Plum Burgundy Hair Color | The Trendy Fall Hue for 2024

Plum burgundy hair color is fast becoming one of the hottest hues of the season. This unique, complex color packs a ton of dimension and depth with rich undertones of violet, red, and brown.

Learn about this trendy color, see examples of different plum burgundy hair color shades, and find out if this color will suit you in our hair color guide!

What Is Plum Burgundy Hair Color?

• Plum burgundy is a deep purple color with reddish undertones
• The color is both warm (red) and cool (purple)
• Suits all skin tones and undertones

Plum burgundy is a deep, purple-toned shade with a little red pigment blended in to achieve the characteristic tint. A small amount of brown pigment is added to achieve a darker shade for this purple-toned, sometimes-reddish hue. 

Plum burgundy is really unique because it’s both a warm and cool shade that can suit all skin tones and undertones (warm, cool, and neutral). In fact, plum shades are often considered “neutral” tones in interior design because they play well with both warm and cool colors. 

That logic applies to hair color, too. Plum burgundy shades include a range of rich undertones including violet (cool), blue (cool), red (warm), and brown (warm) to suit any undertone and skin tone combination. 

It’s a truly versatile hair color with the potential to warm up with increased warm brown or red tones (think scarlet, merlot, or mulberry-tinted plum burgundy).

It can be made a little cooler with boosted violet tones (like amethyst, violet, or grape-tinted plum burgundy) or cool pink shades with blue undertones (like raspberry or fuchsia).

Colors Similar to Plum Burgundy Hair Color

If you like the rich complexity of plum burgundy hair color but aren’t sure this is the right shade for you, you might like one of the colors similar to it. The closest colors to plum burgundy are: 

• Maroon
• Burgundy
• Berry red

Maroon is a warm deep purple hair color that is balanced with brown and red tones. It’s a browner shade than burgundy or plum burgundy, which both feature more notable purple tones. Maroon hair color is often described as a purple-brown crimson and it’s well suited for warm skin tones. 

Burgundy is a deep red hair color with purple and brown tones. Different shades of burgundy can range from warm deep brick red burgundy and cool dark raspberry burgundy to cool purple-heavy plum burgundy.

If you’re not a fan of the overt purple tones in plum burgundy, a traditional burgundy color with more red and brown may suit you.

Berry red is a warm or cool purplish red hair color that is a little brighter than deeper plum burgundy, merlot, or maroon hues.

It takes on a pinkish look and features more red with a little purple and brown for balance. Adding blue undertones creates a cooler berry tone better suited for cool undertones. 

Who Looks Best With Plum Burgundy Hair Color?

Generally, plum burgundy hair color can work for anyone, and we mean anyone. Since it has balanced warm and cool tones (thanks to the violet, red, and brown undertones), it suits all skin tones from fair to deep and all undertones from warm to cool.

Still, when choosing the right shade of plum burgundy to suit your complexion, you’ll need to keep your skin tone and undertones in mind for the best fit. A deep, black- or brown-heavy plum burgundy will suit deeper skin tones much better than very fair skin.

Highly saturated, bright plum burgundy color with less depth and more violet/red tones may look better on fair or medium skin tones than deeper complexions. 

Likewise, mixing your plum burgundy with the right tone balance to suit your undertones is also important.  Cooler undertones (flattered by silver jewelry with bluish/purple veins) may want more violet or cool pink tones in their plum burgundy for the most flattering color.

Warmer undertones (flattered by gold jewelry with greenish veins) need more brown or red tones in the color to look the best with plum burgundy. 

What Colors Work With Plum Burgundy Hair Color?

Since plum burgundy features both warm and cool undertones, you can pair it with almost any hair color for show-stopping, multi-toned looks. But it really shines when you use plum burgundy with any of the following hair colors! 

Deep Fuchsia Pink

Subdue bright and bold fuchsia with a little brown for depth to get this pretty shade that will look amazing next to a violet-plum burgundy. It makes a pretty highlight shade, but those who want a vivid, bright look can try a deep fuchsia balayage with plum burgundy roots! 

Espresso Brown

Dark espresso brown makes a gorgeous companion color for plum burgundy when you want to go darker with your hue. Picture espresso brown as a base color with plum burgundy highlights, the perfect shade for a shadow root with plum burgundy balayage, or a great lowlight in a plum burgundy base. 

Merlot Red

Merlot is a deep red with a hint of violet purple tones with a little brown for depth. It’s a rich, warm color that really brings out the reddish undertones in plum burgundy and makes a great highlight or balayage color to pair with it. 

Burgundy

Plum burgundy balances really well with a true burgundy color that downplays the violet tones a bit in favor of more red with a hint of deepening brown. This unique shade looks amazing in short, blunt cuts that keep the hue in the spotlight. 

Deep Amethyst

Deep amethyst makes a wonderful color companion for plum burgundy thanks to the similar purple tones and rich depth. This color is cool-toned, so it’ll bring out the cooler tones in plum burgundy while making the brighter red and brown tones pop!

Violet Black

Violet black is unquestionably inky with a notable violet undertone that shows up best in the light. With the similar purple tones, violet black makes a great color to pair with plum burgundy for root color, lowlights, or a base color with plum burgundy highlights or balayage. 

10 Examples of Dimensional Plum Burgundy Hair Color

1. Black Plum Burgundy

Inky black tones really change and deepen plum burgundy into a more mysterious, velvety color. We love how black plum burgundy looks on fair and medium or olive skin tones, but this is a match made in heaven for deep skin, too. 

2. Violet Plum Burgundy

Heavy violet tones will make your plum burgundy lean less on the red and brown tones for an overall purple hue that is anchored with just enough red and brown depth. This is a gorgeous shade for all skin tones and is a little cooler than true plum burgundy to suit cool-toned ladies best. 

3. Rich Plum Burgundy

This punchy plum color has a complexity and richness about it that really suits long waves with lots of body. It’s a perfect color match for deeper skin tones.

However, it can do a lot to brighten up a light or medium complexion, too. It has the usual coolness and warmth of unique plum burgundy with slightly more muted violet tones. 

4. Violet-Black and Plum Burgundy Balayage

This is a beautifully unique way to bring two companion colors (violet-black and plum burgundy) together into one, cohesive look. Inky black with violet tones saturates the roots down to the midshaft zone.

And lighter plum burgundy picks up those violet tones with added red and rich, deep brown tones in the midshaft to ends. 

5. Mulberry Plum Burgundy

A boost in red pigment transforms the color into a mulberry plum burgundy and offers a little extra warmth. That’s perfect for people with warmer undertones that want violet-plum tones without too much coolness in the shade!

6. Raspberry-Toned Plum Burgundy

Tight, defined coils add amazing texture and shape to accentuate the multi-toned colors in this pinky, raspberry-toned plum burgundy. The characteristic purple is concentrated at the roots, while more pinkish red lifts the hue from the midshaft to ends. 

7. Bright Plum Burgundy Tint

In color terms, a shade is a color mixed with black for depth and a tint is a color mixed with white for brightness. This bright plum burgundy tint turns the color saturation all the way up so you get a clear look at the pure violet tones without the depth of the usual brown undertone. 

8. Black With Plum Burgundy Pops of Color

Black as a base color can feel a little heavy and one-dimensional, but adding pops of color with sultry plum burgundy fixes that problem easily. Chunky burgundy plum sections weave throughout the deep black base to lighten the look and add dimension. 

9. Reddened Deep Plum Burgundy

Take the sensual violet tones and balance them with a smidge more red to create a reddened plum burgundy with lots of richness and depth. While there’s a redder undertone in this shade of burgundy, it’s not so much that the violet plum tones are muted or lost. 

10. Plum Burgundy With Icy Grape Accents

Pairing plum burgundy with other shades of purple lends more coolness to the color without taking away from the subtle warmth the reddish undertones offer.

For a bright, cool blast of color, icy grape strands around the face stand out nicely against plum-toned burgundy balanced with a little deep brown in the base. 

Will Plum Burgundy Hair Color Work for You?

Rich, complex plum burgundy is a gorgeous shade that turns heads and can be oh-so flattering on different complexions and undertones. But will it work for you?

Let’s take a look at what you should consider before you dye your hair this color:

• Do dark shades tend to wash you out? If you’re fair-skinned, true plum burgundy shades could be a little harsh for your skin tone and leave you looking washed-out. If this usually happens to you with dark colors, you can opt for a brighter shade (we like the plum burgundy tint on bleached hair in the examples above) or opt for a softer purple shade like lilac ash brown. 
• How does purple look on you? While plum burgundy has both warm and cool attributes, if you’re very warm-toned, it can still clash with your complexion due to the underlying coolness. A good way to see how you’ll look with this color is trying on clothing with a similar color. Does it highlight skin imperfections or redness? If not, plum burgundy might be a great color for you.
• Have you tried a vivid color before? Plum-toned burgundy is a little more natural-looking than pure violet or amethyst shades, but it’s definitely more vivid than a basic brunette. Before you commit to this color, consider how you’ll deal with a brighter color that may go against workplace or school rules if you choose one with heavy violet tones. 
• How long will you keep the color? This is a fun shade to try, but you may not be planning on keeping it for a long time. Since it’s a dark, rich color, you may have a little more trouble going lighter afterward and may have stubborn violet tones showing through. If you’re keeping the color for a short time, consider a semi-permanent or demi-permanent color that will wash out within a couple of months. 
• Are you willing to keep up with the maintenance? Rocking a rich tone like plum burgundy means you’ll have to keep up with regular touch ups and maintenance to keep it looking good. You’ll need to regularly tone it, get your roots touched up every 2 months or so, and switch to shampoo for colored hair to avoid fading it faster. 

All things considered, if you’re in love with this trendy shade, you should absolutely go for it. There’s a shade of plum burgundy that can work for everyone and all you have to do is find the violet/red/brown balance to suit your complexion! 

Alluring, deep, and perfect for cooler seasons, plum burgundy hair color is quickly becoming one of our favorite fall and winter shades. How will you choose to rock your violet-toned burgundy mane?