17 Brown and Purple Hair Ideas to Try Now
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Are you ready to revamp your look with a twist? Say hello to the hot trend: brown and purple hair!
This hair guide is all about brown and purple hair (note: NOT black and purple hair – which is different!).
You’ll discover brown and purple hair ideas, get ideas for different shades of purple and brown hair, discover hairstyles with purple and brown hair, and get maintenance tips for keeping your purple and brown hair looking its best.
And with that, let’s dive right in!
The Popularity of Purple and Brown Hair
Purple and brown hair has been slowly growing in popularity since 2010 (according to Google Trends). Purple and brown hair is even more popular than the growing cherry brunette hair trend. Brown and purple hair isn’t quite as popular as brown and green hair, but close! (Source: Google Trends).
Best Shades of Color for Amazing Brown and Purple Hair
The great thing about brown and purple hair is that you don’t need to lighten your beautiful brunette hair before adding purple streaks. You can keep your natural and beautiful brown hair, which is great!
Below are a few brown and purple color combinations to consider:
Dark Brown and Deep Purple: Dark brown and deep purple are perfect for a mix of mystique and sophistication! The deep, dark tones of brown interwoven with shades of plum, eggplant, or even midnight purple create a striking contrast.
Light Brown with Soft Lavender or Lilac: For those seeking a whimsical yet elegant look, try light brown with soft lavender or lilac hair coloring.
Chestnut Brown and Vibrant Plum or Violet: Chestnut brown hair with a vibrant plum hue is a rich and luxurious pairing!
My recommendation:
For purple, I personally think that the best shades of purple include violet, plum purple, and burgundy purple. You could go with a lighter shade of purple (like lavender), but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll want to go with a shade of purple that is dark enough to show up on your hair!
Best Shades of Purple and Brown Hair by Skin Tone
If you have warmer undertones in your skin, opt for rich chocolate browns with warmer purples. Examples of warmer purples include mauve and plum. These colors have a pinkish-purple or a reddish-purple undertone, which offers warmth and depth.
If you have cooler undertones in your skin, opt for lighter browns with cooler purples or violets. An example of cooler purple includes lavender, pale lilac, and soft purple. These colors have a slightly bluish-purple hue.
Brown and Purple Hair Ideas
Below are ideas of how to rock brown and purple hair. You’ll find purple and brown hair color combinations for curly, straight, and wavy hair – as well as short and long hair!
1. Brown and Lilac Hair
Brown and lilac hair (with hints of grey!) is such a pretty hair color, and great if you have a cooler skin tone.
2. Split Brown and Purple Hair
Split brown and purple hair is a fun way to try out purple hair! You can get this hair color using Pulp Riot in purple and Pravana for the brown hair color.
3. Brown with Purple and Pink Streaks
For hipster vibes, go with pink (rose) and purple highlights in your hair. Ask for a shorter haircut in the back vs. the front. 💕
4. Lavender Ombre
Lavender ombre hair is so cool and fun!
5. Brown and Purple Streaks
Long and wavy brown hair with purple streaks is stunning!
6. Brown with a Pop of Purple
Brown and purple wavy hair is so, so pretty!
7. Brown, Rose Gold, and Purple
Brown, rose gold, and purple hair is perfect for fall!
8. Brown Hair with Purple, Pink, and Blue Highlights
Why limit yourself to brown and purple hair when you can rock pink and blue too?! 🦄💜✨
9. Brown to Dark Purple Ombre
Brown to dark purple ombre hair is so pretty and perfect for trying out purple hair!
10. Brown and Violet Purple
Brown hair with pastel purple and violet purple highlights is so pretty!
11. Brown Hair with Purple Highlights
Brown hair with purple highlights is so pretty and a fun way to add depth to your hair color!
12. Brown Hair with Purple Roots
Instead of having brown hair with purple at the roots, have the base of your hair be purple!
13. Curly Brown and Purple Hair
For vibrant and fun hair, you can't go wrong with curly brown hair with violet and rose gold curls!
14. Long Brown and Purple Hair
If you have extra long brown hair, then adding purple streaks is a cool look!
15. Caramel Brown with Purple Highlights
If you work in a professional setting and/or just want a touch of purple, you can have colorful hair by adding a purple streak to frame your face!
16. Brown with Lavender Face Frames
For dimensional hair, go purple and lavender highlights and purple hair around your face!
17. Brown with Lavender Highlights
Brown hair with lavender purple highlights is a pretty and easy way to rock purple hair.
DIY Purple and Brown Hair vs. Going to a Salon
You may be wondering if you should get purple and brown hair at home or go to a salon. Since most of the purple and brown hair colors include streaks of purple on brown hair, I recommend you go to a salon. It can be a bit tricky to get the streaks just right, especially in the back of your head!
However, it is possible to add purple streaks to your hair at home. You’ll basically want to section your hair, prepare the hair dye (follow the instructions), apply the purple dye with a brush, wait 20-30 minutes (according to the purple hair dye instructions), and then rinse out the hair dye with cool water and conditioner.
Best Purple Dyes for Brunettes
If you want to get purple hair at home, below is a list of my top recommendations for purple and brown hair at home.
Best Purple Dyes:
Arctic Fox Vegan and Cruelty-Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Violet Dream
Manic Panic Plum Passion Purple Hair Dye
Garnier Hair Color Nutrisse Ultra Color Nourishing Crème in Spiced Plum
Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Dye in Violet Purple
Maintenance Tips for Brown and Purple Hair
Unlike bleaching your hair blonde, brown and purple hair isn’t very damaging to your hair. However, you’ll still want to follow a few tips to keep your hair looking its best!
Here are some expert tips:
Don’t Wash Your Hair for a Day
After you color your hair, it’s important to go easy on it for a day. Avoid washing your hair for a day to protect your hair
Use a Color-Safe and Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner
My recommendation is the L’Oreal Paris Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair. It’s super affordable and smells great!
Avoid Excessive Heat Styling
Excessive heat from styling tools like straighteners, curling irons, and blow dryers can cause the color to fade faster. Whenever possible, air dry your hair and minimize heat styling to preserve the purple hue.
When you do style your hair, use a heat protectant like the L’Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Slayer.
Touch-Up Maintenance
Schedule regular touch-up appointments with your stylist to maintain the vibrancy of your purple hair color and keep any roots or fading in check.
Be Mindful of Chlorine and Saltwater
Chlorine from pools and saltwater from the ocean can strip hair color. Rinse your hair thoroughly after swimming and consider using a protective leave-in conditioner before entering chlorinated or saltwater pools.
Summary
In conclusion, brown and purple hair is a great look! If you have beautiful brunette hair, adding a little bit of purple color is an easy way to add vibrancy and fun to your overall look!
For more purple and brown hair ideas, check out this Pinterest board with brown and purple hair ideas or this Pinterest board with hair color ideas!
More Hair Color Ideas for Brunettes
Blonde and Purple Hair on Pinterest
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