Red brown hair offers the perfect balance of warmth and richness, creating a stunning look that flatters virtually every skin tone and eye color.
This versatile hair color combines the depth of brown with vibrant red undertones, creating a multi-dimensional look that can be as subtle or bold as you desire. Whether you’re enhancing your natural brunette with auburn highlights or going for a complete mahogany transformation, red brown hair brings warmth and character to your style.
From light honey browns with copper undertones to rich mahogany and deep cherry chocolate hues, the red-brown spectrum offers endless possibilities. The hardest part? Deciding which gorgeous shade to choose!
Don’t worry if you can’t decide! We’ve got just the right red brown hair ideas for you – ones featuring simple mixes, or balayage, highlights, ombre, & many more!
Why Red Brown Hair Is So Popular
Red brown hair has become increasingly popular for many excellent reasons. This versatile color family offers something for everyone, regardless of your natural hair color, skin tone, or personal style.
Hair color experts note that red-brown shades have exceptional appeal because they combine the best of both worlds: the rich depth of brown with the vibrant energy of red. The result is a sophisticated, multi-dimensional look that can be customized to suit anyone.
For Natural Brunettes
If you’re a natural brunette, adding red undertones can bring warmth and dimension to your hair without requiring dramatic lightening. This means less damage and easier maintenance while still achieving a noticeable transformation. The red tones catch the light beautifully, making your hair look more dynamic and voluminous.
For Those With Red Undertones
People with natural auburn or reddish hair can enhance these qualities with a red-brown color that works with their natural pigments. This approach celebrates your unique coloring while adding richness and depth that purely red shades might lack.
The best part about red-brown hair is its adaptability. Whether you prefer subtle auburn hints or bold cherry chocolate statements, there’s a shade in this color family that will enhance your natural beauty while expressing your personal style.
1. Red Brown Hair
This is a remarkable classic red-brown shade. The healthy dose of red breaks through the medium brown shade in a lovely mix.
Is it cherry? Is it chocolate? With brown to red hair, you’ll have a hard time telling. What matters is that all these nuances shine bright and create a uniquely stylish look.
2. Copper Brown Hair
The cool thing about copper hair colors is that they’re undecidedly brown, red, and blonde, all at the same time.
Nonetheless, copper browns shine like no other in the summer sun. Pay attention to your skin tone though before deciding to try on this royal brown-red color.
3. The Ashlee Simpson
If you thought blondes can’t go for delicious chocolate tones, think again! Ashlee Simpson sported a dazzling auburn hair color with medium chocolate undertones. Notice how flattering this shade is when it comes to the color of her eyes.
4. Trend Alert: Light Red Hair
This light red-brown hair color is climbing up the trendy ladder – and with good reason! The gold and copper shades are summer materials, while the reddish and brown undertones help add even more depth. A sleek style that your hair needs to have.
5. The Emma Stone
Emma is an adept of the red hair colors family. She has embraced and rocked them all. This is one of her soberer takes on red hair colors. Nonetheless, the green-eyed vixen looks as remarkable with a darker tone as with a lighter red hair shade.
6. The Lana Del Rey
Lana’s moody chocolate auburn hair is a powerful statement. Styled in these vintage waves, her luscious mane proves that a certain style comes with attitude. Then again, Lana is the queen of cinematic appearances. From dirty blondes to luxurious brunettes, we’ve seen her don every color.
7. Dark Brown Hair with Red Highlights
If you’re looking to ease your way into a stronger red-brown color, why not first go for highlights? Also, if your hair is naturally brown, then you’re in luck! Try on lighter red shades for the tips and overtones and reserve the darker reddish hues for the undertones. A great hair design that requires a great skill proficiency to achieve this look.
8. Brown to Red Hair
When these two colors meet, they create a full rich hue that isn’t easy to wear but which looks dashing. If you feel you have what it takes, go for it! Dark brown and red hair has a way of attracting a lot of looks. Let your highlights provide more life to your hair.
9. Red Highlights on Dark Brown Hair
The toned-down base orange with brown tints is brightened by red and blonde highlights. To achieve this look, ask your hairstylist for thin, barely noticeable highlights that run the length of the hair.
10. Red and Blonde Highlights on Brown Hair
Since red-brown hair is already a splendid blend of colors and shades, enhancing it with a rainbow-like mix of highlights can’t hurt. Particularly if the colors of the highlights range from deep crimson red to toned-down auburn and blonde.
11. Pixie Cut on Dark Brown Red Hair
You didn’t think red-brown colors could look so well on short pixie hair, did you? Far from being a tacky note, this hairstyle is edgy but chic and cute at the same time!
12. Short Hairstyle on Light Brown Red Hair
Reddish-brown hair with caramel tints perfectly highlighted by the short textured haircut. Although her hair is thin, both the hair color and cut build volume and depth. Keep it short! A beautiful style with less time to maintain it. Let it naturally give a stylish display.
13. Deep Mahogany Hair
Mahogany is one of the colors in the brown hair color palette that look remarkably flattering on anyone. However, the deep red hues are a better fit to brighten and highlight fair and medium skin tones.
14. Auburn Hair Color
While auburn is considered to be part of the red hair color family, we believe the creamy brown notes of auburn make it a suitable candidate for the brown hair color palette as well. Here, we see auburn being enriched with fine blonde and copper highlights, for a brighter note.
15. Brown Hair with Red Tint
There are many ways by which you can achieve a red-brown hair color. We adore this hair color obtained by mixing golden tones of brown with lighter reds and copper. Your short waves will surely give justice to your looks.
16. Golden Brown Red
Notice the golden hues of the thick luscious locks. This natural-looking balayage plays with notes of golden, brown, and red.
17. Emma Stone Hair II
Another lovely example of Emma Stone’s elegant hair colors – ones picked to complement her skin tone. If you are looking for inspiration in women’s hairstyles and hair colors to complement a fair complexion, pay close attention to this Hollywood star.
18. Julia Roberts Hair
A vintage Julia Roberts look featuring a delicious chocolate brown hair color. An idol for women worldwide, Julia too has maintained a constant preference for red-brown and its lovely reddish hues.
19. Maroon Hair
Maroon hair color is sighted somewhere at the intersection between auburn and burgundy with just a hint of deep brown. Nonetheless, it’s sufficient to consider this stylish shade to be red-brown.
20. Brown Hair with Red Underneath
This is a skillfully done balayage where the red hair color isn’t present as a block undercolor. Instead, red highlights are inserted in the rich light brown mane, perfect as a women’s hairstyle for autumn.
21. Red Tips on Brown Hair
Another way to add just a tint of eye-catching red to your long wavy brown hair is to use red on the hair tips. For a more natural look, dye the hair in this lovely dark cherry shade and gradually lighten the color towards the tips.
22. Copper Brown Hair
This stylish hair color never goes out of fashion. A timeless trend, copper is flattering for all skin tones and complexions. That beautiful braided ‘do is to die for as well!
23. Short Pixie Cut: Red Overtones
A textured pixie cut works wonders in highlighting the red hues of the chocolate-brown hair color. Each strand of hair seems to shine a different red shade.
24. Red Brown Blonde Hair
This isn’t the name of hair color. However, it is a hint about how to create a stunning look using these three hair colors. This is both a gorgeous hairstyle and a gorgeous blend of colors that looks almost natural.
25. Light Cherry Brown Hair
Can you tell the brown notes of this brown-red hair color? It’s the light auburn shade that is based on a darker color like brown. This edgy hair color is among the coolest color trends of these past few years.
26. Dark Brown Hair with Burgundy Red Highlights
Flaunt your silky smooth dark brown hair enhanced by fine burgundy red highlights. This look isn’t just edgier. It is also a great way to ease into red-brown hair.
27. Dark Red Brown with Plum Overtones
Wear this color for an added note of elegance and style. Plum overtones, albeit colder, complement all complexions and skin tones. For a uniquely refined look, make sure the red-brown base is darker, but not as dark as to stump the reddish hues.
28. Chocolate Hair Color
Golden chocolate with just a tint of copper-red. This is a perfect summer color to be flaunted in the office or at the beach.
29. Curly Brown Red Hair
Another sophisticated red-brown shade, this time enhanced by the wealth of voluminous curls and coils. Each twist reveals more of the delicious red tones mixed with the luxurious brown tones.
30. Red Brown Blonde Hair
Red-brown can be worn by natural blondes too. If you don’t want to renounce your natural blonde, but would still like to try something different, go for red-brown highlights.
They work like a charm on blonde hair colors! Plus, if you do a hairstyle like this thick long braid, each of the colors can shine in all its splendor.
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31. Pale Red Brown
We could drool over Kat McNamara’s flawless look for days, starting with her hair and ending with her gorgeous facial features. We adore the dark strawberry blonde look she has going on here, complete with the crimson attire and makeup.
32. Red Brown and Bangs
Thinking about adding bangs to your makeover idea? Your red-brown will look adorable on all types of bangs. This picture above is a wonderful example to get you started!
33. Natural Redhead
Nothing can quite compare to the hypnotizing charm that natural redheads have. If you were born with ginger locks like these, we recommend leaving them in their natural color and just cutting to give them a shape.
34. Balayage with Red Brown Hair
One of the aspects we love the most about this sleek balayage is the choice of colors. All the browns have just enough red in them to enhance the tone. To top it all off, they are beautifully melted into one another.
35. Dark Cherry Hue
What makes this deep cherry shade so appealing is the splash of violet. We agree that it’s a bit more purple than your average cherry-inspired hair color, but that’s also the quality that makes it so eye-catching in the sun.
36. Long and Wavy Reddish Brown Locks
There’s no doubt that Megan Fox is a high-profile celeb that many beauty lovers admire. We’re accustomed to seeing her with raven locks, but we agree that this reddish-brown on her long and wavy hair suits her perfectly!
37. Red Brown and Blonde Balayage
This is a delightful balayage idea for women who want to explore the lighter options of brown hair. It starts with an intense shade of copper and transitions into a warm honey blonde at the tips.
38. Very Dark Burgundy Red Brown Hair
You would be surprised to see how marvelous this super-deep tone looks on fair-skinned women. It’s a more original and flattering alternative for classic jet-black hair with plenty of shine thanks to the dark burgundy undertones.
39. Deep Copper Lowlights
We are crazy in love with this vivid russet hair color. However, what impresses us, even more, is this choice of strategically placed lowlights. The rich copper choice for them results in a fabulous and alluring hairstyle.
40. Intense Mahogany Tint
Another dark shade you can play around with is this toned-down mahogany. As opposed to #13 on our list, this version is even more intense, thanks to the deep tones. The subtle play on colors scores huge points.
41. Natural Curls
Alexis Savage is a unique model you will fall in love with, from her freckles to her afro-textured curls. As far as her enormous, naturally curly auburn hair is concerned, we can easily admit that she is #hairgoals all around.
42. Cherry Cola Red Brown Hair
We’ve brought up cherry brown hair multiple times throughout this list, but why not turn things down a notch with cherry cola locks? Compared to our other examples, this one is more vibrant and darker, with a handful of wispy caramel highlights.
43. Reddish Chestnut
Rediscover the beauty of nature with this chestnut red-brown shade. It’s as natural as you can get with artificial coloring, and it boasts a delicate glow all around. We recommend it for women with long, straight hair.
44. Unique Platinum and Red Brown Hair Ombre
If you’re the rebellious type, who says you have to settle for a “normal” hairstyle? Funky gals should consider this out-of-the-box ombre, with a mixed highlighting technique for the transition from red-brown to platinum.
45. Chestnut Undertones
Yet another way to sport chestnut locks is by getting just undertones in this color. If you pick this method, we encourage you to consider a darker base color so the undertones will simultaneously act as lowlights.
46. Dark Cocoa with Mahogany Tint
We tend to associate certain hair colors with sweet references, such as chocolate or cherries. In this example, you can clearly understand why the dark cocoa description fits its name perfectly! It will also look exceptionally well on women with green eyes.
47. Copper and Caramel Highlights on Red Brown Hair
We’ve presented this red and blonde highlights combination at #10, but this is a more natural alternative for women who don’t want to come across as too flashy. Here, the bright blonde and red are toned down to caramel and copper hues.
48. Dark Red Brown Hair with Platinum Overlay
Whenever in doubt, think about adding blonde to spice up your hairstyle. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the blonde, the more head-turning the results will be. Therefore, a dark auburn base will come to life with an icy, platinum-blonde top like this one.
49. Auburn with Pale Turquoise Under Color
If you’re truly fearless, you can jump over the blondes and go straight to unconventional colors. Regardless of whether you experiment with pastels, metallic tones, or directly rainbow colors, they are all fine choices for outgoing girls. Here’s some pale turquoise for inspiration with auburn hair.
50. Blonde, Red, and Brown Mix
Finally, we’ll leave you with another quirky combo that is sure to make you stand out from the crown. This highlights mix equally combines dark brown and light blonde highlights, with just a handful of discrete red streaks to make the look pop!
Frequently Asked Questions About Red Brown Hair
Which skin tones look best with red brown hair?
Red brown hair is incredibly versatile and can complement virtually any skin tone when you choose the right shade. For fair skin with cool undertones, consider rich mahogany or deep cherry chocolate tones that create beautiful contrast. Those with warm or olive skin tones look stunning with copper-infused browns or auburn shades. Deeper skin tones are beautifully enhanced by intense burgundy browns or vibrant chestnut hues. The key is working with a professional colorist who can customize the perfect red-brown blend for your unique complexion.
How can I maintain my red brown hair color?
Red pigments are notoriously quick to fade, so proper maintenance is essential. Use color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for color-treated hair. Wash with lukewarm or cool water, as hot water opens the cuticle and allows color to escape. Apply a weekly color-depositing mask to refresh your red tones between salon visits. Limit heat styling and always use heat protectant products. Finally, schedule regular touch-ups every 4-6 weeks to maintain your vibrant red-brown shade, as red pigments fade faster than other hair colors.
Will red brown hair work if I currently have dark hair?
Yes! If you have naturally dark hair, red brown shades can work beautifully without requiring excessive lightening. Your colorist can add rich auburn, mahogany, or burgundy tones that will show up even on darker bases. For more vibrant results, some lifting (lightening) may be necessary, but not as much as would be required for blonde shades. This makes red-brown options less damaging and easier to maintain for those with naturally dark hair. Consider starting with subtle red-brown highlights or balayage for a low-commitment introduction to this gorgeous color family.
What’s the difference between auburn, mahogany, and burgundy hair?
These are all members of the red-brown hair color family, but with important distinctions. Auburn is a reddish-brown with medium intensity, offering a natural-looking warmth that works well for everyday wear. Mahogany is deeper and more dramatic, with purple-red undertones mixed with brown for a rich, multi-dimensional effect. Burgundy is the most vibrant and statement-making, featuring intense red-purple tones that can range from subtle wine hints to bold, head-turning color. All three can be adjusted in intensity to suit your preference for subtlety or drama.
Do red brown hair colors require bleaching first?
Not necessarily. Unlike vibrant fashion colors or platinum blonde, many red-brown shades can be achieved without pre-lightening, especially if your natural hair is light to medium brown. For darker bases, some lifting may be needed to allow the red tones to show through vibrantly, but full bleaching is rarely required. Semi-permanent or demi-permanent color options can add red tones without using developer. For the most natural-looking results with minimal damage, consult with a professional colorist who specializes in red hair colors to determine the best approach for your specific hair type and color goals.
Ready to Change Your Look?
Red brown hair offers the perfect combination of rich depth and vibrant warmth, creating a stunning look that enhances your natural beauty.
With so many variations from subtle auburn highlights to bold mahogany transformations, red-brown hair color can be customized to complement any skin tone, hair texture, and personal style. Whether you’re enhancing your natural brunette or trying something completely new, these versatile shades offer dimension and character that few other color families can match.
Remember that proper care is essential to maintain your red-brown color’s vibrancy. Use color-safe products, minimize heat styling, and schedule regular touch-ups to keep your gorgeous shade looking its best. With the right maintenance, your red-brown hair will continue to turn heads with its multi-dimensional beauty.
Which of these stunning red brown hair ideas has inspired you? Are you ready to transform your look with this beautiful, versatile color?
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Betty has over 15 years of experience in writing and editing for hairstyle publications. Her career started soon after graduating, leading her to winning many awards and opening her own salon at a very young age. She specializes in hair coloring techniques and hair care. In her spare time, Betty enjoys running outdoors, learning new languages, and occasionally binging a Netflix series.
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