Auburn Hair Is the Dreamiest Shade of Red-Brown (2024)

There’s something about auburn hair that suits every season. The reddish-brown hue can be warm in the fall and cool in the summer. While being a natural redhead is quite rare, anyone can take on the bold hue. Not quite red or brown, auburn hair is the dreamiest combination of the two. We reached out to hair experts to share how to achieve the shade and maintenance tips to keep auburn hair lustrous year-round. Keep reading for 40 of our favorite takes on auburn hair to see whether you prefer copper, sun-kissed, plum, or true red.

Meet the Experts

  • Mark Mileti is aJoico GlobalArtistic Guest Artist with more than 25 years of experience as a hair colorist. He is currently working as a stylist at Sam Bracto Salon in New York City.
  • Ryan Sanger is a hair extension specialist and studio owner of Hair Lingerie The Studio.

Auburn Hair Color

Choosing a Shade: Auburn can be very subjective as a warm and cool color, so it's best to bring in photos and examples of the shade you're going for.

Maintenance Level: Touch-up every 4-6 weeks.

Goes Great With: Eyes with warm undertones.

Similar Shades: Copper, burgundy, cinnamon, plum

Price: For full color, prices can range from $60-$150. Highlights, ombré, and balayage can cost anywhere from $100-$200

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Copper Auburn

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Emma Stone has worn every shade of auburn. Here, she wears a perfect example of copper auburn, which Joico global artistic guest artist, Mark Mileti, describes as "a copper color with a slightly brown base and a hint of gold." It's a "more mellow sister to copper, the slightly saner cousin to burgundy."

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Rich Warmth

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Hair extension specialist, Ryan Sanger, calls copper auburn the true shade of auburn. It's a color that's overall incredibly warm and rich—just like the metal, he explains. Try warming up a naturally darker color by adding copper auburn highlights, as seen here on Taraji P. Henson.

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Red-Gold Undertones

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Just like any other hair color, there are different shades and levels of auburn. Here, Karen Gillan opts for a brown dye with red-gold undertones instead of a more fiery and undulating red shade.

"Auburn is always a tried-and-true trend tone," says Mileti. "So much so that I find my blondes and brunettes who are color-shy to even request warmer highs and lows to be infused in their chosen blonde or brunette."

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Brown Base

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Brown base colors tend to turn to blonde as their committed hair change, but copper auburn allows more time between salon visits by working with that chocolate-toned base, instead of replacing it entirely. You'll still have brighter ends, and they'll melt into your natural base seamlessly while fooling people into thinking that any regrowth is an effortless and intentionally blended color job.

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Sun-Kissed Auburn

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If you want to gradually make your way into auburn territory, going for more of a sun-kissed tone might be your best jumping-off point. Sun-kissed auburn is a"deeper more red base with lighter and less vibrant ends," Sanger says. "The main difference between them is the gloss/base color that adds the specific tone you want to see."

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Brighter Strands

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To get a sun-kissed shade of auburn, ask your colorist to place highlights close to your ends to brighten the overall look and add more dimension. When it comes to aftercare, Sanger recommends a shampoo and conditioner "to preserve and enhance the tones in yourhair," he says.

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Copper Tone

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And then there are those like Jessica Chastain—who rarely needs to get her color done because she has a uniquely natural copper tone to her auburn strands. When you take a photo of your desired shade to your colorist, keep the natural base color of your reference in mind to help set realistic expectations.

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Cascading Gradient

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We're predicting this natural, sun-kissed auburn gradient is the hair color trend to get you through any season. If you lean on the side of cascading waves and effortlessly undone braids, this gradient shade has your name all over it.

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Multiple Tones

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To avoid a harsh, unnatural color, Mileti says to concentrate the most vivid hues mid-strand. "I like to concentrate bright slashes of color through the body and ends of the hair to create the warmth, fire, and passion that we associate with reds or auburn. Multiple tones are applied via highlighting and low-lighting to create personalized auburn hair color."

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Eye-Matching Tones

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If you're in love with the idea of auburn hair but aren't sure which shade to choose, Mileti saysto look at your eyes, not your skin tone. "When determining whether a person can be a great auburn, the truth is in their eyes. I always lookfor warm flecks in the eye—copper or golden tones. Even blue eyes can have warm undertones."

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Plum Auburn

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Plum is a shade of auburn for people who are color-averse to brighter tones when it comes to their dye preferences. This darker hue was practically made for wearing throughout the autumn and winter.

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Cooler Color

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Brighter tones aren't the only ones in need of at-home care. Darker, cooler colors also need some TLC for vibrance and longevity. Sanger recommends using products to keep the cool plum undertones intact.

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Auburn Espresso

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Deep, inky espresso is hit with a splash of auburn to reveal deep, rich, and warm mahogany strands. This color is downright perfection for fall.

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A Hint of Violet

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Plum auburn can be described as having "a violet tone to it and is overall a deeper auburn," Sanger says. This shade can look almost chocolate brown in some lighting because its red tones are less fiery and more subtle.

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Preserved Color

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"I always remind my clients that auburn is acommitmentand proper products are paramount," says Mileti. Sticking to color-preserving products can double the longevity and vibrancy of hair color, thanks to the oil and peptides found inside.

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True Red

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"A true primary red tone can be as bright and vibrant as you want, or more subtle and natural," Sanger says. A punch of vibrant red like we see here on Madelaine Petsch is sure to make your auburn stand out among the rest.

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Added Depth

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One of the many reasons auburn seems to be a color we can't resist is its ability to add depth to our strands. The fact that it has so many color variations gives a lot of room to play with highlights and lowlights and create a customized shade that is one-of-a-kind.

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Natural Coloring

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"When I formulate [color] for clients and a fiery auburn is desired," Mileti explains, "it is very important not to go too far from the natural color so as not to throw off the eye color or skin color. Too many times reds are unsuccessful because they go too fiery at the base (or root), drawing away the woman’s natural coloring."

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Deep Auburn

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Lana del Rey's color borders on deep auburn, making her waves and curls necessary to see all the rich reds woven throughout. One of the keys to a look like this is moisture, so we advise investing in a gloss to help preserve and boost the color.

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Subtle Roots

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If you do decide to make the jump and go for something brighter, Mileti recommends staying away from too much color at the roots. He says it's the make-or-break habit to dyeing your hair with a red undertone.

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Auburn + Cherry

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If you're not afraid of bold red color, pair your auburn strands with vivid cherry highlights. It's a mega-statement that's packed with dimension and uniqueness.

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Balayage With Dimension

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Ariel Winter's painted-on balayage offers chunky streaks of auburn that blend into her natural color. The added length and volume make the color appear even more dimensional.

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Cowgirl Copper

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Shay Mitchell's "Cowgirl Copper" hair is definitely on the brighter side of the auburn family, but it is also one of the warmer ways to wear the shade. This ruby hue does require some upkeep though, so be prepared for frequent trips to the salon if you want to keep your roots intact.

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Highlights Around the Face

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Amy Adams's bright hair helps to open up and brighten her face. Here, the lighter color is concentrated near the front of the head—the key to a more natural look.

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Light to Dark Ombré

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The ombré look sees hair going from dark to light, with the bulk of the color concentrated near the top of the head. Here, the look opens and brightens the face, and waves add softness to the bright color.

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Merlot With Lowlights

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Sophie Turner's tresses are so deep brown that you almost don't notice the auburn undertones. But they're definitely there. Here, she wears her hair pulled back in a severe middle part—which further accentuates the look.

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Two-Toned Auburn

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Doja Cat puts a spin on the classic auburn look, pairing the red hue with chunks of black throughout her curly mane. The look is dramatic and calls for the two colors to be starkly different, rather than blending in.

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Orange Meets Auburn

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Jorja Smith's auburn hair veers orange. But rather than featuring highlights, the look is one-tone. It's a dramatic hue for those with lots of confidence (and the willingness to undergo lots of touch-ups, as roots will show through easily with this look).

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Pumpkin Auburn

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Sophia Bush's auburn color is next level, and that's likely due to the gold and pumpkin strands woven throughout that give it intense glow and shine. Her hair is downright lustrous and to achieve the look for yourself, prep your strands with a high-shine hair mask like Color Wow's Money Mask Deep Hydrating & Strengthening Hair Treatment before styling.

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Classic Auburn

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Julianne Moore's shade of auburn is about as classic as it gets. The look is neither too dark nor too bright and looks best when it's well cared for.

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Deep Copper

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Halsey's deep copper offers a rich take on the classic look. We especially love how they paired the deep red hair color with a brighter red shade near their eyes. The contrast helps show off both their face and hair.

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Lightened Up

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Bryce Dallas-Howard's long tresses see highlights throughout. Auburn and blonde make for a natural pairing, particularly if you keep the blonde on the areas the sun would naturally hit.

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Burnt Sienna Brown

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Dakota Johnston's signature color is brunette with the slightest tinge of auburn to add warmth, dimension, and sheen. She's literally glowing and the little flecks of warm tones in her hair help achieve that.

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Royally Rich

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A right royal hue, auburn is the hair color of Princess Eugenie. While her shade veers more brunette, it accentuates her fair skin tone and green eyes (not to mention the emerald tiara she donned on her wedding day) beautifully.

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Chocolate Dipped Strawberry

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A natural red, Rose Leslie has sported all different shades of red hair, from ginger to auburn. Here, she opts for a subtle balayage that starts out deep brown at the root before cascading into a rich auburn red.

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Shiny Amaretto Waves

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Drew Barrymore can pull off any hair color. We love her blonde and brunette, but as of late, she has been an auburn beauty with cascading shiny mermaid waves. The rich amaretto color brightens her face and accentuates her features.

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Auburn Highlights

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Everything about Kelly Rowland's look is stunning. From her glossy blowout to her complementary makeup, we can't help but be in awe. The star of the look is meticulously blended auburn highlights placed throughout her dark brown hair.

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Copper Balayage

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Chrissy Teigen is a balayage hair chameleon. While she usually keeps to the caramel and blonde families, this copper balayage with dark auburn roots was a refreshing pop of color for the model.

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Chocolate Auburn

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Kate Mara's chocolate brown hair is more warm chestnut with a hint of auburn to give it dimension and extra shine. Either way, the color complements the actress's matching brown eyes.

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Woody Auburn

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Warm auburn strands frame the face like a halo, but the neutral brown base makes this color a bit gentler on maintenance. It's not going to fade as quickly has a punchy auburn with lots of warmth, so if you're into to less is more with your hair, (who isn't?) this is a good auburn option to consider.

Article Sources

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

  1. Zorina-Lichtenwalter K, Lichtenwalter RN, Zaykin DV, et al. A study in scarlet: MC1R as the main predictor of red hair and exemplar of the flip-flop effect.Hum Mol Genet. 2019;28(12):2093-2106.

Auburn Hair Is the Dreamiest Shade of Red-Brown (2024)
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