13 Glowing Golden Brown Hair Ideas and Formulas

27.01.2020

Glow, glow, glow. Golden brown hair color is all about nailing that shimmering, multi-tonal brunette color to light up your client’s locks. Whether they’re going for a natural-looking babylights look or glowing gold balayage, we’ve got a golden brown hair color to suit everyone in your client list. This is a great color for clients who want to transition from a summery golden blonde hair into a darker look that's still has warmth.

What is Golden Brown Hair?

All that glitters is absolutely gold – especially when it comes to your hair color. Golden brown hair is a natural-looking brown base with golden blonde strands woven through to lighten and brighten. It’s the perfect middle ground for lightening up brunette locks or toning down a bright blonde base.

Go soft and subtle with a scattering of lustrous blonde babylights or dial it up to a bold balayage. Play with different looks to suit your client’s style.

8 Golden Brown Hair Ideas

Ready to shine in a new shade? Scroll through eight lustrous golden brown looks to inspire your next creation or – if you want to try the trend yourself – guide your own transformation.

Golden Brown Hair

Image Credit: @cassandra_foehr

We’re loving this glowy golden brown hair color, created by Wella Passionista, Cassandra Foehr. She added a lustrous sheen to brunette hair with a base of Koleston Perfect 5/71 + 6/71 + 6/1 + 5/0 + 6% 20 vol., before glossing the balayage, created using hair lighteners , with 9/97 + 9/96 + 9/3 for shimmer. To really step up the shine on this look, add a pump of EIMI Oil Spritz to palms and work through mid-lengths to tips, focusing on the ends.

Golden Brown Balayage

Image Credit: @pkaihair

If your client wants to try golden brown hair without too much commitment, balayage is the perfect in-between option. Think glossy, high-shine strands of blonde woven through mid-lengths to tips to brighten up their natural brunette shade – all without going too light.

Photo of the back of a woman’s head with golden highlights, created using Wella Professionals.

Brown Hair with Golden Highlights

Image Credit: @evgenyahairdresser

Whether woven through hair in foils or painted freehand, blonde highlights are sure to give a classic brunette base an instant glow-up. Create their dream golden brown hair color, featuring shimmering blonde ribbons, by weaving Blondor Lightener through sections of hair before toning all over with demi-permanent Color Touch 9/97 + 9/16 from root to tip.

Golden Brown Ombre

Image Credit: @hairbyjonnynightingale

The ultimate low maintenance, easy-to-wear and suits-all color trend? Ombre hair. Step up your client’s current shade by graduating rich brunette roots into a golden brown to blonde finish, using a freehand technique for a bespoke look to suit their hair type. Style in loose waves to show the multi-tonal finish, and mist EIMI Glam Mist all over for added shimmer.

Light Golden Brown Hair

Image Credit: @thediaryofahairpainter

Does your client want to go lighter? If they’re gradually moving from brunette to blonde, going for a bronde or light golden brown hair color in between makes the perfect transition shade. To create this wearable look, Dennis S used permanent hair color Illumina Color 7/35 + 8/05 + Opal-Essence Copper Peach 6% 20 vol. at the base, before toning mid-lengths to ends with 10/05 + 8/05 + Opal-Essence Copper Peach + Titanium Rose 4% 13vol.

Medium Golden Brown Hair

Image Credit: @kai_sohn

We’re loving this multi-tonal medium golden brown hair look, featuring high-shine, gloss-boosting blonde strands through a medium brunette base. Kai Sohn created this natural-looking color using Magma by Blondor /07 + 6% 20 vol., /89 + 12% 40 vol. and /36 + 9% 30 vol., followed by Color Touch Relights /03. To really dial up the shine, warm a pea-sized amount of EIMI Just Brilliant into palms and work through the mid-lengths to ends of hair.

Golden Brown Babylights

Image Credit: @perryrudshogda

Create a lit-from-within glow on your client’s color by weaving subtle blonde babylights through a golden brown base. All it takes is micro-fine ribbons of Blondor 9% 30 vol., toned with Illumina Color 9/60 + 8/69 for a gleaming, glimmering effect.

Subtle Golden Brown Balayage

Image Credit: @josie_wright_hair

Achieve a natural-looking finish with a super-subtle take on golden brown hair, created by Wella Passionista Josie Wright. Stretch brunette roots to create a soft color contrast against golden blonde strands. Then, for a quick complexion-brightening hack, apply a few face-framing lighter strands around the front of hair. Style in soft waves so your client’s new shade catches the light and gets that glow.