53 Eye-Catching Blonde Highlights For Brown Hair (Bronde Hairstyles)
Look like a sophisticated diva by getting some gorgeous highlights in your brunette mane.
Monica Dickenson has more than 30 years of experience as a dedicated technician and business owner. She is very passionate about providing the best service possible to anyone experiencing hair loss and has certifications in hair replacement and holistic trichology.
Read full bio of Monica Dickenson
Experience: 7 yearsAnjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be healthy.
Read full bio of Anjali Sayee
Experience: 2.5 yearsShatabdi is an associate editor and an alumnus of Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, where she honed her skills and developed a deep understanding of the world of literature and expression. She has worked with various organizations and websites operating in different industries, ranging from education to lifestyle, showing her adaptability and drive to learn.
Read full bio of Shatabdi Bhattacharya
Anu is a beauty and lifestyle writer and a graduate of Amity University, Noida, where she refined her writing skills and cultivated her deep passion for the field. She pursued the Beauty Technician Training Program at Maquillage Beauty Institute, which has equipped her with practical skills in various beauty treatments.
Read full bio of Anu Pallavi
Image: Shutterstock
In the battle of blonde vs. brunette, we have found some middle ground! On one end of the bronde (combination of blonde and brown hair) is brown hair with blonde highlights.
It is a growing fashion, with many people rushing to the beauty salons for a bronde balayage. If your natural hair color is brown or if you recently colored your hair brown, this is for you. Brunettes know that coloring their hair completely blonde means bleaching their hair, which may lead to significant hair damage. So, the next best thing is getting blonde highlights on lovely natural brown locks. Blonde highlights offer all-brown hair a stunning, new look while maintaining its rich allure. In this article, learn about the right highlighting techniques and know which blonde shade is the right transformation choice for your locks. Keep reading to check out some incredible blonde highlight ideas and tips for your brown tresses. You won’t be disappointed!
Keep reading to check out some incredible blonde highlight ideas and tips for your brown tresses. You won’t be disappointed!
Before You Get Started- For naturally dark hair, going bronde can mean lifting several levels through bleaching. Discuss a transition plan with your stylist to maintain good hair health while undergoing the process.
- Once your hair is bleached, know your hair has undergone some level of damage. Avoid heat styling, sun exposure, or DIY experiments. Use lots of color-protecting hydrating products. Your stylist can help with recommendations.
- A balayage bronde look is easier to maintain. This technique is done using darker colors on the roots that gradually melt into the blondes at the bottom, eliminating the hassle of root maintenance. This look simply grows out beautifully.
- Choose your bronde shades considering your skin tone. Light and ashy looks suit pale and cool skin tones. Golds and honey-caramel shades look great on darker and warmer skin tones.
In This Article
Tips For Getting Blonde Highlights For Brunettes
- If you have cool-toned hair, pick a cool-toned blonde shade for your highlights.
- Warm blonde highlights on brown hair are perfect for creating that sun-kissed hair look.
- If you want to add depth to your hair color, opt for intense blonde shades over bright ones.
- Lighter shades of blonde – like golden, honey, and strawberry – add more gloss to your hair.
- You can play around with the style of highlights you want. You can get streaks or opt for a balayage. Do you want full or partial highlights? What about an ombre or a sombre? The list goes on. Talk to your hairstylist to know all your options before you make the bronde leap.
- Consider how much of a change you really want. Do you want to go drastic, edgy, or just playful?
- Take the season into account. Some colors look brilliant in autumn but don’t look as stellar in spring. This is because the colors in each season change. You see more earthy colors on display in autumn as opposed to the bright colors in summer, and so on.
- Take care of your hair because you will have to bleach it to go blonde. Deep condition it once every two weeks to prevent it from getting dehydrated. Stay away from heat styling tools for at least two weeks after coloring it. You can also ask your stylist if they use Olaplex or something similar that works to repair broken bonds.These steps will go a long way in curbing the damage caused by bleaching.
It is important to understand your skin tone and hair type to choose the right blonde shade. Consult with a professional hairstylist to make an informed choice. In the next section, we will discuss the different types of highlights that you can do with blonde dye on your brown hair. Read on.
Blonde Highlight Techniques For Brown Hair
Here is an overview of how different hair highlight techniques shall work for stunning blonde highlights for brown hair.
1. Balayage: This technique is like freehand smearing of blonde hues on brown hair. It offers a natural sun-kissed effect, ideal for a low-maintenance look.
2. Foil Highlights: In this method, sections of hair are dyed and wrapped in foil sheets for a more defined effect. It creates a dynamic contrast.
3. Ombre: This style involves a gradual shift of color from brown to blonde. The roots remain brown and appear to progressively turn blonder toward the tips. It offers a striking yet harmonious look. You can also tone down this highlighting technique to achieve a seamless sombre effect.
4. Babylights: In this highlighting technique, slim or fine highlights are applied throughout the hair for a shimmery illusion. It offers a soft glow to brunette hair.
Now that you know how the different highlighting techniques can make your hair achieve a stunning bronde look, it is time to choose a style that pleases you. We have listed our top picks of blonde highlights that look perfect on brown hair.
53 Eye-Grabbing Blonde Highlights For Brown Hair
1. Coffee Blonde Balayage
Add definition to your hair with this coffee blonde balayage. Coffee brown with blonde highlights gives your hair that subtle sun-kissed hint. Start the highlights with a deep dirty blonde shade that bleeds into a milkier coffee color to recreate this look. A blended balayage is a great option if you want the color to largely focus on the ends and accentuate your overall daily look.
2. Sandy Blonde Highlights
Create a contrasting look with sandy highlights over your brown hair. It gives your tresses a chic and classy touch while enhancing your look. Style your hair in waves or curls to accentuate the highlights and give your hair more depth.
3. Cool Blonde Highlights
This is perfect for those with cool undertones. The cool blonde shade pairs well with your cool-toned skin. Notice how the color has white-silvery tints that enhance your hair’s shine. This also makes your hair look thicker and healthier.
4. Mocha Blonde Bangs
For a subtle statement look, highlight your brown bangs with a mocha blonde shade. This contrasting shade brings out a nice chocolatey hint in your brown hair and makes your eye color pop. It’s a great choice for those with warm undertones.
5. Icy Blonde Balayage
Get Icy-blonde balayage to complement your cool undertone while adding definition to your hair color. Icy blonde can be mistaken for platinum. But platinum has a silvery hint while icy blonde has frosty white undertones, making it the best choice for cool undertone people with brown hair.
6. Warm Bronze Highlights
If you want a warm, sunkissed shade, warm bronze is the best pick. These highlights look amazing with deep brown hair and add depth to your locks. This low-maintenance highlight is perfect if you have medium or long hair.
7. Blended Blonde Ombre
Mix incredible shades of blonde with this stunning ombre. Opt for a dark blonde shade that gradually lightens to a champagne blonde color. This ombre gives your hair a thicker look. It pairs well with light eye colors like grey, blue, and green.
8. Golden Caramel Highlights
Caramel is a classic choice for getting highlights for people with warm-toned brown hair. This shade not only adds dimension to your locks, it also makes you stand out! It is perfect for summers at the beach and cold winters by the fire.
9. Galaxy Blonde Highlights
If edgy if what you want, look no further! Pair yellow blonde with green and pink highlights to create a galaxy look that is sure to captivate everyone’s attention. These mesmerizing shades are show to spice up your brunette locks.
10. Honey Blonde Highlights
Honey and chocolate go well together. No we aren’t talking about food! These hair colors look so beautiful together. If you have naturally chocolate brown hair, then add some honey blonde highlights to accentuate your texture and thickness.
11. Champagne Balayage
I’m sure you’ve seen gorgeous pictures of blonde highlights with brown hair on Instagram. So, I’m sure you’ve come across balayage highlights that look beautifully blended and natural. If you have medium or dark brown hair, opt for a divine champagne shade of blonde for your balayage. If you have a cool undertone, add some white to the color mix. It’ll cool down the blend, and make it perfect for winter.
12. Blonde Streaks
Blonde streaks are achieved with the help of aluminum foils and a brush. Place the foil under the hair you want to streak before applying hair dye to it. Fold the foil to secure the section of hair and prevent the color from getting on other hair strands. This is the perfect hair look for someone who wants to spice up their hair without going too over the top. Opt for a natural warm blonde shade to keep things subtle.
Trivia13. Silver Blonde Highlights
You heard that right! Cool and warm tones blend to create this wonderful bronde blend. It looks especially stunning when paired with a brunette afro. The light tips frame your face and accentuate your jawline.
14. Face-Framing Blonde Highlights
Highlights are a great way to frame your face. When placed around near your face, blonde highlights soften your facial outline. They are especially great for covering up wide cheeks or a broad jawline.
15. Platinum Highlights
If edge is what you want, go for these platinum highlights on red tinted brown hair. The platinum highlights create a nice contrast with brown hair. This color combination will work well with cool undertones.
16. The Coffee Blend
Espresso, cappuccino, and coffee browns come together to create this stunning bronde color palette. The dark roots will make your face appear longer and slimmer. This bronde color blend will also make green, blue, and hazel eyes pop.
17. Golden Tips
This is one way to jazz up an afro. The golden tips are accentuated with some light ash streaks. If you have hazel eyes, the golden tips are sure to bring out the golden flecks in them. This hair color goes well with neutral-toned skin.
18. Partial Blonde Highlights
Partial highlights are highlights that are done only on the top layer of hair. This is a great way to try highlights if it is your first time. The blend of platinum and champagne partial highlights goes well with walnut brown hair. These highlights add texture to your hair and make it look voluminous.
19. Golden Blonde Balayage
Gold is the color of the rich and famous! Doesn’t this gold balayage prove that? This blonde balayage adds a luxurious touch to brown hair. It adds depth to the hair, making it look thicker. The brown roots and blonde lower half can also frame your face beautifully.
20. Blonde Baby Highlights And Balayage
Adding blonde dimensional highlights can spice up your brown locks. They add texture and show off your natural hair color. The subtle winter blonde babylights add some oomph to the look.
21. Strawberry Blonde Highlights
Strawberry blonde is also called Venetian blonde. The women of Venice had darker hair and lusted after the blonde tresses of foreigners. It is said that hair dyeing started in Venice, and the outcome was the shade Venetian blonde. It is a ginger-blonde mix that has a reddish or pinkish hue. Pair these highlights with light brown highlights to add oodles of dimension and texture to your brown locks. Style your hair in waves to make the hairstyle look flowy.
22. Champagne And Venetian Twirls
Champagne is for celebration, and Venice is known for its extravagance and picturesque views. Take this celebration and extravagance to your hair with these stunning twirls of champagne and Venetian blonde highlights. You can achieve these perfect curls with the help of a curling iron.
23. Rose Ombré
Rose gold – the color that has enthralled every woman in the world. It had brunettes envious for months until rose brown came around. Why choose between the two when you can flaunt them both? Keep your roots rose brown that gradually fades into a light rose gold at the ends.
Trivia24. Titian Sombré
A sombre is a softer version of the ombre. Instead of a drastic brown and blonde contrast, highlight colors that are more suited to your natural hair color are used. Like this titian sombre in which titian hair is paired with strawberry highlights. In case you’re wondering, titian is the name given to reddish brown hair.
25. Bright Dark Blonde Highlights
Blonde is a very versatile color. They say that there is a blonde shade for everyone, and I couldn’t agree more. I mean, look at these stunning dark blonde highlights. Though they are dark, they are also bright. They go extremely well with medium brown hair with dark roots. These blonde highlights blend beautifully with chocolate brown locks and add texture to it, making it look voluminous and glossy.
Kristen Mee, a YouTuber and blogger, recalls her personal experience of donning some natural-looking highlights on her blonde tresses. In her exchanges with the hairstylist, she decided on some thinly spread highlights for a more blended and versatile look. After seeing the flawless look, she adds, “I am so happy with the way it turned out (i)!”
26. Deep Venetian Highlights
When you have light brown hair, adding some Venetian blonde to it can give it a surreal twist. While dyeing your hair, add more dye to the roots and lessen it as you reach the ends to create a subtle balayage effect.
27. Intense Blend
If you have deep brown hair, add some intense blonde highlights to the mix. This will give your hair more texture while also showcasing your natural brunette locks. Instead of streaks, opt for a balayage as it will create a more natural look.
28. Beach Bronde
In my opinion, this is the perfect beach bronde blend. Blonde and brown merge to form this sandy mix that looks incredible in the sun. It’s perfect for those beachy summer vacays you have planned!
29. Dimensional Blonde Highlights
Keeping your roots dark, add some blonde highlights to your hair at the front. The dark roots will elongate your face while the light blonde highlights will soften your appearance. Remember to match the blonde highlights to your skin undertone and eye color to get the best look possible.
30. Heavy Blonde Highlights
Heavy blonde highlights can add tons of texture to your hair. This means that they make your hair look thicker and deeper than it is. Style your hair in beachy waves to give it a relaxed feel.
31. Smokey Ash Balayage
Deep brown at the top fading out to a light blonde at the bottom – this balayage is another perfect summer hair color mix. The sun rays will reflect off this color combination well, giving you many Insta-worthy pictures!
32. Accentuating Highlights
I have a friend who got a brown ombre done a few months back. Over time, she felt it was too plain and needed just a dash of spice. Her hairstylist suggested some nice sun-kissed blonde highlights that would accentuate her natural hair color and make her brown eyes pop. So, if you want to spice up your plain brown ombre, go for these accentuating highlights.
33. Gradual Blonde
Transitioning to blonde is no joke, especially if you’ve been a brunette all your life. Instead of bleaching all your hair in one go, try transitional bronde balayage instead. It will help you figure out how blonde hair will look on you.
34. Caramel Blonde Highlights With A Champagne Twist
If you have dark brown hair, lighten it with some caramel blonde highlights. Add a touch of champagne to make your tresses glossy, and you’ve got one stellar hair color blend. Looks pretty wild, right?
35. Smokey Bronde
You don’t need to bleach your light brown locks too much to acquire this color blend. All you need is some ash and golden blonde highlights, and you’re good to go! Keep your roots dark to add depth, and use cool tones to give it that metallic feel.
36. Light Bronde
Instead of going for an all-out contrast, consider this lovely light bronde. The honey blonde highlights used in this look blend well with the brown locks without any effort. These highlights will also frame your face very well.
37. Bronde Ombre
Women all over the world are looking for the perfect summer hairstyle and color combo. I think I’ve found it – the bronde ombre lob. Keep your roots dark and gradually lighten your hair to a nice light blonde. Opt for a dirty blonde shade to make the transition from brown to blonde seem natural.
38. Honey Highlights
Honey at the top! If you’re petrified of coloring your hair but want to try something new, opt for partial highlights in a honey blonde shade. Contrasts always grab attention, so go for a nice honey top layer that will pop against your dark brown tresses. This makes for a stunning combination of dark brown hair with blonde highlights.
39. Driftwood Blend
There’s a reason driftwood is used to create sculptures. It’s because it’s easy to carve and looks amazing. Its top layer is brown, but as you chip away, you see a lovely platinum blonde, much like this stunning ombre. To amp up this effect, keep your ends choppy.
40. Creamy Bronde
This hair color mix is to die for. It’s got the perfect amount of blonde and brown. The colors in this look have been blended so naturally that they look like her natural hair color. I love the dirty blonde shade used here, which makes the blend even more seamless. It’s perfect!
41. Cool Brown Hair
White blonde highlights on brown hair make for the perfect cool-toned brown hair color. It’s a lovely foggy color! This blend is perfect for the fall. The earthy colors on display during fall will accentuate this gorgeous color blend.
42. Rose Brown Ombre With A Blonde Shine
All brunettes are ecstatic about the rose brown trend. But if you want to take it up a notch, add a nice golden touch to it to make it glossy. Style your hair in waves to perfect this look.
43. Bright Blonde
Vibrant colors can set the tone for your day. If you’re not one for the pinks, reds, and blues of hair color trends, try this subtle yet bright blonde. Instead of coloring all your hair, go for full blonde highlights.
44. Textured Bronde
Does your hair seem too blah? Do you want to spice it up? Here’s a great way to do it – get blonde highlights in a similar tone as your hair to add texture to your brunette locks. If you have dark brown hair, go for some dirty blonde highlights. For medium blonde hair, add gold, honey, or strawberry highlights. Champagne and platinum highlights look great on light brown hair. This sort of color blend looks great on a shaggy bob.
45. Rogue Highlights
When X-Men hit the theaters in 2000, girls everywhere went crazy over Rogue’s hair color statement. This involved coloring two front sections of your hair platinum blonde and leaving the rest of your hair dark brown. Eighteen years later, the trend still hasn’t died down.
46. Seasonal Bronde
Every season calls for a hair color change. But, you (obviously!) don’t want to color your hair four times a year. So, is there a color blend that works for all seasons? This seasonal bronde mix of brown, dirty blonde, and hints of silver is the answer. This color combination works with every season’s color palette.
47. Golden-Gray Highlights
As we grow older, our color choices get more sophisticated. Take a look at this stunning curly golden-gray highlighted hairstyle. It’s bright yet mature. It’s perfect for the working woman who loves to go clubbing.
48. Dirty Blonde Curtain
Dirty blonde is a color that looks almost brown. It’s the best blonde transitional shade. If you’re a brunette thinking of going blonde, opt for a dirty blonde balayage. It’ll show you how you’ll look as a blonde without the commitment of bleaching all your hair.
49. Honey Blonde Streaks
Honey blonde streaks don’t require bleaching. This is because they can be seen on brown hair. They give a nice ginger brown look to your hair. If you have warm-toned skin, this color blend will look great on you.
50. Winter Blonde Highlights
White hair is the latest trend in blonde hair colors. It’s only natural that brunettes found a way to get on that train too. Adding simple winter blonde highlights to your brown locks can add depth to your hair and help in framing your face.
51. Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights and Lowlights
The highlights accentuate the brown hair with a sun-kissed touch, while the lowlights provide depth and dimension. Achieve a natural, blended look by strategically placing these tones throughout your hair to make it appear dynamic and complement your brown base.
52. Short Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights
Try this simple solution to elevate your regular short hair look to a playful conversation starter. Contrast your brown hair with some blonde highlights to add warmth and dimension for a youthful and lively vibe. Spruce up your appearance with this subtle color combination that keeps your brown locks intact while the blonde adds a natural flair.
53. Warm Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights
Enhance your natural beauty with this composite color scheme that always shows unique results. The rich swaths of blonde utilize your natural hair color for a sunlit glow that adds depth and dimension. This contrast shows through best when the hair is put up, making for a chic and vibrant updo.
Infographic: 7 Alluring Blonde Highlight Hairstyles For Brown Hair
With a perfect blend of blonde highlights and brown hair, these bronde hairstyles are for anyone who wishes to avoid bleaching their hair completely or finds their brown tresses a bit bland. From the smooth coffee blend to strawberry blonde highlights, here is something for all. So check out the infographic below and bookmark these 7 alluring blonde highlight hairstyles that will be perfect for your brown locks.
Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
The verdict is in! What is a sure shot way to amp brown hair? Blonde highlights, of course! We hope you enjoyed going through this extensive list of 40 eye-catching styles to rock brown hair with blonde highlights. This article has shared everything you need to know about blonde highlights for brown hair and all the things you need to be mindful of before getting them. Once you apply color to your hair, it only adds to your hair care routine. Do your research and opt for good-quality dyes. Additionally, find suitable products to condition and maintain the good health of your hair post-dyeing. Remember to reduce heat styling to avoid damaging the vibrant strands. Consult a professional stylist if you are still unsure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best products to maintain blonde highlights on brown hair?
Use sulfate-free and color-safe products to maintain the liveliness of blonde highlights. Apply hydrating treatments to the hair regularly to maintain its natural moisture and boost its health. Incorporate a UV-protectant hair spray or serum in your hair care routine to protect the highlights from fading.
Can I dye my brown hair blonde without bleach?
Yes, you can dye your brown hair blonde without bleach if your hair is light enough. A high-lift dye or even regular permanent dye can be used.
Can dark brown hair get blonde highlights?
Yes, dark brown hair can get blonde highlights. It is best to stick to a darker blonde for the highlights though to blend in naturally with your dark brown hair. You can go for deep honey blonde or subtle ashy blonde highlights.
What color blonde goes good with dark brown hair?
Opt for deeper blonde shades that accentuate the gloss and texture of your dark brown hair like golden blonde.
What color compliments brown hair the most?
If you have brown hair, there are a lot of colors that can complement it well. You can go for blue shades like denim, blueberry, and pure navy. If you have light brown hair, pastel colors can also work, but be careful not to wash out your skin tone. If you’re looking for something low-maintenance, consider a brown-blonde ombre or champagne blonde highlights.
Can you put ash blonde highlights on brown hair?
Yes. If you’re looking for a way to add some contrast and depth to brown hair, ash blonde highlights can be a great option. Not only do they look beautiful when paired with natural brown hair, but they also help brighten your overall appearance.
What colors to avoid with brown hair?
If you’re a lighter brunette, you might want to avoid pastel colors as they make your skin look washed out, but otherwise, feel free to experiment! For a flattering look, you might want to try more vivid hues, like deep pinks, bright blues, and greens with a yellow undertone. Choose shades based on your undertone. Avoid cool-shades if you are warm-toned, and vice versa.
What color highlights for dark ash brown hair?
You can try ash-blonde or cool-toned blonde highlights. Dirty blonde highlights look good with dark ash brown hair as well.
How long does the process of getting blonde highlights take?
Getting blonde highlights can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, depending on various factors such as your hair color, the type of highlights, and the stylist’s technique. For light and blonde hair, it can take as little as an hour, while for darker hair, it can take up to 3 hours. The foil highlights process can take around 2 hours for long hair, with an additional hour for processing time.
Key Takeaways
- Adding blonde highlights to your brown hair is the best way to add dimension to your locks.
- Take into account the season, style of highlights, and the shade of blonde you want before getting those highlights.
- You can go for anything ranging from strawberry blonde highlights to honey blonde streaks, depending on the color of your choice.
Illustration: Eye-Catching Blonde Highlights For Brown Hair (Bronde Hairstyles)
Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team
If you have dark brown hair and are looking for inspiration, this video is for you. It features a hair tutorial for cool blonde highlights on brown hair. Click on it now!
Personal Experience: Source
StyleCraze's articles are interwoven with authentic personal narratives that provide depth and resonance to our content. Below are the sources of the personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. Blonde Highlights and Short(er) Hairhttps://kristenmee.blogspot.com/2013/07/blond-highlights-and-shorter-hair.html
Read full bio of Monica Dickenson
Read full bio of Anjali Sayee
Read full bio of Shatabdi Bhattacharya
Read full bio of Anu Pallavi
Community Experiences
Join the conversation and become a part of our empowering community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with other beauty, lifestyle, and health enthusiasts.