There’s a reason everyone’s obsessed with golden hour. From having a golden hour photo shoot with friends to golden-hour-inspired nails and makeup, that fleeting window before sunset somehow makes everything look warmer, softer, and about a zillion times better. And good news for us all: This summer, colorists are bringing that same effect to hair color.
Enter: golden-hour brunette hair, a warm, dimensional take on brown that uses golden, honey, and caramel tones to create that sunset glow. Rather than dramatically lightening your hair, going blonde, or committing to an all-over color change, the look adds some strategic warmth and dimension for richer, shinier, and subtly sun-kissed strands. It’s even royal-approved: The Princess of Wales has been spotted this summer with golden-hour brunette hair. Ahead, everything you need to know about the trending hair color, plus we’ve gotcha covered with inspo pics to take to your next salon appointment.
What is the golden-hour brunette hair trend?
Think about the way brunette hair looks when the sun hits it right before sunset: The brown stays rich, but suddenly you can see flashes of gold, amber, honey, and caramel too. Golden-hour brunette essentially recreates that effect through hair color for an endless-summer effect. It’s a “sun-kissed” look that marries natural brunette color with “accent highlights with warm, gold reflective tones,” says hairstylist Ashley Ruiz.
Instead of taking your entire head significantly lighter, your colorist can maintain a brunette base and introduce strategically placed warm-toned dimension. Simply ask your colorist for “highlights that are golden and beige on a medium to dark brown base,” recommends Ruiz. Depending on your starting shade and desired result, that might mean subtle highlights, balayage, or face-framing pieces. The overall effect should feel blended and natural rather than stripey or overly contrasted (it’s different than just getting caramel highlights). Your natural or chosen brunette shade is the star of the show; the golden pieces are there as a bonus to catch that golden-hour light.
Who should try the golden-hour brunette hair trend?
Golden-hour brunette is your go-to summer-to-fall hair color because of how versatile, low-maintenance, and customizable it is (need I say more?!).
Though it’s a great fit for existing brunettes, ofc, so many people can try it if they want their hair to look noticeably different without making the dramatic jump to blonde. Ruiz says all hair types and hair lengths can try golden hour brunette. She recommends the color especially for anyone with a round or oval face, since “the highlights would complement the bone structure,” she says. Bonus: Any brunette who wants low-maintenance hair (and who doesn’t want that?!) will want to try it, since “it has a lived-in feel to it and is not high maintenance,” Ruiz adds. Sold!
How to maintain golden-hour brunette hair
Golden-hour brunette is pretty low-maintenance, which is a huge win. It’s “essentially mimicking what the sun naturally does to the hair in the summer months,” explains Ruiz. When it comes to at-home care, as with any other hair color, start with a color-safe shampoo and conditioner and avoid overwashing when possible. Ruiz also suggests “a toner or gloss every two to three months to keep the hair shiny, fresh, and reflective,” she says. This is super key, tbh, because the shine is such a big part of what makes this color look expensive and reflective. You can also supplement with at-home glosses and leave-in conditioners to keep your hair looking as healthy as possible.
How to style golden-hour brunette hair
When styling, start with a leave-in conditioner and blowout spray (Ruiz recommends Unite 7 Seconds Detangler and Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray, respectively). Then, “blow dry with a round brush and section the hair,” she says. Then finish with a hair dryer brush “to enhance the shine and color,” she adds.
Golden-hour brunette hair inspo
At your appointment, reference photos will be your best friend. Know what to ask your colorist for so you get the best results possible. Check out these pics below to start gathering some inspo before you sit down in the salon chair.
Meet the expert
Ashley Ruiz is a celebrity hairstylist at Flore Los Angeles.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Catharine Malzahn is a contributing beauty writer at Cosmo. She’s written about all things hair, from the coolest hair color trends to the best haircuts to try. For this story, she tapped celebrity hairstylist Ashley Ruiz for her expertise and recommendations for golden-hour brunette hair.
Catharine Malzahn is a contributing beauty writer at Cosmopolitan and was previously the beauty assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention.
