Brown hair with blonde highlights is a classic look that never goes out of style. Just a few strokes and drizzles of blonde can spice up a boring brunette mane. Though simple, this color combination is quite versatile considering the vast shades of brown and blonde.
If you are thinking of dipping your strands in a golden tinge then you are at the right place: we have gathered the hottest blonde highlights on brown hair ideas, from subtle babylights to bold face-framing streaks.
Tips for Adding Blonde Highlights on Brown Hair
Keep a few things in mind when considering adding blonde highlights on brown hair.
First, the more dramatic the difference between your natural hair and the highlights, the more time it will take to get the desired results safely. You may not be able to add platinum highlights to dark brown hair in one session.
Next, blonde highlights should work with your brown hair, not against it. Bold differences between your highlights and base hair color look dramatic but not natural or professional.
If you want one shade of blonde highlights, consider a blonde that is only several shades lighter than your natural hair.
If you are okay with multiple shades of blonde highlights, you can add very light shades of blonde to dark shades of brown as long as there are several other, darker shades of blonde highlights.
Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights
These are the most ravishing brown hairstyles with blonde highlights.
1. Multi-Tonal Highlights
Create a multi-dimensional allure by choosing two different tones of blonde to be used as highlights on brown tresses. The result is a mix of light, medium and dark strands that will surely drop some jaws when left loose to sway with the wind.
2. Bronde Pixie
Start fresh by chopping the mane into a sassy pixie cut defined by a short top with extra short bangs at the front and slightly longer sides and back. Top off the look with heavy blonde highlights creating a beautiful bronde haze on the head.
3. Gorgeous Stripes
Give your long brown mane a makeover with this hairstyle. Add chunky stripes of sandy and honey blonde to peek through the brown strands. Finish off with subtle layers and loose curls resulting in a glamorous look that is impossible to ignore.
4. Precious Curls
Lucky enough to have natural curls? Make them pop by adding a touch of light golden blonde for a sun-kissed appeal while keeping the impact on their texture to a minimum. Accentuate the look with a deva haircut styling each coil individually to fall around the face flawlessly.
5. Halo Highlights
These blonde highlights on brown hair will help you keep your hair game strong. Halo highlights involve lightening the strands around the face leaving the remaining dark mane untouched. Go for a side parting with layers framing the face at the front.
6. Blonde-Streaked Bangs and Face-Framing Pieces
Blunt bangs cut straight across the forehead look adorable when combined with long straight hair. Make a style statement by adding vivid streaks of light blonde on the bangs and dyeing the side locks too to fall at the front. Simple yet stylish!
7. Golden Money Pieces on a Wavy Bob
Asian ladies can turn their boring chin-length bob into a one-of-a-kind hairstyle. The strands are dyed in an ashy brown hue sparing the roots dark while the front chunks are tinted in a vivid golden blonde hue creating gorgeous side-swept money pieces. Finish off with soft waves.
8. Ashy Hues
Instead of trying an eye-popping tone of blonde go for an ashy hue to keep it low-key yet noticeable. Load the hair with fine highlights concentrating them down at the ends to achieve that extra oomph. Add loose waves before tousling the hair on one side. Done!
9. Highlighted Pixie Bob
This pixie bob features side-swept bangs with a long top and short sides. Layering the strands creates a lot of movement and texture that can be accentuated further by adding chunky streaks of light blonde with a hint of orange-gold in between.
10. Ash-Blonde Highlights with Side Bangs
Here is a look for those wishing for a more natural appeal. Ask the hairstylist for thin light milky blonde streaks on an ashy brown mane for the highlights to blend perfectly adding some shimmer and shine. This style is suitable to hide gray hairs.
11. Babylights
A subtle change is sometimes enough to create a huge difference. Such is the case with babylights. Choose a caramel tinge to shine through a dark chocolate mane creating a soft blend of colors. Try this look on a stacked wavy bob to turn around heads.
12. Sparse Blonde Streaks on Straight Hair
Women reluctant to try blonde highlights on their brown hair can take inspiration from this look. Separate just a few strands and lighten them to a blonde tinge keeping most of the head naturally brown. You can also use extensions to achieve a similar effect.
13. Soft and Elegant
Keep it soft yet elegant to stand out from the crowd. Try out a round bob and dye it in a shiny light brown shade with ashy blonde streaks in between resulting in a subtle two-toned look. Tight curls and a choppy front fringe top off the style.
14. Balayage Highlights
This is an impressive balayage you definitely want to copy. Warm, lighter streaks run through the dark brown lengths. Just look at how impressive the style is.
15. Platinum Highlights on Straight Layers
Silver locks are in style but graying ahead of time is not what many girls will prefer. You can reach the same results by creating platinum blonde highlights on dark brown hair.
16. Chunky Golden Highlights with Side Bangs
Does looking like a zebra scare you off? It really shouldn’t. If you are ready to keep your hair neat, so the stripes show, this highlighting method will make you look truly fantastic.
17. Brown Waves with Soft Blonde Highlights
This is a classic example of a hairstyle that can combine brown and blonde hair into one. Simply ask your stylist to give you very subtle highlights, then to part your hair down the middle and to curl it with a flat iron to achieve these soft waves.
18. Blonde-and-Brown Rope Twists
These thick two-strand twists combine dark brown and blonde sections along their lengths. If you prefer a plaited style at a similar scale, try dookie braids.
You can leave the short hairs along the hairline out of the twists and smooth them into place for a defined edge.
19. Twisted Low Bun with Highlights
If you really want your light brown hair to shine, you can put it in a high bun! To do this, make sure to style your hair back and then slowly curl it into a bun, then simply pull on your hair to make it ‘puffy’ and not so stiff.
Also, remember to leave little pieces of blonde highlighted hair hanging loose on the front part of your face to both frame it and to help you achieve much more of a careless, easy look. A flower or other hair accessory can dress up the bun while leaving the blonde placement unchanged.
20. Brown-to-Blonde Braided Pigtails
This is another fun way to play around with that dark brown hair with blonde highlights contrast. First, separate your hair in two halves and braid each one until they reach your neck, then simply tie that up and let your hair fall loose, showing off your highlights! Below the nape, the pigtails form loose, matching waves that show more blonde through their curves than the tighter braids above.
You can slightly curl the bottom part of your hair for a little extra touch as well.
21. Sew-ins
Sew-in hair extensions are a wonderfully easy way to create highlights without damaging your hair with dyes. You can either attach them on top of your locks or sew them in under the tresses.
22. Caramel Highlights on Long S-Waves
This is a classic example of what blondish caramel highlights look like on brown hair. Narrow caramel streaks follow the curves of the lower lengths, making the individual waves easier to distinguish against the brown base. All you have to do is ask your stylist to give you this type of highlights and to, later on, curl your hair with a very wide curling iron so you can get this ‘wavy’ effect as well.
23. Blunt Lob with Babylights
The thing about short dark brown haircuts is that it really brings out the best of the blonde hair color since the two colors mix very well. Of course, you’ll have to ask your stylist to make sure not to overpower your natural color with the blonde highlights, since you still want it to shine through. You can keep the highlights understated here, because the firm lower edge of a blunt bob supplies the definition.
24. Chunky Blonde Highlights on Dark Brown
Contrasts are everything. Adding platinum blonde highlights to dark brown hair is a bold move. You’ll love the extravagant turn your style will take. Get ready for some awestruck glances.
25. Brown Bob with Blonde Ends
Many people don’t like to get highlights on bangs because they think it won’t look good, but it does! You just have to make sure the blonde highlights also reach out to your bangs just like in the picture so the overall short light brown hairstyle seems put together and cohesive.
26. Half-Up Curls with Caramel-Gold Highlights
This particular hairstyle is for those who really want to show off their long brown hair. First, separate your hair, leaving the top on a ponytail and the rest hanging loose.
Then simply curl it using big curling rollers, let them sit for at least 30 minutes and set everything with hairspray to make sure it will stick throughout the day.
27. Golden-Blonde Bun with Dark Roots
Another great way to bring out the contrast of your brown with blonde highlights is to tie a little messy bun on the top of your head, making sure to use a bandana as a hair accessory and leave a couple of hair strands hanging loose as well to go with the ‘careless’ look.
28. Side-Swept Curls with Blonde Ends
Believe it or not, highlights aren’t exclusive for straight hair, and they can actually give your curly hair a really nice touch while also bringing a lot of natural light to your face, enhancing your natural features.
29. Blonde-Tipped Wavy Bob
Brown hair really looks the best when styled in a bob! Of course, you will have to ask your stylist to give you some subtle waves using a curling iron in order to make sure both colors are standing out.
Also, the bangs in this particular hairstyle are very important and should have a little touch of blonde as well so the whole haircut looks well put together!
30. Straight Asymmetric Bob
Similar to the ones we have shown you before, this bob can also bring out the colors in your hair! But this time, instead of waving it or curling it, just remember to leave it completely straight.
31. Brown Shag with Blonde Ends
To get this medium brown hairstyle with highlights you’ll have to cut your hair down to your shoulders and get some blunt bangs across your forehead. Then simply slightly curl it and push out the front part to get this exact same look. Fullness sits high in this shag; the finer ends form a much lighter outline around the shoulders.
Also, don’t forget to use a very thin comb to push and tease the top part of your hair and finish everything off with hairspray, otherwise the frizz on top won’t hold on throughout the day.
32. Medium Curls with Highlights
Like we have been saying throughout this article, blonde highlights really do look amazing in brown curly hair! Especially with this medium haircut with chunky curls, since they will help you get even more depth and definition than before.
33. Textured Inverted Bob with Subtle Highlights
If you’re looking for a bold hairstyle, this one is yours. Ask for a regular short brown bob, but this time, the back part of your hair should be significantly shorter than the rest, and the blonde highlights should go mainly in the longer bits.
34. Platinum-and-Gold Ribbon Highlights
When you are considering blonde highlights on dark brown hair, think about different shades of brown. Alternate lighter and darker brown with blonde strands and you’ll love the result.
35. Brown Corkscrew Curls with Golden-Blonde Highlights
This is a very laydown style and it’s very easy to get since all you’ll need is to ask your stylist to give you regular highlights but this time, instead of straightening or curling your hair simply let your natural hair shine! Swept mostly over one temple, the highlighted curls create an off-center shape with one side visibly fuller.
36. Golden Blonde
Golden blonde hue looks especially amazing with very dark brown hair. The contrast these two colors make will definitely leave you happy. Dye as many strands as you wish. There is no overdoing it.
37. Fine Golden Highlights on Brown Hair
If you are not into extravagant images, you can use a classic approach when it comes to highlights. The more similar colors you decide to use, the better the result will be.
38. Light brown choice
If your hair is dark brown or black, blonde highlights might not be a good idea since the contrast will be too drastic. Use light or auburn brown in order to lighten up the look in the most natural way.
39. A blonde weave
If you want to diversify your hair color but dyeing is not an option, you can try a weave. Use blonde sew-in hair extensions to make an appearance of highlights. You’ll love the way they look.
40. Blonde Ribbons Through Curls
Highlighting just the lower part of your dark brown mane will surely make you look unique. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the lightest shades of blonde. They look the best.
How To Maintain Blonde Highlights To Make It Last
To ensure you get the most out of your blonde highlights, consider the following:
- Limit the amount of time you spend in the pool. Copper compounds in pool water, oxidized by chlorine, can give your blonde highlights a green tinge.
- Deep condition your hair every 2-4 weeks. Deep conditioner helps mitigate any damage you might have received in dyeing your hair.
- Use shampoo and conditioner for blonde-dyed hair. Purple shampoos and conditioners are best for this.
- Limit the amount of heat you put on your hair. The less you straighten or curl your hair, the healthier it will be.
- Use a sun-blocking spray on your hair so that your natural hair does not lighten and blend with your highlights.
And that’s it! There you have it, 40 fun, unique brown hairstyles with blonde highlights you can try and pick to use. All very easy to do and to maintain, and if you already have blonde highlights, you’re halfway there to get any of these cool hairstyles!
