Het babies!
There’s just something so fun and refreshing about marking the transition into a new time of year with a fresh new hue.
As a brunette, I used to think I was more limited with my color options compared to my blonde friends.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that there is a whole array of incredible winter hair colors perfectly suited for those of us with brown locks.
From rich chocolates to icy ash browns to subtle gold highlights, brunettes can rock some seriously stunning shades during the chilly winter months.
Toasted Chestnut
Toasted chestnut brown is the perfect winter color if you want a warm, rich brunette hue with a bit more oomph than your typical chocolate brown.
It has all the depth of a classic dark brown but dialed up a notch with warm, coppery undertones that add a subtle touch of spice.
The key to this color is the light-reflecting warmth – it’s not quite as orangey as auburn, but noticeably warmer than a cool espresso brown.
Picture the color of perfectly roasted chestnuts and you’ll have a good idea of what we’re going for here.
To get the look, ask your colorist for a deep brown base with warm, coppery babylights painted throughout.
The result is a brunette shade that positively glows and is sure to garner tons of compliments.
It’s an especially great option for those with warm or olive skin tones, as the toasty warmth really makes those complexions pop.
Styling-wise, toasted chestnut looks incredible when blown out sleek and smooth to show off that enviable shine.
Snow Bunny Balayage
If you’re a brunette who loves to hit the slopes, let your hair color reflect your snow bunny spirit with this alpine-inspired balayage.
The look features a deep, cool-toned brown base with thick, chunky ribbons of icy beige blonde painted throughout.
The high contrast between the rich base and frosty blonde pieces creates a color that’s equal parts edgy and glamorous.
It’s the perfect combination of cozy winter colors and has a certain chic iciness to it that’s just so perfect for the season.
To make this color really stand out, keep the blonde pieces bold rather than overly blended.
Wide, deliberate streaks will create the most striking effect against the deep brown base.
In terms of placement, focus the blonde around your face, the ends of your hair, and a few “money pieces” on top for max impact.
Style it tousled and textured to show off the color dimension and you’ll look effortlessly windswept like you just stepped off the ski lift.
Apres-ski chic at its finest!
Black Cherry Glaze
Feeling vampy?
Go dark and dramatic for winter with a delicious black cherry glaze.
This color takes a soft black base and infuses it with the juiciest, most sumptuous deep red tones for a look that’s all about high-impact shine.
If you’re not quite ready to commit to jet black hair, black cherry is a great way to dip your toes into super dark territory.
The subtle red tones woven throughout soften the look and add a ton of vibrancy and movement.
But make no mistake – this color is deep, dark, and sure to turn heads wherever you go.
The glassy, liquified effect of a glaze makes the cherry tones look luscious and almost wet, like you drizzled merlot all over a black satin sheet.
It’s moody, romantic, and perfect for the winter season.
Keep the rest of your look classic when rocking this color – a sharp winged liner, bold red lip, and sleek blowout are really all you need.
Let your juicy cherry-black hair be the star of the show.
Smoky Chai Latte
Warm up your winter with a toasty mug of smoky chai latte hair.
This trendy brunette hue mimics the color of a perfectly steeped dirty chai, complete with all the depth, dimension, and cozy warmth.
The base is a medium neutral brown, not too cool and not too warm.
Then, an array of “smoky” lowlights in a deep ash brown are woven throughout to create that coveted shadowed effect.
Finally, very delicate ribbons of a warm toffee tone are painted in to mimic the steamed milk swirling through a cup of chai tea.
The result is a brunette shade that has it all – depth, smokiness, and a kick of warmth that feels like a hug in a mug.
It has the perfect balance of cool and warm tones, just like an actual chai latte.
The lowlights are really the star of the show here, so place them strategically to create the most dimension.
Around the face, through the ends, and anywhere you want to create shadow and depth.
Then, keep the warm ribbons very subtle and thin – just a pop here and there to catch the light.
Style with lots of bouncy curves and movement to bring out the color complexity and you’ll be serving delicious chai latte realness all winter long.
Snow light Brunette
Calling all ice queens!
Hop on the “expensive brunette” trend with this wintery twist featuring an array of icy, cool-toned highlights.
Snowlight brunette is all about bringing light and brightness to deep brunette hues in the most wintery way possible.
Start with a rich, ashy brown base with a cool, blue-toned reflect.
The cooler the better – think espresso, not chocolate.
Then, weave in an array of bright, almost-white blonde pieces from root to tip.
The bright “snowlights” should be bold and noticeably brighter than your base color for max contrast.
Focus them around your face, through your ends, and around your crown for an icy, halo effect.
The goal is a brunette color that looks like it’s been kissed by a flurry of snow, with all the frosty brightness and cool-toned goodness.
It’s an edgy, high-fashion take on highlighted brown hair that feels perfect for the dead of winter.
Style it sleek and glossy to make those icy pieces really stand out.
Pair with bold brows, lashes for days, and a moody lip and you’ll be bringing major ice queen energy everywhere you go.
Sun-Drenched Bittersweet
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t channel some sunny vibes with your hair color.
Dip your toe into lightening up for spring with this stunning transitional shade of warm, bittersweet brunette with golden sun-kissed highlights.
The base here is the color of 70% dark chocolate – think a deep, warm brown with an ever-so-slight reddish reflect.
Then, hand-painted golden brown highlights are swept through in a loose balayage pattern.
The highlights should be a warm caramel tone, a few shades lighter than your base.
Place them anywhere the sun would naturally hit – around your face, through your ends, and on the high points of your hair.
The combination of dark bittersweet brown and buttery golden ribbons creates the most sumptuous, sunlit effect.
It’s like you took a rich, decadent chocolate brunette and dipped it into warm, melted caramel.
The result is downright delicious and perfect for those craving some winter warmth.
To fully embrace the sun-kissed factor, style this color with beachy waves and lots of tousled texture.
You’ll look like you just got back from a tropical winter vacay, no matter how blustery it is outside!
Toasted Cocoa Spice
When the weather outside is frightful, what better way to warm up than with a mug of spiced hot cocoa hair?
This decadent winter color is like a delicious blend of hot chocolate and cinnamon all swirled together.
The base is a deep cocoa brown, rich and warm without being overly reddish.
Then, spicy cinnamon highlights are hand-painted throughout to mimic a sprinkle of spice atop your chocolatey locks.
The cinnamon pieces should be a warm russet brown, a couple shades lighter than your base.
Focus them throughout your ends and around your face for a pop of toasty warmth.
For even more dimension, you can also add some very fine honey brown highlights for a “marshmallow” effect.
The combination of deep cocoa, zesty cinnamon, and sweet honey is like a yummy mug of spiced hot cocoa in hair color form.
It’s sweet, indulgent, and the perfect way to spice up your chilly winter days.
Embrace the cozy factor by styling this color blown out with lots of soft, bouncy curls.
Add a fuzzy teddy coat and you’ll truly be the human embodiment of a warm hug!
Snow Bunny Shadow Root
Love the snow bunny balayage but not quite ready to part with your grown out roots?
Embrace the shadow root trend with this rooty variation featuring a deep shadow root melted into bright, icy blonde ends.
Start with a deep espresso brown base, making sure to really saturate your roots for a dramatic shadow effect.
Then, starting a couple inches down from your roots, paint in thick ribbons of an icy, almost-white blonde.
The blonde should start subtly at first, then get thicker and brighter as you move down the hair shaft.
By the time you reach your ends, you should have more bright blonde than brown peeking through.
This color placement creates an enviable cascading effect, from dark and mysterious on top to bright and icy on the bottom.
The deep shadow root adds some edge and rebellion to an otherwise sweet and snowy color.
Emphasis on the word “shadow” – this isn’t your typical grown-out root situation.
Make sure the demarcation line where your brown melts into blonde is soft and blurry rather than harsh and horizontal.
It should look purposefully placed rather than just grown out.
Style with a sleek, straight blowout to really show off the gradient of dark to light from root to tip.
Add a wool beanie for max snow bunny points!
Gold-Dusted Java
Want to warm up your cool winter brunette without going full-on red?
Meet gold-dusted java, the perfect way to add a subtle kiss of warmth to a deep, dark brown base.
Start with a rich espresso brown, aiming for an ashy undertone rather than a reddish one.
Then, dust the finest golden babylights throughout, focusing on the area around your face and the ends of your hair.
The gold pieces should be very thin and delicate, just enough to catch the light when you move.
We’re not talking chunky highlights here – more like a sprinkle of gold dust woven through your rich brown locks.
The key is subtlety – from afar your hair will still read as a solid dark brown.
But up close, the golden baby lights will add the prettiest hint of warmth and sparkle.
It’s like you took your morning cup of java and dusted it with gold leaf – indulgent, expensive-looking, and perfect for fancy holiday parties.
To really make those golden flecks pop, style your hair with big, bouncy curls or waves.
The extra movement will catch the light and give you the most gorgeous, glistening effect.
Time to dazzle, gold-dusted goddess!
Silver Fox Balayage
Going gray has never looked cooler!
Lean into the silver fox trend with this cutting-edge balayage look featuring a sultry charcoal base with sleek silver highlights.
The base here is a deep, inky charcoal brown – think the color of a smoky quartz crystal.
It should be dark and cool without veering into jet black territory.
Then, paint in bright silver-gray highlights from root to tip for a “mature” take on the balayage technique.
The silver pieces should be bold and graphic, creating an edgy streak effect rather than a soft blend.
Keep them extra bright around your face and crown for major pop.
Style it sleek, smooth, and ultra-glossy to show off that sexy silver shimmer.
The high-contrast color combo is modern, moody, and impossibly chic.
It’s like you took the sultry mystery of a deep charcoal gray and electrified it with the icy brightness of silver foxing.
The result is a head-turning winter color that’s all about embracing your inner silver vixen.
Pair it with a deep side part, a smoldering smokey eye, and your most confident smize.
Foxy never looked so fresh!
Frosted Espresso Glaze
Baby, it’s cold outside – so why not embrace the frost with this icy take on rich espresso locks?
Frosted espresso is the coolest way to rock deep, dark winter brown (pun fully intended).
The shade is a take on the classic espresso brown, but dialed up to 11 on the cool factor.
Think a blue-based dark brown, so deep and inky it’s almost off-black.
Then, a shimmery, nearly-clear glaze is applied all over to lend an icy, crystallized effect to the surface of the hair.
The glaze should be ever-so-slightly iridescent, catching the light with an icy blue reflect as you move.
The result is hair the color of a piping hot latte on a frosty winter morning – dark, glossy, and flecked with tiny ice crystals.
The cool-toned combo of the deep espresso base and shimmery cool glaze creates a frosted effect that’s straight out of a snow globe.
It’s multi-dimensional, eye-catching, and perfectly captures those chilly winter vibes.
Style it uber-glossy and smooth to really emphasize the high-shine, glassy effect of the glaze.
Then throw on a faux fur and you’ll practically look crystalized!
Sugar Chestnut Melt
Like your favorite praline treat, this delicious winter color features the perfect blend of nutty and sweet.
A toasty chestnut base gets the sugar treatment with ribbons of warm, honey-golden highlights for a look that’s downright confectionary.
Start with a base of rich, warm reddish-brown – think the color of fire-roasted chestnuts.
It should be darker than a typical auburn, with more brown to it and just a hint of coppery red.
Then, paint in chunky ribbons of golden blonde, focusing on the midshafts and ends.
The blonde pieces should be a warm, honey gold rather than a bright icy platinum.
Start the ribbons thin and sparse up top, then get thicker and chunkier as you move down the hair shaft for that melty, drippy look.
The effect is meant to mimic a lava cake fresh from the oven – dark and rich on top with gooey rivers of melted golden sugar cascading down.
It’s indulgent, cozy, and oh-so-sweet; perfect for brightening up those dark winter days.
For the full sugar-chestnut fantasy, style in big, bouncy bombshell waves.
The soft curves will blend the colors for a mouth-watering marbled effect.
Suddenly craving something sweet?
Totally normal.
Black Opal Iridescence
Ready to go dark – like, really dark – for winter?
Take a walk on the sultry side with this vampy jewel-toned hue featuring flashes of moody iridescence.
At first glance, black opal hair reads as a rich, inky off-black hue.
But as you move, ribbons of deep, color-shifting highlights in shades of midnight blue, dark teal, and deep violet appear as if by magic.
Depending on how the light hits, your locks will flash an array of bewitching colors, from the deepest sapphire to the inkiest aubergine.
The key here is the darkness – the base color and “highlight” shades should all be very deep, almost black.
The prismatic reflects should be noticeable as you move, but subtle overall.
The effect is meant to mimic the elusive, color-shifting quality of a rare black opal – dark and mysterious, with mesmerizing hidden depths.
To get the look, your colorist will need to use the darkest of dark permanent colors along with specialty color-depositing conditioners in sapphire, emerald, and amethyst.
Go easy on the styling and embrace your hair’s natural texture to show off the multi-tonal magic.
This moody, drama-rich color is perfect for channeling your inner witchy woman all winter long.
Just be warned – this one’s not for the color shy!
There you have it – AMAZING trendy, winter-approved ways for brunettes to shake up their hair color this season.
From icy cool tones to golden glazes to color-shifting jewel shades, there’s a little something for every brown-haired babe looking for a refresh.
So go ahead and treat yourself to a toasty new hue – your locks deserve it!
Happy coloring, my beautiful brunettes.
