The beauty of classic haircuts and anti-trend hair colours is that they stick around for one good reason—they always look good. Sure, there’s a time and a place for a trending tonal moment (hello, cherry cola) and more experimental techniques like this season’s soft colour melting, but certain colour combinations are timeless. Case in point: brown hair with blonde highlights. Transitioning from the high-contrast streaks of the Y2K era to a quieter diffusion of colour, this look remains highly requested in salons because it can be constantly reinvented. “When a brunette asks for blonde highlights, the aim is to create lightness that feels refined and effortless—not retro,” explains colourist Brigita Latiseviciute from CULt Hairdressing. Today, it’s all about sunkissed polish, soft ribbons of light and adding dimension to the hair by mixing tone, rather than throwback chunky streaks of blonde.
Even better, brown hair with blonde highlights works across different textures, hair lengths, tones and levels of commitment. If you want couture levels of contrast, then go for it, but if you want a more lived-in toasted beige blend, then that works too. And there’s no shortage of ideas if you’re looking for inspiration, either. The A-list love this classic colour combo. From Jennifer Lopez’s trademark bronde glow to Zendaya’s caramel colour switch-up, highlights remain a go-to for gorgeous red carpet looks.
Interested in switching up your colour? Ahead, we’ve rounded up all of the inspiration you need. Plus, keep scrolling to find out what to ask for in salon and how to care for your brown hair and blonde highlights at home...
Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights Ideas
1. Strawberry Blonde
Kelly Rowland's warm strawberry blonde highlights add a golden glow to her beachy brunette waves.
2. Winter Ombré
This high-contrast ombré creates a beautiful contrast between deep brunette roots and golden blonde ends—a perfect winter refresh.
3. Blonde Babylights
Hailey Bieber's ultra-fine blonde highlights add the prettiest glow to her brunette style.
4. Golden Glam
The combination of side-swept waves and perfectly placed blonde highlights give Lauren-Nicole's brunette style instant red carpet glamour.
5. Smudged Out
Smudged blonde was one of the coolest colour trends in Paris this summer and Ellie Delphine proves it's the perfect highlight hue for brown hair too.
6. '90s Grunge
A playful nod to a bygone era can make for undeniably cool results as Jade Thirwall proves with these '90s-inspired chunky bleach blonde stripes.
7. Honey Glow
Jessica Alba has been serving up her trademark honey-hued hair since the '00s—and it always looks good.
8. Barely-There Blonde
Highlights don't have to be dramatic. Aimee Song's subtle face-framing blonde streaks add just a little brightness to the front of her dark hair.
9. Toasted Beige
This winter is going to be all about embracing warmer, butter shades of blonde and I love how Symphani Soto has flipped a classic balayage to add lightness at her roots and depth at the ends.
10. Full Beam
The queen of a full head of blonde highlights on brown hair has to be Jennifer Lopez. Keep them ultra-fine and diffused all over the hair for this level of dimension.
11. Money Piece
Money pieces are great if you want a bold colour upgrade, and Ciara's chunky blonde highlights frame her face perfectly.
12. Gossamer Highlights
Ultra-fine, delicate blonde highlights, placed carefully throughout the hair, add a subtle yet expensive-looking shine to brunette styles.
13. Diffused Brunette
Beyonce's coffee-toned brunette and caramel blonde highlights diffuse perfectly into this natural colour blend that's perfect for adding some warmth to the cooler months.
14. Feathered Texture
It's not just Daisy Edgar-Jones's feathered fringe and layers that add texture to this style; it's the painterly highlights that add soft dimension.
15. Soft Contrast
Alison Brie's timeless colour combination fuses glossy chocolate brown tones with rich blonde ends for chic results.
16. Sun Blushed
If you're not ready to say goodbye to summer, make like MV Tiangue and add brightness to the ends of your brown hair to keep a little of that sunshine glow.
17. Brunette Melt
Colour melting is fast taking over as this year's chicest colour trend, with the seamless blend between hues modelled perfectly on Eiza Gonzalez's brunette to strawberry blonde look.
18. Dark Roots
There's something effortlessly cool about a blonde bob with dark roots as Sofia Richie Grainge proves here.
How to Achieve Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights
There are lots of different colour techniques that can be used to get this look, but Latiseviciute points out that it really does depend on the desired outcome. “I might do something like brushed-in highlights, or closer to the roots balayage, which prevents any harsh lines and gives the highlights a naturally diffused, expensive finish,” she explains.
Generally speaking though, traditional highlights and balayage are the go-to options for achieving brown hair with blonde highlights. “Balayage offers a beautifully soft, sun-kissed effect because it’s painted freehand and creates a diffused blend, while highlights, placed in foils, is a technique applied straight from the roots to give more visual lightness but it also requires higher maintenance,” Latiseviciute explains. Her pick? “For many clients, the most polished result comes from combining the two for more of a harmonious balance.”
How to Care for Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights
Of course, colouring your hair always requires some level of care—whether that’s switching to colour-safe shampoos and conditioners at home or more regular trips to the salon for touch-ups. But how specifically is it best to keep brown hair with blonde highlights looking its best? Latiseviciute recommends using professional-grade colour shampoos and conditioners as well as visiting your salon for toners to prevent the blonde highlights from looking brassy. “As for overall maintenance, it does depend on the techniques used, but I’d say you’ll need to revisit the salon every eight weeks for highlights and every three to four months for balayage,” Latiseviciute explains.
This toning hair gloss is brilliant for maintaining highlights on brunette hair while leaving your lengths glossy.
A professional shampoo that boosts the radiancy of coloured hair using potent antioxidant resveratrol to nourish and protect.
Care for your colour while adding an intense glass shine to your hair with this gloss-boosting conditioner.
This clever shampoo uses blue-violet pigments to neutralise brassiness and keep orange tones at bay—keeping your brown and blonde hues distinct without becoming coppery.
This multipurpose serum delivers UV protection, prevents colour fading, and adds an expensive-looking sheen to finished styles.
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