20 Gorgeous Honey Brown Hair Color Ideas to Inspire Your Next Salon Visit

As the weather transitions, it’s tempting to ditch your darker strands in favor of something brighter and lighter, a shade more fitting for spring. But going fully platinum isn't the only option. “Honey brown hair is a warm, golden-brown shade with rich caramel and amber tones,” says celebrity hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos. “It sits between light brown and dark blonde, giving a sun-kissed, dimensional look.” And since there are so many ways to tailor honey brown hair, it’s a fairly universal hair color choice. “It’s flattering on most skin tones and can be customized with highlights or lowlights for added depth,” Giannetos points out. “Think of it as a sweet, golden brown with a natural, radiant glow.”

Can’t quite picture it? Rex Jimieson, a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, says to imagine a jar of honey—that decadent medium brown color with just enough light peeking through. “A little dimension or highlighting with balayage or foils would be a great addition, but less is more or the color will no longer appear to be a brunette,” he says. And as stunning as honey brown hair is all on its own, Jimieson says it also blends grey hair efficiently.

Convinced to give it a whirl? There are so many ways to adopt a honey brown hair color. “Sometimes faded hair color or sun bleached hair can be the perfect opportunity to gloss your whole look into the honey vibe,” Jimieson says. Alternatively, you can incorporate the color into darker bases for a higher contrast end look. That’s just two of many ways to rock the hue. Ahead, explore 20 honey brown hair color ideas perfect for spring 2025 and beyond.

Meet Our Expert

• Dimitris Giannetos is a celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Kim Kardashian, Demi Moore, Gigi Hadid, and more.

• Rex Jimieson is a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.

Sun-Kissed Honey Bronde

Giannetos says that Hailey Bieber is the perfect example of a sun-kissed honey bronde hair color. “Ask for a neutral honey brown base with subtle golden balayage highlights that mimic natural sun exposure,” he suggests. “Keep the root slightly deeper for a lived-in, effortless look, and ssk for soft, seamless blending to avoid any harsh lines.”

Warm Caramel Honey Brown

For something a bit lighter, Giannetos says to look to Jennifer Lopez for inspiration. To recreate her warm caramel honey brown hair color, he says to ask for “a warm, rich honey brown with golden caramel highlights throughout. The highlights should be concentrated around the face and mid-lengths to ends for dimension. Request a gloss with golden undertones to enhance the warmth.”

Buttery Honey Brown

Looking to go even blonder? Giannetos is a fan of Gigi Hadid’s buttery honey brown hair color with bright baby lights. “Ask for a honey brown base with ultra-fine baby lights for a soft, multi-tonal effect,” he says. “Ask your colorist to keep the highlights just one or two shades lighter than the base for a creamy, blended finish. A light toner with beige-gold undertones will maintain the buttery effect.”

Deep Golden Honey Brown

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Zenday’s deep golden honey brown hair color which maintains winter’s dark base with just a hint of warmth peeking through. “Ask for a deep honey brown with warm golden and copper undertones,” Giannetos instructs. “This should have a rich, dimensional effect without looking too light. Request a single-process honey brown with a gloss that enhances golden tones, plus subtle painted highlights for extra depth.”

Deep Honey Caramel Brown

Jessica Alba has long been a source of honey brown hair inspiration. “Ask for a deep honey brown with caramel balayage for a soft, natural lift,” Giannetos says. “The highlights should be subtle and blended, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends. A golden-brown gloss will keep it warm and glossy.”

Rich Honey Mocha Brown

Sofia Vergara reminds us of the power of a gloss. To recreate her look, Giannetos says to request “a deep honey brown with warm, chocolatey undertones and subtle golden highlights—the highlights should be minimal and blended for overall warmth and a rich look. [Then,] ask for a warm brown gloss to keep everything cohesive.”

Classic Honey Brown With Soft Lowlights

Lily Aldridge’s classic honey brown hair looks effortless with soft lowlights. “Ask for a balanced honey brown with soft lowlights that add depth,” Giannetos says, noting to request a soft balayage technique. “The color should not be too warm or too cool, sitting right in the middle of golden and caramel tones.”

Sunlit Honey Brown

Emily Ratajkowski is another prime example of sun-kissed honey brown hair. “Ask for a warm honey brown base with subtle caramel and golden-brown ribbons,” Giannetos says. “The highlights should be softly painted, with more brightness around the face.” To complete the look, he says to finish with a honey-toned glaze “to add richness and shine.”

Dimensional Honey Brown With Face-Framing Brightness

For a lighter, brighter honey blonde hair color, bring this image of Olivia Wilde as reference. “Ask for a honey brown base with slightly lighter golden caramel highlights, focused on the face and ends,” Giannetos says. “Ask for a soft root melt to keep the grow-out natural and a honey-toned glaze to maintain warmth and shine.”

Honey Brown Coils

Here, Megan Thee Stallion used pops of a warmer, lighter, honey shade to make her dark brown coils pop.

Lived-In Golden Honey Brown

Drew Barrymore shows us how to rock a more lived-in golden honey brown. To get the look, Jimieson says to “ask for a demi permanent golden brown base with an express balayage.” Meanwhile, if you’re most drawn to how she wears it, be sure to add a texture or salt spray to your styling routine.

Soft Caramel Honey Brown

Sydney Sweeney may typically lean bright blonde but once upon a time, she had the most perfect soft caramel honey brown hair color. “Ask for a honey brown base with soft caramel and golden undertones,” Giannetos says, noting to request a subtle, mid-length balayage application. “Ask for a warm brown gloss with golden hues to maintain richness.”

Soft Honey Brown Shift

Halle Berry’s take on honey brown hair is so soft, it has an almost ethereal effect. “A partial balayage with a demi permanent golden brown gloss over the top will achieve this look,” Jimieson says, noting that it’s a fantastic low-maintenance color option.

Natural Honey Brown

Anna Kendrick’s honey brown hair has hints of copper, blonde, and espresso brown, making for a dimensional, natural-looking mane. “Retouching this golden brown base without ever pulling any color trough the ends (except for the first time) will show the subtle iridescence of this natural honey look,” Jimieson says.

Honey Brown Ends

Remember, you don’t have to apply honey brown color all over. Sometimes, well-placed highlights at the ends do just the trick for brightening a mane for spring. Just look at Kendall Jenner’s hair, above. “I would maintain this shade of brown with regular root retouches and brown lowlights so the faded hair becomes the honey/lighter shade,” Jimieson says.

Beachy Bombshell Honey Bronde

Gisele Bündchen has made a name for herself as a blonde bombshell, but if you look closely, you’ll notice her hair is really more of a honey brown hue. “Baby lights with a highlight and lowlight shade would best recreate this soft, light brown honey look,” Jimieson says.

Subtle Honey Brown Highlights

Prefer something more subtle? Here’s further proof that Emily Ratajkowski is a fan of the honey brown hair color aesthetic. “Ask for a warm brown all-over color with a copper gold glaze over the top for this rich honey medium brown,” Jimieson says.

Copper Honey Bronde

Copper and strawberry blonde hair are trending for 2025, so a copper honey bronde like Liana Liberato’s is worth considering. “Ask for a balayage highlight and lowlight with a double gold glaze to bring the contrast down and make this dimensional brunette subtle and believable,” Jimieson says.

Glossy Honey Chestnut

Meanwhile, if you want to maintain a predominantly brunette hair color, Jimieson says to look to Minka Kelly for inspiration. “Ask for an all-over color using cooler golds to achieve a honey chestnut tone in the final look,” he instructs.

Soft Honey Brown Balayage

If you loved Halle Berry’s soft honey brown shift, you’ll likely be a fan of Katherine Langford’s slightly more blended shade. “Ask for an acidic demi permanent brown that will slow your hairs natural variation to reflect through,” Jimieson says.

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