Light brown hair shades can come in a wide range of undertones, and some can be more flattering than others. In this article, we recommend some of the best light brown hair dyes, if you’d like to try your hand at dyeing your hair at home. Then, to help you get the look, we have put together a guide to finding the light brown hair color that will best suit your skin tone and coloring.
In this article:
- Our Picks for the Best Light Brown Hair Dyes
- How to Choose the Best Light Brown Hair Color for Your Skin Tone?
Our Picks for the Best Light Brown Hair Dyes
So, if you know which brunette hair color is best for your undertone, here you have some of the best light brown hair dyes to try at home.
1. L’Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Permanent Hair Color in 6 Light Brown
This light brown hair dye is a great choice for just about anyone! Whether you’re starting out a little lighter or a little darker, it can bring your hair to a gorgeous brown shade that’s very slightly golden – a shade that is flattering for nearly anyone. The cream formula is very gentle on the hair, and it also offers total gray coverage. The formula also comes with other undertones, so anyone can find a match. Order it from Amazon!
2. Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit in 7NGV Lucca Light Brown
If you would like to cover grays, adjust your brown hair color or slightly darken blonde hair, this hair dye is a winner. It’s especially fantastic for those with delicate or damaged hair because it’s so gentle and moisturizing. While it can work on medium brown hair, it may not lighten dark brown or black hair enough. This shade is a golden brown with a hint of copper, which is stunning on both warm and cool undertones, but we also love the more reddish or ashy options. Get it at Ulta!
3. Garnier Olia Ammonia-Free Brilliant Color Oil-Rich Permanent Hair Color in 6.3 Light Golden Brown
If you have very dry or delicate hair, this is another fantastic light brown hair dye option. The Garnier Olia formula is made with 60% oils and without ammonia to moisturize and care for the hair. It’s a great choice, especially if you don’t have that Madison Reed budget.
Light golden brown, in particular, is a wonderful shade that has warmth and shine but no brassiness, so it’s flattering and luxurious. It covers grays well but fades a little faster than a few other options on this list. You can buy it on Amazon.
4. Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Color Permanent Hair Dye with Keratin in 50 Light Ash Brown
If you’re covering grays or looking to just slightly alter your hair color, this gentle hair dye is a great choice. It works well on light brown or dark blonde virgin hair, though it’s ammonia-free so it won’t lighten dark hair more than a level or two. This neutral-cool light brown tone is very versatile, and it pairs well with other ashy colors (light brown and ash blonde balayage, anyone?), though there are also options with more coppery or golden undertones. It’s available on Amazon.
5. Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color Nourishing Permanent Hair Color Cream in B3 Golden Brown
If your goal light brown hair shade is a golden caramel, this is the perfect color. This formula from Garnier is especially great for lightening darker hair. While the formula is reinforced with different botanical oils, it still contains the ingredients necessary to lift pigment from the hair, so if your hair is dry, it could still damage it a bit. Purchase it from Amazon!
6. L’Oreal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in B61 Downtown Brown
When you want drama, L’Oreal Feria is one of the best hair dyes to choose! It’s not ideal for covering grays, but this means that it also gives a very multi-dimensional color. We recommend Downtown Brown with very dark brunettes in mind because this color simultaneously lifts and colors the hair. This means you won’t have to bleach your hair at all! The shade it gives is a shimmery cool brown that can look great as a balayage or all over. If your hair is naturally lighter, 60 Light Brown is a good choice instead. Both are sold by Amazon.
7. Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color in #048 Honey Brown
If your hair is naturally light or it’s already been bleached, this is a great way to experiment with light brown hair – especially if you’re not ready to totally commit! It’s a gentle, moisturizing semi-permanent formula that imparts zero damage but a gorgeous, warm brown color with a caramel-like undertone. The formula is very thin, so it’s easy to spread, but it can make a bit of a mess. It leaves the hair feeling soft and smelling amazing. Pick it up on Amazon!
8. Garnier Nutrisse Balayage Lightening Cream in BY1 Icing Swirl
If you’re dreaming of a light brown balayage over darker hair, then this kit makes it easy. It lightens the hair by just a few levels to give a golden light brown shade while minimizing potential damage. It comes with an applicator brush and instructions for easy and foolproof balayaging at home! Like other Garnier formulas, it also contains avocado oil to nourish and condition the hair. You can shop for it on Amazon.
9. John Frieda Precision Foam Colour in Light Natural Brown 6N
We think out of all of the options on our list, this is the easiest light brown hair dye to apply! It comes as a foam, so rubbing it in is simple and gets into every nook and cranny. The shade itself is a neutral light brown that is rich, chocolatey, and universally flattering. It covers grays thoroughly and will help color both slightly lighter and darker hair. Grab it from Amazon!
10. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal Permanent Hair Color in Light Ash Brown
If you’re the kind who likes to mix, match, and DIY, this ashy light brown hair dye is awesome. It’s made with professionals in mind, so we don’t recommend it for beginners, but if you’re a regular hair dye user, it’s worth a try. This permanent color covers grays completely, and it lasts a very long time. It gives a light, ashy shade of light brown that’s cool-neutral and very versatile, and you can use as much or as little as you need each time. Find it on Amazon, along with the appropriate developer!
11. Clairol Nice’n Easy Permanent Hair Color in 6.5 Lightest Brown
This hair dye is a classic, and even after so many years on the market, it’s still a great choice. This shade is a gorgeous golden brown that gleams and pairs well with lighter gold tones. The long-lasting formula is easy to apply with a thick cream consistency that doesn’t drip. It processes quickly to cover grays and alter both lighter and darker hair colors. It’s available on Amazon.
How to Choose the Best Light Brown Hair Color for Your Skin Tone?
We often use words like “cool” or “warm” to describe the direction a hair color leans in, but it’s important to get even deeper into the color theory in order to truly unlock what will be more attractive with your skin tone.
When light brown hair is neutral, it has a perfect balance of the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. It has the same kind of color as milk chocolate, and it is very flattering to all skin tones. It can also be combined with all kinds of other colors without clashing, including different shades of dark brown, blonde, red, or even fashion hair colors.
Brown hair can also be a little warm, which usually means that it has a lot of yellow or red in it. The two undertones are very different, which can make things a little complicated.
- Between the two, having light brown hair that leans a little more towards yellow is the more flattering choice for those with warm yellow or olive undertones, since the hair appears nearly golden and helps to bring out that glow in the skin.
- Light brown hair that has both yellow and red tones in it can appear more like a honey, copper, or ginger shade. This type of light brown hair shade is best for those with neutral, warm yellow, or cool, pink-leaning undertones, while those with olive undertones should avoid it.
- Finally, if the hair only leans towards red without any yellow tones, then it can be more of a light burgundy-brown. This shade suits cool and neutral undertones, but those with yellow or olive undertones may find it unflattering.
- Then there’s cool light brown hair which, thanks to a bit of blue-gray tones, registers as very ashy and is sometimes referred to as “mousy.” This shade is most flattering to those with olive, neutral, and cool undertones, but it can also work for those with warm undertones since it’s not overly saturated.
- Another thing to consider is how dark your skin is when compared to the light brown hair color you want. It’s generally good to have some contrast between your hair color and your skin color. If the light brown hair color you love is very close in tone to your skin, you can rely on roots, highlights or lowlights to create a bit of contrast.
Photos via @alisson__costa, Amazon