Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Style
  3. Hair
  4. Tortoiseshell Hair Color Is Brightening Up Brunettes This Summer

Tortoiseshell Hair Color Is Brightening Up Brunettes This Summer

Kaitlyn Yarborough, Assistant Editor and Writer for Southern Living
By Kaitlyn Yarborough
Skip gallery slides
FB
Sweet Cola
Credit: @haleyvalentinehair
When your crown is feeling more lackluster than lustrous, it's time to head to the salon and hit the refresh button. From root beer to rose brown, this year's hair color trends for brunettes are taking dull brown strands from monotone to magnetic; and tortoiseshell, or écaille in French, is a shade that's leaving brunettes feeling shiny and new with its rich blend of warm shades. (And yes, it's inspired by your favorite tortoiseshell sunglasses.) Tortoiseshell hair is a mixture of dark shades and touches of warm caramel, honey, and gold. Somehow teetering a perfectly sun-kissed balance between dark and light, this shade often starts with a chocolate brown base and can use techniques like balayage, babylights, ombré, and shadow rooting to create a seamlessly blended finish that's as low maintenance as you wish. So why not put a few strokes of honey here, a few ribbons of caramel there? It'll liven up those locks in no time. Check out these tortoiseshell hair color inspirations before your next salon trip.
Start Slideshow

1 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Caramel Ombré

Caramel Ombré
Credit: @mizzchoi

This melting of color feels fresh and light, even though the roots are an almost cool mocha shade. The subtle ombré covers all of the tortoiseshell hues: chocolate, chestnut, caramel, and gold. We love the way the color works with the long, warm blonde face-framing layers. There's no doubt they'll be catching the sun all season long.

1 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Baby Balayage

Baby Balayage
Credit: @mizzchoi

Want to spice up your bob? A deep chocolate base color gets a welcome kick from baby balayage highlights in rich chestnuts and caramel. Piecier highlights and heavy face-framing help make a great blend of color.

2 of 14

3 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Honey Brown

Honey Brown
Credit: @maddiemelts

For those who just want a low maintenance, not-too-noticeable change to their classic chocolate brown, these honey-tinged tresses will do the job. Ribbons of randomly placed honey balayage highlights add just the right amount of shine and reflection.

3 of 14

Advertisement

4 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Blonde Tortoiseshell

Blonde Tortoiseshell
Credit: Pinterest/Anh Co Tran

Think of this tortoiseshell shade as its cool beachy partner-in-crime that lets a dirty blonde or bronde base melt into a gorgeous caramel, honey, and golden finish. It’s the perfect laid-back, lived-in warm blonde look.

4 of 14

5 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Toffee Touches

Toffee Touches
Credit: @johnnyramirez

Complement olive skin and brown eyes with rich strokes of toffee and caramel, focusing heavily around the face and on the ends. Using chestnut brown to melt the dark base into the sun-kissed touches is key to a low-maintenance, lived-in look.

5 of 14

6 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Sweet Cola

Sweet Cola
Credit: @haleyvalentinehair

This syrupy brown injects some serious touches of liquid gold into the layered hairstyle, and it even brings out hints of reddish-brown chestnut near the coca-cola brown roots. We’re all for this shiny tortoiseshell blend.

6 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Deep Mocha

Deep Mocha
Credit: @hairbyrachellenicole

Though tortoiseshell is full of warm shades of browns and caramels, nothing says deep brunettes can’t get in on the action with some perfectly placed balayage. A black-brown base color gets warmth and lightness from chestnut, amber, caramel, and gold.

7 of 14

8 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Amber Balayage

Amber Balayage
Credit: @juliahengel

This tortoiseshell blend works super well for those with lighter brown or bronde hair, enhancing it with rich honey and amber highlights while keeping a light chocolate base. The super subtle balayage makes for easy upkeep and natural-looking results.

8 of 14

9 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Sombré

Sombré
Credit: @lesleylouhoo

When hair color looks totally natural, you know you’ve done it right! This incredibly subtle soft ombré starts with a warm brunette base and melts into a robust covering of caramel. This blend will pop on olive or tan skin tones.

9 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Tortoiseshell Ribbons

Tortoiseshell Ribbons
Credit: @hairbysaiphetkhosa

For this bold tortoiseshell look, blend a few different hair shades—such as golden blonde, rich caramels, toasty chestnuts, and darker brown—using ribbon highlights. This style adds a little extra honey blonde, making it summer-approved.

10 of 14

11 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Golden Caramel

Golden Caramel
Credit: @hairbylexiiii

Talk about some summertime sunshine. This chocolate brown mane is making us fall head over heels for the rich caramel-gold balayage that coats every inch from midway down to the ends. You can’t go wrong with this bright blend of color.

11 of 14

12 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Bronze Sombré

Bronze Sombré
Credit: @salsalhair

We can’t get over the rich metallic finish of this bronzed tortoiseshell mane. Bronze is characterized as a shade of brown that emphasizes gold and red undertones. A little extra honey and gold around the face and towards the ends makes it look naturally sun-kissed.

12 of 14

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Heavy Caramel

Heavy Caramel
Credit: @mizzchoi

For those with fair skin that want to lighten things up, this warm caramel lands right in the middle of the essential chocolate and golden blonde shades. Heavy face-framing and shadow rooting make it super flattering and low maintenance.

13 of 14

14 of 14

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Chestnut Balayage

Soft Tortoiseshell
Credit: @bloom_beautybar

If concerned about going too bold, keep the look subtle and soft to avoid making it look overdone. This multi-dimensional chestnut brown uses rich ribbons of color to achieve the tortoiseshell look.

14 of 14

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Kaitlyn Yarborough

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 14 Caramel Ombré
    2 of 14 Baby Balayage
    3 of 14 Honey Brown
    4 of 14 Blonde Tortoiseshell
    5 of 14 Toffee Touches
    6 of 14 Sweet Cola
    7 of 14 Deep Mocha
    8 of 14 Amber Balayage
    9 of 14 Sombré
    10 of 14 Tortoiseshell Ribbons
    11 of 14 Golden Caramel
    12 of 14 Bronze Sombré
    13 of 14 Heavy Caramel
    14 of 14 Chestnut Balayage

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Tortoiseshell Hair Color Is Brightening Up Brunettes This Summer
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.