25 Gorgeous Chocolate Brown Balayage Ideas
#1: Layered Hazelnut Brown Hair
When you imagine highlights in dark hair, you might picture warm, golden, or rich nutty brown shades. These beautiful colors look natural and are simple to care for. Natural highlights often appear around your hairline and throughout the middle and ends, as if the sun gently lightened your hair during a long summer at the beach.
#2: Brown Hair Balayage with Lighter Ends
Choose a brown balayage with lighter tips. This is a great choice if you want highlights that are easy to care for. Make sure the color is only 2-3 shades different from your natural hair. Ask your stylist to create an ombre look, so your roots and middle hair stay dark while the ends are much lighter. This style can last a long time. You might not need to color your hair again for six months if you get gloss treatments every 8 to 12 weeks. Glossing helps reduce brassiness and keeps your color looking fresh.
#3: Rich Chocolate with Brown Chestnut Highlights
Consider a deep chocolate shade with warm chestnut tones. When you want a fresh look, switch your old color to a rich brown. If your hair is already colored, you might need some color correction for the best outcome. Always share your full color history with your stylist to get amazing results.
#4: Rich and Warm Chocolate Brown
Brown hair with deep, warm chocolate hues makes blue and green eyes stand out. I suggest using a toning conditioner like Aveda Color Renewal Color & Shine Treatment – Warm Brown. Apply it once a week to keep your hair color looking fresh and beautiful.
#5: Dark Brunette with Caramel Highlights
If you want soft, blended caramel highlights, ask your stylist for a foilyage. This technique is similar to balayage but uses foils. The foils help lighten dark hair more effectively. If you have old color, your stylist needs to remove it first before adding the lighter shade.
#6: Golden Chocolate Brown Waves
Chocolate balayage creates a shiny golden brown shade when lightened to level 6 from a darker color. If you stay within three shades of your natural hair, the color looks soft and grows out smoothly. This makes it easy to care for. Visit your stylist every 8 to 12 weeks for a trim and gloss to keep your hair fresh.
#7: Natural and Soft Balayage for Brunette Waves
Choose a wavy, natural brunette style with a gentle balayage. Soft golden highlights add a nice touch to dark hair. Adding highlights around the face, mid-lengths, and ends creates a pretty, gentle look. This style works well with warm skin tones. Beachy waves help show off the rich, multi-toned color.
#8: Mocha Balayage Hair Color
Chocolate shades with hints of red and gold create a mocha feel. For a richer style, try a teardrop-shaped shadow root. This means the hair is lighter near your face and darker toward the back. Your stylist can use either highlights or gloss to achieve this look. It depends on their method and what you like best.
#9: Brown Hair with Subtle Toffee Highlights
This brown hair color features soft toffee highlights. A balayage technique adds depth and brings out your hair’s natural warm tones. It’s a perfect choice for young girls who want to try a gentle touch of blonde.
#10: Auburn Chocolate with Root Melt
If you want a balayage without bleach, you will get a soft, natural look that feels warm and inviting. If your hair has never been colored, your stylist can lighten it by 2-3 shades. This gives you a beautiful, warm blend that looks smooth and natural.
#11: Black and Dark Brown Balayage
Consider a black and dark brown balayage to add depth and dimension. Removing old black hair dye can be challenging, but it is possible. Black hair often lightens to warm tones. Instead of trying to avoid this warmth, embrace it. Rich chocolate shades can beautifully highlight your dark hair.
#12: Dark-Rooted Medium Chocolate Brown
Medium chocolate brown hair with dark roots is a great choice. Adding a gentle foilayage creates soft, blended highlights over your base color. A touch of copper can bring shine to dull hair. Remember, warm shades reflect light, while cool shades soak it up. If you want your hair to look brighter, try adding some copper and gold tones.
#13: Dark Choco Hair with Light Brown Highlights
Adding highlights to dark hair creates a beautiful, natural look. Keep the roots dark and lighten the ends to make your hair appear longer. To get this style, visit a stylist who is skilled in natural-looking hair colors. After lightening, use a good treatment at home. I recommend the BES Silkat N3 Nutritivo Nourishing Cream for the best care.
#14: Dark Chocolate Cherry Hair
This year, dark chocolate cherry is a popular new hair color trend. Keep in mind, the darker the shade, the brighter the red tones should be. To get this warm, deep brown color, I suggest starting with a red-violet base. Adding soft highlights can help blend everything together and create gentle hints of red-violet.
#15: Chocolate Brown with Peek-a-Boo Blonde Highlights
Add peek-a-boo blonde highlights to your chocolate brown hair for a fresh look. This creates depth and makes your solid color more interesting. Try balayage or foilayage to get this style. Mixing different tones in your hair color gives a natural, eye-catching effect. These methods help you achieve that beautiful, multi-toned look.
#16: Long Wavy Chocolate Swirls
This dimensional brunette style looks stunning with long, wavy chocolate curls. Adding highlights gives the hair more depth and movement. Warm, shiny tones help create a rich, chocolate look. To get these soft waves, try curling your hair with a 1.25-inch wand.
#17: Light Chocolate Brown with Voluminous Waves
If you have olive skin, consider a light chocolate brown paired with big, bouncy waves. This gentle balayage adds lots of color without being too bold. You can choose any shade for this style, but it works best with darker natural hair. To get this look, ask your stylist for cool coffee tones that create a soft contrast.
#18: Medium-Length Choco Balayage Hair
A medium-length choco balayage hairstyle offers a soft but noticeable change. It beautifully highlights your hair’s natural shades. If you have brown hair, going lighter can seem like a big step. This style gives you a gentle option instead. Chocolate tones bring out the best in brunette hair. It helps you embrace your natural color with a fresh look.
#19: Brunette Subtle Highlights on Dark Hair
Add soft brunette highlights to dark hair to create more depth and dimension. Warm, gentle lowlights can make your solid hair color more interesting. Ask your stylist for a natural, blended look with subtle dimension. Keeping the color soft and smooth is key. A caramel, sun-kissed tone is a great choice.
#20: Milk Chocolate Balayage Hair
Chocolate balayage looks good on almost all skin tones. The color is deep and rich but not too warm. It is also simple to maintain. Usually, a root touch-up and a full glaze every 6 weeks work well. Talk to your stylist about the best products to keep this color looking vibrant!
#21: Sultry Brunette Balayage Highlights
Brunettes with any hair length look stunning with sultry balayaged hair highlights. The deep, rich shades create a timeless look that always stays in fashion.
#22: Dark Chocolate Brown Curls
Looking for a classic hairstyle? Try dark chocolate brown curls. When picking a brown shade, keep in mind that warm tones work well together. Warm browns often have hints of gold, copper, or red.
#23: Choco Brown Hair with Soft Dimensional Balayage
Looking for fresh fall hair color ideas? Consider this chocolate brown shade with soft, natural-looking balayage. At your next salon visit, discuss different chocolate hair options with your stylist.
#24: Chocolate Brown with Hazelnut Tones
This is a chocolate brown hair color mixed with hazelnut shades. If you want some brown balayage hair ideas, consider a warm blonde at level 7. First, do a full balayage to lighten your hair. After that, blend a chocolate color from the roots down to a soft blonde ombré.
#25: Chocolate Brown Bob with Warm Highlights
Consider a chocolate brown bob with warm highlights. Adding highlights is a great way to upgrade a bob. Warm highlights in the middle and ends add depth to brown hair color. Ask for some highlights near your face. Warm copper and brown highlights look stunning on darker hair shades from level 1 to 4.
Thinking about getting a chocolate brown balayage but not sure if it fits your skin tone or daily routine? I’m here to guide you in picking the perfect shade and to share some beautiful examples. I also spoke with Victoria Reyes, a skilled colorist and stylist, who offers her tips and experience on how to get and care for this trendy hair color.
Meet The Expert
Victoria Reyes
Victoria is a hair artist with over 14 years of experience.
You can find Victoria at The Modern Babe in Mamaroneck, NY
Determining the Ideal Shade for Your Skin Tone
Reyes recommends checking your veins to find the best shade for your skin. If your veins look green, you likely have a warm skin tone. Blue veins usually mean you have a fairer complexion. Warm, ashy shades look good on warm skin, while warmer shades suit fair skin. If you can’t tell your vein color, choose a neutral shade that mixes warm and cool tones. According to Reyes, anyone can wear chocolate brown balayage because its warm, natural color flatters all skin tones.
Maintaining the Vibrancy of Your Balayage
Reyes suggests choosing shampoos and conditioners that are free of sulfates, silicones, and parabens to keep your chocolate brown hair vibrant. Sulfates are strong chemicals that can remove and dull your hair color, so it’s best to avoid them. Use natural, gentle products made for color-treated hair to keep it healthy and bright. Wash your hair with cool water instead of hot, and consider adding a shower filter, especially if you have well or hard water, to help protect your color. Reyes also recommends keeping up with your color appointments every 6-8 weeks for balayage touch-ups. This often includes a re-glaze to refresh your hair’s tone. Glosses are usually demi-permanent, so they coat the hair and slowly fade over time.
Discussing Your Lifestyle with Your Colorist/Stylist
Before choosing a new hair color, talk with your stylist about your daily habits. Reyes asks clients, “How much effort will you put in?” because caring for your hair at home keeps the color bright. Think about how often you wash your hair, what products you use, and how you style it each day. If you swim often or don’t want to spend much time on hair care, bright or platinum colors might not be the best option.