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Mushroom Brown Hair: How to Get the Cool-Toned Brunette Trend
Mushroom brown hair blends ashy, taupe tones into a cool brunette look. Learn who it suits, ideas to bring to the salon, and how to keep it from going brassy.
Updated on September 28, 2026 | 3 min read
Jaclyn LaBadia, Davines Writer
There’s a new shade of brunette on the block and it’s popping up everywhere. From influencers and tastemakers, to the runways and red carpets, mushroom brown hair is having a moment. It’s a cool-leaning, neutral brown that’s soft, earthy and totally wearable. Read ahead for more on the hottest hair color of the season.
Key Takeaways
- Mushroom brown hair is a cool, ashy brunette with soft blended highlights and lowlights.
- It flatters cool and neutral undertones especially well and helps blend early grays.
- Ask your stylist for a neutral-to-ash brown base with babylights or a subtle balayage.
- Toning upkeep is what keeps the shade from drifting warm or brassy.
- A smoothing, shine-focused routine makes the ashy dimension read glossy instead of flat.
In This Article
What Is Mushroom Brown Hair?
Who Does Mushroom Brown Hair Look Good On?
Mushroom Brown Hair Color Ideas to Bring to the Salon
How to Ask Your Stylist for Mushroom Brown
How to Keep Mushroom Brown Hair Cool and Glossy
FAQs
What Is Mushroom Brown Hair?
Quite literally, mushroom brown hair is inspired by the underside of a portobello mushroom. It’s a muted, earthy brunette, with a mix of neutral to cool undertones and layers of ashy taupes and creamy grays. It's easy to adapt according to the hair's base color, through a blend of highlights and lowlights that reflect light beautifully. The result is a custom, multi-tonal shade that’s flattering on virtually every skin tone. Extremely versatile and easy to maintain, here’s more on the mushroom brown hair color trend.
Is Mushroom Brown Cool or Warm?
Because of the gray, smoke, beige and ash undertones, this multi-dimensional, earthy shade of brown tends to lean neutral to cool. But it can be easily adjusted for warmth by pulling shades of gold, honey, and copper into the base for more of a mushroom bronde. Or by pairing a cool mushroom base with these same warm shades in the form of highlights.
Mushroom Brown vs. Ash Brown
Mushroom brown and ash brown are similar, but not exactly the same. Mushroom brown is a cool-leaning, multi-tonal blend with gray-beige dimension, and ash brown is a singular cool shade. So while mushroom brown features several different tones, including ash, ash is a uniform shade of brown.
Who Does Mushroom Brown Hair Look Good On?
Mushroom brown hair is incredibly versatile and looks good on just about everybody. Because it’s made through a blend of highlights and lowlights, it’s easy to adapt according to the hair's base color, skin tone and eye color. The result is a custom, multi-tonal brown that helps to neutralize unwanted red brassy tones in the hair and can make the face appear less red. So it’s flattering on virtually everyone. But this cool hue works especially well on people with warm skin, when adding too much warmth to the strands can look unnatural and washed-out. A mushroom brown hair color is also a favorite for blending grays, helping to seamlessly transition ashy hair into cooler dimensions.
Mushroom Brown Hair Color Ideas to Bring to the Salon
This expensive brunette shade is rich and multi-dimensional, with lots of room for customization. Need some inspiration before you head to the salon? From dark and moody, to bright balayage and subtle babylights, these are our favorite ways to wear the mushroom brown hair color trend.
Dark Mushroom Brown Hair
The darker you go with this pretty shade, the chicer it looks. We love dark mushroom brown hair on cooler skin tones and natural level 3-4 brunettes. This version mixes a deep, dark espresso base with ribbons of smoky gray, taupe, or ash, and grows out beautifully without turning overly brassy.
Mushroom Brown Balayage
Mushroom brown balayage is the lowest-maintenance version of this hair color trend, featuring dark brown roots that seamlessly melt into cool taupe, hand-painted ends. The best version for transitioning to gray, smoky blonde highlights look effortless with a lived-in brown base. And this one’s flattering against both cool and warm skin tones.
Mushroom Brown With Babylights
Cool babylights against a darker base create soft, seamless dimension for the subtlest take on mushroom brown hair. Fine, high-contrast ribbons add a smoky finish that reduces unwanted warm, orange, or red tones in lighter brunettes. Try it with face-framing layers or a set of curtain bangs.
How to Ask Your Stylist for Mushroom Brown
If you’re ready to get on board with mushroom brown, book an appointment with a professional colorist who specializes in brunettes. Ask for a cool-toned ash brown base, with soft highlights and lowlights for a multi-tonal effect, and a beige, taupe, or gray-based toner. Be sure to bring two to three reference pics. Based on your photos, skin tone, and base color, they will determine which undertones make up your most flattering mushroom brown hair color. But keep in mind that if your hair is very dark, or previously colored, it may take more than one appointment for a colorist to get your hair the color you want. This service involves chemical lighteners, and while it’s a colorist’s job to color your hair, maintaining the integrity of your strands is always their first priority.
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How to Keep Mushroom Brown Hair Cool and Glossy
Mushroom brown is a fairly low maintenance hair color. Your biggest concern with this hue is brass prevention. Opt for a color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner and turn down the water temperature when you wash. Hot water strips moisture from your strands, leading to color loss, and weak, dry hair. Finish with cool water to seal the cuticles after washing. Swap in a purple shampoo for brown hair once or twice a week to keep your shade from drifting warm, and follow with a pigmented conditioner. Leave it on for a few minutes to deposit color, then rinse thoroughly.
A weekly deep-conditioning hair mask is another must with color-treated hair, along with using a heat protectant, since hot tools and dryness can fade tone and weaken the hair structure. Incorporate smoothing products for frizzy hair, like a lightweight smoothing leave-in, so your ashy dimension stays glossy instead of flat. Frizz reads as dullness on cool shades, especially with dimensional ones, like mushroom brown, that rely on tone and shine. These hues look best on smooth, light-reflecting hair. And finally, depending on how fast your hair fades, an in-salon hair toner service every six to eight weeks will keep your mushroom brown looking fresh.
SMOOTH + SHINE
Cool tones look their best on smooth, light-reflecting hair, so using a leave-in that delivers up to 72 hours of frizz control without weight will ensure your hair looks fresh everyday. Plus, this smoothing milk leaves hair up to 2.5x shinier after one use and provides heat protection up to 446°F.
FAQs
What hair color is mushroom brown?
Mushroom brown is a hair color that’s inspired by the underside of a portobello mushroom. It’s a muted, earthy brown, made from a mix of neutral to cool undertones and layers of ashy taupes and creamy grays, through a blend of highlights and lowlights for a custom, multi-tonal shade that’s flattering on virtually every skin tone.
Is ash brown the same as mushroom brown hair?
While similar, ash bron and mushroom brown are not exactly the same. Ash brown is a singular cool shade, and mushroom brown is a cool-leaning, multi-tonal blend with gray-beige dimension. So mushroom brown features several different tones, including ash. And ash is a uniform shade of brown.
What skin tones suit mushroom brown hair?
Because it’s made through a blend of highlights and lowlights, mushroom brown is easy to adapt according to the hair's base color, skin tone and eye color. So it’s a versatile shade that looks good on most skin tones. But it’s especially flattering on people with warm skin, when adding too much warmth can look unnatural and washed-out.
Is mushroom brown hair high maintenance?
Mushroom brown is a fairly low-maintenance hair color. These tips will help you prevent brass, keeping your shade cool and vibrant:
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo for colored hair and conditioner for colored hair
- Turn down the water temperature when you wash; hot water strips moisture leading to color loss, and weak, dry hair
- Rinse with cool water to seal the cuticles after washing and avoid color loss
- Swap in a purple shampoo and pigmented conditioner once or twice a week to keep your shade from drifting warm
- Deep condition with a hair mask weekly to keep your colored hair strong and healthy
- Always use a heat protectant, since hot tools can fade tone and weaken the hair structure
- Incorporate a lightweight smoothing leave-in, so your ashy dimension stays glossy instead of flat
- Refresh your color every six to eight weeks with an in-salon hair toner service
Can you get mushroom brown hair without bleach?
Depending on your starting base color, you may be able to achieve a mushroom brown without bleach. If your base is dark blonde to medium brown, a gray, beige, or cool taupe undertone dye or color-depositing mask can likely get you there. But you can’t reach a true mushroom brown without bleach if your hair is dark brown or jet black, because dye can’t lift dark color to an ash tone without chemical lighteners.
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