10 Highlight Ideas for Dark Brown Hair, According to Colorists

The possibilities are endless, but here are the best ones.

One of the many benefits of having dark brown hair is its versatility when it comes to highlights. A stunning chocolate-colored base serves as the perfect canvas for pretty much whatever shade you might be eyeing. According to colorist George Papanikolas, brown hair has the benefit of being the broadest and most versatile range. “Dark brown hair can look good with caramel, hazelnut, mocha, golden, or baby blonde highlights,” he tells us.

So if you want to give your hair some depth and dimension in the color department, highlights are the way to go. It also helps that dark brown hair goes great with highlighting techniques like ombré, balayage, sombré, and flamboyage, adds colorist Richy Kandasamy. But to help us narrow it down, we turned to Papanikolas and Kandasamy for their advice on the best dark brown hair with highlights ideas. Keep scrolling to see what they had to say.

Meet Our Expert

• George Papanikolas is a hair colorist and Matrix brand ambassador. He is based out of Los Angeles and New York City.

• Richy Kandasamy is a hair colorist and the founder of haircare brand Rikoko Beauty.

What to Consider Before Getting Highlights

Go Natural-Looking

Unless you want to go for a dramatic color contrast, stay within two shades of the base color at the root area and no more than four shades lighter at the ends, says Papanikolas. This will help to keep the contrast soft and blended and get your highlights to look soft and natural. “Highlights should only accent the hair and focus on where the sun naturally hits it,” he adds. “Keep your bright streaks to the places on the head that are most exposed to light.”

Kandasamy agrees that the balance between dark and light shades is important. He recommends going two to three levels lighter. Then, depending on your complexion and skin tone, you will decide whether to go for cooler or warmer undertones. “When highlighting dark hair, always keep your natural underlying pigment in mind,” says Kadasamy. “The color tends to go warmer or brassy very easily if not maintained with appropriate hair care.”

Get Ready for Bleach

No matter what type of highlight you opt for, Kandasamy says that highlighting dark hair will usually require bleach or a high-lift tint. The darker your base is, the more work it will require to achieve your desired highlight, he says. For that reason, he recommends always seeing a professional colorist to minimize any hair damage.

Aftercare

“To keep your highlights vibrant, maintenance is key,” says Kandasamy. “Maintenance is fairly minimal, as darker highlighted hair really only needs to be retouched at the roots every six to eight weeks with the occasional balayage or highlights top-up added.” 

Papanikolas agrees and says to use a shampoo and conditioner that will neutralize the blonde throughout hair and keep golden highlights fresh. He recommends Matrix Total Results Brass Off Blue Shampoo to keep brassiness at bay and infuse hair with moisture and shine. Kandasamy says that a mask is key and recommends R+Co Sunset Blvd Blonde Toning Masque.

Our Favorite Looks

Caramel Highlights

Beyoncé lightened her dark brown hair with subtle face-framing caramel highlights. The lighter shade blends in so seamlessly with the darker strands for something more natural-looking. It's almost like the sun lightened her hair—and not one of the best colorists in the game.

Sombré Highlights

Sombré—aka the soft ombré—highlights are a great option if you want some dimension without it being overtly noticeable. Olivia Munn’s dark brown hair gradually gets lighter and turns into a warm chestnut shade toward the end to get that sun-kissed look.

Hazlenut Highlights

Yes, Kendall Jenner’s bleached brows take center stage in this look. But her hazelnut highlights shouldn’t be slept on. The lighter shade of brown sits on top with her darker roots peeking out for some depth and volume.

All-Over Balayage

All-over balayage is a great way to get that natural-looking lived-in color in just a matter of minutes. I mean, just look at Gemma Chan as proof. Here, she wears her balayage with chestnut-colored highlights cascading evenly throughout her dark brown hair.

Golden Highlights

Lucy Hale wears her golden streaks bright and mixes the ultra-light shade with her darker roots. Paired with a layered bob and curtain bangs, this look gives total rocker edgy vibes.

Mocha Highlights

Priyanka Chopra’s rich mocha highlights not only brighten her dark brown hair but also frame her face quite nicely. Opt for this when looking for something to give your brunette shade an elevated look in color. If you want a layered look without having to cut your hair, this is what you should ask for.

Auburn Highlights

Blonde and brunette are an obvious match, but change it up and go for a more red base when shopping for fresher highlights. Joan Smalls wears her long, wavy, dark hair with brown auburn highlights to warm up her base shade.

Grown-Out Roots

If you're looking for dramatic, all-over color on your brown hair, look to actress and activist Laverne Cox for inspiration. Here, she's donning natural, cascading curls that are brown at the root—at least an inch or so—and blonde from mids to ends.

Copper Curls

Call it the Rihanna effect, but curly-colored crops are in. Nathalie Emmanuel's copper-colored highlights add dimension to her dark brown locks. Just make sure to keep tendrils hydrated—with a quality curl cream—to achieve bounce and definition.

Blonde Money Pieces

To frame your face when you have dark brown hair, money pieces—a.k.a. chunky highlights—are a trending style. Here, Saweetie's blonde money pieces add a pop of color and personality against her espresso-toned tresses.

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