Cinnamon Hair Color Chart, Formula, Caramel Highlights & Dark Skin

Get insights on cinnamon hair color, chart, pictures, home-DIY and professional formulas for light and dark shades and ideas on caramel and blonde highlights. In addition find out tips on how to use cinnamon color on dark skin.

Cinnamon Hair Color

Warm spice shades like Cinnamon have always stayed “in” regardless of the passage of time. This is because these shades complement a wide variety of skin tones—from the lightest to the darkest and suit all skins, regardless of the undertones e.g. cool, warm, etc.

Cinnamon is favorite warm brown shade which as it color suggests, has the hue of cinnamon—a warm brown with copper-ish/ red undertones. Cinnamon shades have been spotted by many female celebs including

1. Julia Roberts
2. Emma stone
3. Megan Fox
4. Paula Abdul
5. Drew Barrymore

If you want to get this shade at home, here is a brief guide on how to do it, based on how light or dark you desire your shade to be, your eye color, and whether you want highlights or not.

 Light Cinnamon Hair Color

Light cinnamon hair color is a light cinnamon shade with strong copper undertones. This particular shade suits most skin-tones, but it looks the most beautiful in the fair skin with hazel or green eyes. Light cinnamon hair color is a shade close to the natural ginger brown, with a tad of more brown undertones.

Some good choices for light cinnamon hair color from various brands include:

Home-DIY formulas:

• L’Oreal Casting Crème Gloss formula in shade 7304—Cinnamon. This a light cinnamon shade with strong golden undertones, that complements ideally those with fair skin and green eyes. The formula is semi-permanent and lasts usually anywhere from 6-12 washes. Additional ingredients in this line add glossy warm effect that makes the color pop in the sunlight.
• Schwarzkopf’s Color Ultime’s hair dye range in shade 5.24—this a true cinnamon brown shade with slight copper undertones that complements ideally those with radiant brown, amber and hazel eyes. The formula also promises to deliver Luminous color performance and accurate, professional-looking results at home.
• Garnier Nutrisse Nourish Color line in shade 63/Light Golden brown. This is a radiant cinnamon shade that reflects the light and looks ideal for all eyes and skin colors. The formula is enriched with 3 precious oils, adding luster and nourishing the hair shaft whilst dying it to its target shade.

Professional light Cinnamon formulas

Professional light Cinnamon formulas (if you are experienced with hair dye before, you could try a professional formula) like these here:

• Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA ROYAL Permanent Colour Hair Dye in shade 6.77—Dark Blonde copper extra. This is a light cinnamon shade with golden copper undertones and suits all eye colors and skin tones.
• L’Oreal Professional hair color in shade 7.43/Dark Copper. This is a bright light cinnamon shade with strong copper undertones that complements ideally hazel and green eyes.

Dark Cinnamon Hair Color -Home -DIY & Professional Formulas

Dark Cinnamon Hair color is a shade of cinnamon that has cooler and subtle mahogany brown undertones. This hue of cinnamon is ideal for those with dark eyes, and light to medium skin tone with no obvious undertones, as it tends to wash out too pink or yellow undertones.

Home-DIY formulas:

1. Clairol’s Herbal Essences Color Me Vibrant range in shade Spicy Cinnamon/Deep auburn. A dark cinnamon shade with auburn/mahogany undertones that suits dark brown eyes and fair to medium skin tones with neutral or olive undertones.
2. Revlon Colorsilk Formula in shade 47/medium brown. A dark cinnamon shade with subtle mahogany undertones that complements ideally dark brown eyes, and dark green eyes. The formula also promises to leave hair in better condition and has UVA/UVB filters for protecting hair color from damage.
3. Garnier Nutrisse in shade 535/Medium golden brown. A deep cinnamon shade with mahogany red undertones that suits great dark and light brown or blue eyes. The formula is also enriched with Avocado, Olive oil, and Shea butter for added nourishment and protection from sun damage.
4. Schwarzkopf Palette Perfect Care Color Hair Dye in shade 644 Dark Cinnamon. This is a vibrant dark cinnamon shade with warm copper undertones that looks great and brightens up all eye color and skin tones.

Professional formulas

Professional formulas for dark cinnamon hair color:

• Goldwell TopChic Professional hair color in shade 6KG. A dark cinnamon shade with neutral to warm red undertones. This is a great shade for dark brown eyes and light to medium, or medium to dark skin tones.
• Chi Ionic Professional hair color in shade 4C. This is a true dark cinnamon shade with neutral undertones that suits most eye and skin tones. The formula is also PPD and Ammonia free, which may cause allergic reactions to some people.
• Wella Koleston in shade 6/5/ Dark Mahogany blonde. The “perfect” dark cinnamon shade with neutral red undertones that suits a wide variety of eye colors and skin tones.

Cinnamon Hair Color Chart Pictures

Here are some pictures for light, medium, and dark cinnamon shades:

When you use a cinnamon hair dye, choose a developer according to the level of brightness your desired cinnamon shade is, to develop your formula. This also depends on your starting hair color. For example, if you have dark brown hair to begin with and want to achieve a light to medium cinnamon shade, use ideally a 25-30 or 6% developer. This will lift your hair to its desired shade and will slightly lighten your hair 1-2 shades.

On the other hand, if you have light hair to begin with, choose a 10/3% volume developer that will help darken your hair to its desired cinnamon shade. This applies to professional hair dye formulas as DIY home kits come with their own developer creams.

If none shade is close to your desired Cinnamon shade, try the following formulas:

1. L’oreal Porfessional hair color in shades 7.43 (1 part ) + shade 6.6 (1 part) + 20/6% volume developer
2. Goldwell Topchic in shades 6B (one part) + 6RB (one part) + 5RS (one part) with 20/6% Volume developer
3. Goodwill Topchic in shades 5RS (one part) + 6RB (one part) + 1 part 6KG (one part) with 30 Volume

Generally speaking, a 20 vol. developer works for most formulas where no dramatic lightening or darkening of the natural hair color is desired.

Cinnamon Hair Color with Caramel & Blonde Highlights

Cinnamon hair color looks on its own, but if you want to add more depth your cinnamon shade, light caramel highlights or blonde highlights will look great. While these are best achieved in a professional hair salon, you may attempt to add highlights to your cinnamon hair color at home with these steps:

• For cinnamon hair color with caramel highlights. Choose one of the dark to medium cinnamon shades mentioned above. Take out small individual sections to make your highlights with a comb, around ½ an inch thick, in random places for a natural looking result. Apply your basic shade to the rest of the hair and the a caramel shade like L’Oreal Professional hair color in 8.4/Medium Coppery blonde to the small individual sections. Wrap with aluminum foil to separate and activate the color and leave for 45 minutes prior washing.
• For cinnamon hair color with blonde highlights. If you want to add blonde highlights to your cinnamon shade, it’s best to opt for a light cinnamon shade such as those mentioned above and a medium warm blonde shade as anything too dark and lights will look unnatural. Ideal formula for this combo is: L’Oreal professional hair color in shade 8.4 with highlights of the shade 8.3. To dye your hair this combo, repeat the same steps mentioned for added caramel highlights.

Keep in mind that if you hair is dark to medium brown, you will need a 30+/9% develop or bleach to lift your hair to blonde highlights. For adding caramel highlights, a 20/6% developer will do. If you are not sure about the exact formulations, ask a professional hair colorist to help as you may end up with the wrong hue, or uneven looking results.

Cinnamon Hair Color on Dark Skin Ideas

Cinnamon hair color on dark skin is a great color combo, as most dark skin-tones have cinnamon hues and it really brings out dark skin and eyes without being overpowering. Dark-skinned female Celebrities like Beyonce, Tyra Banks, and Jennifer Lopez are just a few famous examples that have embraced cinnamon shades for years.

If you want to try a cinnamon shade at home, here are some ideas with brands carrying cinnamon shades for dark Afro-American skin and hair:

• Silk Elements Mega Silk range in shade Cinnamon Brown. This a light cinnamon shade with golden blonde hues. A Beyonce/Jennifer Lopez-like Cinnamon shade that looks great with medium brown and hazel eyes.
• Dark and lovely hair color in Rich Auburn. This is a dark yet rich shade of Cinnamon with warm mahogany brown undertones that suit all shades of dark skin and eyes.
• Dark and lovely in Brown Cinnamon. A true dark cinnamon shade with neutral chestnut brown undertones that also suits all shades of dark skin and is foolproof for anyone with dark skin that wants to achieve a subtle yet warm shade of cinnamon.