How To Choose The Right Hair Color For Your Brown Eyes

The hue of your eyes, skin tone, and hair shade must be in harmony for a balanced look.

Reviewed by Danielle Wilkinson Brucklacher, Licensed Cosmetologist
Written by Anjali Sayee, BTech

Edited by Madhumati Chowdhury, MA (English Literature)

Fact-checked by Bhumika Daga, MA (English) • Nov 24, 2023

How To Choose The Right Hair Color For Your Brown Eyes

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The beauty of brown eyes is often overlooked. In fact, with the right hair color, your classic brown eyes can end up having flecks of green or gold!

Wondering which are the best hair colors for brown eyes? The eyes are the passage into a person’s soul, and they are the first facial feature most of us notice. Many dream of having that perfect meet-cute moment, where you stare into a stranger’s eyes from across the room, and it is love at first sight. But imagine that moment being ruined because of the wrong hair color! Some hair colors make brown eyes vibrant and pop.

The right hair color can make your eyes look like a pool of dark chocolate, a forest with hints of green, or wood with sparks of orange fire. So, scroll down and check out which hair colors work best with brown eyes!

Before You Get Started

If you have naturally dark hair and wish to lighten it to complement your brown eyes, it will entail several sessions of bleaching. Give a one-week gap and extra moisturization to your bleached tresses between sessions. This will help your hair recover from the damage.
Neutral skin tone and brown eyes have more scope for experimenting with vibrant and flashy hair dyes.
Two-tone ombres work best with fair skin tones and warm undertones with brown eyes.

In This Article

How To Choose The Right Hair Color

You need to consider your surface skin tone, eye color, and skin undertone when choosing a hair color. Check out these brilliant hair colors that will totally amp up those eyes!

I. Consider Your Eye Color

Is your eye color a light brown or a deep dark brown? Is it hazel with undertones of green or red? Determining your exact eye color can help you pick a hair color that makes those subtle flecks pop and really bring out the best in your eyes.

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Hazel Eyes

Hazel eyes can have hints of brown and gold (which are warm colors) or blue and grey (which are cool colors). Dark hair colors like deep brown and black make hazel eyes really stand out.

Light And Dark Brown Eyes

Dark brown dimensions and brunette or caramel highlights bring out the light hints of color in brown eyes. If you have a warm skin tone then try golden, yellow, mahogany, or red hues. Cool skin tones with brown eyes should try intense shades like white blonde, silver grey, and jet black.

II. Consider Your Skin Tone

By skin tone, I’m not simply referring to your complexion which can be dark, olive, medium, or light. Your skin also has warm, cool or neutral undertones. Once you figure out your undertone, you can pick a hair color that complements your skin tone as well as your eyes. There are quite a few ways to figure out your undertone, the easiest being the vein check. If the veins on your wrist appear green then you have a warm undertone. If they appear blue then you have a cool undertone. If they sometimes appear blue and other times green, then you have a neutral undertone.

III. Consider Your Hair Color

Your natural locks are key to picking a good hair color. If you have dark hair then consider getting highlights or a balayage over coloring all your hair, which can lead to hair damage and dryness. If you have light hair then coloring your entire hair is easy. Contrasts between light and dark shades will make brown eyes stand out.

IV. Consider Your Clothes

We pick our clothes based on the colors that look good on us. If shades of yellow, red, and gold look great on you then go for caramel shades and dark dimension highlights. If blues, greys, silvers, greens, and purples look great on you then go for intense blonde or dark shades like ash blonde or black.

Quick Tip

Lighter blues, such as cornflower or pale cyan, make a great contrast with pale browns. In addition, intense blues like turquoise or cerulean can enhance deep brown eyes.

V. Consider Your Makeup

Understanding your regular makeup choices and how they make your skin look is vital for figuring out what hair color works for you. If you have brown eyes, smokey eye makeup can make them really pop. Using shades like blue or green can make your brown eyes stand out.

Quick Tip

You can make your eyes appear brighter by using pastel eyeglasses or white eyeliner. Also, you might want to choose darker hues if your eyes are a vivid brown.

And now, here are the hair colors you need to try out to finish off the look!

1. Hair Colors For Light Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

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With the pale porcelain complexion, finding the perfect foundation or makeup shades is a challenge. But you can easily sport all hair colors from blonde to brunette. The right shade and eye color are the key factors.

Hair Colors To Consider

Go for honey blonde, brown, bronze or caramel shades like Lily Collins if you have a warm undertone. Chocolate brown hair complements brown eyes.
Icy platinum shades go hand in hand with cool-toned light skin. Opt for brown and red highlights to spark up the brown eye color.
If you have some color on your cheeks, try graphite black hair with dip dyed brown shade to contrast your complexion and match your eye color.
The cream blonde shade matches light skin with cool and warm tones. Darker roots or copper highlights will add some pop of color to it.

Hair Colors To Avoid

Avoid golden hair color shades, as they will make you look paler.
Avoid deep contrasting colors like jet black if you have a cool undertone.
Bright reds and oranges can make you look washed out.

2. Hair Colors For Warm Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

Earthy hair color for warm skin tone with brown eyes

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Earthy colors look incredible on warm skin. Stand in front of the mirror and hold small pieces of yellow, gold, and red colored papers near your face. If these colors look good next to your skin color, you have a warm skin tone.

Hair Colors To Consider

Brunette hair with light highlights will really make those brown eyes pop against your warm skin.
Try coffee or caramel highlights. These light brown hair colors have a slightly blonde undertone that creates a bronde feel. This mix can really draw focus to brown eyes.
If you have warm-toned skin, golden blonde highlights on dark hair can really make you shine. Try other deep earthy blonde shades like honey, dark strawberry blonde, chestnut and auburn blonde.
If you really want to go edgy, try a salt and pepper mix or pick a red or orange shade.

Hair Colors To Avoid

Avoid cool colors on warm skin. Stay away from bright electric blues, purples, and greens. If you really want to try these shades then consult a hairstylist.
Shades like copper can make your skin look heated, so steer clear of them.

3. Hair Colors For Cool Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

Light hair color for cool skin tone with brown eyes

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Do you get sunburn or tan easily? If your skin burns and turns pink or red when you step out in the sun, you have cool toned skin. Subtle and intense shades look really good on cool tones.

Hair Colors To Consider

Light colors like taupe, ash, and platinum blonde go really well with cool skin tones.
Go for intense dark colors like dark brown and jet black. This will really make your brown eyes pop.
If you want to try vibrant colors then go for pastel shades in blue, red, pink, purple, and green.
Colors with red, burgundy, and maroon hints can really bring out your brown eyes.

Hair Colors To Avoid

Don’t go for golden brown hues as they are warm colors and look jarring against cool skin tones.
Bright orange tones might not suit your cool toned skin and brown eyes.

4. Hair Colors For Neutral Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

If you have neutral skin then all hair colors will suit you. Some neutral tones tend to lean towards an undertone, so some colors might look better on your skin than others. Go crazy experimenting to find out which ones make your brown eyes shine!

5. Hair Colors For Fair Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

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Women with fair skin are lucky in the hair color department because almost all colors look good on them. However, you need to know your undertone. Pick colors that cater to your undertone hues and you’ll look fabulous.

Hair Colors To Consider

Sandy blonde, ash blonde, lilac platinum blonde, and light blue ombre look great on fair skin.
Golden blonde highlights on medium brown hair, auburn brown, chocolate brown, and deep burgundy go really well with fair skin.

Hair Colors To Avoid

While there is a wide range of colors that do suit you, there might be a few shades that don’t. Talking to a hairstylist can help you pinpoint those shades.

6. Hair Colors For Medium Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

Different hair colors for medium skin tones with brown eyes

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When you have a medium skin tone, your undertone really matters. An ombre done in a bright color looks great against your skin. If you lean towards light-medium then you can try out unicorn colors, but if you have dark medium skin then try soft pastel shades.

Hair Colors To Consider

Pastel purple and dark dirty blonde work wonders on medium toned skin.
Try dirty blonde, caramel or honey highlights on dark brown hair. The contrast will bring out your brown eyes and highlight the golden flecks in them.
Try deep shades like copper brown. It will make your skin glow and your eyes shine.
You can try deep plum shades as well.

Hair Colors To Avoid

Avoid light hair colors like platinum or ashy shades.
Steer clear from ginger shades.

7. Hair Colors For Olive Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

Hair colors suiting olive skin tones with brown eyes

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Olive skin generally has a warmer undertone owing to some yellow hints. Licensed cosmetologist Danielle Wilkinson Brucklacher says, “Warm and earthy tones like beige, khaki, and brown complement olive skin.”

Hair Colors To Consider

Consider coloring your hair deep gray with a really light purple or blue ombre.
Try red or burgundy streaks on dark brown or black hair to make your brown eyes the center of attention.
Dark honey highlights will add a nice contrast to brown eyes.
Try ash shades like ash blonde or ash brown.
Try pastel streaks or highlights. They’ll add a nice touch of vibrance to your hair.

Hair Colors To Avoid

Stay away from blue and green hair colors as they can look too intense against olive skin.
The same goes for violet and purple shades.

8. Hair Colors For Dark Skin Tones With Brown Eyes

Dark hair colors for dark skin tones with brown eyes

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Dark colors work really well on dark skin tones. Opt for deep colors over bright colors. Deep auburn is great and complements this skin tone really well.

Hair Colors To Consider

Choose a mix of light and dark brown. You’ll get a nice dark brown dimensional look.
Try caramel, coffee, and toffee highlights on light brown hair.
Dark red, deep wine, and deep plum highlights can really show off hints of red in your brown eyes.
Auburn brown is a great hair color for dark skin and brown eyes.
Try pastel shades of bright colors (preferably pinks and blues) to add some vibrance to your look.

Mell, a Youtuber, shared what hair color goes best with brown eyes. She said, “I like my hair to look very natural, I obviously want my features to pop and I want to be able to have versatility to swing both ways, so that’s why I created this medium dark blonde neutral undertones and I love it (i).”

Hair Colors To Avoid

Don’t color your hair completely red, orange, yellow, purple, blue, or green. These shades can make your skin appear dull.

Infographic: How To Choose The Right Hair Color For Brown Eyes

Brown is one of the most common eye colors in the world. But what you do not realize is that the right hair color can make a huge difference to your look. The right shade of blonde or red can bring out the beautiful brown in your eyes. We have created a comprehensive guide to help you select the right hair color for your eyes. Check out the infographic below to know more!

how to choose the right hair colour for brown eye (infographic)

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Download Infographic

If you have brown eyes, you are already blessed. And if you add the right tint to your hair, depending on the beautiful color of your eyes, it will only take your look to a whole other level. So, learn how to choose the correct hair color for brown eyes from this article and give your look a fresh and beautiful transformation. Of course, you should also consider your skin tone while picking the hair color shade. Now, get ready to grab all the eyeballs once you give your hair the perfect complementary color.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hair color is most attractive?

It depends on your skin undertone and eye color shade. For warmer shades like light brown eyes, warmer colors like auburn or golden blonde hair look great. For cooler shades like darker brown eyes, cooler tones like ash blonde or burgundy look amazing. Depending on which tone your eyes lean towards, you can pick either warm or cool tones for medium brown and hazel eyes.

Does light hair or dark hair make you look younger?

Darker hair colors tend to make harsh face shapes and face lines like wrinkles stand out, especially if you have mature skin. As you grow older, opting for bright colors like electric shock shades harshen your face lines. Light brown shades and cooler blonde tones make you look younger if you have brown eyes. You can opt for subtle pastel shades or lean into gray shades to make your brown eyes pop.

Are brown eyes warm or cool?

Dark brown eyes are cool-toned, and light brown eyes are warm-toned. Hazel eyes with golden flecks look warmer, while hazel eyes with gray or green flecks look cool-toned.

Are light brown eyes rare?

Brown eyes are one of the most common eye colors in the world. African and Asian people are mostly born with brown eyes. Hazel and amber eyes are rarer to see.

Through this video discover what hair color looks best with brown eyes! Learn how to choose the perfect shade to enhance your natural beauty. Check it out!