33 Stunning Winter Brunette Hair Color 2024-2025 With Chocolate Brown Balayage and Ash Highlights

As the colder months roll in, it’s the perfect time to experiment with winter brunette hair color. In 2024-2025, the hair trends are all about embracing warmth, depth, and subtle highlights. Whether you have pale skin, prefer short styles, or want something with a bold money piece, this guide covers the most stunning brunette ideas to try this season. Let’s dive into 33 chic brunette looks that will keep you on-trend throughout the winter.

Balayage with Dark Chocolate Brown

For a rich and sophisticated look, Dark chocolate brown combined with balayage highlights is a go-to option for winter. This style exudes warmth and depth, making it ideal for evening events or formal gatherings. It works best for those with oval or heart-shaped faces, and it pairs beautifully with green or hazel eyes, creating a captivating contrast that pops against the cooler tones of winter clothing.

To achieve this look, the hairstylist will hand-paint the balayage highlights, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends to create a natural blend with the dark base. Use a sulfate-free shampoo to maintain the richness of the color, such as Redken’s Color Extend Brownlights, which helps prevent brassiness.

Ash Brunette with Highlights

For those seeking a cooler-toned brunette, an ash brunette with subtle highlights is the way to go. This hairstyle offers a sleek, polished look that’s perfect for pale skin tones. It’s a chic option for both professional settings and social events, as the cool undertones give it a modern edge. This style works well with square or round face shapes and is particularly flattering for blue or gray eyes.

Achieving this color involves adding soft highlights throughout the hair to create dimension without overwhelming the ash base. Maintaining the cool tones requires a purple shampoo, such as Fanola No Yellow Shampoo, to prevent any unwanted brassiness and keep the shade looking fresh.

Short Brunette with Money Piece

For those who love bold contrasts, a short brunette style with a vibrant money piece in the front is a show-stopper. The money piece is a face-framing highlight that adds dimension and brightness, perfect for making a statement at casual outings or parties. It works best with heart-shaped faces and complements brown or hazel eyes.

This style can be achieved by cutting the hair into a short bob or pixie and adding a lighter shade, like caramel or blonde, to the front sections. Regular touch-ups with a color-depositing conditioner, like Overtone, can keep the money piece vibrant between salon visits.

Balayage Caramel on Brunette

Nothing says winter warmth like Balayage caramel highlights on a deep brunette base. This style offers a sun-kissed look, even in the chilly months. It’s ideal for casual get-togethers or even winter weddings, as it adds a soft glow to your hair. Oval and diamond-shaped faces suit this look best, and it pairs well with hazel or amber eyes.

To achieve this style, your stylist will carefully place balayage caramel highlights, ensuring they blend seamlessly with your natural brunette shade. Use a nourishing hair mask like Moroccanoil’s Hydrating Mask to keep your locks soft and shiny, especially during the colder months.

Dark Brunette with Red Undertones

For a dramatic and sultry look, consider a dark brunette with subtle red undertones. This style is perfect for a glamorous night out or a winter formal event, adding richness and depth to your overall appearance. It suits square and oval faces, and its warm undertones complement brown or green eyes beautifully.

To create this look, a stylist will mix dark brown dye with a hint of red, focusing on blending the two shades to give it that multi-dimensional effect. A color-protecting shampoo, like Joico’s K-PAK Color Therapy, will help maintain the vibrancy of the red tones.

Straight Brunette with Subtle Highlights

A straight brunette hairstyle with subtle highlights offers a sleek and sophisticated look for the colder season. It’s a great option for both work and formal events, providing a polished and professional appearance. This style works best on oval or rectangular faces and pairs well with dark brown or black eyes, creating a smooth, streamlined effect.

To get this look, you’ll need a stylist to add soft highlights that gently blend into your natural hair, giving it dimension without overpowering the base color. To keep the straight style sleek, use a smoothing serum, such as John Frieda’s Frizz Ease, to control flyaways and maintain the shine.

Dark Brunette with Ash Highlights

If you’re aiming for a cool-toned brunette, adding ash highlights to a dark brunette base is a great choice. This look is perfect for holiday parties or an elegant night out, offering a subtle but impactful contrast. It suits heart-shaped faces and enhances the beauty of blue or green eyes.

To achieve this, your stylist will strategically place ash highlights around the face and mid-lengths, creating a soft gradient effect. Maintenance includes using a purple shampoo to keep the ash tones from fading, along with a weekly hair mask for hydration.

Brunette with Red Balayage

For those who want a bit of fire in their brunette locks, a balayage with red undertones adds a striking and bold look to your hair. Perfect for winter parties or even a festive holiday look, this hairstyle suits round and heart-shaped faces, with green or hazel eyes bringing out the warmth of the red highlights.

The red balayage is applied with a freehand technique, where the red is gradually blended into the brunette base, making the transition seamless. To keep the color vivid, use a shampoo like Matrix Total Results Keep Me Vivid, designed to maintain the intensity of vibrant hues.

Chocolate Brown with Honey Highlights

For a sweet and warm look, consider dark chocolate brown hair with honey highlights. This style works well for winter casual wear or semi-formal events, offering a natural glow to your hair. It suits those with oval or square face shapes and pairs nicely with dark brown or hazel eyes.

To create this look, your stylist will place honey highlights throughout the hair, focusing on the ends for a natural, sun-kissed effect. Use a lightweight leave-in conditioner, such as It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, to keep your hair hydrated and frizz-free.

Brunette Ombre for 2024-2025

The ombre trend is still going strong into 2024-2025, with brunette bases blending into lighter, caramel ends. This style is perfect for a low-maintenance look that still packs a punch, suitable for anything from a casual coffee date to a holiday party. It works best for those with longer hair and pairs beautifully with oval faces and brown eyes.

To achieve this look, your stylist will gradually blend a lighter shade, like caramel or blonde, from the mid-lengths to the ends. Regular trims and a hydrating mask are key to keeping your ombre looking fresh and healthy.

Dark Brunette with Blonde Money Piece

The money piece trend continues to thrive, and adding a blonde money piece to your dark brunette hair creates a striking, bold look. This style works wonderfully for those who want to make a statement at a holiday party or a night out. It’s perfect for heart-shaped faces, and the contrast between dark brown hair and the bright blonde highlight complements light brown or hazel eyes.

This look is created by placing a bold streak of blonde at the front of the hair, framing the face. To maintain the blonde and prevent brassiness, use a purple shampoo like Amika Bust Your Brass. Regular deep-conditioning treatments will keep both the brunette and blonde sections healthy and shiny.

Brunette with Ash Balayage

Adding an ash balayage to a brunette base brings a cool, smoky vibe perfect for the winter months. This understated yet stylish look is ideal for formal gatherings or cozy winter dinners. It flatters oval or heart-shaped faces, and its cool tones pair beautifully with blue or gray eyes.

The balayage technique involves hand-painting ash tones into the brunette base, creating a soft, natural gradient. Maintaining the cool tones requires a color-safe shampoo and a toner every few weeks to avoid unwanted warmth in the ash highlights.

Short Brunette with Balayage Highlights

For those with short hair, a balayage highlight can still add dimension and interest to your look. This style is great for someone who wants an easy-to-maintain yet chic appearance during the winter. It works well for heart-shaped or oval faces and complements blue or hazel eyes.

Your stylist will add balayage highlights, focusing on the crown and front to create depth. Regular use of a leave-in conditioner like Living Proof Restore helps maintain the color and keep the hair healthy, especially in cold weather.

Brunette with Subtle Red Balayage

A brunette base with subtle red balayage is a great way to add warmth and dimension to your hair without making a dramatic change. This style is ideal for both work and evening outings and suits those with oval or square face shapes. It works especially well with green or amber eyes, as the red tones enhance the vibrancy.

This look is achieved by adding fine balayage streaks of red throughout the hair, focusing on the ends for a gradient effect. To maintain the red color, use a color-safe shampoo like Biolage R.A.W. Color Care, which helps prevent fading.

Brunette with Caramel Babylights

For a soft and natural look, caramel babylights on a brunette base can create a sun-kissed effect even during the cold months. This style is perfect for those with long hair and works well for casual outings or family gatherings. It flatters round and oval faces, and its warmth complements brown or green eyes.

To create this look, a stylist will add babylights—super-fine highlights that blend seamlessly into the brunette base. A sulfate-free shampoo like Briogeo’s Be Gentle, Be Kind will help keep the hair hydrated and prevent the highlights from fading.

Deep Brunette with Blue-Black Hues

For a bold and edgy look, consider a deep brunette base with blue-black hues woven in. This striking style is ideal for evening events or formal occasions and works best for oval or square face shapes. Its cool undertones pair beautifully with gray or blue eyes, creating a high-contrast, modern appearance.

This look is achieved by mixing a blue-black tint with the brunette base, creating a multi-dimensional effect that stands out in different lighting. To maintain the color, use a sulfate-free shampoo designed for color-treated hair, such as L’Oréal’s EverPure Moisture Shampoo.

Brunette with Mocha Highlights

For a rich, dimensional look, consider adding mocha highlights to your brunette base. This style offers a warm, chocolatey effect that’s perfect for winter events or everyday wear. It works well for those with oval or heart-shaped faces and pairs beautifully with dark brown or hazel eyes.

This look is created by adding mocha highlights to the mid-lengths and ends, blending them softly into the brunette base. To keep the highlights shiny and healthy, use a hydrating mask like Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque once a week to prevent dryness caused by winter weather.

Dark Brunette with Copper Hues

For those looking to add warmth without going too light, dark brunette with subtle copper undertones offers a luxurious and rich look. This style is perfect for both casual and formal occasions during the winter months and works best for those with round or square face shapes. It pairs beautifully with brown or green eyes, enhancing the richness of the brunette base.

Achieving this look requires blending copper hues into the dark brunette base, creating a warm, multi-dimensional effect. To keep the copper tones vibrant, use a color-protecting shampoo like Pureology’s Reviving Red and avoid heat styling as much as possible.

The winter brunette hair color trends for 2024-2025 offer a variety of ways to embrace your natural shade while adding dimension and warmth. Whether you’re looking for subtle highlights or bold balayage, there’s something for everyone. Share your favorite styles in the comments below and let us know how you plan to rock your brunette hair this winter!