Calling All Brunettes: What to Know About the Warm Chocolate Brown Hair Color Trend

The classic color may be a trend, but it won’t go out of style.

Both brunettes and blondes are falling for one of the prettiest hair color trends of the moment: warm chocolate brown. A departure from the icy ash tones that have reigned for so long, this cozy spin on brunette offers the perfect way to add warmth to your hair or to tone down existing highlights. Even celebs are leaning into this hue; Hailey Bieber recently traded in famous highlights for this beautiful rich chocolate tone and Zendaya has softened her look with this hue, as well.

“What I love about a chocolate shade is you can really play around with those undertones, making it super flattering on so many people,” says Justin Anderson, celebrity stylist with dpHUE. “You can take those golden undertones and make them a bit more honey or make the red tones a bit more copper.”

Basically, you can cater this shade according to your own complexion and natural hair color, making sure it suits you perfectly.

What Is Warm Chocolate Brown Hair?

There’s obviously a spectrum of brunette hair color, and warm chocolate falls on the golden-y side versus the cool end.

“It's a rich and beautiful brown that is often referred to as a tone-on-tone, warm brown,” explains FEKKAI SoHo Colorist, Lorik Rockefeller. “Currently, it's a very trendy color, along with other warm tones like cowboy copper, and warm, golden blondes. For a long time, the trend was ashy, cool, and neutral tones, but now it's all about warm and vibrant hues.”

She adds that this hue is usually best achieved at hair salons since it requires layering in warmth through lowlights and/or highlights.

Who Looks Best in Warm Chocolate Brown Hair?

This gold-leaning brunette hue is considered universally flattering across all complexions, especially if your hairstylist tailors the hue to your specific skin tone.

“Warmth exists in all natural hair anyway, so all skin tones get some benefit from warmth,” explains Shvonne Perkins, a master colorist for Madison Reed. “If you tend to feel too ‘peachy’ or ‘red’ when you wear colors on the warmer side—think gold to red—you can accomplish chocolate brunette by adding just a touch of gold or honey tones.”

She adds that if you prefer a more apple-cider mahogany warmth, adding copper to your brunette will take it a little further.”

How to Maintain Warm Chocolate Brown Hair Color

We’ve got more great news! Warm chocolate hair is considered much easier to maintain compared to cool-leaning brunettes, and even more so if brown is your natural hue.

“As hair tends to pull warmth naturally, and when it washes off and oxidizes, it shifts to warm,” Rockefeller notes. “I'd say it’s more ideal to maintain than other cool browns or blondes for that matter.”

Aim for a toner refresh every four to six weeks, which will help re-infuse your strands with that golden-y warmth while also adding a high-gloss shine. From there, you can schedule a color appointment once every eight to 12 weeks to touch up roots and enjoy a bigger refresh.

The only caveat is if you’ve got a lot of gray and want to cover the roots more often. Perkins says, “If you are covering gray, most guests touch up their color every four to six weeks to keep up with growth.”

Stick to these habits in between salon appointments to keep your hair color looking great.

• Shampoo Less Frequently: The number one piece of advice for keeping this color vibrant is less shampooing, Rockefeller says. Also avoid using very hot water

• Use Color-Protecting Products: When you do shampoo, stick to a sulfate-free, hydrating and conditioning hair care system approved for color-treated hair.

• Try Color Boosting Treatments: With a rich, vibrant color like chocolate brown, you’ll also want to work in a color boosting treatment, Anderson notes. Try dpHUE’s Gloss+ in Medium Brown ($38, Amazon) or a color-depositing conditioner such as Madison Reed’s Color Therapy Mask in Castagna ($19.80, Amazon).

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