Best Hair Color for Brown Skin | 20 Hues to Choose

There is no single best hair color for brown skin – there are dozens of beautiful hues that perfectly complement deeper skin tones! From traditional tones to vibrant hues, see the best colors for your skin tone below.

Looking for Hair Colors for Brown Skin?

Scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest to scout out new hair color options can be frustrating for women of color. Seeing gorgeous hair colors you want to try on models with light skin doesn’t help you visualize how they’ll look on your rich skin tone. 

Before you choose a new hue, you’ve got to see how it looks on brown skin. Will it wash you out? Will it clash with your undertones? Or will it perfectly flatter and suit your skin tone to give you a glow-from-within look? 

The only way to know is to do a little research first (we’ve got you covered) and see real examples and photos of hair color for brown skin. 

That’s why we put together this visual guide. We want to show you how different hair color options look on different shades of brown skin and explain why they work so well. If you think you’re limited to dark shades of brown and black, you are blessedly wrong. 

Wait until you see how a range of colors from platinum to bold aquamarine look against velvety brown skin. We found examples that feature both traditional, natural-looking color and vibrant, bright tones that would make a rainbow jealous. 

A new hair color might be just what you need to shake things up and see yourself in a new light! Get ready to learn just how versatile hair color for brown skin can be. 

First, we’ll look at photos to see how these colors work with deep skin tones. Then, we’ll do a quick lesson to explain which colors will work on your skin’s unique shade of brown. Let’s get started! 

20 Hair Color for Brown Skin Ideas

From color that could be mistaken as natural to bold pastel and neon hues, there is no shortage of hair color options for brown skin. Let’s take a look to see the best colors and shades for women of color. 

1. Silvery Ash Brown

Light ash brown is a gorgeous option if you’re interested in experimenting with lighter hair color for brown skin. Silver tones throughout this cool-toned color make it uniquely bright when the light hits it. A full fringe brings the color in front of the face to show its pretty contrast with the model’s silky light brown skin. 

2. Dark Caramel Sombre

Sombre, or subtle ombre, hair color is always a winning look on deep skin tones. For a low-contrast, natural look, try a deep caramel-toned sombre that leaves the mid shaft to ends lighter than the roots for a subtly sun-lightened look. 

3. Deep Pinkish Red

A cool-toned pinkish red beautifully contrasts with brown skin. Fans of vibrant hues will appreciate the boldness of this color and the statement it makes. This color would work on any length, but we’re loving the way it accentuates the model’s long locks. 

4. Warm Honey Blonde

Don’t think you need to avoid light hair color for brown skin! This is a great example of how a deep honey-toned blonde can perfectly pair with darker skin tones. Eyebrow-grazing bangs help bring the color front and center to accentuate your best facial features. 

5. Juicy Plum

A delectable plum color is cool-toned and perfectly complements a deep skin tone. The reddish-purple hues stand out vividly but don’t look out of place. Let this color steal the spotlight or mirror it with plum shades of eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick to bring the hue further into your face. 

6. Auburn With Gold Flecks

A deep, sultry auburn tone is a beautiful, natural-looking color choice for dark-skinned women. Winding twists or braids add to the dimensional effect while little pops of gold color inject a touch of brightness. 

7. Aquamarine Blue

Vibrant aquamarine is a fun and bold hair color for brown skin. If you’re not afraid to be the center of attention, rock this powerful blue hue for a touch of brightness that looks amazing on cool-toned dark skin. 

8. Gradient Blonde

Super-short styles are the easiest and most practical to go blonde with if your hair has the kinky or coily texture. Gradient blonde tones range from a coppery caramel at the roots to a light yellow-blonde at the tips. Gorgeous on warm or neutral-toned brown skin! 

9. Light Coppery Caramel Blonde

This light caramel blonde with coppery undertones is a perfect fit for brown skin. It’s a low-contrast color that won’t compete with your skin tone and lends a nice balance to brighten up your face. The slightly-darker shadow root makes this color a little more low-maintenance. 

10. Magenta Ombre

A deeply feminine magenta toned ombre is another beautiful choice for deeper skin tones. The magenta color perfectly frames the face and contrasts with brown skin tones in a way that makes this vivid color look almost natural.  

11. Golden Chestnut

If you’re a fan of more traditional tones, this warm golden chestnut color is choice. Hints of honey blonde blend with deep chestnut brown to create a gorgeous color for brown skin with warm or neutral undertones.  

12. Strawberry Blonde Highlights

Intense pink-toned blonde highlights throughout the hair inject fun pops of color all over. Every lightened section emphasizes the curl, kink, and bend in the hair. The bright strawberry blonde color helps define the curls for a polished and stylish look on brown skin. 

13. Dimensional Copper

Looking for a standout hair color for brown skin? Look no further than eye-catching copper. This orange-red hue perfectly balances with deeper skin tones for a bright contrast that just works. Add a few copper-blonde highlights to brighten small sections around the face. 

14. Silvery Gray

One of the best hair color options for dark skin is an iridescent silver gray. This shiny color elevates and complements cool-toned brown skin just like silver jewelry. It’s a trendy choice that isn’t quite as common as other colors so you’re sure to stand out in silver. 

15. Violet Blue

Shades of bright purple and blue combine in a sea of cool-toned color that looks amazing against brown skin. This bright color combo shakes things up and perfectly highlights the shape and structure of natural ringlets. 

16. Espresso Brown

Jet black roots lead way to a deep, sensual espresso brown with underlying warmth that perfectly matches warm or neutral-toned brown skin. Leaving darker roots and blending the espresso shade seamlessly in from the mid-shaft down creates a natural look. 

17. Icy Platinum

Platinum blonde on natural coily/kinky hair is rarely seen because it requires so much processing to lift to this ultra-light shade. For this reason, it works best on very short hair. The stark contrast between her deep skin tone and the almost-white blonde is ethereal. 

18. Deep Jade

Wow is the word for this jewel-like deep jade color. Jewel tones are always a good fit for brown skin tones and this unique hue is one of our favorites. The intricate plaiting draws the eye to the color even more, giving it additional depth and dimension as the braids wind in hypnotizing patterns across the head. 

19. Yellow Blonde

This unexpected hair color for brown skin may go against everything you think you know – yellow hair? On a black woman? You’re darn right. The bright hue is nearly opposite the model’s black roots, but the overall effect is so flattering on her warm skin tone. 

20. Violet-Toned Silver

If you like silvery, glittery tones but don’t want to look like you’ve gone gray, try a violet-hued silver like this. It perfectly complements even warm brown skin tones and it’s such a unique color that just screams confidence. 

Choosing the Right Hair Color for Brown Skin

Isn’t it awesome to see the variety of shades that can flatter and complement deeper skin tones? Before you settle on your color of choice, there are a few things you should think about. Determining your skin’s undertones will help you pick a color that suits you and highlights your best features. 

The first step to choosing the right color for your skin tone is determining your undertones. Undertones are different from skin tones. 

Everyone’s skin (from ivory to ebony) has either warm, neutral, or cool undertones. You can find out what your undertones are with a simple jewelry test. Grab a piece of silver and gold jewelry (necklaces are best for this test). 

If gold looks best on you, you likely have warm undertones. You may notice that your veins have a greenish tint and that you look best in clothing that is peach, brick red, olive, coral, yellow, brown, or gold. Whites and cool-toned colors seem to wash you out. 

Brown skin with warm undertones should look at warm colors like:

• Espresso or chocolate brown
• Auburn red
• Copper red
• Chestnut brown 
• Honey and caramel blonde
• Any shade with golden tones

Vibrant shades can work on warm undertones as long as they’re warm colors. 

If silver looks best on you, you likely have cool undertones. You may notice that your veins have a bluish tint and that you look best in clothing that is white, gray, red, blue, or any pastel shade.

Too-warm colors may appear harsh or unflattering on your skin. Brown skin with cool undertones should look at cool colors like: 

• Black
• Deep brown
• Ash brown
• Burgundy
• Ash blonde
• Platinum blonde 
• Pastel colors

Vibrant shades can work on cool undertones as long as they’re cool or pastel colors. 

If both gold and silver are flattering on your skin, you likely have neutral undertones. You may notice that all colors look good on you (although you’re sure to have some favorites). While both warm and cool colors can work on neutral undertones, you should stick to one of these at a time to avoid clashing. 

Brown skin with neutral undertones can wear any hair color well, from cool-toned ash shades to warm browns, coppers, and blondes. Even with vibrant shades, the sky’s the limit for neutral undertones. Lucky you! 

So, What’s the Best Hair Color for Brown Skin?

When you choose your next hair color based on what suits and flatters your rich brown skin, you’ll be so much happier with the results. Choosing a color that goes with your undertones (warm, cool, or neutral) means you won’t be washed out by the color and it won’t clash with your skin. 

Instead, you’ll have a flattering hair color that seems to give you a glow from within, plays up your eye color, and seamlessly goes with anything you wear in your warm or cool color family. 

Don’t downplay your brown skin by picking the wrong color. Play it up and put it front and center by choosing a color that naturally suits you. 

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