warm up brown locks, this fawn-colored shade is great if you're trying to keep red tones out of your hair. "For my natural brunettes, it can be a way to spice up your usual highlight appointment by simply playing around with earthy tones a bit more as opposed to rich warmer hues," colorist Natalie Rotger told Byrdie. This color replicates the delicate gray-brown tone of a Portobello mushroom, creating a lived-in color that transitions perfectly into fall. Just keep in mind that ashy, cool-toned hair color can be more high-maintenance, and you'll likely need more frequent touch-ups than you would with golden or honey highlights.

Add depth and warmth to a medium brown shade with honey highlights for a sun-kissed fall look. This dimensional technique uses both highlights and lowlights for lots of dynamic color to achieve a your-natural-hair-but-better effect. "I love the warmth of this hair color and the very subtle dimension and playfulness that the highlights add," stylist Rogerio Cavalcante told Marie Claire. "I personally like brown hair with lighter ends. A homogeneous full color usually looks too harsh and heavy." Asking your stylist to tailor the brightness of your highlights to suit your skin coloring is key to avoiding a too-bright look like Kate Middleton's blond hair transformation. While honey brown is a subtler choice, especially with its medium tone base color, it has show-stopping depth, like you just got back from a month on the beach.

Cinnamon swirl is a trendy brunette color that incorporates ribbons of honey and red blonde into a neutral brown base. The result? A shade with all the bright warmth of a pumpkin spice latte, and despite its brightness, it's perfectly suited for the shift into fall. "This warmth added to a brunette color palette can be flattering on a lot of different complexions," colorist Jeremy Tardo told Glamour. "If you have medium to dark skin tones, this hair color is gorgeous on you. If your skin is fair, a bit of warmth in your hair can add the appearance of color to your skin." Either way, you'll get tremendous dimension from the shade range, which will add a sense of movement and sophistication to your locks. Ask your stylist to add lighter, hand-painted sections for extra depth, but to leave roots dark for a true transitional feel.

This rich, near-black shade of brown is perfect if you want to try a darker shade of brunette. It's bold, without the intensity of true black hair, meant to replicate the color of an espresso shot. This high-shine look gains its depth from subtle highlights that can range from a cooler toffee shade to warm chestnut. The neutral undertones make this color versatile and suitable for a range of skin tones. The dark color creates a shinier, sophisticated look, so you can drastically refresh your look while still keeping your color classic. "This color is often seen on velvety smooth, glossy hair to tease out the subtle variations of tone," said Laura Elliott, head of education for Neäl &Wølf. "Maintaining espresso brown hair is all about preserving its deep, glossy tone and preventing it from fading or looking dull over time."

If you're looking for a medium brown tone with tons of dimension, then toffee brunette might be the perfect choice. This expensive-looking brown is highlighted with shades of caramel and amber, adding lightness and complexity. "The overall tones are warm and combine chocolate, caramels, and intense golds to give a reflective and youthful shine to the hair," celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith told Stylist. "It's a timeless yet modern shade that adds warmth and depth to your look without feeling too dramatic." It's a warm color that suits most skin tones, and your stylist can amp up the intensity by increasing the contrast between the darkness of the base color and the brightness of the highlights, or reduce the contrast for a softer version. "Incorporating more intense, contrasting caramel or toffee highlights against the dark base creates a striking, high-impact appearance," hair stylist Sierra Kener told Real Simple.

For a slightly lighter version of espresso brown, consider brightly highlighted cold brew brunette. This hyper-dimensional version of coffee brown hair features lighter tones contrasting against the dark base. "It's all about swirling neutral and golden tones down the hair," colorist Stephanie Brown told Refinery29. "Just like when you pour a little bit of milk into your coffee." It works particularly well with coppery highlights that add a sense of warmth. "This is great for people with dark hair that would love to dip their toes into being a redhead without too much of the commitment — or for women who still want warm tones in their medium brown hair," colorist Nikki Ferrara told Allure. Like a darker espresso shade, the color looks best when your hair is shiny; a hydrating treatment like Olaplex Rich Hydration Mask can deeply moisturize hair and maintain glossy shine.