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Mahogany Vs. Burgundy Hair Color: What Are The Differences?

Mahogany and burgundy are often thought of as the same hair color, but there are some differences. These colors are similar, of course, but with a bit of knowledge, the differences become striking.

So if you’re stuck between mahogany vs burgundy hair color, read on to learn the nuances of these colors.

Mahogany and burgundy are both popular hair colors. They both involve darker shades of primarily brown, red, and purple, and different shades will blend well with particular skin tones.

Even though they each have red as a primary ingredient, there are subtle differences between them. But to understand those differences, you should first understand the history of how they got their names.

Following that, we will explore the main differences between mahogany and burgundy hair colors.

Burgundy Hair

burgundy hair color

The name burgundy describes a darker red base mixed with other colors like dark pink or dark purple. Like most colors, the description in words is much more confusing than just imagining an example, which here would be a glass of wine.

You should imagine wine because the name burgundy comes from the Burgundy region of France. Burgundy is famous for its exceptional wine, and the red wine variety has a dark red and purple base. These wines, known as “Burgundies”, are dry wines made from the pinot noir grapes. And besides the taste, the rich/dark red color of these wines reveals their high quality. 

And burgundy is considered a fancy color in fashion as well. While a pure red color is extremely intense, bright, and energetic, burgundy tends to be considered softer and more sophisticated.

Burgundy is made primarily with a mix of purple and red hair color, and there are different shades of burgundy depending on the specific blend. Vivid burgundy is the brighter version of this color. And old burgundy is the deeper and more purple shade of burgundy.   

 

Mahogany Hair

mahogany hair color

Mahogany is a name used to describe a color that is a mix of brown and red. The brightness of the red is balanced with dark brown wood color, leaving behind a beautifully balanced shade of dark red.

The name itself comes from the Mahogany tree, a tropical evergreen tree famous for wood making. Wood from a Mahogany tree is considered high quality, and expensive furniture often uses it. The dark red and brown itself is also sophisticated, and outside of furniture, it is also popular in hair color and fashion.

The primary contributors to mahogany color are red and brown hair color. But like burgundy, it too can come in many different shades like mahogany brown, etc. depending on how the two colors are mixed.

 

Mahogany vs. Burgundy Hair Color

The history of these colors gives a basic idea of how they’re different, but let’s now get into some of the specific differences as it relates to hair color.

Burgundy Is Darker

Mahogany vs. Burgundy Hair Color

Even though mahogany wood is considered a darker shade, compared with burgundy, mahogany is the lighter color. Like the color of dark red wine hair, burgundy hair color has a deeper red/dark purple hair shade.

But these differences can be lessened depending on the shade. For example, the lighter shade of burgundy, sometimes called vivid burgundy, is more similar to a mahogany color. But in general, burgundy hair color is considered the darker shade.

 

Skin Tone

An important consideration for choosing a hair color is skin tone, and there is one important difference to note here. While mahogany tends to blend well with all skin tones, burgundy tends to blend best with lighter pale skin.

 

Purple vs. Brown

Mahogany vs. Burgundy undertone

While both mahogany and burgundy colors involve red hair color, the main difference is which other color they blend with. Mahogany is a blend of red and brown, while burgundy is a mix of red and purple.

Like the color of the famous burgundy red wines, burgundy hair color tends to have a deep/dark purple shade of red that is missing from mahogany. And mahogany tends to present itself as a base of brown blending with red.

 

Flexibility

When it comes to adding additional hair coloring, mahogany is an easier hair color to work with. Mahogany’s strong brown base gives it a more consistent color, making highlights much easier to add.

But since purple plays such a strong role in the burgundy hair color, you have less flexibility when it comes to blending in highlights. So if highlights are something you want, mahogany is probably the safer choice.

 

Both mahogany and burgundy blend red with other colors to create a beautiful dark shade. But as you can see, the subtle differences between them are worth considering before you commit to your next hair color.