15 Ashy Brown Hair Color Ideas To Inspire Your Next Look

Brown hair is one of the most popular hair colors, and with so many shades to choose from, it’s not hard to see why. Lately, ashy brown hair has become a standout favorite. This cool-toned take on brunette lacks the golden or caramel tones found in warm brown hair colors, instead blending soft silver, gunmetal, and muted brown pigments for a dimensional, modern finish. 

Like other brunette shades, ash brown can skew lighter or deeper (dark ashy brown hair is especially flattering on fair skin). It pairs naturally well with cool or neutral complexions, but those with warm undertones can still wear it by opting for an ashy shade with a neutral base for balance. 

If you’re ready to give ash brown hair a try, keep reading. Ahead, we’re breaking down how to choose the best ash brown shade for your skin tone and undertone and sharing tips on how to keep your newly-colored hair looking its best.

How To Get an Ash Brown Hair Color at Home

One thing we love about ash brown hair is that it’s fairly simple to achieve at home. If you’re starting with blonde or light brown hair, you can usually apply your chosen ashy brown hair dye as-is. If you have darker hair, though, you’ll need to either choose a dye specifically formulated for dark bases or bleach your strands first. If you opt for the latter approach, we recommend using the L’Oréal Paris Féria Hyper Platinum Advanced Lightening System Bleach to lighten your strands. The at-home bleach lightens hair up to eight levels and comes with an after care bonding complex conditioner that leaves the hair up to 40% stronger. 

Keep in mind that bleaching dark hair can sometimes lead to brassiness, which can interfere with the cool, smoky finish you’re aiming for. In some cases, it may be necessary to tone your hair after lightening to help neutralize any lingering warmth and ensure your ashy brown hair color looks its best.

Once you’re ready to color your hair, you’ll need to select the right dye for the job. Keep scrolling for some of our top picks, and check out our article How To Dye Hair at Home in 8 Easy Steps for a full at-home hair coloring tutorial.

15 Ash Brown Hair Color Ideas We Love

There are countless ways to wear ash brown hair, whether you prefer something soft and subtle or bold and dimensional. Ahead, we’re highlighting some of our favorite variations and sharing simple tips on how to get each look at home.

1. Cool espresso brown

A dark ash brown hair color is an excellent choice if you have naturally dark hair and want to play with color without the maintenance that comes with lighter hues. The cool, smoky finish is especially flattering on olive and deep skin tones because it enhances natural depth without pulling overly warm. It’s also ideal if you’re dealing with underlying red or orange undertones, since the ash base helps counter excess warmth for a more balanced result. 

To achieve this inky hue, we suggest reaching for a deep ash brown hair dye, such as the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes in Natural Black. The ammonia-free formula is gentle on all hair types and textures and features a unique pro-keratin complex that protects hair while it colors. 

2. Ashy chocolate brown

If you prefer to keep your hair color on the dark side, ashy chocolate brown hair may be right up your alley. The cool-leaning richness flatters neutral and cool skin tones by adding depth without enhancing warmth. Get a similar look at home with L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes in Natural Dark Brown. The formula is ammonia-free, conditioning, and designed to deliver smooth, even color from root to tip (Bonus: It even covers stubborn grays).

3. Smokey ash brown

Smokey ash brown is a cool, dimensional brunette shade that blends silver, charcoal, and espresso tones for an almost metallic effect that’s hard to resist. Because of the silvery cast, this shade is a stunning pick for those with cool skin. It’s also a great choice if you’re prone to brassiness, since the cool ash pigments help neutralize unwanted warmth. To get a similar look at home, pick up the L’Oréal Paris Colorsonic Hair Color Device and pop in the L’Oréal Paris Colorsonic Permanent Hair Color Cartridge in Light Ash Brown Iridescent. The unique metallic hue is the perfect blend of silver and brown, and the automatic device makes applying your ammonia-free hair color a breeze. 

4. Mushroom brown

Ashy mushroom brown hair is an ultra-cool take on brown, featuring a mix of silvery highlights and gray lowlights for soft depth and dimension. Its muted, earthy tone is especially flattering on cool and neutral skin tones, since the shade enhances contrast without emphasizing warmth. To achieve this trendy hue at home, reach for an ash-leaning brunette dye with conditioning ingredients and fade protection to keep the shade silvery, soft, and luminous. 

5. Medium ash brown

If you can’t decide between a light shade or a deeper hue, we suggest taking the middle ground with a medium ash brown hair color, like toffee. The balanced, cool-toned shade is universally flattering, working equally well on both fair and deeper skin tones. It’s also a great pick for those who want to go ashy without going too cool, since the shade features an equal mix of silvery and richer brunette tones. 

Get the look at home with a cool-toned brown hair dye, such as L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Cool Medium Brown. The easy-to-use at-home color kit delivers up to nine weeks of rich, fade-defying color in a single application.

6. Medium ash brown balayage

For a more low-maintenance style, try medium ash brown balayage. This look combines light ash brown highlights against a medium-toned neutral or ash brown base, creating soft, dimensional contrast that’s flattering on both fair and deeper skin tones. Since the light strands start a bit further from the roots, the result is a naturally lived-in, low-maintenance style. To get this look, we suggest visiting a colorist, as balayage is a precise, freehand technique that requires a practiced hand to ensure perfectly blended highlights and balanced undertones.

7. Medium ash brown money piece

A money piece is a coloring technique that involves lightening just the strands around your face to help brighten your look without the hassle of an all-over dye job. While you can have any color money piece, we love how a light ash brown hair color complements a deeper mushroom brown hue—it’s noticeable, but still subtle. 

8. Ash brown ombré

Those looking to embrace an ash brown color without committing to regular touch-ups may want to consider an ashy brown ombré. Ombré is a coloring technique where the hair gradually transitions from darker roots to lighter ends, creating a soft, blended gradient. This makes it an excellent option for low-maintenance color, since the dark roots grow out naturally without obvious regrowth lines. In an ashy brown ombré, dark roots fade into silvery, cool-toned brown ends, offering a modern, dimensional look that flatters both cool and neutral skin tones. 

9. Ash brown sombré

If subtle hair colors are your vibe, consider trying ash brown sombré (short for “subtle ombré”). A softer spin on the traditional ombré, this look features a barely-there transition between your roots and ends for a natural, seamless gradient. The light ash brown at the tips against a neutral or ash brown base adds dimension without being dramatic, making it ideal for those seeking a softer, subtler change. To get the smoothest, most natural result, we recommend visiting a colorist, since precise placement and blending are key to achieving the understated effect.

10. Chunky ash brown highlights

Chunky highlights are one of the many Y2K beauty trends seeing a resurgence— for a modern take, swap the classic platinum blonde streaks for thick ashy bronde highlights. Using a cool-toned shade just a couple of shades lighter than your ash brown base keeps the look polished and flattering on both fair and deeper skin tones. 

11. Ash brown highlights

While highlights often lean warmer, they don’t have to: Opting for ash brown highlights is a great way to brighten your mane without adding any unwanted warmth. This look is particularly well-suited for those with naturally dark ash brown hair, though it works well on medium brunette hair, too. The ashy brown highlights can also help cool down a warmer-leaning base, making this look an excellent option for anybody seeking a more neutral brown hair color. 

12. Light ash brown

Ashy light brown hair is just a touch deeper than dark blonde, with a distinctly cool, smokey undertone that adds subtle depth and dimension. The unique hue is a low-commitment way for natural blondes to experiment with brown without going too dark or making a dramatic change. To achieve this tone at home, try L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Crystal Brown. The at-home dye is custom-blended by master colorists and delivers rich, dimensional color for a brilliant, high-shine look that lasts. 

13. Ash bronde

Ash bronde is the perfect in-between shade, blending the warmth of brown with the brightness of blonde for a soft, sun-kissed effect. There are countless ways to embrace this balance, from subtle highlights to fully blended color, but we especially love an ashier take. The cool, muted tones create a sophisticated, modern finish that looks particularly stunning on medium and deeper skin tones. To get the look at home, choose an ash-leaning bronde dye with conditioning and shine-enhancing properties, like the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Light Ash Brown. The kit’s Triple Care Color routine protects the hair before, during, and after coloring, for healthy-looking color from root to tip.

14. Pastel-accented ash brown

Ashy brown hair is stunning on its own, but if you’re feeling adventurous, try enhancing your color with pastel highlights. You can experiment with any shade, but cool-toned pastels—such as cool lavender, dusty rose, and pale blue—tend to blend best with an ashy base. Weaving these soft, playful pops of color throughout your muted brown creates a fun, youthful twist on a classic look. 

15. Gray ash brown

Gray hair is trendy and effortlessly cool, but it can feel like a big commitment if you’ve never gone silver before. A gray ash brown shade is a perfect way to dip your toes in—it’s slightly softer than a stark silver, making it more approachable for gray hair newbies. It’s also ideal for blending in gray roots while still maintaining a natural, dimensional look. Recreate the style with an ultra-cool toned dye, such as the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Mocha Ash Brown, which is ammonia-free, conditions as it colors, and helps deliver long-lasting shine.

How To Maintain Ashy Brown Hair

To keep your ash brown hair color looking its best, a proper haircare routine is a must. Here are four tips to keep in mind as you’re building out your routine. 

1. Use a bond-repairing system

If achieving ashy brown hair required a bleach session (or two), you may find that your hair isn’t feeling as healthy as you’d like. Using strengthening haircare products can help restore your hair’s healthy look and feel. We love the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Repair system, which includes a pre-shampoo treatment, shampoo, and conditioner, along with a smoothing leave-in treatment. Used together, the system helps strengthen weak hair bonds and protect against breakage—plus, all of the products are color-safe, so you don’t have to worry about your cool pigments fading prematurely.

2. Tone your hair weekly

Ash brown hair is, by definition, cool-toned—which means you’ll want to take care to keep unwanted warmth from cropping up. Once weekly (or as needed depending on your shade) swap your usual shampoo for a purple shampoo, such as the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoo. The violet-tinted formula helps neutralize yellow tones, while a blue-tinted shampoo can be used to counteract orange tones—both important for maintaining a true ash brown look. Lighter ash shades may benefit from more frequent use, while darker ash browns usually require less frequent toning. For the best results, pair your shampoo with the coordinating L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Conditioner to keep your color pure and conditioned.

3. Deep condition regularly 

Frequent coloring can leave hair feeling dry, brittle, and dull, especially if you’re maintaining an ashy brown shade that requires lift or toning. To keep your strands looking healthy and vibrant, it’s important to incorporate a color-safe deep conditioner into your routine at least once a week. A nourishing treatment helps replenish moisture, strengthen hair, and protect your color from fading, leaving your hair soft, shiny, and manageable. Try the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Shine Protect Ultra Care Conditioner, a sulfate-free formula designed to enhance shine and keep your color looking fresh. If your strands feel dry or rough, the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Moisture Lock Ultra Care Conditioner is an excellent pick. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and deeply nourishes dry hair to help enhance softness, managability, and smoothness. 

4. Limit heat styling

Excessive heat can cause your ash brown hair dye to fade, as high temperatures accelerate the breakdown of cool, ashy pigments. As such, if you want your color to last, it’s a good idea to limit how often you reach for the blow dryer or flat iron. If you must use hot tools, be sure to prep your strands with a heat protectant first to help shield your hair from unnecessary damage. We recommend the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Slayer Leave-In for added protection and smoother, healthier-looking hair. Or, for heat protection and lightweight moisture, try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Moisture 21-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner. 

Ash Brown Hair FAQs

What skin tone suits ashy brown hair?

Ash brown hair works best on cool and neutral skin tones, as the cool undertones complement their natural coloring. Those with warm skin tones can also pull it off by choosing an ash brown shade with a neutral base to balance warmth. The key is selecting a tone that enhances your natural complexion without making it look washed out. If you need help finding the best shade for you, consult with an expert via our Hair Color Concierge. 

What makes brown hair ashy?

Brown hair is considered ashy when it has cool-toned pigments like blue, green, or gray that counteract the natural red, orange, or yellow warmth in hair. These pigments create a muted, smoky finish instead of a golden or coppery look. The result is a soft, cool-toned brown that reads more modern and dimensional.

How long does ash brown hair last?

The longevity of ash brown hair depends on your care routine, hair porosity, habits, and the type of dye used. Permanent hair dye generally lasts longer, especially when paired with sulfate-free and color-safe products that help preserve vibrancy. Regular toning can also keep the cool, ashy effect looking fresh. With proper maintenance, your color can stay rich and dimensional for several weeks.

How do you fix brassy ash brown hair?

Brassy ash brown hair can be corrected using a purple or blue shampoo, which neutralizes yellow and orange tones. You can also add a gloss treatment to refresh the color and restore shine. Pairing these with a color-safe conditioner, like the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Moisture Lock Ultra Care Conditioner, can help keeps hair smooth and maintain your cool, ashy finish.

Next Up: These Are The Most Flattering Hair Color Shades for Cool Skin Tones

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris