15 Best Highlights on Brown Hair You Have to See This 2025

Avery Hunt
Avery Hunt Hair Colorist

Highlights on brown hair can really bring out dimension and make your color pop without going overboard. If you’re looking to brighten things up, caramel or honey tones are always a win—they blend seamlessly with brown hair, giving a sun-kissed effect without drastic contrast. For a bolder look, ash blonde or cool-toned highlights can add that modern, lived-in vibe while still being low-maintenance. The key is to balance where the highlights hit; face-framing pieces can soften your features, while placing them just below the crown can add volume. If you’ve got natural texture, you’ll want to space the highlights out a bit more to keep things looking natural. Curious which shades and techniques will give your brown hair the perfect lift? Let’s check out some fresh highlight ideas for inspiration.

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Long straight dark brown hair with subtle highlights

#1 Straight Dark Brown Hair with Highlights

This sleek, straight look features subtle highlights that blend seamlessly into the dark brown base. The long, smooth layers are perfect for someone with thick hair who wants a polished, low-maintenance style. While the highlights add dimension, this look can sometimes lack volume, so it’s best for those who prefer a smooth, flat finish.

Brown hair with vibrant copper highlights in loose waves

#2 Copper Highlights on Brown Hair

These copper highlights add a striking contrast to the brown base, giving the waves a lot of depth and richness. The copper tones are vibrant yet not overpowering, making it a fun way to add warmth and shine to your hair. Perfect for someone wanting to stand out a bit more. Just keep in mind, copper can fade quickly, so you’ll need to refresh the color more often.

Wavy medium brown hair with light brown highlights

#3 Light Brown Highlights on Medium Brown Hair

This look features soft waves with delicate light brown highlights, perfectly blended into a medium brown base. The soft highlights bring brightness to the face while the waves add texture and movement. Ideal for medium-density hair, the highlights offer a sun-kissed effect. The downside? Lighter highlights on a brown base can fade faster, requiring touch-ups.

Brown hair with warm highlights on brown skin

#4 Brown Hair with Highlights on Brown Skin

These warm highlights perfectly complement the natural richness of both the brown hair and deeper skin tone. The soft waves showcase the contrast, while the highlights brighten the overall look. Ideal for someone with medium to thick hair, this style gives a sunlit effect. Just be mindful of touch-ups to keep the warmth consistent without fading.

Medium brown hair with honey brown highlights

#5 Brown Hair with Honey Brown Highlights

These honey brown highlights add a soft golden glow to the medium brown base. The highlights are blended beautifully to avoid harsh lines, giving a natural sun-kissed effect. This is a great option for someone with a warmer skin tone or someone who wants a low-contrast, natural look. The downside is that honey tones can turn brassy without proper maintenance.

Brown hair with auburn highlights in loose waves

#6 Auburn Brown Highlights in Brown Hair

These rich auburn brown highlights add warmth and vibrancy to the darker brown base. The combination of waves and warm tones brings out a lively depth. Perfect for medium to thick hair, this look will give you a natural, autumn-inspired glow. Just remember, auburn hues tend to fade faster, so using color-protecting shampoo is a must.

Wavy brown hair with cool brown highlights

#7 Cool Brown Highlights on Brown Hair

These cool brown highlights subtly brighten the deep brunette base, adding dimension without too much contrast. The loose waves help reflect light, making the color pop in just the right way. Cool tones are great for those wanting a modern, sleek look, but be aware that maintaining the coolness may require purple shampoo to keep brassiness at bay.

Wavy chocolate brown hair with light brown highlights

#8 Chocolate Brown with Light Brown Highlights

These soft waves show off the perfect blend of chocolate and light brown highlights. The highlights give the hair a beautiful, warm glow and enhance the natural movement of the waves. This style is great for someone wanting subtle color contrast without going too bold. The only catch? The lighter highlights can require extra toning to avoid brassiness.

Short brown bob with brown highlights

#9 Brown Highlights on Short Hair

This chic bob is brought to life with soft brown highlights, adding dimension and texture to the dark brown base. The highlights are perfect for giving short hair more movement, especially for those with straight or fine hair. Just be mindful that short hair grows out faster, meaning you’ll need regular trims to maintain this sharp style.

Curly dark brown hair with light brown highlights

#10 Curly Dark Brown Hair with Light Brown Highlights

These tight, voluminous curls are enhanced with soft light brown highlights, which add depth and dimension to the dark brown base. Perfect for naturally curly hair, these highlights give texture without overpowering the curl pattern. However, keeping curls defined and frizz-free will require extra moisturizing products.

Brown hair with subtle natural highlights

#11 Subtle Highlights on Brown Hair

These subtle highlights blend so seamlessly into the brown base that they create a barely-there, natural look. Great for someone with fine to medium-density hair who wants added texture without a major color change. This look gives dimension and movement, but it’s low-maintenance in terms of root regrowth since the highlights are so soft.

Brown hair with blonde highlights in loose waves

#12 Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights

These blonde highlights are finely blended throughout the brown base, giving it a sun-kissed, beachy vibe. The loose waves help the highlights pop, creating a nice contrast without looking harsh. Ideal for medium to fine hair, this look brightens your overall appearance. Just be mindful, blonde highlights on dark hair may require more upkeep to avoid brassiness.

Brown hair with cinnamon highlights and soft waves

#13 Cinnamon Highlights on Brown Hair

The cinnamon highlights here bring a warm, spicy touch to the brown base. The soft waves allow the color to shimmer and catch the light beautifully. It’s a perfect option for those with medium-density hair who want a natural-looking pop of color. Cinnamon tones can fade to a reddish hue over time, so keeping up with color care is key.

Dark brown hair with subtle chocolate highlights

#14 Dark Highlights on Brown Hair

This look is all about subtle depth, with dark chocolate highlights adding texture to the already dark brown base. These highlights give dimension without much contrast, which makes this style great for those who want a low-maintenance option. It’s a great way to make thick, straight or wavy hair look fuller and healthier.

Brown hair with caramel highlights and soft waves

#15 Caramel Highlights on Brown Hair

This medium-length wavy style showcases rich caramel highlights blended seamlessly into a dark brown base. The soft waves enhance the dimension and add movement, making it great for thick hair. Caramel tones work beautifully for adding warmth to brunette hair without feeling too bold. However, these highlights can turn brassy, so regular toning is a must for maintenance.