Brown hair with highlights is an iconic trend that has existed for a long time. It’s known for the mesmerizing contrast that results from blending lighter hues against a rich brunette base. I’ve found that this striking color combination can bring out certain features to your hair such as texture, volume, and even length, depending on the placement of the highlights. This results in giving your hair a beautiful dimension!
Highlights can add warmth to your brown hair color and give you that wonderful sun-kissed effect that every girl is wanting right now. It can also be a fashionable way to contour your features by painting ribbons of lighter hues around the face.
Before your next hair color appointment, check out these photos of popular brown hair with highlights!
#1: Sexy Long Dark Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights
Give off a modest yet sexy vibe with this long dark brown hair with blonde highlights, curled at the ends. Take note of how beautifully the balayage blonde streaks can highlight your dark brown strands and waves!
#2: Side-Swept Gorgeous Brown Long Hair
Go for a gorgeous long side-swept hairstyle. The advantage of adding dark to your hair with highlights is that you will create more of a contrast. It’s beneficial to make your blonde look lighter by adding dimension. If you already have dark hair it will also be a lower maintenance color option every 8-12 weeks.
#3: Mushroom Brown Hair with Subtle Natural Highlights
Mushroom brown hair with subtle natural highlights is naturally effortless everyday hair. You’ll need to go in every five weeks if you have grey hair. Ask your stylist to touch up your roots and add fine foils for a seamless, natural blend. When it comes to your cut, ask for a razor cut. The razor softens coarse hair and controls and eliminates weight removal. These subtle highlights are for you if you’re that everyday woman who wants a wear-and-go style. It’s soft, and it’s trendy and easy to maintain. It’s the perfect shade of brown.
#4: Warm Blonde Money Piece on Short Brown Hair
Looking to liven up your short brown hair but prefer natural hair colors? A sandy blonde highlight can brighten up any shade of brown and give your hair a more youthful glow. Ask for a root shadow for a more low-maintenance salon schedule.
#5: Hazelnut Tones for Brunette Hair
Have your brunette mane look gorgeous with hazelnut tones. The contrasting colors give off a multi-dimensional tone and add depth to your hair. Glistening warm highlights give your hair a delicious shine. If you’re looking to spice up your hair and would like to try natural-looking highlights, go for it.
#6: Dark Brown Balayage with Barely-There Highlights
Get beautiful luscious locks with a dark brown balayage with barely-there highlights. Glistening highlights will give your dark base some much needed dimension. Barely-there highlights will liven up your hair color and blend seamlessly. Wave your hair with a curling iron and use some light hairspray and your hairstyle will hold all day.
#7: Babylights on Warm Brown Balayage
Babylights on warm brown balayage create such a beautifully subtle yet noticeable look. This is also a great way to give a sun-kissed effect to your dark head of hair. A very popular hairstyle featuring dark brown hair with highlights is the beach waved look. How to best achieve this look is with with a 1-1.5 inch titanium curling iron. It’s best to leave your ends and curl all your hair above it. Once your hair is all the way curled, I like to spray with a shine/oil spray, and then comb through the curls!
#8: Inverted Bob with Light Brown Accents
An inverted bob paired with light brown accents could be the perfect look for you if you want to keep some of your natural hair colors. The light brown accents will accentuate your dark brown hair and make it sparkle. Ask your stylist if they have any ideas to make your color pop.
#9: Honey Beige Bronde Hair with Partial Highlights
Get your hair to sparkle with honey beige bronde hair with partial highlights. When you highlight your medium brown hair you can achieve warm honey-rich highlights easily. Locks with warm rich tones will reflect light and look super shiny. Beautiful honey blonde accent tones will look super natural on your brown hair and glisten in the sunlight.
#10: Pink and Bronze Highlights on Dark Hair
Have some fun with pink and bronze highlights on your dark hair. Colors of intense browns will give your hair dimension and make lighter tones pop. Having fashion colors does require some upkeep so you will be in the salon more frequently. Ladies, if you have been waiting to add some fun vibrant colors to your locks, go for it.
#11: Light Brown Balayage for Medium Hair
Try an easy-maintenance color with light brown balayage for medium hair. Balayage is a great technique if you need something that is truly low maintenance. Your hair and wallet will benefit from getting balayage instead of dyeing your hair with traditional highlights. Balayage is more natural and will look good for months.
#12: Warm Blonde Highlights on Wavy Brown Hair
Warm blonde highlights on your wavy brown hair can show off the shape of your curls as well as add dimension. Blondes, on the other hand, would want to add some lowlights for the same effect. If you decide warm blonde highlights are what you want, be sure to have a consult with a professional to ensure what tone is right for your skin tone. Upkeep is simple, every four weeks for a color glaze and every 12 to 14 weeks for a partial highlight refresh.
#13: Long Sun-Kissed Hair with Babylights
Liven up your long locks with sun-kissed hair. Babylights give you the perfect amount of lightness to your stands for subtle shine. Your skin tone will look more vibrant and healthy with sun-kissed strands falling around your face. Babylights give off such a glow and will make your strands look beautiful.
#14: Sultry Espresso Brown with Light Brunette Highlights
A vibrant shade of espresso brown with light brunette highlights can class up your long hair. Styling and giving your dark hair with highlights some voluminous waves shows off your chic dimension. This beautiful look is an excellent way to add highlights to your dark hair without doing too much damage.
#15: Dimensional Dark Blonde Highlights on Dark Brown Hair
If you opt for some dark blonde highlights on dark brown hair color, flaunt them with soft waves. That’s the best way to display dimension on dark brown locks, allowing the blonde hue to pop yet brighter.
#16: Face-Framing Highlights on Espresso Brown Hair
Face-framing highlights on espresso brown hair can accentuate and soften your facial features. They provide an illusion of dimension to any cut. If you’re one of the beauties with defined cheekbones, a money piece and waves can emphasize them!
#17: Burgundy Brown Hair for Older Women
Burgundy brown hair is great for older women. It’s a low-key hue when you’re wanting to add a pop of color without it being too drastic. A burgundy color suits most skin tones so it can easily be done on almost any woman looking for a change in hue.
#18: Stunning Sun-Kissed Highlights on Chestnut Brown Hair
These sun-kissed highlights on chestnut brown hair are stunning. It’s a combination of highlights, balayage, and a face frame. Your colorist may tone your hair with a milkshake silver shine shampoo. To keep your color fresh, I recommend you use the milkshake silver shampoo once a week.
#19: Cool-Toned Highlights on Warm Brown Hair
Cool-toned highlights on warm brown hair create a bright, modern-type dimension. It looks so chic and is so much better when you add waves to your hair. It’s the movement that enhances the dimension and texture of your tresses. No doubt—this whole cool blonde and warm brown combo idea is a hair goal!
#20: Perfect Ash Brown Balayage for Brunettes
An ash brown balayage for brunettes creates that subtle smokey tone you’ll love! Take a look at how the highlights appear soft and seamless. The perfect haircut and style must be something that adds emphasis to the ash brown hair color. In this case, a long layered chop with waves is the optimum combo.
#21: Radiant Brunette Highlights on Cinnamon Brown Hair
Brunette highlights on cinnamon brown hair result in a beautiful, radiant style. When wearing shades like this, it’s best to style your tresses with waves to avoid a flat finish. Hair color like this looks more promising when shiny, so use oil for added glow.
#22: Rich & Vibrant Dark Blonde Highlights on Dark Hair
Dark blonde highlights on dark hair result in a very rich and vibrant dimension. You can add soft waves and subtle texture for a chic finish. Plus, doing so will make your blonde highlights pop.
#23: Natural-Looking Chestnut Highlights on Rich Dark Hair
How can you not be obsessed with these hair highlights for brown hair? It offers chestnut highlights on rich dark hair, which complement dark brown eyes. When styling, curl your long tresses away from the face and apply hairspray. That should boost your natural beauty.
#24: Gorgeous Brown Balayage with Blonde Highlights
Merging brown balayage and blonde highlights creates warm tones, perfect with loose waves. Spritz a sea salt and sugar spray to your lengthy mane, adding a bounce to your cut without weighing it down. The face-framing highlights will brighten up any skin tone.
#25: Jewel-Like Dark Brown to Light Brown Ombre Highlights
Dark brown to light brown ombre highlights will let your long tresses glow like jewels. For hair that’s fine and straight, beach waves and texture will add volume to it. Keeping your roots darker can make fine hair appear thicker while the ombre highlights add that pop of color you are searching for.
#26: Flattering Blonde Balayage Highlights for Dark Chocolate Hair
If you have a warm skin undertone, these dark chocolate locks are perfect for you! It features flattering blonde balayage highlights for dark chocolate hair. The dimension makes a sun-kissed effect that appears very natural on long soft waves. This honey bronde is a transitional color option for blonde balayage highlights for dark brown hair. Always consider the upkeep when choosing your future new hair color. Bronde hair color is a great option for quarterly salon visits.
#27: Prettiest Light Chocolate Highlights for Black Hair
Long, soft waves and subtle highlights in chocolate brown hue—what a combo! These light chocolate highlights for black hair are perfect when you’re opting for a bit of a shine. The volume is what makes the color accentuate even brighter.
#28: Unique Rose Gold Highlights On Brown Hair Color
I’m drooling over those hints of strawberry intertwined with a rich, dark chocolate brown base! This pretty and refreshing style gives you a pop of uniqueness and edge. Keep in mind rose shades will fade fast ask your stylist what your upkeep and home maintenance will be.
#29: Eye-Catching Dark Brunette with Red Highlights
Go for a quirky and bright hairstyle when you have a brunette hair color and pair it with red highlights. It creates dimension in your hair without effort. Reds can spice up your dark-toned mane and give contrast and depth. This dark red-brown hair that’s two-toned is a must-try!
#30: Lovely Rich Brown Hair with Silver Streaks
Add some flashes of silver streaks on your brunette mane for a livelier look! This is a very stylish technique to add brightness to your brown hair. Using a purple shampoo at home will keep your blonde looking bright and vibrant.
#31: Top-Notch Medium-Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights
Wavy medium-length hair that’s painted with medium-brown highlights looks amazing. The transition from dark to light plus the honey balayage make this one a real top-notch hairstyle. This honey shade is a perfect color to try if you are looking to go lighter but are slightly hesitant.
#32: Chestnut Hair with Electrifying Blue Highlights
A cool way to wear ashy brunette hair is to pair it with electrifying mermaid azure streaks! Wavy chestnut hair with blue highlights is an absolutely unique hairstyle if that’s what you’re looking for.
#33: Amazing Dark Red-Brown Hair With Subtle Highlights
Amp up your bob with a combination of vibrant and dimensional reddish-brown colors! Wine red hair brightened by blonde highlights produces totally amazing dimension if you have straight hair.
#34: Lived-In Caramel And Blonde Highlights in Brown Hair
Super light honey streaks create a really marvelous contrast against a dark brunette base. This style allows you to have a lived-in, low-maintenance long mane that’s so beautiful for fall. Blonde and caramel highlights in brown hair are a gorgeous combination for you to try!
#35: Impactful Brown Hair with Red Highlights
Brown hair with red highlights creates a subtle yet impactful result. The technique behind this hair inspiration is a mix of highlights and babylights with a diagonal placement.
#36: Sexiest Mahogany Highlights on Brown Hair
Why not add some vibrant crimson pieces to your mahogany mane for a spicy look?! These highlights on brown hair can save you the upkeep of having solid red hair and still offer you a hot and sexy hairstyle.
#37: Swirled Purple Highlights in Brown Hair
Create an amazing contrast of warm brunette and cool violet tones swirled together in an envy-inducing hairstyle like this! It adds fun and dimension to your hair on a whole new level.
#38: Fun & Edgy Pink Highlights with Brown Hair
Kick it up a notch without major commitment! If you want to do fun color but can’t make it to the salon all the time, the best thing you can do is add some rose pink highlights to your brown hair!
#39: Best Dark Cocoa with Auburn Highlights
Transition your hair into this dark cocoa color with auburn highlights to bring out hints and vibrancy of reds. These undertones look stunning if you have simple straight hair. This is ideal when you want a super stylish look with just enough maintenance needed.
#40: Fantastic Light Brown Hair
Light brown hair with highlights looking fantastic on a layered tousled lob. The use of face-framing blonde highlights on brown hair going around the face can make your skin look bright and lively!
#41: Beautiful Platinum Blonde Highlights on Ash Brown Hair
Get an insane transformation when you opt for a full balayage of brunette and some icy blonde highlights. This cute style can be rocked on any hair length.
#42: Marvelous Light Blonde Highlights for Brunettes
Update your chocolate hair with warm vanilla streaks for more dimension. This beachy, bright blonde color is surely marvelous on medium to long wavy hair.
#43: Coolest Gray Highlights in Brown Hair
This one’s a really smart and gorgeous hairstyle to try if you have naturally dark hair without requiring too much maintenance. A silver balayage plus soft waves make for unique and gorgeous hair highlights! This is a perfect option if you are starting to grey and want to blend your natural color.
#44: Warmer Golden Highlights in Dimensional Brown Hair
A golden butter balayage is perfect if you have shoulder-length brown locks. You can opt to put in some highlighted layers for added dimension. Feel free to also go extra by opting for brown hair with golden highlights. This color transitions beautifully from dark to light, without any harsh lines. The warmer tones are beautiful, but it’s important to avoid brassiness. This color technique is perfect if you don’t want a lot of maintenance.
#45: Caramel and Toffee Highlights in Brunette Hair
Caramel highlights in brunette hair are super stylish when styled into a tousled wavy toffee lob! Its softness and volume will definitely get you attention. If you’re a brunette, caramel and toffee highlights are the perfect examples of an eye-catching dimension. This style features beautiful golden strands to give brunettes that pop of brightness and still maintain your rich brunette color.
#46: Beautifully-Blended Bronde Highlights on Golden Brown Hair
If you have naturally very dark hair or deep brown hair color, ask for a combination of foilayage and babylight. The balayage in foils will give your hair maximum lift and creates a lived-in style. To break up harsh lines and create a beautiful blend, smudge the roots. This combo technique is for dark brunettes looking to achieve a “bronde” effect with minimal upkeep. This look could take a few visits to get your desired result. It’s always best to start slow to maintain the integrity of your hair. and want to have blonde in your hair, it requires time, patience, and quite an investment in your appointments and home hair care.
#47: Warm Brown Hair with Fiery Copper Highlights
Use a warm copper-brown base with pops of copper highlights throughout your hair to achieve this chic, yet sophisticated color. Copper hair color is ideal for almost all women, and it’s highly achievable for many types of hair. You should know that red tones fade fast. Invest in a truly sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. Use a color-enhancing shampoo as well, to help maintain color by slowing down the fading process.”
#48: Low-Maintenance Dark Brown Hair with Ash Blonde Highlights
Balayage dark brown hair with highlights is low-maintenance on the regrowth. It’s perfect if you don’t want to be in the salon too often. You can also choose to refresh the toner once it washes out. The lighter you choose for your color, the higher the maintenance, and also expect a price increase. Doing a deep conditioning treatment before your hair appointments is always helpful to help keep your hair as healthy as possible. Use a moisturizing conditioner, and/or some type of leave-in serum/conditioner. Your hair will love you and be easier to manage!
#49: Short Mocha Brown Hair with Light Brown Highlights and Lowlights
A brown blunt bob with naturally blended highlights and lowlights looks wonderful. The light brown highlights on dark brown hair complement each other so well. Even if you’re not going to heat style your dark brunette with blonde highlights, you still need a heat protectant because the sun alone can damage your hair.
#50: Yummy Chocolate Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights
A long, tousled bob with rich chocolate, honey, and caramel tones is perfect if you’re a wash-and-go type person. For this haircut and color, use a bit of mousse, like Moroccan Oil Beach Wave Mousse on dry hair. Finish it with a bit of texture spray for volume and added definition. Try Surfrider Texture Spray by Sexy Hair.
#51: Natural Brown Hair with Bright White Highlights
Natural brown hair with white highlights as a balayage is beautiful. It’s a fun dimensional color and a different way of highlighting hair. If you get your hair cut with long layers, it will create a lot of movement in your hair. Curls make your colors pop and really shows the contrast between the dark and light! A color like this may take you multiple sessions and cost $150-200 each time. Going slower to get this blonde is the best way rather than trying to do it all at once. This can be very damaging and nearly impossible to come back from.
#52: Fabulous Purple Ombre Highlights on Deep Brown Hair
A balayage purple ombre on a deep brown hair color looks sleek when cut into an A-line, triangular bob. A smokey, deep lavender balayage or ombre style looks great as it grows out. There are no harsh lines of demarcation. However, the vivid purple color will only last 4-6 weeks. You’ll want to use a sulfate and sodium chloride-free shampoo and a color depositing conditioner will keep your color looking its best for longer. As it fades, it will turn into a pastel lavender. The best part is getting a new color shade as it fades.
#53: Thin Light Brown Hair with Soft Honey Highlights
Thin light brown hair with honey highlights screams warmth, softness, & fun! Ask your colorist for some warm brunette lowlights intermixed with honey highlights. Use a texturizing/salt spray to add texture & softness to your bob style.
#54: Shiny Honey Blonde Highlights for Dark Hair
The richness of the honey blonde highlights for dark hair color is sexy! It’s a nice honey tone with a rich brown base color. It shows contrast and depth while still looking natural. It’s a perfect transition to fall tones from that brighter summer blonde. The honey-toned highlights can be placed in such a way that they don’t need to be retouched for 3-5 months. With good hair products, your highlights will maintain its shine. I recommend you try the Kevin Murphy line.
#55: Seamless Light Brown Highlights on Chocolate Brown Hair
When it comes to hair trends, most stylists are influenced by short brown hair that has been naturally kissed by the sun. When highlighting brunettes, you don’t go for real bleached color. It has to look natural, and seamless as it was kissed by the summersun. The tones are kept warm to compliment the deep-colored base. If you’re considering these light brown highlights on chocolate brown hair, request a thorough consultation with your stylist. There are so many variations of dark highlighted hair, so be specific and bring pictures.
#56: Flirty Brunette Hair with Strawberry Blonde Highlights
Brown highlighted hair color looks amazing on redheads. If you were a natural redhead as a child, you know that as you aged, your red had become drabber. Try to stay on the natural side of red, meaning a copper-based, not violet-based tone. With redheads, the trick is to keep your tones believable, which means tons of dimension. Ask for some lighter strawberry-blonde (again, a copper-based tone) highlights. That way you feel lighter for the spring transition, but retain your redhead identity. This strawberry blonde color is lower-maintenance. The highlighted areas are strategically placed and blended so that your roots will never be an issue. Plus, because this is a brown-based copper red that is close to its natural color, the fade grows out subtly.
#57: Modern & Chic Golden Highlights in Dark Brown Hair
Golden highlights in dark brown hair? Ummm, yes, please! This is one remarkable honey balayage highlights for brunette hair. The color is natural, but you can still see the dimension in it. It’s really low maintenance since the highlights blend so well. Also, your hair will grow without a line of demarcation. Usually, if you want to keep your root/natural color balayage, you’ll need to get a touch-up around 3-9 months. Also, balayage highlight is a great way to introduce highlights if you’ve never had highlights before or who want a natural shade.
#58: Spectacular Balayage Brown Hair with Burgundy Highlights
A blended burgundy/violet balayage with a deep brown looks spectacular. You can try adding some teasylights (teased foil highlights) through the top help to break up what could otherwise be a harsh base color. The best thing about this brown style of balayage makes a very bold violet-red look much more natural and approachable. This burgundy is brought to life in natural light, but can also look very subtle in other light.
#59: Red and Blonde Highlights on Cool Brown Hair
The beautiful lows of a rich red and the highs of a cool-toned natural blonde on brown tresses are very eye-catching. With this mixture of natural-looking highlights, don’t you think of fire? Ask your stylist/colorist to first go completely red, then add blonde highlights to your hair. Be prepared to have your roots done every 4-6 weeks.
#60: Light Caramel Highlights on Straight Mousy Brown Hair
A color combination of caramel and chocolate colors blends nicely together in these gorgeous caramel highlights on naturally brown hair. If you’re a brunette, spice your color up with a few different natural tones. For this cut, it shows off your colors perfectly, making them pop! You can keep your hair looking healthy with hair treatments, such as Olaplex. This keeps your subtle caramel highlights and other hues look amazing but also protects your hair from damage and breakage.
#61: Full-Looking Brown Curly Hair with Golden Highlights
This brown curly hair with golden highlights is best if you have brunette hair and want blonde and brown hues and a warm golden-toned balayage. You’ll need a root touch-up for your color every 5 weeks and a balayage every 3 months. This is a very easily maintainable hairstyle and color.