Tips and how to's for brunette hair
Picking the perfect shade for you has never been easier than with the Ganier Olia range – from rich bronzes to lustrous shades of deep, dark brown, we’ve got you covered.
Interested in knowing what your favourite shade will look like on you? Don’t forget to use our Virtual Try-On feature to see what shade best suits you. Find out more on our Virtual Try-On homepage at the end of this article, or by clicking on one of our products with the 'Try It On' icon.
Being a brunette is anything but basic – from classy and timeless deep dark browns to light and golden shades of honey, there’s so much to choose from! With all the shades of brown available, you’ll be able to find one that perfectly complements your complexion.
Finding that ideal brown hair colour for your skin tone and colouring is all about knowing whether you’re warmer or cooler toned. Picking the perfect shade for you has never been easier than with the Ganier Olia range – from rich bronzes to lustrous shades of deep, dark brown, we’ve got you covered. In this video, beauty and lifestyle blogger Andrea Cheong demonstrates how to dye hair brown with a light brown shade suited to her skin tone. You can see the benefits of choosing the right shade in the video, her eyes and complexion really pop with the new colour.
What to consider when dyeing your hair brown
You might not intuitively know what kind of brown hair colour you’d like to choose, but there are things you already know about yourself that you can use as guidelines.
Your complexion is the first thing to consider -- do you have warmer or cooler tones in your skin? One way to check is by looking at the veins on your wrist, if they’re green - you likely have a warmer skin tone. If they’re blue - you’re more on the cooler side of the colouring spectrum. If they’re a bit of both, then so is your colouring, making you more neutral.
You can also use the colour of your eyes as a way to tell if you have cool or warm undertones in your skin – blue or green eyes usually means you have cool undertones in your skin, whereas brown eyes or golden flecks can mean you have more of a warm tone in your colouring.
Once you know your skin tone, you’re in a good place to choose a hair colour that will complement it. The general rule is this: warm tones for cool skin tones and vice versa. If you have neutral tones, you can choose any shade you’re drawn too. Although, we’d advise not going too warm or too cool.
Light brown hair colour
If you have warm tones in your skin, a cool toned light brown hair colour will bring out the best in your complexion. Try Garnier Olia 6.0 Light Brown (Andrea’s choice!) for a cooler colour. If you have cool tones in your skin and want to offset them beautifully, we recommend Olia 6.3 Golden Light Brown for a warmer shade.
Dark brown hair colour
To accompany a warm toned complexion, try Garnier Olia 4.0 in Dark Brown. Or if you want a warmer colour that’s still dark and deep, try Garnier Olia 4.3 Golden Dark Brown.
Ash brown hair colour
Ashy colours work best with warm toned complexions, so if this is you, we recommend Garnier Olia 4.15 Iced Chocolate for a dark, rich shade. Or try Garnier Olia 5.15 Frosty Chocolate for a slightly lighter colour.
How to dye your hair brown
So here’s how it’s done, broken down into a simple step-by-step guide to colouring your hair brown at home:
1. First, always do a patch test by applying some colourant cream to your skin at least 48 hours before you use your hair dye of choice. You still need to do this test each time you colour your hair, so don’t skip it. Look out for any reaction around the area the colour was applied.
2. Next, open up your box and lay out all your equipment. You should have an instruction leaflet, some gloves, a mixing bottle, a bottle of developer cream, colourant cream and a deep conditioner for afterwards.
3. Get your tools ready. You’ll need a towel, a hair brush, a hair clip and some moisturising cream.
4. Apply the moisturising cream to your hairline to avoid the dye staining your skin.
5. It’s time to put on your gloves and get mixing! Squeeze both the colourant and the developer cream into the mixing bottle and shake it so they combine. Then immediately remove the cap and begin applying to your hair.
6. Part your hair and apply the product directly onto your roots first, and repeat this process until all your roots are covered.
7. Now get plenty of cream in your hands and work it through the rest of your hair, making sure you are spreading the cream evenly over all your hair, root to tip.
8. Wait 30 minutes…(the timer starts once you’ve completely finished your application)
9. Rinse under a warm shower until the water runs clear.
10. Use the multi-application conditioner to keep your hair feeling soft and looking shiny.
11. Rinse again until the water runs clear, and style as normal.
12. Towel dry your hair and apply your leave in conditioner.
