Warm Weather Wonders: Best Ideas for Brown Summer Hair Colors
As the sun takes over the sky, shouldn't we change our hair to reflect its energy? It's time to find the perfect summertime brown! From light ash to deep chocolate, there’s a whole world of colors to explore.
Ashy Elegance
A little aloof, a little calm and extremely chic—ash brown tones give a cool twist to the traditional look of brunettes. Ashy undertones mixed with mushroom brown creates a gradient as smooth as the evening sky from day to night.
This color works best for people with cool-toned skin. It might be too harsh on warm complexions. Keep this vibrancy with sulfate-free products and treat it weekly with a hair mask like Kerastase Reflection Mask for color-treated hair.
What could be more enchanting than pairing this style with a soft cut? A look that captures the attention of every passerby at summer parties. You’ll definitely get people talking.
Rich Chocolate Waves
Energize your hair with the opulence of a dark chocolate waterfall. Flattering on all, these rich tones make everyone look as young as they feel.
Keep it vibrant and healthy with the Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment or any other hydrating treatment.
To really flaunt this shade, try a cascading layered look. They say summer is just a season — it’s time to prove them wrong.
Honey-Tea Highlights
For those in the market for a low-key brightness, honey tea highlights offer a whiff of summer without the commitment. Envision ribbons of honey and milk tea running through your hair, like sunlight filtering through trees.
This technique is universally flattering, but darker complexions might want to consider adding richer golden tones for an added pop. Protect and enhance these highlights with a glazing treatment, such as the Paul Mitchell PM Shines.
And why not add some easy curls while you’re at it? The dimensional dance between the playful bounce and this sun kissed hue will light up any room.
Ashy Brown Balayage
This style is characterized by subtlety and sophistication. This ashy brown balayage goes from a deep brown at the roots to lighter, ashen tips in a gentle transition. As for comparisons, this hair color is to a summer dusk what shadows are to light, cool-toned allure that's hard to miss.
For those with cooler undertones in their skin tones, this look works wonders on medium brown bases. If your hair color naturally falls much lighter or darker, you might need frequent touch-ups to maintain the balance of ash and depth.
All you'll need to keep the ashy tones vibrant is purple shampoo—it does wonders counteracting brassiness (or really any other color on the spectrum). Additionally- don't forget to shield your hair when you’re out enjoying the sun with a UV protection spray; it’s essential for keeping your color from fading.
While we're talking about pushing boundaries, why not pair this versatile hair color with a medium-length cut and soft waves? Effortlessly chic could be your thing!
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Dimensional Mushroom Brown
Next up is a style that can only be described as captivating, mushroom brown. This hair color combines various shades of brown and gray. The end result is a rich, complex and intriguing texture.
Unlike most other hair colors in this article, you actually have to mix several different hues together to create this one. However, the outcome is definitely worth it and will leave you looking amazing.
Those with medium to olive skin tones can rock this look with ease due to its flattering neutral colors. That being said, anyone who has very fair skin may want to try something else.
To maintain this dimensional color you’ll need products that are both safe for colored hair and provide loads of moisture without weighing your hair down. One of my personal favorites would have to be the IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm which doubles as a leave-in conditioner.
Finally, when it comes time for the cut I recommend going long with layers and curtain bangs. This cut will help frame your face while also giving each shade the perfect amount of light.
Rich Dark Chocolate Curls
Last but definitely not least, we have the deliciously dark chocolate curls. This style screams summer romance with its rich brown body and light mahogany highlights that reflect the sun.
This is a versatile color that goes great on almost any skin tone. It brings out the natural warmth in your face, and especially compliments those who already have warm undertones.
To keep these curls fresh and healthy, you need to make sure they’re hydrated. Olaplex No.3 will give your hair the deep condition it needs to stay moisturized.
For an extra pop of fun, think about adding hidden streaks of red or deep red. The surprise won’t show unless you want it to- when the light hits your curls or when you put your hair up in an adorable updo!
Sunkissed Chestnut Waves
I introduce to you the Sunkissed Chestnut Waves - capturing the very spirit of summertime at the beach itself. The darker roots blend seamlessly into a mix of chestnut and ashy streaks – reminiscent of wood grains and sandy shores.
Medium to olive skin tones will find this hair color to be like peanut butter with jelly — complementing each other perfectly. It brings out a warm and radiant complexion. For those with lighter or cooler skin tones, go for a golden or honey balayage to add warmth and dimension to the face.
Maintaining these waves is all about finding that sweet spot between nourishment and color care. Use a color-enhancing conditioner, such as Joico Color Infuse Brown Conditioner, to keep those chestnut tones popping in vibrant glossy fashion.
Consider getting long layer cuts alongside these waves for an extra level of movement and playfulness — perfect for them summer adventures.
Milk Chocolate Smoothness
Milk Chocolate Smoothness cascades. A creamy brown color that exudes the elegant blend of chocolate.
This neutral, rich tone is versatile and suits a wide range of skin tones. It’s especially beautiful on those who want a warm and gentle look.
To maintain its smoothness, you’ll need to use a deep-conditioning treatment once a week. Aveda Nutriplenish Deep Moisture Hair Mask will coat your strands with moisture and leave them silky soft.
For styling, use a round brush to blow out your hair for that smooth voluminous look that goes perfectly with the milk chocolate shade.
Ash Blonde Balayage
For something a little different, the Ash Blonde Balayage is your best bet. With deep brunette roots and light ashy blonde ends, this one is for those who are willing to take risks. It has a cool combo of shade and brightness that’ll show everyone you mean business.
But it’s not just about looks. The balayage also serves as dramatic contrast for warmer complexions, so it’ll suit almost anyone.
To keep the color looking great, use a toning shampoo. It’ll help maintain its coolness and prevent any brassiness from sneaking in. We recommend Fanola No Orange Shampoo for the job!
Style-wise, keep things loose and wavy with a medium-length cut to really enhance that balayage effect. It’s a sophisticated choice that’ll turn heads all day long!
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Honeyed Balayage Perfection
It’s the perfect blend of honey and ash, creating a balayage with a sun-kissed allure. The wave in the hair helps to catch the light and gives you a warm brown gradient that looks both welcoming and cool at the same time.
This look is great for those who love natural gradients. Those with golden undertones will especially love this shade as it really brings out their complexion. Those with cooler undertones might appreciate this color as well because it will contrast beautifully against their skin.
When you’ve got such a beautiful balayage, you want to make sure it lasts as long as possible. That’s why we recommend using a color-correcting shampoo, such as the Oribe Shampoo for Beautiful Color, to ensure your hair stays vibrant and doesn't fade away.
To best display how dynamic this style can be, try styling your hair into loose waves using a medium-barrel curling iron. Not only does this give your hair more depth but it also makes your locks look full-bodied and alive so everyone knows they’re real!
Natural Brunette Flow
Here's a style that is both effortless and elegant. It carries a deep brown, which is in itself a hue that has the ability to connect with nature. The vivid uniform color also further exudes simplicity.
The way it looks can also be attractive for people who have a lot of different skin tones. If you don't want to put too much effort into changing your appearance but you still want to look good, this style could be perfect for you.
It won't take too much effort to maintain this style either. You only need two products: Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. With those two things, your hair will stay hydrated and shiny.
Lastly, blow-drying this look with a round brush will give it the perfect volume and movement. At this point the hair can go from casual day out, to sophisticated evening event without any extra steps needed.
Mocha Infused Elegance
The mocha-infused elegance of this hairstyle is what really catches our eye. The way the mocha and subtle rich chocolate highlights interact is almost mesmerizing, and it creates a depth that’s as irresistible as an espresso-based treat.
This color palette looks incredible on those with warm or neutral undertones because it enhances their skin’s natural glow. But, even if you have cooler undertones, these warm shades will still add a bit of luxurious warmth to your look.
To keep your tresses in tip-top shape, consider using a leave-in conditioner like It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product. This will give it all the hydration it needs, and protect it from getting frazzled in the summer heat.
When styling, think soft curls or a sleek blowout to really show off the multidimensional hues within the mocha spectrum. That way your hair can look just as rich (and inviting) as it feels.
Toasted Caramel Swirls
This hairstyle uses toasted caramel swirls to expertly manipulate light and shadow. The dark roots smoothly transition into delicious swirls of caramel and ashy blonde, which gives the hair a sunlit look. It honestly looks like it was naturally lightened by the summer sun.
And just as an aside, this color combination is really versatile. It can satisfy a wide range of skin tones, but especially benefits those with warm complexions. The golden and ashy highlights bring out a natural looking luminosity that’ll brighten up any face.
To keep your hair’s vibrancy, use a color-preserving shampoo. Additionally, consider bi-weekly gloss treatments to make sure the highlights never fade too much. But if you’re trying to get some texture in your hair while preserving its multidimensional colors for that perky beach wave, consider using sea salt spray.
Deep Espresso Shine
The sleek sable tint of this hairstyle provides a firm and luxurious foundation that will always be in style. The nearly black shade sets the stage for warm brown highlights to pop, resulting in a polished, layered look.
This is an excellent choice for people with rich skin tones because it emphasizes the color even more. If your skin is lighter, you’ll love the contrast which you can soften with paler highlights around your face.
Maintain that perfect shine by avoiding heat styling as much as possible. And when you do apply heat, be sure to use a good protectant spray. Add a few drops of argan oil or serum into your hair care routine to make sure your color looks radiant at all times.
Rich Brunette Voluminous Waves
Radiant, brunette hair like this is the definition of luxurious. The cascading waves are thick and bouncy, making them a great choice for anyone who wants to add more volume to their look. The base color is a medium brown that slowly transitions into lighter shades at the ends.
The overall goal with this hairdo was to make something lively yet not too overbearing. It’s all about balance; finding a gradient in color like this can help you achieve that. This style will keep your hair moving freely allowing it to breathe.
This particular color and style look amazing on everyone, but they’re especially kind to people who want an easy time maintaining their hair color. It's perfect for busy individuals or people who just don't feel like constantly having to spend time on their hair.
To make your own vibrant waves, apply volumizing mousse when your hair is still damp and blow-dry with a large brush. Use a big barrel curler to curl sections of your hair.
Then tease the roots of your hair gently so that it doesn’t become frizzy or tangled with other strands; this will give you that extra bounce and body we all crave for.
Caramel Drizzle on Waves
Immerse yourself in the bewitchment of caramel drizzle on soft waves. This style is a harmonious fusion of dark brown roots flowing into a cascade of warm caramel highlights. The waves add an energetic flow that stars its colors, making it appear like your hair was dunked in the late afternoon sun.
A color this many-sided compliments a variety of skin tones and radiates with kissed by the sun light for warmer undertones. For cooler skin tones, the contradiction of the caramel highlights adds a sense of shine that can enhance your complexion.
To keep this style vibrant and healthy you’ll need hair care products safe for colored hair and a routine that includes a deep conditioning treatment, such as Olaplex No 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner to nourish and repair.
Lustrous Deep Mocha
After that, we’re bringing in the big guns with lustrous deep mocha. The seamless color blends a spectrum of deep chocolate to lighter mocha ends, which will give off an air of sophistication. The soft and bouncy curls shine like it's their job, reflecting light beautifully and making the mocha tones pop.
This hue is particularly flattering on medium to dark complexions because it creates a look that is both incredibly eye-catching and natural. But for lighter skin tones, the deepness adds a mysterious tone to your overall look that can be softened with a few highlights.
Keep up this sleek depth by using sulfate-free shampoo and shine-enhancing serum. Specifically our Moroccanoil Treatment which won't make your hair feel oily but will add gloss and keep your hair looking like silk.
Balayage Brilliance
The balayage brilliance with its artful blend of gentle ash and richer brown colors offers a look that's effortlessly chic and ideal for summer. The lighter pieces have been carefully painted to mimic how the sun would naturally lighten your hair.
Whole thing makes it feel like this style was specifically made for you.
Most skin tones work well with this balayage, but natural undertones really take advantage of it. To make sure your balayage looks salon-fresh, use a toner to combat any unwanted brassiness.
As for styling, loose curls or beachy waves will accentuate the balayage highlights by creating an interchange between color and texture that looks as enchanting as sunlight reflecting off water.
Sleek Mocha Elegance
At first glance, sleek fashion is clearly the star of the show. The hair here boasts a timeless elegance with its uniform mocha color. This shade adds warmth to your hair and depth to its appearance. It’s a simple and subtle look that makes a sophisticated statement.
And it can work for people with both cool and warm undertones, so everyone can enjoy this universally flattering style.
But it’s worth noting that sun damage from UV rays can fade even the most beautiful dye jobs. To protect your locks from Mother Nature, use a leave-in conditioner like Kérastase Soleil Huile Sirene with built-in sunscreen. Not only will this help preserve your new color, but it will also give your hair an extra healthy shine. And if you blow-dry using a smoothing serum, you’ll be able to flaunt just how sleek that mocha really is in any setting!
Highlighted Waves of Elegance
This next style really takes the cake in terms of high-energy, lively beauty. We have a rich brunette base that is blended well with lighter highlights to create a natural pop. The wave of the hair and the interplay of light and shadow within its layers is styling perfection.
This look does wonders for many skin types as it adds warmth and complexity.
To maintain this dimension, it’s important to use color-safe shampoo and conditioner on your hair. If you’re feeling up for it, using toner will also keep your highlights looking fresh. And lastly, you’ll want to style your hair with a product that really brings out the layers like Ouai Wave Spray does. It leaves you with effortlessly-styled locks all day long!
Subtle Chocolate Waves
We’ve saved the best for last. Subtle chocolate waves are a rich and lustrous look that is irresistible, but also easy to maintain. The monochromatic brown is given extra depth with slight hints of other shades, which makes it simple yet sophisticated.
The soft waves add body and elegance to the style and can suit many different skin tones.
Moisture is key in keeping this style looking its best, so be sure to treat it weekly. To emphasize the color and give hair an all-around healthy glow, make use of a heat protectant before styling. Then finish with a light misting of shine spray to bring out the chocolate tone.
Sunlit Bronde Waves
This hairstyle is an exhibition of the popular 'bronde' style, where blonde and brunette combine. Deep brown waves are here with a bronzy bronde, as if rays of light are poking through trees.
A careful balayage technique achieves this color to give it a natural grow-out and beachy feel.
Though coloring like this would flatter many skin tones, it’s particularly illuminating for those with warm undertones. The thing that will keep this color in pristine condition is you guessed it, a hair treatment. A specific treatment that brightens the highlights while still conserving the deep brown dye.
Sophisticated Mocha Bob
Cut into a sophisticated bob, the hair in this second picture is sleek and dark. The rich mocha hue brings both depth and modernity to the look. Softening up an otherwise precise cut is a subtle curvature at the end of the hair, giving off a feminine vibe.
The single-tone color is vibrant and polished, making it easy for you to transition your look from work to after-hours plans.
This particular shade of mocha can compliment anyone’s cool or warm undertones. All you need to do to keep it looking sleek is doing regular smoothing treatments with products like Kérastase Discipline Maskeratine so that your hair doesn’t frizz out on you.
Chestnut Brown Layers
This style is a chestnut waterfall of soft, wavy layers. The chestnut brown is not too light and not too dark, creating the perfect balance that makes it look healthy and youthful on anyone who wears them.
This style gives hair fullness and body with movement and texture.
This rich chestnut color looks fantastic on every skin tone because it adds a warm glow to your complexion. To maintain the richness of this shade you must use color-protecting hair products as well as minimize heat styling in order to prevent fading and keep the hair looking great.
Dark Chocolate Luminance
This style is sleek and rich in a dark chocolate sort of way, there is a luminance to it that just can’t be beat. It’s a classic choice that suits any face shape or skin tone, it even brings out your eyes.
To maintain this look make sure you’re taking steps to prevent brittleness and breakage. A shampoo and conditioner that focuses on moisture will help, along with getting regular trims to keep the ends looking as good as the roots.
Bronze Glow
This style celebrates the light and texture in a unique way. It uses a bronze glow on curly hair to create something truly luxurious. And with soft highlights of brown and subtle bronze, it looks like a mane you’d see in an expensive commercial. It’s warm and vibrant — radiating energy in every curl.
If you have warm undertones, then these bronze accents will only further enhance your skin’s natural glow. And if you’re more on the cooler side? Well, this style is still perfect for you. The highlights will add a sunny brightness to anyone’s face.
After getting the curls right, don’t mess it up by cutting corners. Buy yourself some high-quality curl-defining cream and color-safe hydrating hair masks. They’ll keep everything bouncy and fresh looking so long as you avoid overwashing them!
Caramel Waves
It’s a nice blend of brunette and caramel. The dark hair gently transitions into the lighter strands, giving off a carefree and summery look. With the waves, it feels like you had a fun time under the sun.
The balayage technique works well with various skin tones thanks to the caramel highlights that make your skin look kissed by the sun. If you want to maintain its freshness, make sure to update your color regularly.
Protect your hair from styling heat using heat protectant products. Additionally, an oil treatment will keep your ends healthy and prevent your color from dulling down.
Radiant Chestnut Cascades
The first thing you notice about this look is the stunning chestnut waves. Each curl is kissed with a deep brown and warm chestnut highlights to add depth and dimension. With this color, your hair’s natural texture and volume will be brought to life, giving you a lively yet sexy style.
The glossy finish tops it off with just the right amount of sophistication.
Chestnut colors are known for working well with any skin tone by adding warmth and enhancing natural undertones. To keep these colors vibrant use a color-preserving shampoo and conditioner, as well as regular deep-conditioning masks to protect your hair's health as much as possible.
Luscious Mocha Waves
Effortless elegance is what we strive for, and with our luscious mocha waves, that’s exactly what you’ll get. The rich mocha base is brought to life with subtle soft waves that give the hair a bounce and body that’s both romantic and chic.
This style can take you from day to night and will quickly become a staple in your summer wardrobe.
Not only does this color look amazing on every skin tone, but it also helps to enhance the natural depth and dimension of the hair. Use a shine serum to keep your waves looking healthy and vibrant throughout the hot summer days.
FAQ
- What are the best brown hair colors for summer?
Popular summer brown hair colors include honey brown, caramel highlights, golden bronde, and light ash brown. These shades complement the sunny weather and can add a warm glow to your complexion.
- How can I protect my brown hair color from fading in the summer?
To protect your brown hair from fading, use a sulfate-free shampoo, regularly condition your hair, wear a hat or use UV protection hair products, and avoid overwashing.
- Can I get a summer brown hair color if I have dark/black hair?
Absolutely! You can lighten dark hair with balayage or ombre techniques to incorporate brown hues suitable for summer.
- What are some low-maintenance summer hair colors for brunettes?
Balayage, ombre, and sun-kissed highlights are low-maintenance color options. They grow out naturally and don't require frequent touch-ups.
- Is it okay to swim with colored hair?
Yes, but it's recommended to protect your hair before swimming. Use a leave-in conditioner or swim cap, and always rinse your hair with fresh water after swimming.
- What brown hair color is best for cool skin tones in the summer?
Ash brown and cool dark chocolates are great for cool skin tones. They contrast nicely with the skin without adding unwanted warmth.
- How often should I wash my hair to maintain my summer color?
To maintain color, limit washing to 2-3 times a week. Overwashing can strip the hair of its natural oils and color.
- What’s the best way to transition from summer to fall hair color?
Transitioning to fall usually involves adding depth and warmth. You can opt for darker roots or go for richer, deeper brown tones.
- Can I achieve summer brown hair color at home?
While home dyeing is an option, for complex color techniques like balayage or for significant color changes, it’s best to consult a professional.
- What hair care products should I use for dyed brown hair?
Use color-safe products, including shampoos, conditioners, and masks, especially those formulated for colored hair. They help lock in color and maintain hair health.