14 Auburn Hair With Money Piece Ideas for Brunettes

A money piece is two bright, face-framing sections at the very front of your hair, one on each side of your part. Because only those strands get color, you keep your natural brunette base and put the auburn exactly where it reflects light onto your skin.

Brunettes have a real advantage here, since dark brown sits naturally beside copper, cherry, and mahogany. The catch is chemistry. Taking dark brown hair to a visible copper or auburn usually means lightening first, so ask a colorist about bleach or a high-lift color for those front sections. A deposit-only gloss over your natural brown is gentler, and it gives a subtler red glow.

1. Soft Copper Money Piece on Dark Brown

This is the gentlest way into the trend. Two thin copper sections frame your face while the rest stays dark brown, so it suits anyone with level 3 to 4 brown hair who wants warmth without a dramatic shift. It skips heavy contrast, so it reads as a glow rather than a stripe.

It does not suit you if you want a vivid copper on the first visit. Dark hair needs lightening to show true copper, and a gloss alone will look like a faint warm tint. Plan on a copper gloss every 4 to 6 weeks, and a lightener touch-up at the hairline roughly every 10 to 12 weeks.

2. Classic Auburn Money Piece on Chocolate Brown

Chocolate brown already has red and gold undertones, so a true auburn blends in without looking pasted on. It suits medium to olive skin tones and anyone with shoulder-length or longer hair, where the front sections have room to show.

It is a weaker match if you dislike a visible two-tone line at the hairline. Ask your colorist to melt the root into your natural shade to soften it. Refresh the auburn with a gloss every 4 to 6 weeks, and wash no more than 2 to 3 times a week with cool water.

3. Cherry Cola Auburn Money Piece

Cherry cola is a dark red-brown with a cool berry edge, and it sits well on deep brunettes with neutral or cool undertones. The front sections pick up a wine-like shine under direct light, which makes it a good pick for shoulder-grazing cuts.

Skip it if you want bright copper, since this shade stays deep and moody. Red pigment fades faster than brown, so book a gloss every 4 weeks. Between visits, a red color-depositing conditioner once a week slows the fade.

4. Golden Auburn Money Piece on Medium Brown

A golden auburn leans toward amber, which brightens medium brown hair and warm or golden skin. Because medium brown is lighter to start, your colorist may only need a low-level lift, and that means less damage than you would risk on espresso hair.

It is a poor match for very cool, pink-toned skin, where the gold can look yellow. Expect a toner or gloss every 5 to 6 weeks, and keep heat tools at or below 350°F, since golden tones fade quickly under high heat.

5. Burgundy Auburn Money Piece

Burgundy auburn pulls a purple-red into the brown, so it suits brunettes who want a color that looks intentional in every light. It works on straight and wavy hair, and on cool to neutral skin tones.

It is high-maintenance for something so dark. Red-violet dye is among the first to wash out, so plan a gloss every 3 to 4 weeks and use a burgundy or red depositing conditioner weekly. If you rinse with warm water, you will lose the tone even faster.

6. Cinnamon Money Piece With Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs make the money piece part of the cut, because the color sits right where the bangs sweep away from your forehead. A warm cinnamon shade suits oval, heart, and long faces, and works on medium to dark brown hair.

It is less practical on very fine hair that goes flat, since bangs need a blow-dry to hold their curve. Budget 5 to 10 minutes each morning with a round brush. Trim the bangs every 4 to 6 weeks and gloss the color on the same visit.

7. Auburn Money Piece on Long Wavy Layers

On long wavy layers, the color moves with each wave, so the auburn shows in flashes rather than a solid line. It suits 2A to 2C waves and anyone who likes a lived-in look. The layers keep the front sections from looking heavy.

It is harder on very thick, heavy hair where the front pieces can get lost, so ask for them to be slightly wider. Use a sulfate-free shampoo and air-dry or diffuse on low heat. Gloss every 5 to 6 weeks and trim layers every 8 to 10 weeks.

8. Auburn Money Piece on a Bob

A bob shows the money piece at full strength, because the front sections sit along your jaw and cheekbones. It suits straight or lightly wavy hair and round or oval faces. Lightening a short cut also means less hair to process and quicker appointments.

It is not forgiving of patchy color, since there is less length to hide uneven lifting. The cut needs a trim every 5 to 6 weeks, and the color fades on that same schedule, so book both together and add a gloss at each visit.

9. Auburn Money Piece on Curly Brunette Hair

Curls show color in a spiral pattern, so an auburn money piece looks dimensional and bright around the face. It suits type 3 curls and loose coils, provided a colorist who works with curly hair does the lightening on dry, unstretched hair so the placement matches the curl pattern.

Bleach can loosen curl definition, so it is a risk if your curls are already dry or heat-damaged. Consider a deposit-only gloss first. Deep condition weekly, and keep the front sections on a gloss schedule of every 6 weeks.

10. Auburn Balayage With a Money Piece

Adding a money piece to auburn balayage brightens the front while the hand-painted strands carry warmth through the lengths. It suits brunettes who already have balayage or who want a fuller change, and it grows out softly.

It is a bigger commitment in time and money, often a 3 to 5 hour appointment on dark hair. Plan a gloss every 6 weeks and a full refresh every 3 to 4 months. A heat protectant helps keep the lightened sections from drying out.

11. Subtle Auburn Money Piece for Natural Brunettes

This version stays within two shades of your natural brown, so it suits anyone who wants auburn in the light without anyone asking what you did. A gloss can do most of the work here, and it avoids bleach entirely on brown hair at level 5 or lighter.

It will not give a bold contrast on very dark hair, where a gloss only adds a hint of red. Because it is deposit-only, it fades in 4 to 6 weeks, and you can repeat it without lightening damage. A weekly color-depositing conditioner stretches the time between glosses.

12. Copper-Red Money Piece With Dark Roots

Leaving the roots dark gives this look a built-in grow-out, so it suits brunettes who do not want to be in the salon every month. The copper-red starts about an inch from the scalp and reads bright against the brown.

It is less flattering if you prefer a seamless blend, because the root contrast is deliberate. A root shadow lasts longer than a full-root application, so you can stretch lightener visits to every 12 to 16 weeks. Gloss the copper every 4 to 5 weeks, since bright copper is among the fastest shades to fade.

13. Auburn Money Piece With Straight Face-Framing Layers

On straight hair, the color shows as two clean, glossy panels that follow the layers around your cheekbones. It suits fine to medium straight hair and square or round faces, where the angled layers add definition.

Straight hair also shows every uneven section and every bit of dryness, so it is a poor fit if your ends are already damaged. Use a heat protectant and flat iron at 350°F or lower. Expect a gloss every 4 to 6 weeks and a layer trim every 8 weeks.

14. Mahogany Auburn Money Piece on Espresso Hair

Mahogany is a red-brown with a little violet in it, which makes it the most realistic auburn for level 1 to 2 espresso hair. It gives a clear contrast around the face without needing the heavy lift that bright copper would demand.

Even so, it will look brown in low light unless the front sections are lightened first, so talk to a colorist about a partial lift. Plan a gloss every 4 weeks and a hairline touch-up every 8 to 10 weeks. Finish each wash with a cool rinse to hold the depth.