Mushroom Brown: The Understated Color Everyone Is Obsessed With
In a world of dramatic balayage, platinum transformations, and vivid fashion colors, mushroom brown has quietly become one of the most sought-after hair colors of 2019. This cool, muted shade of brown sits in the space between brunette and ash, offering a sophisticated, understated look that flatters a wide range of skin tones. At Sofia Loren Salon in Boca Raton, requests for mushroom brown have increased steadily throughout the year, and we are not surprised. It is one of those rare colors that manages to be both trendy and timeless simultaneously.
What Is Mushroom Brown?
Mushroom brown takes its name from the muted, earthy tones found in mushrooms. It is a medium brown with cool, slightly ashy undertones and no obvious warmth. Unlike a warm chocolate brown, which has red and gold undertones, or a caramel brown, which leans golden, mushroom brown sits firmly on the cool side of the spectrum. It has a silvery, smoky quality that gives it depth and sophistication without any brassiness.
The shade itself is not flat or one-dimensional. The best mushroom brown color incorporates subtle variations in tone that create natural-looking dimension. Slightly lighter, ashier pieces blend with slightly deeper, cooler pieces to create a multi-tonal effect that looks complex and expensive while remaining decidedly understated. It is not a color that screams for attention. It is a color that quietly commands it.
What makes mushroom brown particularly modern is its deliberate coolness. For years, the trend in brunette color has been toward warmth: caramels, honeys, and toffees. Mushroom brown swings the pendulum in the other direction, embracing cool, smoky tones that feel fresh and contemporary. It is a brunette shade for women who do not want to look like they are trying to be blonde.
Who Does Mushroom Brown Suit?
One of mushroom brown’s greatest strengths is its versatility across skin tones. It is one of the few hair colors that truly flatters cool, warm, and neutral skin tones, though the exact shade can be adjusted to optimize the effect for each individual.
For fair skin with cool undertones, mushroom brown creates a striking, almost ethereal contrast. The cool tones in the hair complement the pink and blue undertones in the skin, creating a harmonious, cohesive look. For fair skin with warm undertones, the contrast between the cool hair and warm skin creates visual interest without clashing.
For medium and olive skin tones, mushroom brown is particularly beautiful. It enhances the natural warmth in the skin by providing a cool contrast that makes the complexion look richer and more vibrant. Many of our South Florida clients with sun-kissed olive skin have found that mushroom brown is unexpectedly flattering on them.
For deeper skin tones, a richer version of mushroom brown, with more depth and slightly less ash, creates a gorgeous, dimensional look. The cool undertones add sophistication while the depth of the brown prevents the color from looking washed out against darker skin.
How to Achieve Mushroom Brown
The path to mushroom brown depends entirely on your starting point. The process is different for natural brunettes, previously highlighted blondes, and women with warm-toned brown hair.
Natural brunettes often have the easiest path. If your natural shade is already a medium brown, achieving mushroom brown may require only a toner or gloss to shift the tone from warm to cool. The colorist applies an ash-toned formula that neutralizes any natural warmth and deposits the characteristic smoky, muted tone. This is a relatively quick and gentle process that does not require any lightening.
Women with warm-toned brown hair, whether natural or previously colored, need the warmth neutralized before the mushroom tone can be achieved. This usually involves a demi-permanent color or toner with a strong ash or blue-violet base that counteracts the gold, red, or orange undertones. In some cases, a subtle, all-over color adjustment is needed to bring the base to the right level before toning.
Blondes making the transition to mushroom brown need to have color deposited back into their lightened hair. This requires a process called filling, where underlying pigment is re-introduced to the hair before the final color is applied. Without filling, the color can turn muddy, green, or uneven on previously lightened hair. This is a multi-step process that should only be done by an experienced colorist.
Adding Dimension to Mushroom Brown
While a solid, single-process mushroom brown is beautiful, most clients prefer a version with subtle dimension. This is achieved by incorporating slightly lighter and slightly darker tones throughout the hair, creating a multi-faceted effect that adds visual interest and movement.
One popular approach is to use a mushroom brown base with slightly ashier, lighter pieces through the mid-lengths and ends. This creates a soft gradient that mimics the way hair naturally fades in the sun, but with cool tones instead of warm ones. Another approach is to add a few face-framing pieces in a slightly brighter, ash-blonde shade, creating a subtle money piece effect that brightens the face without disrupting the overall mushroom tone.
At Sofia Loren Salon, our colorists often use a combination of balayage and toning to create the most natural-looking mushroom brown dimension. The balayage provides the soft, blended placement, while the toner delivers the specific cool, smoky tone that defines the shade.
Maintaining Mushroom Brown
Cool-toned colors require slightly more maintenance than warm-toned ones because the warm undertones that exist naturally in everyone’s hair will gradually reassert themselves between appointments. As the mushroom tone fades, you may notice your hair starting to look warmer or brassier, particularly if you spend a lot of time in the South Florida sun.
To combat this, use a blue or purple shampoo once or twice a week. Blue shampoo is particularly effective for brunettes, as it neutralizes orange and brassy tones without depositing the violet tint that purple shampoo can sometimes leave on darker hair. Your colorist at Sofia Loren Salon can recommend the specific product that will best maintain your particular shade of mushroom brown.
A toning gloss every six to eight weeks is another excellent maintenance strategy. A professional gloss refreshes the cool tone, adds shine, and extends the life of your color between full color appointments. It is quick, affordable, and makes a dramatic difference in how your color looks and feels.
Minimize heat styling when possible, as heat can accelerate color fading. When you do use hot tools, always apply a heat protectant. And protect your hair from the sun with a hat or UV-protective product, especially during peak hours.
Mushroom Brown in the South Florida Context
In Boca Raton, where golden highlights and sun-bleached blondes have traditionally dominated, mushroom brown offers a sophisticated alternative. It stands out precisely because it bucks the warm-and-golden trend, providing a cool, polished look that feels distinctly modern. It is also practical for our climate because it requires less frequent maintenance than heavily highlighted blonde hair and is less susceptible to the brassiness that humidity and sun exposure tend to create.
Book Your Appointment at Sofia Loren Salon
Ready to try the cool, sophisticated shade that has taken 2019 by storm? Visit Sofia Loren Salon in Boca Raton for a mushroom brown consultation. Our colorists will assess your natural tone, discuss the best approach for your hair, and create a customized mushroom brown that flatters your unique complexion. Call us at (561) 444-0720 or book online at sofialorensalon.com.