Burgundy Color Hair | Dye Guide & Inspiration

Burgundy color hair is a must for anyone seeking a sophisticated look. However, there are some things to consider before hitting the salon. Read on to find out all about dying your hair burgundy.

Burgundy Color: Finding the Right Shade for You

The burgundy color is such a popular option for hair because it’s so bold and vibrant. It brings the depth of brown together with eye-catching red and violet tones. It’s the color of a rich merlot or cabernet.

One of the best things about the burgundy hair color is that it can be tweaked to suit any skin tone. While the red and violet hues in the color are best suited for skin with tone of:

• Pink
• Olive
• Ebony

It’s also great for women with golden or peach-colored skin who can wear a warmer, slightly browner version of it beautifully. If you’re looking for a rich hair color with dimension, depth, and tons of versatility, burgundy might be the hue for you.

Burgundy hair also looks great with a variety of haircuts and styles. In this guide, we’ll show you examples of burgundy hair and different ways to wear this trend. See if it’s the color you’re looking for by checking out the photos and tips below!

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Burgundy Color Inspiration

Get inspired for your next hair color with these gorgeous examples of the burgundy color in a variety of styles. See true burgundy and variants mixed to match different skin tones in our top 10 list.

We’ve included inspiration for a variety of skin tones, face shapes, and types of personalities. Which style and shade of burgundy can you see yourself wearing?

1. Long Bob

Shaggy layers and a shoulder-grazing long bob are perfect to show off burgundy with pinkish tones. A middle part with a little volume at the roots makes this color look fresh and flattering. 

2. Classic Bob

A classic cut like the chin-length bob is refreshed and rejuvenated with a sensual color like burgundy. Minimal layering allows the light to hit the hair without being broken up.

The result is smooth, sweeping color that has an alluring sheen. When we think of burgundy color hair, this is one of the first styles that comes to mind.

3. Ombre

Dark brunette hair can beautifully transition into a burgundy color with violet highlights. By applying the color from the middle of the hair downward, there’s an appealing gradient effect that is eye-catching and unique. 

4. Angled Lob

Doesn’t burgundy look amazing on both short and long hair? Here, the front of the hair is slightly longer than the back and the cut gently angles downward toward the front.

The angled lob can be parted down the middle or on the side to create a more layered look in the front. This type of cut looks gorgeous with any look, but especially with a burgundy color.

5. Long Tousled Waves

Colors with a lot of dimension look great styled in waves. The light hits the bends of the hair to create even more depth for the color. 

6. Sleek Pink Locks

This is a great example of how much versatility there is with burgundy. Adding more pink tones gives the color a more vibrant effect where the light hits it. Paired with sleek, straight locks, it’s gorgeous. 

7. Caramel Highlights

Deep brunette hair can opt for a burgundy tone that balances cool and warm hues. This dark reddish-purple color pairs unexpectedly well with warm caramel-colored highlights for contrast. 

8. Long and Crimped

Fair skin with pink undertones looks beautiful contrasted with the deep, violet-red color of burgundy. Crimping the hair adds interesting texture that creates more visual depth to the color. 

9. Side Swept Bangs

Shiny curls breathe life into this rich burgundy, and the cheekbone-grazing side swept bangs make the style suitable for any face shape. Deep conditioning and/or using leave-in smoothers and conditioners in the hair will help you get this sheen. 

10. Subtle Copper

Burgundy with subtle copper tones added is a whole new way to wear this trendy color. This color looks burgundy in low light, but once the light hits it, you’ll see the sparkling peek of copper showing through. 

Burgundy Color: Thing to Consider

If you’re torn between going brunette or red, burgundy is a soulful option that brings together the best of both worlds with an added punch of violet. But the color is uniquely rich.

So, it deserves some thought before you get your hair dyed. Here’s what you should consider before you book your color appointment. 

1. Use Your Skin Tone to Find the Right Shade

Your skin tone is the reason certain clothing colors and metal tones (silver and gold) look better on you than others. Everyone’s skin tone is different, but they can be classified by the warmth or coolness of the undertones in the skin.

You’ll either have warm, cool, or neutral undertones. Every skin tone from fair to ebony can be warm, cool, or neutral. Your skin tone will show you which shade of burgundy will look best on you. 

Warm Undertones

• Looks best in orange, yellow, brown, gold, coral, olive, peach
• Gold jewelry is more flattering
• Veins appear greenish
• Tans easily

Warm undertones will look peachy, golden, or apricot in natural light. You might notice that golds look better on you than silver tones. If your skin ton is warm, your veins may show up as a greenish color.

You may also notice golden flecks in your eye color. If you have warm undertones, a burgundy hair color with more brown and toned-down violet hues will look best on you. 

Cool Undertones

• Looks best in blue, bright red, gray, purple, white
• Silver jewelry is more flattering
• Veins appear bluish
• Sunburns more often

Cool undertones will look pinkish, rosy, reddish, or slightly bluish in natural light. You might notice that silver jewelry looks better on you than gold. Want to see for yourself? Look at your wrist.

The veins on the inside of your wrist will probably appear bluish through your skin. If you have cool undertones, a burgundy hair color with a cooler red hue (lots of violet) will look best on you. 

Neutral Undertones

• Looks good in warm or cool colors
• Gold and silver are equally flattering
• Veins may appear greenish or bluish
• Can tan or sunburn easily

Neutral undertones are common for the olive skin tone. Neutral undertones straddle the fence and can go with either warm or cool tones. If you can’t decide if gold or silver look better on you, you might have a neutral undertone.

Neutral undertones can go with a warm burgundy (more brown, less violet) or a cool burgundy (more violet, less brown).

2. Consider Your Brows

Your natural hair color will be covered, but your eyebrows won’t. So, it’s important to think about how you’ll deal with your brows after you get the burgundy color done.

You shouldn’t dye your eyebrows to match your hair, but they’ll need to be 1-2 shades darker than the root color to look flattering. 

For burgundy locks, pale brown (cool undertones) or a warm, tan brown (warm undertones) penciled in 1 shade darker than your natural brows will look great.

If you have very light brows naturally, you should experiment with different brow pencils to find a shade that looks natural without going too dark. 

3. Burgundy Fades

A bold color like burgundy will require some maintenance and upkeep over time if you want to keep your locks rich and your roots from growing out. 

However, burgundy is a deep shape of red with violet tones. So, it’s prone to fading faster than other colors (reds tend to do that). This means you might be dealing with a washed-out color just a few weeks after you visit the salon, before roots are even an issue.

Depending on your natural hair color, burgundy dye can fade to a violet-purple shade over time. If you’re not okay with this, you’ll have to have the color revamped every 6 weeks or so.

You can postpone fading by grabbing a sulfate free shampoo or shampoo for red hair before you visit the salon. This is extremely important to remember, otherwise it could be money wasted.

4. How Bold Do You Want to Go?

How bold do you want your burgundy to be? While cooler skin tones can get away with a variant of the color that borders on dark purple, it’s not always the best option for everyone’s lifestyle. 

If you’re hoping to get a burgundy color that is heavy on the violet tones (a more purplish hue), make sure it’s going to be acceptable in your workplace.

If vivid colors aren’t permitted in the office, you might want to stick with a warmer burgundy or a more toned-down auburn color for a similar effect. 

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Is the Burgundy the Right Color for You?

Burgundy can work for any skin tone and undertone. You just need to keep in mind how it should be tweaked to best flatter your skin’s characteristics.

After seeing a few examples of this rich and dimensional hair color, you’ve probably got a good idea of whether or not this color will work for you. 

Before you head to the salon, figure out the following things to ensure you end up with a color you’ll love:

1. Do you have warm, cool, or neutral undertones?
2. Are you prepared for inevitable fading with sulfate free shampoo and conditioner?
3. Does your chosen shade work in a professional setting, if that applies to you?
4. Have you found an eyebrow pencil or powder that will complement your new color?

Don’t forget to bring a few inspiration photos to your stylist to make sure you get the exact shade you want. A good stylist can offer you a wealth of information about your new color and help you discover the color formula that will flatter you best. 

An experienced stylist can also recommend the shade that will best complement your skin tone and give you additional tips on maintaining your color as long as possible. 

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