29 Chestnut Hair Colors to Inspire Your Next Salon Visit

written by

Kaitlyn McClintock and Erin Mayer

updated Jul 24, 2020

high angle portrait of mixed femme with dreadlocs — Rochelle Brock / Refinery29 for Getty Images / Getty Images

Every single time the spring season rolls around, we're told to go lighter with our hair color, in order to reflect the longer days and warmer temperatures. We love that seasonal shift, but this year, we're thinking of turning it on its head and going for something richer and deeper.

Especially after seeing chestnut hair colors all over Pinterest—and on our favorite celebs, we're sold and ready to make a change. Before you schedule an appointment, check out our favorite A-list sources of inspiration.

Chesnut Hair

Choosing a Shade: Make sure you consider skin tone before taking the plunge— take inspiration from your fave celeb if you can't decide.

Maintenance Level: Color should fade seamlessly but highlights might need some upkeep.

Goes Great With: Most skin tones and undertones

Similar Shades: Try out the Illuminated Brunette trend, or enhance a dark brunette hue with highlights.

Price: Varies per salon. Your base color will also impact the cost.

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Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Olsen's hair, which looks like a shiny chestnut waterfall, leaves us speechless. We like the warm golden undertones that are dispersed throughout.

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Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba's chestnut locks are a little bit lighter and a bit more golden in tone, sort of like the "Tiger Eye" trend.

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Janet Mock

That said, highlights do not have to be involved for deep brown locks to have dimension. Just look at Janet Mock's Old Hollywood waves.

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Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu usually rocks nearly black hair, but here she takes on chestnut with dark roots fading into a softer brunette.

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Lily Collins

Lily Collins's red-tinged locks are perfectly accessorized by a floral silk head wrap. Try adding a temporary dye if you want to try out another tint, like Collins's red hue, without the commitment.

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Olivia Culpo

Olivia Culpo's deep chestnut shade is sure to look stunning on similar olive skin tones.

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Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union sported big chestnut curls at the CFDA Fashion Awards, and we fell in love.

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Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale is our OG celeb hair inspiration. Here she sports a dimensional chestnut hair color at the GQ awards.

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Serena Williams

The tennis champ looks incredible as always, but her chestnut toned curls truly steal the show!

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Felicity Jones

Felicity Jones's hair is right on the edge of the chestnut spectrum, nearing a deep mahogany shade.

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Rachel McAdams

Can we petition Rachel McAdams to always keep her hair this vibrant mix of chestnut and auburn?

To keep your color vibrant, incorporate hydrating masques and gloss-enhancing treatments into your weekly routine.

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Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Ray is another celeb who walks the fine line between auburn and chestnut with her amazing reddish-brown hair color.

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Olivia Palmero

Olivia Palermo's hair starts with a deep chocolate brown color and slowly transitions to chestnut at the ends.

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Maya Rudolph

Comedy queen Maya Rudolph maintains luscious mahogany waves with two subtle streaks of chestnut that play wonderfully off of her freckles and dark eyes.

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Jamie Chung

Jamie Chung gives us further proof that ombré chestnut hair is alive and well (and extremely flattering).

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Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts's vivid hue is reminiscent of the red-brown hair she made famous in Pretty Woman.

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Kate Mara

Kate Mara's chestnut hair is uniform in texture and color throughout. We really like her slicked-back and sleek look.

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Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway's color is a little bit chocolate and a little bit chestnut. A winning color combination in our books.

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Mila Kunis

While Mila's chestnut strands border on a darker chocolate brown, the light-catching highlights have a tinge of gold to them.

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Odeya Rush

Odeya Rush's single-process dark chestnut looks amazing paired with a poppy-colored lip and black top.

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Halle Berry

We love when Halle Berry wears her hair curly. You can really see the way her highlights add depth and light to an otherwise very dark shade of chestnut.

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Lucy Hale

The Pretty Little Liars star is known for her brunette lob, which usually skirts just past her chin. Here, you can see dimensional chestnut tones applied to the very ends to add movement to the overall look.

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Kiernan Shipka

Remember Kiernan Shipka, our modern-day Sabrina Spellman on The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as a brunette? Chestnut highlights frame her face, while darker roots add intensity.

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