25 Fabulous Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights Looks to Love

Brown hair with blonde highlights can be just as head-turning as platinum locks. Blonde streaks in dark hair add contrast and interest without the 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: 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.

Instagram / @raylorojohair

#2: 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.

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Instagram / @mikaatbhc

#3: 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.

Instagram / @haleyvalentinehair

#4: 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.

Instagram / @stephanie_stylist

#5: 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.

Instagram / @kellyglassbeauty

#6: 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.

Instagram / @hairbysaiphetkhosa

#7: 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.

Instagram / @aaashleee

#8: 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.

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Instagram / @mane_ivy

#9: 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.

Instagram / @salon_58

#10: 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.

Instagram / @cee_squard

#11: 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.

Instagram / @hairstylist.madison

#12: 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.

Instagram / @haircolorkilla

#13: 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.

Instagram / @hairstylist.madison

#14: Bangin’ Brunette with Blonde Highlights

Talk about cute. Feathered auburn brown bangs mix eccentrically with blonde ends to create a trendy hairstyle with lots of movement. Whether you rock this golden highlights hue as your beach blonde style or carry it into winter, there’s plenty of interest to wear it year-round.

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Instagram / @aaashleee

#15: 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.

Instagram / @brit_bellasalonandboutique

#16: 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.

Instagram / @texasbalayage

#17: 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.

Instagram / @dereqc

#18: 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.

Instagram / @aaashleee

#19: 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.

Instagram / @styled_by_carolynn

#20: Chunky Blonde Highlights on Dark Brown Hair

The placement of these highlights keep the contrast sharp, yet natural. These chunky highlights are finely sectioned so the color result is blended and soft, but you can also go for wider sections.

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Instagram / @carriemarginian_hair

#21: 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.

Instagram / @cristen_smith

#22: 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.

Instagram / @texasbalayage

#23: 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.

Instagram / @styledbycarolyn

#24: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.

Instagram / @kristen.lumiere

#25: 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.

Instagram / @sadieface

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