Don't Deny It—These 7 Dark Hair Colors Have Major It-Girl Energy

If there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that most people consider darkening their hair once the cooler months roll around. There’s something about the foliage, hazy skies, and abrupt switch from linen to leather which makes us find beauty in the darkness—trading sun-warmed highlights for chocolate hues and smoky coppers. Though may feel compelled to drop a paycheck on a new fall wardrobe, there's a simpler way to winterize your look—and that, my friend, is with a dark hair color.

"There are so many variations within dark hair," says celebrity hairstylist and color expert Nikki Lee. "Brunette can go from soft chocolate and chestnut to a deep espresso; black can be a softer, more natural black or a really rich, inky black," the hairstylist explains. "And auburn doesn’t have to mean red; it can be a beautiful brunette with cinnamon, copper, or mahogany undertones," she adds. In short, dark hair colors are far more abstract than simple brown, black, and red groupings—they are a symphony of undertones at varying depths resulting in altogether new hues.

After speaking with three hair color professionals, we found the top dark hair colors to know (and try) right now. Keep scrolling to discover the seven beautiful hues ahead.

The Top 7 Dark Hair Color Ideas in 2026

Expensive Brunette

Sleek, glossy, deep—brunette hues that look especially expensive hit these three luxe marks. "Selena Gomez is a great example of a rich, dimensional brunette," says Lee. "Her color has depth, but still has softness and movement," she explains. Celebrity hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos describes this particular brand of brunette as an amalgamation of "deep espresso, melted chocolate, and warm mocha tones," so the hair "catches the light from every angle." The result, like Gomez's, is a mane that looks healthy and utterly timeless.

Though Gomez's color may look like a waterfall of inky espresso waves to the untrained eye, Lee dissects her shade into something more digestible (and understandable to your colorist) for your next appointment. "I would ask for a rich chocolate brunette with subtle tonal dimension and lots of shine," she explains. If you prefer to handle things at home, Shvonne Perkins—a color and trend expert at Madison Reed—recommends using a demi-permanent medium-to-dark brunette dye "so you can play without permanently changing your base."

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Neutral Black

If you want to make a statement, black is one of the richest, most expensive-looking hair colors you could try. "I love what we’re seeing on Charli XCX," says Lee. "It’s deep and inky, but still incredibly glossy," she adds. Perkins calls the musician's hue both "classic and edgy with lots of cool reflection," emphasizing the importance of glossy shine to give this monochrome look dimension. When going to the salon, Lee suggests asking for a "rich, neutral-to-cool black" to avoid dullness, though you could always lean cooler if you want to make an icy impact.

Perkins suggests Madison Reed's ColorWonder Demi-Permanent Color in the blue-black hue Midnight Blues for a "darkest dark" shade with hyper-real tones. "This shade gives a sapphire reflection to black hair," she explains, "taking a different path to the usual 'warm up' of fall hair color."

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Black Cherry

The spectrum of dark red hair color options is seemingly endless, but a particularly current (and effortlessly cool) shade living rent-free in our minds is a sleek, vampy red. Raye stepped out at the 2026 VMAs donning her contemporary black cherry hair in vintage-inspired curls—instantly cementing this vampy hue as a top color trend of 2026. Perkins explains that on a naturally dark-haired brunette, red demi-permanent colors or masks can add the perfect "red sheen" for this "dramatic, fashion-forward look."

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Warm Ristretto

Whether your inspiration is Anok Yai's ultra-rich, deep brunette-to-black ombré or Dakota Johnson's rich espresso brown, it's never a bad idea to try a warm ristretto hue. For those with medium or light brown natural hair, Perkins says it's easy to achieve a "chocolatey, nearly neutral medium-to-dark brunette with tons of shine" with a color-depositing gloss like the Madison Reed Color Reviving Gloss in Espresso or a semi-permanent color treatment. Try taking your shade into deeper, bolder territory this season—you won't regret it.

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Autumnal Auburn

If you are anything like me, you have yet to get Daisy Edgar-Jones' romantic Sense and Sensibility premiere hair looks off your mind. Whether pin-straight with eye-grazing fringe or tousled with delicate, natural-looking waves, her red-tinted color shines in every style. "Edgar-Jones is a beautiful example of how wearable auburn can be," says Lee. "Her color lives between brunette, auburn, and copper." (Copper, or what we've called "Bright Cinnamon," is shaping up to be one of 2026's very top color trends.) "If you’re nervous about going red, ask your colorist to keep a brunette base and introduce soft cinnamon or copper warmth," instructs Lee.

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Roasted Chestnut

Of all the beauty magic we witnessed in Practical Magic 2, one facet we zeroed in on was Sandra Bullock's firelit brunette tresses. "Her long dark hair is autumnal and chestnut-forward," says Perkins, who spotlights Bullock as a prime example of this nostalgic, glowing-brown shade. The color expert recommends Madison Reed's Color Therapy Mask in Castagna or the Color Reviving Gloss in Amaretto for a "temporary burnished brown-red" that still preserves the integrity of your dark hue. However, she divulges that the secret to truly noticeable dimension in any brunette shade is "surface reflection"—aka, super shiny hair. Try a deep conditioning treatment to bring out that extra radiance.

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Toasted Copper

Speaking of Practical Magic 2, we won't soon get over Joey King's cinnamon-spiked hair as she stepped into the role of Kylie Owens, the full-grown daughter of Sally Owens in the cult-classic film's sequel. "Toasted copper is a vibrant, auburn-copper blend that’s rich without being too much," says the star's hairstylist, Giannetos. "It enhances natural warmth in the skin and makes curls pop. He credits King's long, fiery mane and romantic, curly fringe at the film's London premiere—which he dubbed "wicked bangs" in an Instagram post—as the point of his obsession with this ethereal color this season.

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What to Ask For

"When asking for a change to brunette hair, it's really important to mention what you don't want," says Perkins. Color can be a substantial change, so it's imperative to communicate what you're looking for—both on the positive and negative sides—to help them understand. Giannetos recommends preparing for the appointment by finding a visual reference to help your stylist understand the end goal. "Think of celebrities that have a similar tone and coloring to you to make it the most accurate depiction of how your hair might take to a new color," he suggests.

"If you're just trying on a new tone to deepen, enhance, or just have fun with the new shade, be sure to let your colorist know you're not looking for a permanent color shift and you don't want to change your base," Perkins adds. From there, she elaborates, stylists will usually opt for a gloss or toner that will "respect the dimension already in your hair" while still offering that hint of color.

Regularly Scheduled Maintenance

the one thing they can agree on is that shine is everything. "Healthy hair reflects light, which is what makes a brunette or black [shade] look really rich," says Lee. As many dark hues tend to be monochromatic, it can be hard to achieve dimension when there's a lack of highlights or lowlights. But routinely using hydrating treatments like hair masks, glosses (Giannetos suggests the L'Oréal Le Color Gloss), oils, and protective products (Perkins loves the Madison Reed Bonding Time Treatment) ensures healthy, shiny strands at all times.

"I recommend not over-washing, always using heat protection, and adding a gloss between color appointments when the hair starts to lose its richness," says Lee. She prefers Wella Professionals' Ultimate Color Shampoo, the matching conditioner, and its counterparts for the care and keeping of color-treated hair. "It has Metal Purifier technology that helps protect the hair from metals in the water while helping to keep color vibrant and hair moisturized," she explains.

Meet Our Experts

• Nikki Lee is a celebrity hairstylist, color expert, and Wella Professionals Global Brand Ambassador.
• Dimitris Giannetos is a celebrity hairstylist and color expert.
• Shvonne Perkins is a hair color and trend expert at Madison Reed.

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