Brunettes

Espresso

The darkest brown before black, a deep coffee-bean depth with a faint warm base rather than a blue-black cast.

Espresso

BeforeEspresso

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Both renders come from the same edit instruction HairGlam uses for this look, applied to a studio portrait. In the app the shade lands on your own photo instead.

12 free looks in the app
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Try Espresso on your photo

Free on iPhone and iPad. 12 free looks: 4 haircuts, 4 hair colors and 4 makeup looks, no paywall in between. Or try it free in your browser.

Held next to a true black it is clearly a brown, but indoors that difference disappears and it simply reads as very dark. Sunlight is what reveals it, showing a muted red-brown glow at the ends where light passes through the hair. Because the pigment is dark and dense it fades slowly, drifting toward a flat, slightly dusty brown over a couple of months rather than turning brassy. The depth makes the whites of the eyes look brighter by contrast.

Undertonewarm, neutral. The warmth in it is low and coffee-like rather than golden, so it sits against olive and cool-fair skin alike without pulling orange.
Starting pointIt deposits over almost any base from mid-brown down and needs no lifting on hair that is already dark, though previously bleached hair should be filled first so it does not grab green.
UpkeepA gloss around every seventh week stops the depth from going dull, and regrowth is barely visible unless your natural base is several levels lighter.

HairGlam Hair Colors: one woman, a fan of the same face in different hair colors

In the HairGlam app

Try Espresso on your own photo

Add one selfie. Front on, even light, hair off your face. No account.
Tap Espresso in Hair Colors, or any of the other 298 looks.
See it in seconds on your own face, then save it for your stylist.

12 free looks: 4 haircuts, 4 hair colors and 4 makeup looks. No paywall in between, no account.

Try Espresso free

Questions about Espresso

Which skin undertones suit Espresso?

Warm, neutral undertones. The warmth in it is low and coffee-like rather than golden, so it sits against olive and cool-fair skin alike without pulling orange.

What hair do I need to start with for Espresso?

It deposits over almost any base from mid-brown down and needs no lifting on hair that is already dark, though previously bleached hair should be filled first so it does not grab green.

How much upkeep does Espresso need?

A gloss around every seventh week stops the depth from going dull, and regrowth is barely visible unless your natural base is several levels lighter.

Can I try Espresso on my own photo before I dye my hair?

Yes. HairGlam puts Espresso on a photo of your own hair in a few seconds, so you can check it against your skin tone and eye color before you book or buy a box dye. It is free to download on iPhone and iPad with 12 free looks: 4 haircuts, 4 hair colors and 4 makeup looks, and some looks can also be tried free in your browser at hairglam.app/try.