Hey, all you brunette babes! Is it time to put some pizazz in your brown hair?
Whoever said blondes have more fun hasn’t seen how stunning highlighted brown hair can be.
Get inspired with our list of highlight ideas to boost your brown hair. No matter your complexion or style, you’re bound to find something you love! Let’s jump right in.
#1. Milk Chocolate Brown with Caramel Swirls
Nothing goes with milk chocolate better than caramel. Right? Who knew it would be the same for hair colors? Adding caramel-toned swirls to your milk chocolate brown adds texture and depth to your locks, blending classic brown with a darker, golden flair to brighten things up without outshining your already beautiful brown.
#2. Luscious Chestnut with Auburn Streaks
Chestnut brown is a gorgeous earthy brown that can warm any skin tone. But if you want to turn up the heat even more, add some streak of auburn. This color is also a great way to release your inner redhead.
#3. Rich Mocha Brown with Maple Highlights
Adding maple-toned highlights to rich mocha brown hair is the hair color equivalent to having the perfect cup of coffee. Maple is a low-maintenance midway to highlights perfectly toned to add light and movement to the mocha brown.
#4. Soft Brunette Waves with Honey Accents
Soft waves of brunette hair with hints of honey offer a combination of texture and warmth, giving any skin an angelic glow. The touch of honey adds a glow that works well throughout the year.
#5. Espresso Brown with Walnut Contours
Adding some walnut-colored contours to espresso brown is the perfect way to make a subtle statement. Similar to the contouring we do with makeup, this adds depth and brightness in all the right places.
#6. Earthy Brown with Olive Green Highlights
This is for all of our green-loving girlies. We know. Thinking about adding green to your hair is scary. Fear not, friends! Olive green highlights are the best way to breathe life into earthy brown hair, giving your hair striking contrast and some spunk.
#7. Smokey Brown with Silver Threads
Pairing a cool-toned smokey brown can be tricky. It may seem like you’re only limited to ashy blonde or platinum. Have you thought about silver? If you’re looking for something different yet still sophisticated, silver’s your go-to girl.
#8. Cherry Cola Undertones on Dark Brown Hair
Dark brown hair doesn’t have to go lighter to shine. Rich cherry cola undertones can bring a much-needed twist to your hair. Adding a reddish tone like cherry cola is a great way to warm your hair up without sacrificing the sultriness of dark brown hair. It will add to it if anything.
#9. Romantic Brunette with Rosy Pink Highlights
Pink is a huge trend right now in the beauty world. That doesn’t mean bright, hot pinks, either. It means rosy blush pinks that are much more complementary to pale skin tones with brown hair. Rosy highlights are a whimsical alternative to traditional blonde highlights while also providing much-needed warmth to cooler skin tones that would look washed out by blonde highlights.
#10. Dark Brown with Fiery Copper Lowlights
If you like the idea of adding warmth to your hair but want something subtle and perfectly blended, fiery copper lowlights add just the right amount of warmth with a barely there appearance.
#11. Matte Brown with Platinum Peekaboos
For something youthful but super-sophisticated, try platinum peekaboos under your matte brown hair. Matte brown provides the perfect top layer for the bursts of platinum, which can sometimes be too bright but is well-balanced by the matte brown.
#12. Cinnamon Highlights on Dark Brunette
Cinnamon highlights bring a spicy touch to your dark brown hair. They add richness and warmth, creating the perfect glow for cooler skin tones. Like copper highlights, cinnamon highlights are toned perfectly for a seamless blend into dark brown hair, resulting in a more natural look.
#13. Beachy Brunette with Sun-Kissed Highlights
Calling all of our beach babes! This one’s for you! Get that summer look with a light and beachy brunette with sun-kissed highlights. All you need now is some shades and sunscreen!
#14. Luscious Chocolate with Almond Notes
No, this isn’t a coffee tasting. But these colors will give your hair a much-needed boost. Almond notes bring chocolate brown hair a natural indulgence that adds depth and movement to your hair without looking like you have highlights.
#15. Brunette with Butterscotch Hints
A classic for any brunette, butterscotch hints are typically the go-to if you’re still unsure about committing to blonde highlights. This warm blonde is a great midway point to going lighter while still looking well-blended and almost natural.
#16. Ash Brown with a Cool Blue Money Piece
Add a twist to your ash-brown hair by incorporating a cool blue money piece. This bold look is great for creating interesting contrast without overpowering your natural ash-brown color. But because both colors are cool tones, this look is best suited for warmer and neutral skin undertones.
#17. Toasted Coconut Transformation for Brunettes
Embrace all of the coastal brunette vibes with a toasted coconut transition. This captivating style combines brown tones with icy blonde tips, creating an intriguing contrast that turns heads wherever you go.
#18. Dark Toffee Brown with Caramel Ribbons
Combining dark toffee brown hair with caramel ribbons looks just as delicious as toffee and caramel would taste together. Treat yourself to this smooth combo that adds dimension, shine, and texture to your hair (with none of the calories)!
#19. Velvet Brown with Lavender Shimmer
If you want to put some va-va-voom in your velvet brown hair, look no further than our friend, lavender. Your hair really shines when you infuse an overlay of a delicate, cool-toned violet shade, like lavender. And every time you look in the mirror, you will too!
#20. Deep Brown with Subtle Gold Flecks
Lacing golden tones into deep brown hair brings a luxurious element to otherwise dull-looking locks. The gold brightens and warms your hair and skin tone, giving you the glow we all strive for.
#21. Vintage-Vibe Brunette with Sepia Tones
There’s nothing more classic than a vintage-inspired brunette. You can take that further by adding sophisticated sepia-toned accents that bring out your inner socialite and let it shine.
#22. Sultry Brunette with Mahogany Depth
If you thought brown hair couldn’t get sexier, think again! Mahogany, a rich, red-infused brown, takes sultry brown and turns it up without overpowering it. In fact, these colors are so close that this color combo looks very natural.
#23. Autumn Leaves Highlights on a Brown Base
Capture the beauty of autumn right in your hair with a combination of complementary reds, oranges, and browns. It’s the perfect way to keep the best parts of your favorite seasons with you all year. You can do this with highlights or as a cool ombre look.
#24. Mystic Brown with Iridescent Highlights
If you want a super-dynamic look, you won’t find anything better than iridescent highlights on mystic brown hair. These shimmering highlights are captivating, changing in different lighting, bringing out the best of your brown while always keeping things fresh.
#25. Classic French Roast Brown with Milk Chocolate Streaks
Calling all coffee lovers! Take your passion to the next level with a classic French roast brown hair color with delicate chocolate streaks. This luscious blend of browns is an ideal low-contrast look, providing much-needed detail and texture to flat brown hair.
#26. Shaggy Brown Layers with Platinum Edges
If you’re looking for a bold, high-contrast way to incorporate contrast into your brown hair, add some platinum tips for some edge. It’s a small change, but it sure makes a big impact on your look. If you want to get the best of these colors, get your stylist to add some shaggy layers.
#27. Whiskey Brown with Blonde Blasts
Whiskey brown and blonde go together like Jack and co*ke. Whiskey’s golden brown tone provides the perfect base for a few blonde blasts, highlighting and warming your hair and facial features, creating an effortless “country girl” look.
#28. Midnight Brunette with Cosmic Blue Accents
“Midnight Brunette” is an almost-black brown shade that would normally look terrible with highlights. But the color experts have found the perfect pairing to lighten this shade up! Adding different shades of blue adds a cosmic element to your hair, brightening it up like the stars light the sky.
#29. Nutmeg Brown with Orange-Tinted Tips
Nutmeg brown with orange-tinted tips offers a striking yet sophisticated contrast. Nutmeg brown is a neutral brown, allowing the orange tips to really shine, creating a wonderful glow for any skin tone. Also, if nutmeg brown is close to your natural shade, this look can be easier to maintain.
#30. Matte Brown with Glossy Teal Highlights
If your matte brown looks more like flat brown, introducing teal highlights may be the change it needs. This captivating pop of color has just what it takes to turn heads without overpowering your natural color.
#31. Cocoa Base with Mocha Flicks
Attention all of our mid-toned mamas! We’ve got the perfect look for you. Cocoa and mocha brown. This low-maintenance, natural-looking hair color combo is just the thing to complement your skin tone while looking fabulous, no matter the style.
#32. Tiger-Eye Brunette with Gold and Auburn
Tigereye Brunnette is an already-dynamic look that complements most skin tones. But when you add gold and auburn tones to that, you get the best of both worlds for a balanced look that adds depth, texture, and warmth.
#33. Natural Brown with Rainbow Underlights
Underlights are similar to peekaboos, but they go under just enough hair to hide them, so they shine through in different lighting or when you move your hair. Also, instead of solid color, underlights are threaded in like highlights. You can use this method to spice up your natural brown with the whole rainbow. Why choose one color when you can have them all, right?
#34. Silky Sable Brown with Cinnamon Accents
Silky, natural sable brown can be beautiful. But it’s even better with delicate cinnamon highlights. This low-key combo adds depth and a subtle shimmer to your hair, quietly spicing things up and giving neutral sable some earthy warmth.
#35. Tawny Brown with Golden Blonde Highlights
Tawny and golden blonde are two peas in a pod, making them another ultra-classic look. This look is a favorite because golden blonde is relatively easy to place over natural brown hair and creates a cheerful and sunny vibe to keep your hair looking sun-kissed year-round.
#36. Dark Umber Brown with Copper Gleams
Umber brown is a neutral brown that can sometimes wash out a neutral or cooler skin tone. You can fix that by adding some subtle copper accents, keeping that luxurious feel of the dark brown, complemented by a hint of metallic sheen.
#37. Satin Brunette with Silver Wisps
Silver wisps add maturity and sophistication to any satin brunette wisps, balancing warmer-toned skin and offering an uplifting brightness. And this is a great way to gray gracefully!
#38. Deep Mink Brown with Ice-Blue Tips
Dark and sultry, mink brown can be a beautiful color all on its own. If you want to get a little creative, try something like icy blue tips. This high-contrast pairing is modern, bold, and oh-so-cool.
#39. Rustic Brown with Rosé Highlights
Accenting rustic brown with rosé highlights creates a romantic, enchanting vibe for your hair. Rosé highlights are just the thing to shake up your brunette hair while adding some downhome charm.
#40. Dark Brown with Pearl-Blonde Slices
Another classic and well-loved look, slices of pearl blonde gives dark brown hair the right amount of brightness while maintaining a seamlessly blended look between the two colors.
#41. Olive Brown with Mint Green Swirls
Warmer olive brown is an interesting color. And not a color you think could even be an ideal choice for hair. However, with cool-toned mint green swirls, this fresh and fun look is a great way to show off your bold side.
#42. Toasted Pecan Brown with Caramel Drizzles
Indulgent, classy, and natural, caramel-colored drizzles over toasted pecan brown hair are the best combo for a “barely there” appearance that provides darker and medium skin tones with just enough brightness and warmth. And it highlights brown and hazel eyes beautifully.
#43. Smokey Brown with Ash-Grey Streaks
Ash gray streaks add a modern and edgy twist while maintaining the sophistication that smokey brown brings to your look. This pairing is another graceful way to transition into graying hair. But because this is a cool-toned color combo, it’s best suited to warmer skin tones.
#44. Dark Mocha with White Chocolate Stripes
If you’re looking for something bold, modern, and stylish, dark moch with white chocolate stripes is your new look. These deliciously eye-catching stripes offer a fun, high-contrast look with balance.
#45. Natural Brown with Rose Gold Accents
There’s nothing wrong with sticking to au natural. But if you’re looking to shake up your natural brown, try some rose gold accents. Rose gold offers a warmer glow than normal golden tones, with a touch of glamor.
#46. Silky Espresso Brown with a Cherry Tint
If you want a change without really changing your espresso-brown hair, all you need is a sweet cherry tint. The cherry tones blend effortlessly with the espresso base, creating a subtle yet dramatic red glow.
#47. Rich Chestnut with Golden Honey Highlights
Get the perfect style for summer by adding golden honey highlights to rich, earthy, chestnut-colored hair. This look may be more subtle, but the results are radiant and eye-catching.
#48. Smokey Charcoal Brown with Silver Hints
Make a bold yet elegant statement with smokey charcoal brown and hints of silver. Smokey charcoal brown provides the perfect base for subtle hints of subtle silver accents, creating a cool, contemporary look. Perfect for warmer skin tones.
#49. Glossy Walnut Brown with Auburn Lowlights
Instead of highlights, go the opposite route and try walnut brown with auburn lowlights. You may think this will make your features look darker, but the contrast actually does the opposite, creating depth from the walnut color while the auburn creates warmth.
#50. Subdued Ash Brown with Platinum Streaks
Another summer favorite for all skin tones is subdued ash-brown hair with eye-catching platinum highlights. This mid-contrast pairing brightens and complements darker skin tones and balances lighter, warmer skin tones.
#51. Earthy Clay Brown with Mossy Green Accents
Calling all of our earthy angels and fairycore girlies! You can go all in with your nature-inspired aesthetic by adding mossy green accents to your earthy clay-brown hair. This is a unique yet charming look that will have everyone enchanted, especially you!
#52. Smooth Cacao Brown with Butter Pecan Babylights
Create a low-contrast look with smooth cacao brown hair adorned and butter pecan baby lights. These subtle highlights beautifully complement the medium cacao base, giving you a warm, natural glow.
#53. Bold Oak Brown with Fiery Red Undertones
Bring some excitement to your oak-brown hair with fiery red undertones. This bold color combo radiates confidence and balances neutral or cooler skin tones. Warm shades like this are also ideal colors to highlight blue and green eyes.
#54. Tantalizing Toffee Brown with Cinnamon Spice Highlights
Is it time to take your toffee brown hair up a notch? Woven cinnamon spice highlights create an alluring, multi-tonal aesthetic that gives you a balanced yet dynamic look that will have people staring (and in a good way)!
#55. Luscious Latte Brown with Creamy Blonde Tips
Grab a cub of this chich style! Luscious latte brown smoothly transitions into soft, creamy blonde tips for a stylish yet subdued and natural-looking glow ideal for cooler and neutral skin tones.
#56. Deep Mahogany Brown with Copper Streaks
Mahogany brown already offers a warm red tinge. But if you want to crank the heat on your style, copper streaks are just the thing! Copper brings the red in mahogany brown out even more, giving you a fiery glow while maintaining the dramatic darkness of the brown and offering an unbeatable complementary contrast.
#57. Creamy Mocha Brown with Vanilla Swirls
Vanilla swirls aren’t just delicious. In the hair color world, they’re as pretty as they are tasty. When you pair it with creamy mocha brown, you get a well-balanced highlighted look that brings everything to the table. Contrast, texture, style, and more!
#58. Dark Espresso Brown with Lavender Highlights
Rich dark brown hair with hints of lavender offers an ethereal contrast to an already enchanting hair color. Subdued lavender highlights are a whimsical addition to espresso you’ll be absolutely enchanted with.
#59. Caramel Brown with Lemon Blonde Slices
Lemon Blonde on caramel brown is just as sweet and refreshing as it sounds. For a different take on traditional browns, try caramel brown with lemon blonde slices. The lemon blonde slices create an eye-catching effect, uplifting the warm caramel base. Also, because of the yellow tones, you won’t have to worry about brassiness as much!
#60. Frosted Chestnut Brown with a Silver Lining
You know what they say. Every situation has a silver lining. Now, your frosted chestnut hair can have one, too! This uber-cool look is extremely complementary to all skin tones and gives your style a mature, refined aesthetic.
#61. Midnight Brown with Sapphire Glints
Jewel tones are all the rage right now. And the best base for a jewel tone like sapphire? Midnight brown, baby! The sapphire glints add a unique touch to your style while complementing the cool tones of the base color.
#62. Velvet Brown with Platinum Undercuts
Feeling adventurous? You can give your velvet brown “do” a serious upgrade by adding platinum undercuts. This unexpectedly captivating contrast adds an intriguing touch to normally soft, yet utterly dull velvet brown hair.
#63. Matte Brown with Rosewood Balayage
For something understated, yet still charming, add some soft rosewood balayage to matte brown hair. This delicate, smooth blend adds a natural elegance to your look and provides a very subtle rosy sheen.
#64. Warm Pecan Brown with Golden Streaks
For all of our sun-worshippers, there’s nothing more beachy than warm pecan brown laced with golden streaks. This combo offers a naturally lightened look that makes darker and medium skin glow like you’ve spent all year in the sun.
#65. Organic Brown with Eco-Friendly Green Hints
If you’re feeling adventurous but still want to stay somewhat natural, boy, do we have something for you! Organic brown is offset exquisitely by hints of a neutral green that balances out your hair and complements olive and neutral skin tones very nicely.
