9 Sensationally Sun-Kissed Brown Hair Ideas
Few looks are more luminous than sun-kissed brown hair. The chocolatey base, the glowing highlights… It’s your quickest way to cheat two weeks in Bora Bora – no flying necessary. And, this season, that summery glow fits flawlessly with the biggest hair colour trends out there, from dimensional brunettes to golden glass manes to a rose gold balayage.
So, let's take a closer look at the most covetable sun-kissed brown looks around. If your brunette hair is in need of a glow-up, we've got all your inspiration...
Rose Gold Glass Hair
Look Credit: @moniquemcmahoncolour
Give bronde hair a glow-up with the new Rose Gold Glass look by Wella Professionals; one of six must-try creations from our just-launched Golden Glass line of signature services. Sheer and shimmery with a glass-like shine, this rose-tinted hue is your answer to the glossiest mane, and it couldn't be easier to get the look: simply head to your nearest Wella salon and request it from their menu. Your colourist will illuminate a brown base with Illumina Color and a technique called Illuminage; a radiant twist on balayage that plays up the natural light reflections in your hair. Then, they'll apply a zero lift, zero damage SHINEFINITY topcoat glaze for lengths that radiate health. It doesn't get more sun-drenched than this irresistible shade.
Dimensional Sun-Kissed Brunette
Image Credit: @biancahdrs
For movement, body and richness, indulge in a dimensional brunette with sheer bronze tones. Lacklustre hair doesn't stand a chance against these sensationally silky, subtle highlights. Your Wella hair colour specialist can take the trend to the next level with Illumina Color, our long-lasting permanent hair colour that gives you youthful, radiant, 100% natural-looking colour results. It's formulated to enhance your natural hair tones and texture, so you get a soft-focus colour that appears luminous in every light.
Warm Brown Beachy Highlights
Image Credit: @dereqc
This transformation is ticking off all of our hair goals for a radiant summer. Rich, bronde base? Tick. Golden highlights? Tick. Popping face frame? Tick, tick, tick. It screams luminosity. Koleston Perfect can help you achieve this luxe look, thanks to its unbound intensity. It offers pure, balanced color with natural depth and shine in a wide range of colors – including toffee browns and sun-kissed blondes. If you go (or glow) for this look, don't forget to add the Color Fresh Mask in Golden Gloss to your home hair regimen. The tinted treatment will top up your tone in between salon visits.
Sun-Kissed Brown Balayage
Image Credit: @moniqueliacastro
You know that luminous look you get when you've tied hair in a topknot and soaked up the sun? You release the knot, and the mid-lengths and ends of your hair appear magically lighter than your natural base. This is the effect a sun-kissed balayage aims to achieve; that beach vacation brightness, courtesy of freehand-painted highlights. Your colourist can tailor your strokes of lightener to suit your unique goals and features, whether that means bumping up the face frame or keeping the highlights ultra-fine. Ask your colourist to use BlondorPlex for a bond-strengthening boost while lightening. Infused with our PLEX ingredient, it gives you up to 97% less breakage1 and up to nine levels of lift.
Sun-Kissed Brown Color Melt
Add a sun-kissed glow to a light brown hair colour with this lit-from-within Colour Touch Melt; a low-contrast, light-boosting service that harnesses the uncompromised vibrancy and shine of Color Touch. Show the look to your Wella colourist and they'll paint your hair in a spectrum of shades that sit close together, so the lightest, brightest and darkest hues melt seamlessly into a brown-blonde hair masterpiece. The warm undertones in this look also boost the radiance of your skin. It's the dream for getting hair summer-ready – or adding some warmth when winter chills blow in.
Dark Hair with Sun-Kissed Highlights
Image Credit: @dereqc
Working with a dark base? Don't be afraid to go bright with your sun-kissed highlights. The contrast in this look is giving the lighter pieces a major metallic sheen. BlondorPlex is your lightener of choice here, as it gives you up to nine levels of lift with up to 97% less breakage*. So, any darker hair colours – from espresso brown to jet black – can enjoy a bond-strengthening boost of blonde. Then, to transform pre-lightened pieces into caramel highlights, your colourist can use Color Touch, with a richness and vibrancy that delivers true-to-tone results no matter the hair condition, thanks to its new built-in Metal Purifier.
Subtle Sun-Kissed Dark Hair
Image Credit: @byjohnsanchez
This illuminated brunette hair colour glitters with brilliant hints of bronze, courtesy of BlondorPlex for the highlights and Color Touch for the lustrous tone. If you're a natural brunette and you want to amplify your dark hair colour in a sheer and subtle way, keep the highlights close to the natural brown base, so they reveal themselves as your hair moves. Shine is key here, too; follow the ULTIMATE SMOOTH hair regimen for a silky finish. The Miracle Oil Serum guarantees luminous lengths – and it doubles as a heat protectant when you're styling.
Sun-Kissed Brunette Hair with Ashy Tones
Image Credit: @chiriac.ionela
Craving a sun-kissed hair color that's on the cooler side? While the look usually centres on warm undertones, you can take it ashy with cool brown and blonde pieces. The trick is to go all in on your highlights, so you get a beautifully beachy effect. Try it with Pantone's color of the year, mocha mousse brown, and a high volume of BlondorPlex highlights. Then, amplify the surfer vibe with your style, embracing imperfectly tousled waves. EIMI Ocean Spritz salt spray will give your lengths guts and texture, so you can braid and scrunch your way to beach waves.
Sun-Kissed Chocolate Brown Hair
Image Credit: @pipecasasedu
This brown blonde balayage with just a touch of blush is a curly hair dream come true. Soft yet statement-making, bold yet perfectly blended, with a chocolate brown base that lets light lengths take center stage. We love chunky highlights for curls, as they amplify the natural hair texture flawlessly, and even more so when the roots are kept dark for body-boosting contrast. Take this look to your colorist to get just the right balance of brown with touches of rose and caramel pieces. Then, give your natural curls the care they deserve with NutriCurls Curlixir Balm for everyday definition.
How to Care for Sun-Kissed Brown Hair
Once you've got your golden glow, make it last with our tips for easy hair care and colour maintenance. Your sun-kissed strokes of colour will gleam brighter than ever before...
1. Embrace a Shine-Enhancing Regimen
The less frizzy your hair is, the better it's able to shimmer and reflect the light. That's why, when shine is on the agenda, the ULTIMATE SMOOTH regimen has you covered. Lather up with the luxe ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo for gentle yet effective cleansing, and the conditioning formula will leave hair fresh, nourished, and prepped for the next steps. Then, apply the ULTIMATE SMOOTH Conditioner for a loving touch of Squalane and Omega-9, two hero hydrators with the power to smooth your hair from the inside out. For extra glow, switch from conditioner to hair mask once per week or at least every couple of weeks, and the deep treatment will deliver a targeted dose of nourishment. The result: beautiful smoothness that lasts up to 3 days².
2. Try This Two-Phase Trick for Smooth, Healthy Hair
After washing your hair with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo and Conditioner, blot hair dry with a microfiber towel and take steps to repair hair damage in 90 seconds³. How, exactly? By misting hair from roots to ends with ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, a featherlight leave-in treatment that gives damaged hair the most effective care. Then, layer ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum through lengths and ends for nourishment in 30 seconds⁴. For irresistibly silky shine, it's a smoothing staple that levels up sun-kissed brown hair. You can also use it on dry hair to top up hydration whenever you need it. Not only does it protect hair from heat styling, but it also shields against sun damage.
3. Top Up the Tone in Between Salon Visits
Get a hair refresh in 10 minutes with the Color Fresh Mask. It's a colour-depositing treatment that revives your tone at home, so you can keep your shade bright until your next salon visit. Choose Golden Gloss for lighter colours or Caramel Glaze for richer highlights. Brimming with warm tones, these nourishing masks are a staple for sun-kissed hair that's always glossy.
Now you have all the inspiration you need for sun-kissed brown hair, book your transformation at your nearest Wella Professionals salon. Don't forget to share the results with us by tagging @WellaHair on Instagram.
1 When using Wellaplex N°2 with Blondorplex, versus Blondorplex alone.
2 When using Miracle Oil Serum, if un-washed for 3 days vs. untreated.
3 Vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.
4 When using Miracle Oil Serum.