35 Ways To Warm Up Your Hair Color With Chestnut

It’s not just our imagination that chestnut hair color is flattering for every skin tone, either (and extra popular during the fall and winter months). Abbie Addotta, L'Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador and stylist, sees many clients who request the hue for its versatility.

Want to try chestnut hair for yourself? We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the shade plus 35 chestnut brown hair colors you’ll want to try while the weather is still chilly.

Good hair day by @Salvatore_riccardi_hd.

What is chestnut hair color? 

Chestnut hair is a rich and dimensional shade of reddish brown. While chestnut brown hair can be customized to fit your skin tone, the hue is typically a medium brown shade with warm undertones.

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What is the difference between brown and chestnut hair? 

Brown hair is a general term referring to a variety of brunette shades. Chestnut is a shade of brown hair with red undertones. For more information, check out our brown hair color chart. 

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Is chestnut hair rare? 

Chestnut color hair is one of the most sought-after shades at the salon, but being born with a natural chestnut hair color isn’t common. 

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Is chestnut hair color warm or cool?

Chestnut hair color has warm undertones. 

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What skin tone does chestnut hair look good on?

Since chestnut hair has warm, reddish undertones, you’ll likely hear professionals say that the hue looks best on those with warm undertones in their skin. The beauty of chestnut hair, however, is that it’s completely customizable. A pro colorist can work to tailor the shade to complement your skin’s undertones. 

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How do you care for chestnut hair color?

Like any other shade, chestnut will require regular maintenance—both at home and in the salon.

"You could maintain anywhere from every eight to ten weeks with a demi-permanent color service, possibly with a few face-framing balayage pieces to make the chestnut color pop,” Addotta says. “The beauty of this tone is that it fades gracefully, as long as you keep up with at-home maintenance with your stylist-recommended shampoo and conditioner.”

While permanent chestnut brown hair dye is always an option, demi-permanent hair glosses such as Redken Shades EQ can help your colorist tone and refresh your chestnut hue without damage or committing to a permanent color change. These acidic, ammonia-free formulas can provide results that last four to six weeks in just 20 minutes. They also condition and give your mane instant shine. 

The good news is that while chestnut brown hair color has red tones in it, it’s not as challenging to maintain as other red shades. Still, if you opt for chestnut, your current go-tos might not make the cut anymore. You’ll need to make the switch to color-protecting products.

Start by swapping your regular shampoo and conditioner with a system formulated for color-treated hair. We love Kérastase Bain Chromatique Riche Shampoo and Reflection Fondant Chromatique Conditioner. This multi-protecting system for color-treated hair protects and prolongs hair color.

If you’re worried about bleach damaging your precious mane, we have good news! No matter what hue you’re starting with, your colorist can likely achieve your desired chestnut brown shade without any bleach whatsoever. After any color session, however, your strands might feel a bit drier than usual. That’s why we recommend adding a hair mask like Kérastase Masque Chromatique Hair Mask to your hair care routine once a week. This formula deeply nourishes hair to protect and prolong color vibrancy.

Whether you flat iron your mane daily or give yourself a bouncy blowout, be sure that you always use a heat protectant like Pureology Colour Fanatic Multi-Benefit Leave-in Spray. This lightweight mist primes, protects, and perfects while delivering 21 essential benefits for color-treated hair.

Ready to try chestnut colored hair? From dark chestnut brown hair to chestnut auburn hair color, we’re sharing 35 of the most gorgeous inspo pics you can show your colorist. 

The Best Chestnut Hair Color Ideas To Try Now

Good hair day by @juliocolor.

Rooted Chestnut

Try chestnut color hair while avoiding a hefty maintenance routine by opting for rooted chestnut hair. If you’re working with natural medium or dark brown roots, this idea is the perfect fit. 

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Milk Chocolate Chestnut

This chestnut hair color creation has soft golden undertones throughout a milk chocolate base—a gorgeous combination for all complexions. 

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Chestnut Hair With Orange Highlights

Combine two of fall 2023’s hottest trends by adding orange highlights throughout your chest brown hair color.

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Black With Chestnut

If you’ve always wanted to color your hair black but haven’t worked up the courage, ask your stylist about a look that blends black with chestnut. Black with chestnut can ease you into very dark hair while giving your hue depth and dimension.

Good hair day by @hairbybritny.

Amber

Chestnut hair is nothing new, but colorists are always dreaming up new and exciting takes on the classic shade like brown amber. To achieve a brown amber hue, your colorist will blend notes of chocolate, gold, and auburn onto a brunette base.

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Curly Chestnut

What we adore most about chestnut hair is that it looks amazing on every hair texture. In fact, we particularly love how shiny and dimensional it looks on curly hair.

Good hair day by @carla.jean.styles.

Subtle Chestnut

If you’ve been brunette your whole life, adding red to your mane for the first time can seem scary—but it doesn’t have to be! Ask your colorist for subtle pops of chestnut for a lowkey way to try the shade.

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Light Chestnut

If you have light brown hair and have been thinking about going red, light chestnut is the perfect happy medium.

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Face-Framing

The whole world is talking about face-framing highlights, but who says they need to be blonde? Chestnut face-framing highlights will instantly brighten and add dimension to your hue.

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Dark Chocolate Chestnut

Like the delicious sweets you unwrap on Valentine’s Day, dark chocolate chestnut is sultry and irresistible. If you’re looking for a chestnut shade that’s wearable for every skin tone, you can’t go wrong with dark chocolate.

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Chestnut And Caramel

Caramel-influenced chestnut hair helps you maintain a lingering hint of summer long after your vacation days are over. It’s particularly gorgeous on a blunt bob.

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Ash

In case you hadn’t heard yet, all the cool girls are embracing ashy brown manes. This beige-tinted shade looks effortless but flattering—kind of like “no makeup” makeup for your hair.

Reddish-Brown

Chestnut is a beautiful way to add a touch of red to your hair without totally overwhelming your complexion. Ask your stylist for a natural-looking color like reddish-brown if you’re looking to be right on-trend.

Good hair day by @hairmira.

Cinnamon

Add a touch of spice to your chestnut shade with a cinnamon-inspired look. If you’re nervous about going too light, ask for cinnamon balayage.

Ginger

Coppery shades look gorgeous on very fair skin. If you’re searching for a way to highlight your complexion, give ginger chestnut a go.

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Golden

We love a subtle hair color change, so it only makes sense that we’d be obsessing over golden chestnut hair. Try golden influences for added dimension in your chosen hue.

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Light Red

Light red hair color is so beautiful that you won’t be able to resist running your fingers through it. If you're nervous about making a color shift, talk to your stylist. He or she should be able to explain how to go from brown hair to red hair in a way that's not scary at all.

Good hair day by @anna_g_stylist.

Cocoa

Like our favorite sweet drink, cocoa chestnut hair color satiates our craving for something luxurious.

Good hair day by @alis_cristache.

Hazelnut

Who doesn’t adore a nutty take on light brown hair? Much like cinnamon, this approach to chestnut hair color is a great way to make your favorite shade even more warm weather-appropriate.

Good hair day by @lyndadidit.

Chocolate

We’ve got a sweet tooth, but it isn’t just for chocolate bars. Chocolate chestnut is a melting, gorgeous color combination that will have all your friends booking salon appointments.

Warm

Cool-toned hair has had its time at the top of the trends list, so now it’s time for warm shades to rule.

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Red

Your inner ginger will thank you for trying out a red-influenced chestnut shade, which never fails to cause a scene.

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Rose Gold Chestnut

Attracted to the rose gold trend? Choose rose gold chestnut, a sophisticated, pink-influenced shade that is sure to set you apart.

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Maple

Maple is darker, moodier take on chestnut hair that has a dreaming of cashmere sweaters and chilly nights spent indoors. If you’re looking for a hint of vamp in your life, this is the way to go.

Mahogany

Mahogany hair color is chestnut at its most dramatic. Like any fiery redhead will tell you, red hair is all about making a visual impact.

Auburn Highlight

If you like the look of reddish brown shades but don’t want to go quite so dark, talk to your stylist about adding red accents throughout your hair.

Copper Highlight

Angling for a red that tinges on blonde? Try copper highlights to up the shimmery, jewel-toned aspects of your chestnut color. As a bonus, this shade is perfect for spring and summer.

Honey

Like caramel, honey is a luscious color that’s easy to pull off. Whether you have a fair or dark skin tone, you’ll be pleased with how beautifully this one turns out.

Lob

Few things are as universally flattering as the lob, which has become the favorite cut of ladies young and old. What’s better than showing off your new color with a fresh cut?

Mocha

No one says you have to pair chestnut with blonde—we love the look of dark, chocolatey locks on any length.

Caramel Highlight

It’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with caramel, particularly in highlight form. Chestnut and caramel are like peanut butter and jelly—once you’ve tried them together, you’ll never go back.

Cappuccino

Color names can mean different things to different colorists, which is why it’s so important to bring photo examples to any appointment. Cappuccino hair color, which blends ashy brown highlights with a darker base, is the perfect trend shade to try.

Espresso

Not a trend person? Step up your look with a classic shade like inky espresso.

Ombre

Ombre is the ideal choice for ladies who can’t decide between shades. Why not try them both?

Balayage

For an effect that’s even more subtle than traditional ombre, ask your colorist for balayage that mimics the appearance highlights created by the sun.

Want to try chestnut hair color? Use our salon locator to book an appointment at a salon near you.