Arijana Arci is an international hairstylist based in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from a cosmetology school back in Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 2008. Since then, she has loved to do hair, especially playing with hair colors, which is her ultimate passion. “Every hair color look that I create, I do deeply from my heart!”, says Arijana.
Read full bio Editorial guidelinesWithout any doubt, natural black hair color is a great base color for any type of highlights. With so many variations flattering different skin tones, textures, and personal styles, it’s easy to find a combination to enhance your appearance. Whether you seek to add some depth or juice up your dark tresses with color, explore these amazing ideas of black hair with highlights to step up your look.
Chestnut highlights for your darkest brunette hair are a great hair color idea for all four seasons. Chestnut hue gives the hair much shine without damaging hair. This is a really low-maintenance way to highlight black hair, and the color stays up to 8 weeks.
If you would like to have a hint of fashion colors like violet or red, here is a great idea that is in between those two colors. Purple highlights are high maintenance on very dark locks, which means getting your highlights retouched every 4-6 weeks and using color protection shampoo and conditioner.
This hair features an elaborate combination of highlights that create enticing depth and dimension. The richness of lighter and darker shades is definitely worth copying. Warm caramel blonde and chestnut highlights can be your best bet if you have a warm skin tone.
Give your hair an edgy appeal with rose gold highlights that beautifully accentuate medium skin tones. For that gorgeous skin-glowing effect, add face-framing strands. A word of advice: rose gold and peachy hues are the best match for a dark brown base. However, consider a cooler, pastel shade of pink to achieve a similar effect on your jet-black locks.
Although very subtle, blonde babylights can do an awesome job of illuminating your face and adding a soft glow to your complexion. Blonde highlights and a raven-black base create a striking contrast, which makes the entire look elegant and dramatic, especially when paired with long hair.
Blonde balayage can be your ideal option if you crave going lighter without coloring your entire head of hair. In addition, blonde comes in an impressive variety of shades. Sandy, peachy, strawberry, platinum, or golden highlights — this is you and your colorist who make the final decision.
Natural black hair with darker shade highlights, like this burgundy hue, is usually quite easy to maintain. If you wash your hair once or twice a week with color protection shampoo, this color will stay on your hair for about 7-9 weeks.
This color is perfect if you are looking for a minimum maintenance choice for very dark hair. No need to create a voluminous blowout, just wash and air dry your long tresses and enjoy their stunning appearance.
If you’re a bit bored with your natural hair color but don’t feel like dyeing it all, highlights will come to save the day. Adding highlights on dark hair create dimension and depth, making it look really chic. Opt for light brown highlights in case you prefer a more natural look.
This color is cool but pretty high maintenance, especially if you have very dark base color. You need to do your hair every 4-6 weeks and use purple shampoo and conditioner every time your hair is washed.
Auburn tones give your dark strands a natural dimension and dynamic. During the warm season, auburn highlights are the perfect color if you like to have a more natural look. They are also low maintenance.
Gray highlights are perfect to blend in with your natural dark base. This color is high maintenance, which means you must use purple shampoo and conditioner to keep up with the gray shine and prevent yellow tones. Retouch is recommended every 5 to 8 weeks.
If you aim to spice up your natural dark brunette tresses, here are beautiful ash color highlights to add more shine to your locks. To preserve the lighter shade for any brassy tones creeping in, use low temperatures when using a flat iron or curling iron, no more than 370F. If the temperature is higher, the color will melt and after 2-3 weeks, the highlights will lose their color and shine.
Caramel highlights and dark chocolate hair are one of the most beautiful combinations. The best part, when it comes to upkeep, it is very low maintenance. Brown highlights can stay up to 3 months without using any special treatment like purple or blue shampoo.
If you’re searching for ways to spice up your black tresses but don’t feel like going too bright, consider getting brown highlights. Hazelnut chocolate tints look elegant and chic, adding dimension and drama to your black hair.
Without any doubt, dark brunette and red shades are a divine combination. The striking contrast these hues create is a sure-fire way to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t mind getting more red than just a couple of highlights, choose a more vivid color effect, for instance, a black-to-copper ombre.
If you find the commonplace blonde streaks too boring, why not add a bit of silver to your brunette head? Gray highlights look gorgeous on dark hair. Combined with loose waves, they help create a glamorous look.
For a more natural look, choose highlights that are just a few tones lighter than your natural color. You can also ask for a couple of brighter accents for a sun-kissed effect. The whole thing looks truly elegant and chic.
This messy dark bob looks extremely hot with salted caramel money pieces and ombre. Warm caramel is the perfect match for ladies with darker skin tones, beautifully emphasizing facial features and bringing a beautiful glow to the skin.
Such buttery blonde highlights are a high-maintenance option for your dark locks. So, if you are not ready to devote much time (or money) to your hair, blonde highlights are not the choice to go with. However, if you feel that you can step up to the challenge, this look is definitely one to fall in love with.
Honey highlights are a charming idea for the warmer season. If you use color protection shampoo and conditioner this color will stay shiny without any orange and yellow tones.
These types of highlights are a great hair color idea if you are looking for some shine of honey and blonde between your natural or colored dark brown or black hair roots. It flatters any skin tone and is a gentler approach to going blonde you’d better consider if you have dark natural curls.
They look more natural on raven-black hair, infusing the mane with extra shine. Leave your dark roots natural and place highlights on the lower part of your hair and near the front to brighten up your complexion.
Here is a very modern short haircut with gray highlights, and it’s an ultimate show stealer. Maintenance for this type of look is very high, though. Cut and highlights are recommended every 5 weeks. Also, continuous maintenance (read purple shampoo) is required to keep the gray bright.
You can’t go wrong with mahogany highlights, especially for a warmer season. Maintenance for this type of highlights is low and you can visit your salon just once in 8 weeks.
Looking for an idea to flatter darker skin tones? Consider getting chocolate brown highlights. While adding depth and dimension to your hair, they’ll perfectly pair with your sun-tanned complexion.
If you aren’t enthusiastic about the stark contrast lighter shades like platinum or strawberry blonde can provide, you can always go for a more natural-looking light brown hue. They will help you achieve that chic just-stepped-out-of-the-salon but still natural look.
Red hair color is beautiful, especially as it contrasts with black-brown hair. This is why the combination looks so perfect on darker tresses. It is recommended to retouch every 6 to 8 weeks.
If you enjoy shining bright and turning heads at all times, fiery red highlights might be what you need. So vivid and juicy, they are a great way to show off your charismatic personality and unique style. Still, remember to stock up on quality colored hair products to keep your flame burning for as long as possible.
Balayage can be your best choice if you want to achieve a more dramatic look. Ask your stylist to select a combination of hues that will best match your skin tone and eye color.
The impressive variety of options to highlight black hair allows you to choose the one that will help your beauty shine through. With the proper maintenance, your highlights will last for weeks. However, keep in mind that different colors call for different products, so don’t forget to consult your stylist about it before leaving the salon.
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