Chestnut hair is undeniably beautiful, attractive even. Don’t you get jealous when you see someone in the street that has used the most gorgeous, warm, natural chestnut hair dye? It’s a lovely color, not too dark but not blonde either – it suits nearly everyone, regardless of complexion. By using the right warm chestnut brown hair dye (and the right method) you can have glossy chestnut hair yourself.

In this short guide you’ll find some details on ancient methods of achieving chestnut hair color, light and dark chestnut hair dye brands, celebrity styles and some tips on how to dye your hair at home.

History of Natural Chestnut Hair Dye

Chestnut hair is a mid to dark hair color, often with hints of red. Hair dying isn’t a recent phenomenon; women have been dying their hair with natural chestnut hair dye for centuries. One of the most popular methods was using henna hair dyes, honey and Moroccan oils. With these natural substances, women could dye their hair natural colors… but achieving a very specific shade by mixing these substances, to make light chestnut brown hair dye for example, is difficult and offers you little control over the end result.

Nowadays you can find a huge range of different light chestnut brown hair dyes available from leading brands. You can find very specific shades to complete your look, using vegan, hair-friendly dyes. There are ammonia-free dyes too. You can take care of your hair, dying it a beautiful color without worrying about harsh chemicals.

Not sure which brand or shade is for you? Don’t worry, that’s what we’ll be covering next.

Warm Chestnut Brown Hair Dye Brands

When it comes to finding hair dye chestnut brown shades, there are 2 leading brands you should know about: Stargazer and Herman’s Amazing Semi-Permanent Hair Color.

The natural dark brown shade from Stargazer is close to a traditional dark chestnut hair dye. There’s depth to this shade, it looks very natural. It’s not as dark as mahogany, yet not as light as hazel shades. We recommend using this as a base for creating a dark chestnut hair dye look. You will need to bleach your hair before using this dye if you want a color true to the picture – if you’re already a dark brunette and looking to create a light chestnut brown hair dye look, you can either add light dyes as highlights, or bleach your hair and try the following dyes as an all-over style.

Natural mid brown, also from Stargazer, is a gentle brown color, not quite mousy brown but still considerably lighter than natural dark brown. Use this as a base for light chestnut brown hair dye or as highlights for a dark chestnut hair dye look.

Herman's has two main shades you should consider if you’re looking for warm chestnut brown hair dye. Hailey Hazel Brown is very warm shade, paler than most chestnut hair colors but undeniably nutty. It has hints of caramel and honey: this glossy shade would be perfect for highlights over a darker shade.
Miley Milky Tea Brown shade from Herman is a more pale shade. It has a brassy, slightly green tone to it. You might find that it clashes with the other brown shades mentioned, but we think it looks absolutely stunning on its own.

Some celebrities build up an image with one hair color that they’ll be known as having for eternity. Did you know that these 3 celebrities aren’t naturally chestnut brunettes?

Zooey Deschanel. Her natural hair color is more of a light blonde, verging on mousy brown. But Zooey’s favours her long bangs in beautiful, dark chestnut hair dye colors. To mimic this look, try the Natural Dark Brown shade from Stargazer.
Leighton Meester, an actress known for starring in Gossip Girl, has natural dark blonde hair. But we think she looks lovely in warm chestnut brown hair dye shades just like she had when she was playing Blair Waldorf. To recreate this exact look we recommend Herman’s Hailey Hazel brown.
Olivia Wilde dyes her hair quite a lot, but one of the styles that have really stuck in our minds is the ombre brown dye. She styled her mid-length hair in gentle waves, creating an ombre looking from dark chestnut at the top to almost a honey blonde color at the ends. Using natural brown shades from Stargazer you can achieve the same at home.

Once you’ve picked a statement style and ordered all you need from Blue Banana, you’ll need to know how to dye chestnut hair color at home.

How to Get Perfect Chestnut Hair Color

The key to achieving a natural chestnut color is to take inspiration from natural brunettes, keep the shades simple and take good care of your hair so it has a long-lasting, natural shine.

Keratin rich, protein-full shampoos and conditioners to strengthen your hair.
Bleach, if needed to achieve a perfect light chestnut brown hair dye look.
Dye applicators, brushes, rubber gloves and a mixing bowl, so you can minimise mess.
Spare towel and pillow cover. It’s best not to wash your hair with shampoo for the first 72 hours of having your hair dyed, so use towels and covers to stop the dye leaching into other materials.

Once you’ve got the tools, it’s time to plan your method. Don’t dye your hair when you’re in a rush or you’ll miss strands or make mistakes. Have a friend around to help you get all your hair in one go. Oh, and don’t forget to do a test patch on your arm or leg 24 hours before starting. If you have an allergic reaction seek medical attention immediately.

Once you’ve dyed, cut and styled your new hair, keep taking care of it with the same, specialist hair products so you can keep the color alive and bright for as long as possible. Once you’ve tried chestnut hair color you’ll never want to go back! Find all you need for beautiful hair inspiration at Blue Banana.