Brown hair highlighted blonde can be a great way to boost dull locks and create an eye-catching look. The type of blonde highlight you choose will depend on your base color, which will influence how the shade blends and complements your natural tones.
Consider soft caramel highlights for a sun-kissed effect that flatters any wavy or straight brunette style. Or, try balayage highlights for a more subtle lightening that is low maintenance.
Icy Blonde
A cool blonde shade is a gorgeous option for anyone looking to add some brightness to their hair color. This style looks amazing when paired with a beachy wavy cut, giving the overall look a fabulous and sexy appearance. This type of blonde will need to be kept well maintained in order to avoid unwanted brassy tones, so regular maintenance appointments with a skilled stylist are highly recommended.
If you’re looking for a more subtle way to add blonde highlights, ombré is a great choice. This technique blends dark and light brown tones together with blonde highlights in various sizes for a more natural and textured finish. This shade also works well when paired with a bob haircut, allowing it to help frame the face in a very flattering way.
Icy platinum blonde is another cool and refreshing hue that can be added to any brown hairstyle. This shade is a beautiful middle ground between cool icy shades and warm golden blonde tones, and can be made as light or as dark as desired.
To achieve this shade, your hair will need to be lifted to a very light blonde level, then toned with a silver or blue-violet toner. As a result, this shade can be quite damaging to your hair, so it’s important that you maintain your salon appointments and use a high-quality leave-in conditioner and shine oil to keep it healthy and vibrant.
Warm Bronze
For brunettes who want a lightened look that’s slightly more understated than platinum, warm brown hair with blonde highlights is the perfect compromise. This luminous hue features rich chocolate brown roots that fade to a champagne blonde balayage on the mid-shaft and ends of your locks for a warm, dimensional color that matches your skin tone perfectly.
The darker chocolate brown in these strands creates a gorgeous contrast with the lighter shades of blonde, framing the face and adding depth to your natural color. Bronze is kinder to your hair than blond, but it’s still color-treated and may need more frequent touch-ups than your natural color. To keep your strands healthy and shiny, be sure to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner that works with your shade of blonde.
If you’re not ready for a full-on blond change, you can add a pop of brightness to your dark brown hair with honey or caramel highlights. Gigi Hadid and other muses love this scrumptious mix, which pairs rich earth tones with a sunny disposition.
For a more subtle approach, your stylist can hand-paint your brown hair with golden blonde strands that highlight your face and frame your eyes. Whether you choose to wear your hair in a blunt bob or a wavy beachy style, this gorgeous hue will brighten up any cut. This hair color also suits bohemian souls who like to change up their look with the flip of a braid or a simple change of parting.
Dirty Blonde
Dirty blonde is a gorgeous sun-kissed shade that works on almost any hair length, texture or shade. It’s also a great choice for women who want to lighten their brown hair without bleaching it all the way. It’s a cool tone that suits both warm and cool skin tones and looks fabulous on people with blue and green eyes.
Adding a few highlights or balayage streaks of this color to your brunette locks will give them a lovely, dimensional look that is so on-trend right now. For the perfect blend, choose blonde shades that are similar in hue to your brown base color – honey, strawberry and champagne blondes are a few of our favorites. This is a flattering and low maintenance option that looks fantastic with side-swept bangs.
Another way to rock a dark brown with blonde highlights is to have your hair stylist add a light ash blonde color melt to your roots and ends. This is a subtle way to lighten your hair and it’s suitable for anyone with dark blonde or natural brown hair. It’s also a flattering shade for people with hazel or blue eyes as it helps bring out the rich color in their eyes.
No matter which blonde shade you decide to go for on your brown hair, make sure you’re using a shampoo and conditioner specially designed for color-treated hair to prevent dryness and fading. We recommend the L’Oreal Paris Everpure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment and the L’Oreal Paris Everpure Sulfate-Free Bond Repair Conditioner with Citric Acid.
Champagne Blonde
Champagne blonde is a light and airy shade that’s right on trend. It’s a great choice for brunettes who want to add highlights without going overly brassy or ashy. The slightly cool pink undertones make it a perfect fit for rose gold shades, too. It also flatters warm skin tones beautifully. If you have blue eyes, consider a champagne blonde that’ll draw attention to them.
Instagram influencer @juliannflores opted for this bright beige blonde shade with golden undertones. The result is a low-maintenance style that looks amazing with any hairstyle. Whether you’re rocking loose waves or an updo, this blonde is a winner for all occasions.
A natural balayage is one of the best ways to lighten brown hair with blonde highlights. The process is less harsh than a full bleach and tone service, but it still delivers rich and balanced color. Ask your stylist to blend a warmer dirty blonde with lighter champagne highlights for a gorgeous finish.
For a more subtle ombre, opt for a dark brown that gradually fades into a light champagne blonde shade. This look will give your locks a thicker appearance. It also pairs well with brown eyes, as seen on actress Hilary Duff.
Pop star Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation is a fan of strawberry blonde, which is a great option for cooler skin tones. The pastel pink undertones in this shade complement her light-as-air blonde locks. It’s also a fun and flirty way to express your unique personality!
Rose Gold
Rose gold is a shade that’s making waves in all areas of the beauty and fashion scene. From rose-gold tinted sunglasses and lipsticks to rose-gold earrings and wedding rings, this rosy hue is a pretty way to add an extra hint of shine and softness to your look. While Kylie Jenner might have popularized the color, it’s been around for quite some time in a wide variety of products. The shade is available in semi-permanent and permanent hair colors and can be added to both blonde and brown strands.
The trend isn’t just for brunettes, though, as light pink and rose-gold tones can also be paired with sandy blonde strands. This warm-toned look is a great option for ladies who want to try the rose gold hair trend without bleaching their roots.
A rose-brown balayage is another gorgeous way to incorporate the color into your look. Using freehand highlighting techniques Opens in a new tab, your stylist can create a sun-kissed effect that’s perfect for brown-haired girls looking for a subtle touch of rosy sparkle.
For a more dramatic look, you could ask your colorist to use rose gold on your roots and then blend into a darker shade down the middle and ends of your strands. This sepia espresso look is a beautiful way to add some dimension to your hair, and it will complement most complexions perfectly.
Strawberry Blonde
For a more muted version of strawberry blonde, try adding soft pink lowlights. This look is stunning on a wavy strawberry blonde base and perfectly complements the blue eyes and fair skin of this model.
A darker take on strawberry blonde is this reddish blonde that works well for a variety of complexions. The reddish tones add a touch of warmth that is perfect for fall. This is a great idea for anyone who wants to look sun-kissed all year round.
If you’re ready to take a big step into strawberry blonde, go with a dusty strawberry blonde color that’s more approachable than platinum. This shade has a neutral undertone that’s flattering on all skin tones and looks beautiful when worn with curls.
Strawberry blonde ombre is one of the most popular trends right now and it’s a great way to transition into a lighter shade without a major haircut. This look starts out light red and gradually blends into a golden strawberry blonde that’s absolutely gorgeous.
If you want to brighten your strands and get an even more natural strawberry blonde look, ask your stylist for a babylight technique. This technique is more gentle on the hair than a full color process and is a great option for anyone who is nervous about going too blonde. Just make sure to use a hair toning gloss like the L’Oreal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss to keep your strands healthy and vibrant between color appointments.
