The 10 Prettiest Celebrity Chestnut Hair Colors to Copy ASAP

Gabrielle Union — (Image credit: Getty Images)

A quick PSA: You need chestnut hair right now. Yes, right now. Because unlike most brunette shades, which can quickly feel flat and one-dimensional without the perfect level of time-intensive and expensive highlights, chestnut hair walks the line between hard-to-maintain copper and washes-you-out chocolate.

And that fine line, folks, is where rich, glossy, Insta-worthy hair dreams are made. So to get inspired before your next hair appointment, check out these deeply pretty shades, as seen on your favorite celebs, below.

1. Dakota Johnson's Chestnut Ponytail

Chestnut hair looks gorgeous against every skin color, thanks to its warm, bronze-y base, but I'm especially digging it swept into a messy ponytail against Johnson's porcelain skin.

2. Lucy Hale's Chestnut Lob

Blunt, center-parted, and completely sleek, Hale's deep-brunette hair is subtly warmed by a chestnut tint.

3. Rihanna's Chestnut Waves

Rihanna's chestnut waves look extra full thanks to a mix of auburn and cherry highlights, which automatically add dimension to any haircut.

4. Priyanka Chopra's Messy Chestnut Lob

Hi, I'm officially a fangirl of Chopra's hair. Its tousled, piece-y texture is made even cooler by a smattering of rich chestnut highlights that gradually lighten toward the ends.

5. Kerry Washington's Chestnut Ombré

Not ready to commit to a single-process color? Try Washington's compromise: a softly blended ombré that melts from deep chocolate into chestnut.

6. Elizabeth Olsen's Tiger-Eye Waves

Olsen's crazy-glossy color is the result of chestnut, gold, and copper highlights, which give her hair the illusion of a tiger-eye stone IRL.

7. Jamie Chung's Chestnut-Striped Curls

The quickest way to update dark hair without submitting to a full-on dye job? A few strategically placed chestnut highlights, à la Chung, which won't result in an awkward grow-out phase.

8. Emma Watson's Chestnut Lob

Watson's baby-banged lob is proof that highlights aren't necessary to make a monochromatic dye job look really, really excellent.

9. Gabrielle Union's Chestnut Curls

The trick to keeping Union's brushed-out chestnut curls from looking heavy in photos? Lightening the ends just a few shades, which gives the cut the illusion of airiness.

10. Jennifer Lawrence's Chestnut Updo

In which Lawrence dyed her blonde hair a rare shade of deep chestnut. Note the lighter, copper-colored layers framing her face, which keep the hue from feeling too dark and heavy against her fair skin.

Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.