24 Dark Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights Ideas for Luscious Brunettes

Dark brown hair with blonde highlights ↓ Jump to Photo Gallery
Cindy Marcus
Cindy Marcus Hairstylist, Editor-in-Chief

Enriched with breathtaking dimensions, dark brown hair with blonde highlights will make your hair look amazing!  Spice up your brown hair by matching your luscious brunette locks with sweet and bright honey highlights to unlock a new world of definition and movement in your hair.

Plus, the contrast and radiance created by opposing dark and light tones are beautifully intertwined into your strands! With a combined blonde and dark brown hair color, you’ll be free to style your locks however you want and still get a voguish result.

So before your next hair appointment, check out these photos of the most beautiful dark brown hair with blonde highlights!

(Tap or Swipe)
Short Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights
Instagram @marcosyan_boaz

#1: Short Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

When considering adding color to your short, brown hair, add in some blonde highlights to brighten up your look. Specify with your stylist how blended of a look you’re wanting because chunkier highlights may feel outdated. One of the best things to add to this style is a subtle money piece to frame your face. Avoid purple shampoos. As a brunette, you’re most likely going to lift warmer and have orange tones which actually need blue shampoo for maintenance.

Long Dark Brunette Hair with Chunky Blonde Highlights
Instagram @kierdoesmyhair

#2: Long Dark Brunette Hair with Chunky Blonde Highlights

Long dark brunette hair with chunky blonde highlights is a nod to the early 2000s. When you are looking for high contrast of dark on light, placement is important. Ask for a partial highlight focusing on the blonde on the top part line.

#3: Long Dark Brown Hair with Fringe and Highlights

Long dark brown hair with fringe and highlights is a definite flashback from the 90s. These beautiful honey highlights will add just the right amount of movement to your hair. The dimension looks amazing if you have shaggy long hair. The fringe brings it all together, softening your face.

#4: Silver Blonde Highlights

Cool silver-blonde highlights on dark brown hair color form a dimensional piece of art. In order for you to achieve the same vibrancy and ashy hue, you’ll need to use toners. This hair trend exhibits a soft color. It looks playful and modern with textured waves. An already stunning color like this is easy to style, too.

Brown hair with caramel highlights
Instagram @hair_by_nate_

#5: Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights

Brown hair with caramel highlights is a natural, rich, and warm color if you have with dark hair. Golden caramel and honey tones will give dimension your dark hair that breaks up a solid deep brown hair. Ask your stylist for balayage style highlights that blend seamlessly and grow out naturally.

#6: Blonde Highlights on Brown Short Hair

Blonde highlights on brown short hair can instantly add texture to your hairstyle. You don’t have to be bored with your brunette. Add some flair to your hair with this bold color!

#7: Dark Brown with Beach Blonde Balayage

A dark brown with beach blonde balayage will have you feeling fabulous! If you’re looking for contrast in your current hair color then look no further. The dimension of the brown and blonde will stand out perfectly well.

#8: Brown-Blonde Gradient Ombre Hair

Try a brown-blonde gradient ombre hair color if you’re wanting a beautiful low-maintenance hue. The seamless transition from brown to blonde will have people obsessed! You will love the dimension it provides, whether your hair is styled straight or curled with waves.

#9: Brunette Balayage with Dark Blonde Highlights

Adding bright but subtle dark blonde highlights to a dark brunette balayage will create a ton of depth and visual interest in your hair. It is a timeless look that isn’t going out of style anytime soon. Balayage brunette hair looks effortless and is so low-maintenance. If you’d like this look, ask for a mix of darker honey and brighter golden balayage highlights while consulting with your stylist.

#10: Thin Blonde Highlights

Opt for brown hair with blonde streaks, and get that elegant style that you’ve always wanted! Natural hair’s earth tones work best with a few highlights.

Ash Blonde Highlights
Instagram @balayageombre

#11: Ash Blonde Highlights

Ash-blonde highlights provide medium-length dark tresses a generous amount of brightness. This hair color features blonde front pieces that frame your face while keeping it radiant. Truly, the different tones and colors mix together well, which will creat an ultra-chic dimension in your hair.

#12: Dark Brown Hair with Buttery Highlights

If you have delicate loose curls with long hair, try adding blonde highlights on dark chestnut brown color. They pair so well together.

Champagne Blonde Highlights on dark brown hair
Instagram @mrlaithkhatib

#13: Brown Hair with Champagne Blonde Highlights

Try champagne blonde highlights on your long, wavy hair. The outcome? A breathtaking hair trend with a boho and lived-in vibe. With your dark brown roots, the blonde shines even brighter.

dark brown hair with platinum blonde highlights
Instagram @kylieannefritz

#14: Platinum Blonde Highlights

Platinum blonde highlights on natural brunettes offer a trend packed with style! The entire hair idea has a chic, trending payoff that will give your hair dimension with a mid-length cut. It’s proof that dark brown hair and blonde highlights go hand in hand. For a more youthful and natural-looking edge, you should opt for a balayage. It’s a technique for highlighting in which lightener is hand-painted onto the strands.

Red and Blonde Highlights
Instagram @thehairbyjess

#15: Red and Blonde Highlights

Red and blonde highlights on medium or long hair are fun and exciting to wear. This idea gives your tresses a more dimensional and vibrant result. It works best on natural blondes. If you’re naturally blonde, get the look by adding red lowlights to your light neutral blonde hair color. It’s also a great way to go darker for the winter.

Light Blonde Highlights and Lowlights
Instagram @southmarksouth

#16: Light Blonde Highlights and Lowlights

Add some light blonde highlights and lowlights to dark brown hair, and watch a chic dimension come to life in your hair. The shades flatter you if you have a neutral skin tones. When you style, you should use a curling wand for effortless waves. You can complete the look with a mist of a flexible hold hairspray.

#17: Dark Brown Hair with Subtle Blonde Highlights

Dark brown hair with subtle blonde highlights? Yes, please! “This is the perfect option if you’re wanting a subtle change. The subtle pops of blonde pairs perfectly with the long layers and tousled waves. Babylights and balayage are the way to go for a more low-maintenance look. You don’t have to worry about the harsh 4-6 week grow-out. For dark brown with partial balayage hair, a sea salt or texture spray is perfect for giving these blonde highlights movement. Anyone can rock this color! You can usually go months between color services with this look and still look fresh,” she adds.

Icy Blonde Highlights
Instagram @jenny.c.hair

#18: Icy Blonde Highlights

Icy blonde highlights, if mixed with black strands, will carry out a high-contrast dimension in your hair. The challenge here is to achieve a lighter and brighter hair color without compromising the integrity of your hair. To maximize lightness, ask your stylist about foilayage.

Dark Hair Color with Honey Blonde Highlights
Instagram @innhair

#19: Dark Hair Color with Honey Blonde Highlights

Imagine wearing these honey blonde highlights on your dark hair. If you have dark brown hair, this is an exquisite choice. It even looks luscious on thick tresses. This hair color makes a modern, playful finish when paired with beachy waves.

Strawberry Blonde Highlights on dark brown hair
Instagram @slayedby_meg

#20: Strawberry Blonde Highlights

Strawberry blonde highlights on dark brown hair are always shiny and chic. It makes an awesome go-to look for ladies who has a very feminine vibe. You can complete the look with waves and add a few pieces of bangs for a flirty, modern finish. Hair color like this makes blue eyes pop.

Golden Blonde Highlights on Long Layered Hair
Instagram @gustavomigli

#21: Golden Blonde Highlights on Long Layered Hair

This long layered cut and color combo is a great way for a brunette to introduce blonde into their life! It adds a ton of dimension to your brunette hair without going fully blonde. Brunette’s also tend to add highlights to their look as a subtle way to hide their gray hair. If you’re considering this golden brown and blonde hair, think about how often you want to visit the salon for maintenance. Someone who prefers visiting only twice a year may want to consider a more low-maintenance look like a balayage. On the other hand, highlights are a great way for your to take a step onto the blonde side without a full head makeover. They also help hide the gray hair which everyone is ok with.

Chunky Blonde Highlights on Brown Hair
Instagram @vicious_pretty

#22: Chunky Blonde Highlights on Brown Hair

These chunky blonde highlights remind me of the ’90s-inspired hair trends. They will bring out definition and dimension to your dark brunette hair. Its high-contrast look creates uniqueness that goes with long, straight, or wavy locks.

#23: Bronde Highlights

These bronde highlights look very pretty if you have darker brown hair. The tones create a soft sun-kissed dimension that works well on long-length tresses for the summer season. You can definitely pull-off these brunette balayage highlights. Try styling it with waves to upgrade the hair texture.

#24: Beige Blonde Highlights

Beige blonde highlights add sparkles to a dark brunette hair color. This hair trend offers warm tones.

Beige blonde is ideal if you have a warmer skin complexion, too. A classic blonde balayage like this isn’t complete without the waves. It’s the movement and volume that help the dimension to pop in your dark brown hair with blonde highlights.


Readers Also Ask

  • Dark hair can have blonde highlights but there is a chance they might look a bit stripy because of the big contrast. To avoid streaky-looking highlights ask your stylist for very fine weaves with big gaps between weaves and a tiny root shadow or a root tap. Take your colorist's advice on the shade for the highlights.

  • The best color for highlights on brown hair is anything between honey blonde and light vanilla. It really depends what shade of brown your hair is - cool or warm, and the rule is if it’s cool then pick a cool blonde - vanilla, platinum shade and if it’s a warm brown then get honey or caramel lights.

  • Balayage is free-hand painting on the hair, usually separated with cotton or cling film or foil. Highlights start from the roots and are always packed in foils. Balayage gives a more natural-looking blonde effect with softer re-growth and highlights have harsher re-growth and a blonder look.

  • Before getting highlights you need to know that your hair might become a bit more tangly and feel drier, so you have to invest in a good shampoo and conditioner suitable for your new color. Also with highlights, you will have a line once your natural hair grows out. Note: the darker the hair, the harsher the line.

  • Absolutely never ever put highlights at home because 98% of the time it goes wrong, especially if your hair is brown. The darker hair color will need a higher volume of oxidant or stronger bleach which, if not used correctly, or being over-processed for instance, can lead to breakage or if not left for long enough will make your highlights brassy or coppery.

  • If you don’t want to use bleach and lighten your dark brown hair the option is a tint or high-lift tint, which will only lighten your hair up to 1-2 maximum 3 level. Keep in mind the color will be quite warm because of the dark pigments the dark brown hair has. If you want blonder highlights then your only option is bleach.

  • Right after getting highlights, it’s not recommended to go in a swimming pool because the freshly bleached hair can absorb the chemicals from the water like chlorine and become green or murky. Also, avoid hot tools at least a few weeks after to avoid breakage on the sensitized highlighted hair.

Posted In: Brunette Hair Hair Colors