Mousy Brown Hair is Having a Moment

Brunettes Will Love it—Mousy Brown Hair is Having a Moment

Updated on May 23, 2022

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Beige Brown — Photo: @hairbylindal/Instagram

Mousy brown hair and its much-teased counterpart, dishwater blonde, get a bad rap. Nay, it practically gets bullied. Light brown hair shades are typically considered too plain, dull, or uninspired for most people's natural hair color. In reality, any shade of brunette is fair game to be called "mousy," depending on the eye of the beholder. Summer might have pushed us to "go blonde!" but autumn is about taking it easy. There's no better time to embrace your natural light brown roots or even ask your hairstylist to create the low-maintenance color. We'll say it: Mousy brown hair is having a moment, and you better take advantage. There are easy ways to update your natural brown locks for fall, and it's all about subtle color that looks effortlessly styled. Think barely-there balayage highlights around the face and seamless color melts. Mousy brown can be anything but dull, and we're showing the ultimate inspiration shots in tribute to the long-bullied color. Here are 10 styles with mousy brown hair perfect for fall.

01 of 10

Multi-Dimensional Mousy Brown

Mousy doesn't mean boring—and this bob says it all. Get yourself a fun new haircut and coat your strands in a shine-enhancing clear gloss, and you'll be feeling brand-new, no color required.

02 of 10

Milk Chocolate Brown

We love this in-between brown for fall—it's not full-on dark cocoa brown but not caramel. Let those leftover summer highlights from the sun fade into the rich chocolate color.

03 of 10

Subtle Brown Ombré

Brighten up your strands with this low-maintenance way idea. Let the color fade into a warm caramel or sandy blonde at the very end (like seen here by stylist Cherin Choi), and you'll feel the color payoff without touching your natural brown roots.

04 of 10

Beachy Brown

We're never going back if this is what mousy brown can do. Nothing jazzes up light brown roots like a golden wash of balayage color from midway down to the ends. Plus, it grows gracefully, which means you can postpone your touch-ups.

05 of 10

Sandy Brown

Come fall, update a plain brown base with caramel babylights. You'll be looking like a warm cup of caramel latte in no time.

06 of 10

Mushroom Brown

Mushroom brown is the cool girl's take on mousy brown, and we're here for it. Think of a cool-toned, earthy brown (seen here by stylist Anthony Holguin) that looks a whole lot like a portobello—that's the goal.

07 of 10

Dark Mousy Brown

Summer might be all about going bright and blonde, but fall wants you to throw out the peroxide. Embrace your naturally dark strands and enhance them with rare sweeps of barely-there glowy color around the face. It's both flattering and low-maintenance. All of your sweaters will approve.

08 of 10

Dirty Blonde Color Melt

Dishwater blonde? We'll take it. This root-smudged color blends a brunette base with golden blonde balayage. To keep the color subtle and full of sheen, touch it up with a golden gloss every couple of months.

09 of 10

Dishwater Brown

We're stopping the stigma here and now. Dishwater brown, don't be ashamed! Here's your fall makeover. Plus, it'll look great with that new leather jacket.

10 of 10

Beige Brown

Bronde is big this year—like, huge. Why choose blonde or brown when you can have both? This beige blonde-brown mix is like a pumped-up version of classic mousy brown.

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