There comes a time in every girl’s life when she feels the need for a makeover. This change of look can either be discrete or dramatic – depending on its purpose and on occasion.
Most of the time, one of the easiest and most efficient ways of changing your hairstyle is by changing its color – namely, by adding highlights.
We’ve made things all the easier for our brunette readers as this article is here to show the prettiest ideas of how you can add highlights for dark brown hair and completely change your look!
1. Natural Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Our first idea is a wonderful choice for women who want just a bit of light brought to their dark chocolate locks. For this effect, go for a set of highlights in a shade or two lighter than your base color. Make sure to have your waves done like this. Try it out!
2. Balayage Highlights
Want to stand out through the softness and simplicity of your style? Then consider blending your highlights with a balayage coloring technique that will smoothly blend them with the color of your roots. In this picture, the brown hair color was lightened by adding some shades of copper.
3. Highlights and Lowlights for Dark Brown Hair
Bring all the sunshine you can imagine to your hair with a professional blend of highlights and lowlights. This mixture will accentuate the individual strands and liven up the overall hairstyle in a classy way.
4. Copper on Deep Reddish Brown
Copper is one of those unique hair colors that is spicy yet easygoing at the same time. Although it may initially seem to be a paradox, just take a look at this delicate and fiery tone, and you’ll instantly understand why it’s so beloved.
5. Caramel Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Caramel is easily one of the most endeared options for highlights for dark brown hair. Whether chunky or wispy highlights, this shade works best for brightening any dark base.
6. Highlights for Short Dark Brown Hair
Currently, flaunting short locks? Then opt for a natural highlights tone to liven them up a bit. Whether you go for mahogany, chestnut, or any similar shade, we encourage you to take a wispy approach to the highlights so that they won’t overrule your short hairstyle. Keep it look sleek while being short.
7. Face Framing Highlights for Brown Hair
Longing for a hairstyle that complements the shape of your face? Well, that’s exactly what face-framing highlights are here for. If you get golden highlights like these on your brown hair, they will accentuate your facial features and make for a glamorous look to rock in the summertime. A perfect gentle look.
8. Anne Hathaway Auburn Highlights
We’re back to the natural look for this example with highlights in a magnificent shade of auburn. You know that a hairstyle idea is banging when beautiful A-list celebs like Anne Hathaway sport it at social events.
9. Red Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
A splash of vivid color is just what you need to spice up any hairstyle. As far as red highlights for dark brown hair are concerned, there are two main ways you can go: bold or discrete. Here is what some eye-catching red highlights would look like on a classy bob haircut.
10. Natural Red Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
By contrast, discrete red highlights result in a more natural look. Instead of providing a vivid style, they actually make it seem as if the reds are undertones of the base hair color.
11. Subtle Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Chocolate highlights are undoubtedly the way to get even closer to the dark brown roots. They serve as a warm and natural choice that accentuates the locks and makes for a hairstyle that is appropriate in all environments.
12. Caramel Lowlights on Dark Hair
While you can mix highlights and lowlights for a new splash of sunshine in your hair, you can also opt only for lowlights. This is particularly effective for accentuating the lower parts of the hair and even more so if you have a layered haircut.
13. Light Brown and Dark Brown
Combining light brown with dark brown is as natural as you can get for a hairstyle with highlights. This is also a lovely idea for women who rock side bangs as the highlights can draw attention to this area of the hair.
14. Blonde Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
For a cute, fresh, and youthful look – no matter your age – consider getting some intense blonde highlights. This timeless look started gaining popularity in the 90s and early 2000s and is still going strong today.
15. Dark Green Highlights for Dark Brown Hair and Pale Skin
Have naturally dark brown hair and pale skin? One of the best ways to bring your gorgeous natural features to life is to experiment with equally dark highlights but in a different color. For instance, dark green is an excellent choice, especially if you have blue or green eyes.
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16. Ash Blonde Highlights
Ash-blonde and ash brown are still very much trending. Whether you get them as highlights or as your main color, these tones are deliciously trendy and flattering and can be both edgy and classy – sometimes, at the same time, it all depends on the styling!
17. Dark Highlights for Brown Hair
What if you’re in the exact opposite situation and are looking for dark highlights to sprinkle throughout your brown locks? Well, if your base has a red-brown tone, you shouldn’t hesitate to play around with dark accents that bring it out.
18. Rose Gold Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Just like ash blonde, rose gold is also a top hair trend of the past years. This truly is a lush tone, with accents of champagne blonde and peachy pink all around. It can make for a posh yet confident look, and don’t hesitate to play around by adding waves to your hair.
19. Multi-Colored Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Why settle for one color when you can mix multiple shades for your highlights? The sky is the limit when it comes to your options, so take a queue from the ones above. Admire these rich tones of purple, copper, magenta, and mahogany that look amazing together.
20. Multi-Tone Blonde Highlights
Not only are blonde highlights a prime choice for dark brown locks, but so are multiple tones of this sunny shade. In other words, go ahead and blend different kinds of blonde for a sublime color mix to enhance the dark brown base.
21. Plum Tones Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Plum is an enchanting color to add to your hair, and there is a wide variety of shades to choose from. For this entry, we have chosen a rich plum tone to help you better understand what it would look like.
22. Highlights for Dark Brown Curly Hair
Generally speaking, highlights do a fantastic job of emphasizing individual ringlets for women with curly hair. If you aim to boost your definition, think about natural highlights in chocolate or light blonde. Your natural curls can look better than before with this style.
23. Burgundy Hair Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Dark brown and burgundy are a match made in hair color blending heaven. The two tones go hand in hand, completing each other for a romantic and mysterious look. They also work well together for all skin tones.
24. Caramel Highlights for African American Women
All darker skin tones will look spectacular with deep brown hair with highlights. To make an unforgettable impression, search for the tone that is closest to your skin tone for the highlights, and then go several shades lighter.
25. Charcoal Highlights on Brunette Hair
We can’t get enough of charcoal, one of the trends that are closest to our hearts. Black and dark brown hair alike look radiant and lighter when mixed with charcoal highlights.
26. Highlights for Dark Brown Hair and Olive Skin
We’ve solved the color problem for pale-skinned ladies, but what about olive skin? Natural is the way to go! A popular option consists of getting mocha highlights or a shade that resembles the skin’s tone as much as possible.
27. Chestnut Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Now that we’re on the topic of natural highlights let’s talk more about chestnut highlights for dark brown hair. Chestnut is one of the cool-toned shades of brown that will make for stunning results even on a really dark base.
28. Hot Pink Streaks
Want to express your feminine side? How about bringing out that girly girl you’ve been keeping trapped inside? One word can solve all your problems: pink! Dark brown hair can look enchanting with hot pink or cotton candy highlights and tips.
29. Pastel Purple and Light Brown Highlights
To continue our purple highlights parade, here is the opposite of plum in the form of tarnished lavender. As we explained, lavender looks just as remarkable against dark brown hair. To customize the look, even more, add some light brown highlights as well.
30. Fall Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Whether you’re getting ready for a fall makeover or just want to adapt the colors of the season to your hair, do it! You will enjoy that romantic vibe we described earlier all through a natural and alluring hairstyle.
31. Turquoise Underneath Dark Brown Hair
Are you genuinely aiming to stand out from the others with your hairstyle? Move all your highlights to a specific area of your hair and, for an ultra-cool look, consider getting highlights in a statement color like turquoise.
32. Soft Highlights for Very Dark Brown Hair
What if your hair is really dark, like close to black dark? Then make it all about the accents. You already have enviable hair color, so all you have to do is make it pop! This will be very easy to do with a subtle, intense dark chocolate highlights.
33. Strawberry Blonde Highlights
Similar to rose gold, strawberry blonde, or another peach-inspired hair color can be a very flattering choice of highlights. We recommend it for spring or summer hairstyles, but they can also be perfectly fine during the other seasons.
34. Red and Blonde Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Can’t you decide between blonde or red highlights for your dark brown locks? Combine them! Don’t hesitate to experiment with colors, especially when it comes to achieving a hairstyle you won’t see everywhere you go. The layered haircut also boosts the impact of the highlights blend.
35. Afro Hair with Blonde Accents
Our hearts melt every time we encounter afro-textured curls and hair texture. These superb ringlets deserve to be accentuated accordingly, so don’t shy away from highlights. Define them with an icy or ash blonde tone for a jaw-dropping silhouette.
36. Periwinkle Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Dreaming of a mesmerizing hairstyle that will make you feel like a fairy princess? We’re happy to introduce you to periwinkle. If you haven’t heard of this color before, you should know that this superb pastel color is predicted to trend for years to come.
37. Chunky Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
While some girls prefer a subtle approach to their highlights, others would rather embrace an outgoing and flashy look. Lucky for us, chunky highlights are just as stylish as wispy ones!
38. Summer Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Just like in the case of fall highlights, their summer counterpart can be nailed regardless of the season. The main idea is to accomplish a sun-kissed look that will brighten your appearance. For this, be daring and bring on the blonde!
39. Fire Highlights with Blonde Tips
Show off your fiery personality through your hairstyle and do so in a sassy way! Get inspired by flames for the colors of your highlights, with shades that range from crimson to bright blonde. Make sure they blend well to get the desired effect.
40. Highlights for Graying Dark Brown Hair
Never be ashamed of graying hair! It’s a natural process that should be wholeheartedly embraced instead of hidden away. In addition, charcoal, ash, and silver are some of the hottest hair color trends of these past few years, so boost the gray instead of hiding it!
41. Peekaboo Highlights
We’re absolutely in love with peekaboo coloring, one of the cutest trends of these past few years. As you can imagine, the colors literally peek out from beneath your base color in an adorable way. For dark brown, pink is a lovely color surprise for the hairstyle.
42. Highlights for Dark Red Brown Hair
If you’re blessed with dark red-brown locks or have your hair colored this way, it’s best to highlight the red tones. To make the most of this effect, you should study similar tones that range from chestnut to mahogany or burgundy.
43. Chunky Blonde and Wispy Red Highlights
Are you drawn to the idea of chunky highlights but are also curious about wispy ones? The great news is that you can rock both for your hairstyle. This example features chunky blonde highlights and wispy red ones.
44. Bold Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
We’ll always encourage our fabulous readers to step out of their comfort zone with their hairstyle, especially when it comes to color. Platinum blonde is not only bold but absolutely flattering for almost any woman.
45. Pale Green Frontal Highlights
For this example, we want to draw attention to not one but two terrific ideas for a makeover. Firstly, the pale green color used for the highlights is truly special. Secondly, the concept of frontal highlights can bring a major “wow” factor to any hairstyle.
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46. Brown Highlights in Braided Hair Crown
To ensure that your highlights are properly appreciated, you need to research and discover the most flattering hairstyles for them. In almost all cases, braids will help you emphasize your new highlights – such as this half-up fishtail crown braid.
47. Blue Ombre Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
For a tumblr-esque grunge look, pastels and metallic tones are the answer. In fact, you can combine these two qualities and get a gorgeous steel blue ombre that will look even more amazing when paired with dark brown hair in the form of highlights.
48. Accent Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
Want a touch of glam? Then accent highlights are exactly what you need! To put it briefly, accent highlights and lowlights work to make the base color more pronounced. Let’s say that it’s a bit of spotlight for showing off the best in your base tone.
49. Rainbow Highlights
Use your imagination to create the ideal color mixture for your highlights, and use any shades you feel represent you. A complete set of metallic rainbow highlights is a cool way to start!
50. Sprinkled Streaks
To top off our list of options for highlights for dark brown hair, we will end with an unconventional idea. Even though we typically associate highlights with streaks all around our hair, you should know that adding just a handful can look just as marvelous.
So, What Is YOUR Hair Motivation?
To sum up, adding highlights for dark brown hair will be a small detail that can hugely impact your look. Whether you choose to go for natural accents or statement streaks, you should rock your new hairstyle with pride and a smile on your face.
How about you? Which combo from our list was your favorite? Let’s chat in the comments!
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Lorene Kendall is a professional hairdresser who has been around in the industry for quite some time. She has traveled to different countries and cities because of her undeniable passion for styling. Her creativity and eyes for fashion are what make her stand out the most. With her talent, she provides service that will beautifully translate what her clients want into actual art.
