35 Stunning Dark Brown Hair Colors for Every Skin Tone

written by

Audrey Noble & Kelsey Duchesne

updated Oct 02, 2020

Reviewed by

Hair Colorist

glossy young person touching hair — Dahyembi Joi / 500px / Getty Images

Reyad Fritas, celebrity hair colorist and owner of the luxury salon Suite Reyad, once told us that anyone (yes, anyone) could go brunette if they wanted to. "Brunette will make your eyes and skin tone pop more than any other hair color," Fritas said. Indeed, dark brown hair isn't meant to blend into a crowd; it's a way to define your best facial features and complement your skin tone. We have good reason to believe that dark brown hair looks good on just about anyone, and looks just as lovely in the sweltering summer months as it does on dark winter days.

Is it a bold claim that dark brunette might be the universal color? Perhaps. We spoke to Nicole Tresch, a senior colorist at Rita Hazan in New York City, for her tips on going dark brown.

Choosing a Shade: “Choose a dark brown that is right for your skin tone. If you’re olive, it can be more ash. if you have warm undertones, keep it towards a velvety rich/golden brown," says Tresch.

Maintenance Level: Medium to high. "Hair color is more maintenance when you have a lot of grey or you’re changing it drastically from it’s natural color," Tresch notes.

Goes Great With: All skin tones and eye colors

Similar Shades: Illuminated brunette, ash brown, chocolate brown

Price: $150+ "Every colorist charges differently," according to Tresch. She suggests having a consult before your color appointment to get an official estimate.

With these 35 celebrity examples, we might be able to prove our theory that brunette looks great on everyone.

Scroll to see which celebs are our dark-brown hair ambassadors.

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Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell's signature long hair always looks flawless. Her dark chocolate-brown locks are accented with a toasted-brown shade at the tips and around the face.

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Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis' glamorous look includes a dramatic side part with all of her umber tresses swept over to one side. To get her silky shine without any pesky frizz or flyaways, apply a pump of John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum ($8).

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Zendaya

Zendaya's natural curls are a deep, dark brunette, with a subtle tint of light brown at the top.

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Laura Harrier

While Laura Harrier's silky locks appear darker at the roots, the tips have a soft, hickory hue that perfectly matches her eyes. Paired with a deep emerald green dress and bright earrings to match, this look feels deeply elegant.

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Emily Ratajkowski

Emily Ratajkowski's brunette locks have an easy, relaxed feel. If you want to obtain this sleek, yet carefree look (even on the hottest, most humid days) finish your hair routine with a spritz of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum ($5).

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Jasmine Tookes

Jasmine Tooke's long, almost pin-straight brunette hair is melded with caramel highlights.

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Ciara

We love Ciara's walnut roots paired with face-framing honeyed strands. Styled in an unfussy bun with looser pieces left out, this look definitely adds some playfulness to a more formal event.

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Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara proves that even the darkest brunette color won't be too harsh for fair skin. Her complexion is extremely light and cool, while her hair is nearly black.

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Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o wears her dark-brunette shade in a sculptural up 'do. If you're styling curly hair between washes, use a reviving product like the Tresemme Between Washes Curl Revive Styling Foam ($6).

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Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle's dark brunette hair has subtle, lighter highlights intertwined toward the tips to add a bit of dimension without the two-tone appearance.

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Rashida Jones

While lobs have certainly been a popular hair trend, Rashida Jones reminds us that the classic bob never goes out of style. Paired with feathery bangs and gold statement earrings, her dark, single process locks look polished yet relaxed. Her shade plays beautifully against her hazel eyes.

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Park So-dam

Park So-dam starred in Parasite, so we've had ample opportunity to admire her dark auburn hair. This color perfectly complements her porcelain complexion and dark eyes.

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Constance Wu

Constance Wu's dark-brown locks are twisted up in symmetrical '90s buns, with loose, wavy strands that fade into a lighter brown around her face. If you join in on the top knot craze, keep them intact with L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hairspray ($12).

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Halle Berry

Halle Berry pulls half of her chestnut-hued hair up into a perfectly undone high ponytail. Pair with a piecey fringe and you've landed yourself red carpet-worthy second-day hair.

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Viola Davis

Viola Davis's bouncy ringlets are a rich, dark-walnut shade, which brings a toasty warmth to her chic black ensemble. To keep your curls hydrated and free of frizz, try Bumble and bumble's Curl Anti-Humidity Gel-Oil ($30).

The maintenance level will depend on your natural color. "If you’re older, or have a lot of grey, avoid making [the color] too dark, as it can be aging and the regrow line will be very obvious every 10 days," says Tresch.

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Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez looks effortlessly chic in her long bob that playfully swoops at the tips. Her chocolate hued locks have auburn highlights, which are especially prominent around her face.

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Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Olsen's dark-brown locks are slicked back and tucked behind her ears, bringing full attention to her bright-red lip. Her smoothed over roots give her already dramatic color even more intensity.

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Jamie Chung

Jamie Chung lets a few strands of her wavy, dark, slightly auburn locks fall gracefully next to her face.

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Adriana Lima

Adriana Lima is serving us old Hollywood glamour with her nearly raven brunette hair parted at the side and pinned back with big, sculpted waves.

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Ariana Grande

Just call her Ariana Ombré. Her signature high ponytail features dark-brown roots that slowly become honey blonde near the center of her face. An ombré is a great way to lighten up the overall look for natural brunettes without committing to a huge change.

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Olivia Munn

Caramel highlights flow through the middle of Olivia Munn's hair, starting near her cheekbones and softening the overall look.

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Lucy Hale

Lucy Hale's chin-grazing bob appears to be one shade of midnight brown, but if you look closer, you'll see a second mahogany hue at the ends.

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Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington's blackberry curls are as dark as brunette gets. This color is edgy and modern paired with her skin tone and her deep berry lip.

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Priyanka Chopra

Fine caramel streaks accent Priyanka Chopra's glossy waves. A nude lip and a smoky eye add further drama to the overall look.

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Beyoncé

Beyoncé is often sporting honey-colored waves, but we love seeing her switch things up, as she did at the premiere of Disney's live-action The Lion King with gorgeous dark braids.

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Margaret Qualley

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star Margaret Qualley shows that a solid midnight mahogany shade can be just as riveting to the eye as balayage or ombré.

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Issa Rae

Issa Rae's dark curls get a brightening boost from a few face-framing auburn pieces at the crown of her head.

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Leighton Meester

A subtle ombré that fades from deep brown to chestnut at the ends lightens up Leighton Meester's overall look without altering the overall true brunette hue of her strands.

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Rihanna

Rihanna's soft nearly black waves serve as a nice contrast to her white lace top and chandelier earrings.

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Iman

The walnut strands woven through Iman's lengths give her undulating waves a nearly metallic sheen.

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Gemma Chan

Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan has a beautiful auburn shade melded throughout her rich, dimensional brown.

To keep your brunette looking this fresh and shiny between salon visits, use the Overtone Espresso Brown Healthy Color Duo ($43), a shampoo and conditioner combo that fortifies strands with ingredients like coconut oil and deposits pigment for a color boost.

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Barbara Palvin

Model Barbara Palvin demonstrates an ashy-cool, but still quite rich, brunette tone that complements her pink undertones.

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Chanel Iman

Chanel Iman's slick, espresso colored strands and dark roots add edge to her winged out smokey eye.

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Joan Smalls

An espresso-hued hair color gives Joan Smalls' crimped chestnut waves a relaxed, fall time feel.

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Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith's swoon-worthy pixie cut has a few well-placed honeyed streaks along her matted down side part. For maximum staying power, secure your style with Ouai Matte Pomade ($24).

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