Highlights can be an excellent way to quickly brighten up brown hair, providing stunningly radiant shine without using full-color dye. They make an affordable and beautiful alternative. Toffee highlights are an ideal choice for brunettes looking to soften their look. Their caramel hue creates a subtle contrast without going overly blonde.
Dark Blonde
If you have dark brown hair, blonde highlights are an effective way to refresh its look and make you shine. Dirty blonde is a naturally-looking shade that blends well with brown locks and flatters most complexions; its cool tones pair nicely with tanned skin and light blue or gray eyes for an eye-catching result. Ask your stylist to add this stunning hue around your face for a radiant appearance!
Another beautiful option for those with cool undertones and wavy locks is a sandy blonde shade just darker than their brown locks. Ask your colorist to place highlights throughout your tresses for an energetic, revitalized appearance.
If you want to add some blonde hues to your brown locks, ashy highlights like this look from Cherin Choi are the way to go. Their unique blend of warm and blonde tones will bring dimension and depth to your strands.
Chocolate Brown
Chocolate brown hair looks beautiful when enhanced with warm and cool highlights, such as gold balayage or honey blonde highlights, to bring out its best qualities and show off the skin tone of those wearing this shade of brunette hair. It particularly suits those with green, golden, or hazel eyes.
Another way to highlight chocolate brown locks is with a soft ombre effect. This shade begins rich at the roots before gradually fading into a buttery caramel hue in the lower half. This hue goes great with most skin tones, especially those with warm eye colors like gold, hazel, or green.
Opt for a subtler style by going for a sad instead of a traditional ombre for a more subtle appearance. This option blends more naturally into darker hair colors than its counterpart.
Chestnut
Rich chestnut can be as eye-catching as any red hue and works beautifully when combined with red locks such as crimson, burgundy, or wine-red to create a natural look and highlight fair complexions. For something less eye-catching but equally striking, try caramel or honey brown shades, which evoke memories of coffeeshop beverages.
Priyanka Chopra shows how chestnut highlights add dimension and warmth to dark locks with this natural-looking ombre style or highlight painting technique. Chestnut highlights are also ideal for blonde locks, so opt for one like hers with light chestnut highlights to achieve sun-kissed locks like Priyanka Chopra’s.
Strawberry Blonde
Strawberry blonde can be an easy and low-maintenance way to bring out your natural brown locks, with minimal upkeep required. This shade tends to be darker than classic blonde hues and blends seamlessly with all skin tones for an incredibly versatile hue that complements all skin tones.
An elegant strawberry ombre is one of the most romantic ways to wear this shade. Start with light red roots before gradually transitioning them to an alluring strawberry hue for a stunning result that is as lovely as its name implies.
This style can also work beautifully with wavy brown hair, as seen here. The girl has kept her mid-length locks at an appealing midpoint length while adding pops of strawberry and blonde color throughout, creating an alluring style perfect for casual events.
Warm Highlights
If you want to add flair to your brown locks, try opting for chestnut highlights. This vibrant hue will pair perfectly with its dark base while lightening it gradually without becoming overwhelming.
Incredible blonde is another beautiful option to highlight brown hair, featuring violet and blue tones. This shade complements most skin tones beautifully and can be applied more subtly for a more natural-looking contrast.
For an eye-catching appearance, caramel highlights offer a luxurious golden hue that blends beautifully with chocolate-brown hair. Or, if you want a gradual effect, soft caramel ombre would also work wonders on brunettes with warmer complexions.
