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Jodie Michalak
Updated on November 02, 2022
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Brown hair with blonde highlights can be just as head-turning as platinum locks. Blonde streaks in dark hair add contrast and interest without any major commitment. Whether you have light brown or dark chocolate brown hair, there’s a pale companion that can liven up even the richest of hues.

Blonde and Brown Hair Color

Depending on your maintenance goals and the desired look, there’s a brunette-to-blonde hair lightening technique that can add a little (or a lot) of sunshine to your style. Versatility is what makes brown hair with blonde highlights so fun and exciting.

With over 50 variants of blonde hair color, blonde highlights can be very different, ranging from heavy blonde on chestnut brown hair to mahogany tresses kissed with copper. When you lighten your tresses, it is important to choose a tone that will flatter your skin tone and complement a base. Thus, mixing blonde and brown hair is best done by a professional using a customized hair coloring technique.

Take a look at the following brunette hue ideas and get inspired for an enlightened look. Who ever said brown has to be boring, anyway?

1. Three Shades of Brown Hair with Blonde Streaks

Melting three shades of medium brown together and adding some light blonde streaks creates warmth and visual interest without a solitary tone. This coloring technique is perfect for anyone who wants to keep their dark brown richness while adding a multitude of hues.

2. Brunette Lob With Lots of Highlights

Add some blonde to your lob hairstyle and your mid-length cut will be far from basic. This painted color leaves plenty of room to grow and can be toned to flatter your complexion. Ask your colorist to richen up your brown first for maximum contrast.

Painted Brunette Lob

Instagram / @texasbalayage

3. Brown Hair with Icy Mocha Highlights

Icy mocha and beige highlights are ideal for warm complexions and make a neutral approach to adding highlights for brown hair without unflattering golden or orange tones. Ash blonde highlights flatter medium and olive complexions.

Icy Mocha Brown

Instagram / @stephanie_stylist

4. Choc Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

Hair smudging is back in trend, so why not use it to add brighter hues to your chocolate brown hair and warm up your complexion with lighter accents? By the way, the technique is ideal for adding blonde highlights to light brown or dark blonde too.

Root Smudged Locks

Instagram / @cee_squard

5. Brown Hair with Golden Blonde Highlights

Want to stay at the center of attention in any situation? Honey blonde ribbons on your natural hair color can help you with that! Keep your roots dark to save yourself from dyeing your locks every month. Also, curl your locks to make the lighter strands even more noticeable.

6. Straight Brown Hair with Strawberry Balayage

Blonde highlights suit any complexion and appear gorgeous both on straight and wavy hair. Besides, once you have such a rich hair color, you can style your hair within minutes without expensive hair styling products or appliances.

Chocolate Mane with Dimensional Strawberry Balayage

Instagram / @alianecandidowt

7. Caramel Brown Hair with Golden Highlights

The mix of caramel brown hair and golden highlights is a key to achieving the trendy ‘it-girl’ look. These hues perfectly complement tanned skin and contrast light blue or gray eyes. The face-framing sparkling strands spice up facial features and emphasize the wavy hair texture.

Warm Brown Waves and Golden Blonde Money Piece

Instagram / @glorified.hair

8. Golden Brown and Blonde Highlights

This is how pretty long brown hair can get. Add some variation to your brunette with cool golden brown and soft blonde highlights. Ideal for pairing with jumbo waves where you’ll see the varied hues throughout sexy curls.

Sultry Rich Brunette

Instagram / @styledbycarolyn

9. Hot Ginger Blonde Front Highlights

A solid hair color went to the background compared to balayage, so if you want to achieve a trendy and catchy hairstyle, pay attention to subtle or chunky blonde highlights! Paired with wavy locks, this hue looks very dimensional; plus, honey and ginger blonde shades perfectly match warm skin tones.

Walnut Brown Hair with Strawberry Money Piece

Instagram / @neto__valentim

10. Brown Color Melting

Not quite the same as ombre, this color melting technique adds blonde streaks at varied parts of the shaft and the result is random, artistic, and much more natural than a full head of brown hair with blonde highlights. This color will grow out beautifully so you can ditch the maintenance.

Brown Color Melting

Instagram / @kellyglassbeauty

11. Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights

Adding platinum blonde highlights to a dark brown base is a great way to brighten up your look or test how you will look like wearing blonde hair. Mix up your color with varied honey shades in the front paired with caramel blonde highlights in the back and reap all the benefits of highlights without the allover commitment.

Caramel and Cream

Instagram / @mikaatbhc

12. Light Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

Blonde highlights are great not only for dark brown hair; they really look gorgeous with lighter brown tones, resulting in a youthful and romantic look.

13. Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights and Lowlights

This stylish color transitions from golden and pale neutral blonde to darker tones creating a stunning and well-blended look. Although any hair type can wear highlights, a blended hue like this works best on straight or wavy hair where you’ll see the dimension.

Three Dimensional Cool

Instagram / @cristen_smith

14. Long Espresso Curls with a Brown-Blonde Gradient

Get this beach-ready hair color by adding soft caramel balayage highlights mid-shaft on long hair. When painted using the artful balayage freehand technique, these natural blonde highlights on brown hair look as if you’ve been kissed by the sun.

15. Blonde Highlights on Dark Beachy Waves

Keep your chocolate brown rich at the top and opt for blonde ends instead. These baby fine balayage applied highlights add lots of impact with little commitment. Come fall, you can richen your color all over and say goodbye to your highlights if desired.

Dark Beachy Waves

Instagram / @kristen.lumiere

16. Dark Brown Hair with Blonde and Red Highlights

Redding tones can be an excellent addition to blonde highlights on brown hair. Just don’t try to mimic the look from the 90ies with chunky red and blonde lines; go for more natural tones and blending techniques.

17. Short Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

Amp up your haircut with a blonde hue that’s equally chic. These golden highlights are painted using the artsy balayage technique. It can define lines of a haircut so be sure to ask your stylist to make your cut pop with unique placement.

18. Blended Golden Blonde Highlights

Implementing dark and light blonde highlights in your short brown hair is the best way to make it cuter and more touchable. With this coloring technique, you can lighten your hair without damaging its structure. As a result, your locks are brighter and softer while remaining healthy.

Golden Brown Midi Shag with Blonde Highlights

Instagram / @richiemiao

19. Medium Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

The perfect answer to indecisiveness? Ombre and balayage combo! This hand-painted brunette works beautifully on a medium length cut and instantly adds texture and movement to any style. Bedhead has never looked better.

Ombre Balayage Combo

Instagram / @mane_ivy

20. Light Brown and Champagne Blonde Highlights

Striving to get a new hairstyle but are not ready for a full blonde change? How about this light brown with champagne blonde highlights masterpiece? Even though this gorgeous styling seems to be not that easy to be repeated, you can create the same stunning loook at home using a curling iron and a fixing spray.

Ash Blonde and Silver Highlights Before and After

Instagram / @colorbymaddie

21. Warm Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

Warmth and elegancy – this is how we can describe this flattering hairstyle. The soft waves bring extra volume and dimension, thus emphasizing the texture of highlighted locks. Pin this style for inspiration and show it to your hairstylist to get the same magnetizing hairstyle.

Pretty Highlighted Warm Brown Hair

Instagram / @eduarda_emerich

22. Brown Hair with Warm Blonde Highlights

The right dyeing job doesn’t only bring more color and texture to the hair but also can illuminate the face and emphasize the facial features, just like this gorgeous highlighted style. It is a major departure from a natural shade, even though dark brown roots keep the style low maintenance. Be sure, your new hairstyle won’t pass unnoticed!

Brown Hair with Generous Blonde Highlights

Instagram / @kainandecanine

23. Copper Blonde Highlights on Dark Base

It’s impossible to keep your eyes off these stunning highlighted locks, but you will be even more impressed if we tell you it is also very low-maintenance. Pick the shade that will contrast your natural base, curl your strands and fix them with the spray – and you are ready to go!

Metallic Bronze and Golden Highlights

Instagram / @marcosviannahair

24. Dark Hair with Golden Blonde Streaks

Looking for blonde highlights ideas that will be easy to achieve on brunette hair? Even though this style is quite simple, it looks very flattering and sophisticated. Chunky highlights that start on the crown and melt into textured pieces on the bottom add a lot of movement to the feathered locks.

Softening Light Warm Front Highlights

Instagram / @andersonacouto

25. Warmth-Oozing Brown Hair Balayage

This hairdo is all about warmth and femininity. The stunning light brown and caramel balayage radiates shine and accentuates the layers, drawing all attention to the bouncy curls. Put lighter blonde shades toward the ends to highlight the beautiful hair texture.

Warmth-Oozing Brown Hair with Blonde Balayage

Instagram / @norivalsilva_

26. Blonde Babylights on Brown Base

Want to add some bright accents to your long hair? Here’s a trendy style to consider. A brown layered haircut makes your long strands more voluminous, while subtle highlights give your hue extra dimension. Besides, honey-colored highlights are a good match for a paler complexion, as they can bring warmth to the face.

Warm Blonde Highlights and Brown Lowlights

Instagram / @_hairbypaula

27. Chunky Face-Framing Blonde Highlights

Selecting a suitable color of highlights can be a quite challenging task, but if you take into consideration your skin tone, you will easily come up with the right shade. For example, if you have a fair complexion like the girl in the photo, dark brown hair with sandy blonde highlights is what the doctor ordered!

Chunky Face-Framing Blonde Highlights

Instagram / @hairbymickk

28. Textured Lob with Strawberry Blonde Highlights

You don’t have to grow long hair to look appealing and feminine. Medium layered haircut styled with a deep side part looks tempting on its own, but if you accentuate it with strawberry blonde highlights, your hair will look super trendy and eye-catching!

Asymmetrical Brown Bob with Highlighted Front

Instagram / @gustavomigli

29. Flowy Sandy Blonde Ribbons in Dark Hair

Sandy or honey blonde highlights look magnificent on dark brown hair. The main advantage of this style is that it is quite universal, which is why you can wear it casually and on special occasions. Definitely worth your attention!

Metallic Caramel Blonde Highlights Brown Hair

Instagram / @thassiodutra

30. Walnut Brown Hair with Thin Blonde Highlights

For some women, chunky ribbons or balayage is a big step towards changing the natural hair color. Thankfully, there is a less drastic way to spice up your hue – subtle blonde highlights. This is how you can give your brown hair a more stylish and dimensional look to turn everyone’s heads!

31. Dark Hair with Blonde Front Highlights

If you want to add chunky blonde highlights that will contrast your dark brown hair, platinum highlights can be an excellent solution! Looks trendy and sassy, exactly what you need for an upcoming party!

Matte Blonde Highlights and Money Pieces

Instagram / @chrisweberhair

32. Brown on Top Blonde on Bottom Hair

Ombre hair makes wearing roots an acceptable alternative to costly hair coloring appointments. Brown and blond hair color paired with a textured cut that offers lots of movement and wave rocks bed head in the best way.

Balayage Blonde Ends

Instagram / @raylorojohair

33. Brown Hair with Blonde Front Pieces

You can create a bold hairstyle highlighting only front pieces of your natural brown hair. Change the parting or braid your colored long bangs and have a brand new look every day.

34. Lots of Blonde Highlights

Can blonde highlights get any sweeter than this caramel vanilla cream look? Take your naturally light brown hair to new levels with this dimensional color that perfectly combines warm and cool hues for a natural and wearable tone that will flatter most complexions.

Caramel Vanilla Cream

Instagram / @texasbalayage

35. Dark Brown with Beach Blonde Balayage

Get that California glow. As classic as summer blonde can get, this beach blonde balayage is the perfect way to lighten brown locks so they’ll transition into fall with ease. Hold onto that Indian Summer a little longer with this sexy and sunny style.

Balayage Beach Blonde

Instagram / @salon_58

36. Pretty Brunette Balayage

If you want a head turning color combination, try brown hair with highlights and lowlights for a sexy look that has the best of both worlds. When in doubt, caramel blonde highlights are a safe bet for all brunettes.

Pretty Brunette Balayage

Instagram / @sadieface

37. Dark Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

Say goodbye to boring brown and lighten up your tresses with beige highlights for a universally flattering take on blonde.

Coffee with Cream

Instagram / @aaashleee

38. Brown and Blonde Highlights on Natural Hair

If you consider dyeing your natural black hair, brown and blonde highlights might be the most flattering option. Blonde hues accent the structure of the curls, adding lots of definition to coily hair.

Natural Hair with Highlights

Instagram / @haircolorkilla

39. Dark Brown with Partial Balayage

Check out those roots with the darkest of all the hues. An ombre application is a great way to try out blonde without lightening your crown. Such coloring works best if you have the length to play with varied colors.

Varied Brown Balayage

Instagram / @aaashleee

40. Blonde Highlights on Natural Hair

Blonde highlights look great on both curly and relaxed natural hair. For a flattering hairstyle, pair black hair with warm blonde and light brown hues.

Diamond Color Placing Technique

Instagram / @dereqc

Want to try trendy colors risk-free? Use our Hair Color Changer App before visiting your stylist.

Three Shades of Brown Painted Brunette Lob Icy Mocha Brown Root Smudged Locks Chic Golden Blonde Facial Framing Chocolate Mane with Dimensional Strawberry Balayage Warm Brown Waves and Golden Blonde Money Piece Sultry Rich Brunette Walnut Brown Hair with Strawberry Money Piece Brown Color Melting Caramel and Cream Light Brown Hair with Highlights Three Dimensional Cool Long Espresso Curls Dark Beachy Waves Blonde Balayage Highlights Edgy Brunette Blonde Golden Brown Midi Shag with Blonde Highlights Ombre Balayage Combo Ash Blonde and Silver Highlights Before and After Pretty Highlighted Warm Brown Hair Brown Hair with Generous Blonde Highlights Metallic Bronze and Golden Highlights Softening Light Warm Front Highlights Warmth-Oozing Brown Hair with Blonde Balayage Warm Blonde Highlights and Brown Lowlights Chunky Face-Framing Blonde Highlights Asymmetrical Brown Bob with Highlighted Front Metallic Caramel Blonde Highlights Brown Hair Walnut Brown Hair with Thin Blonde Highlights Matte Blonde Highlights and Money Pieces Balayage Blonde Ends Pained Front Pieces Caramel Vanilla Cream Balayage Beach Blonde Pretty Brunette Balayage Coffee with Cream Natural Hair with Highlights Varied Brown Balayage Diamond Color Placing Technique
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