Looking to refresh your hair with a stylish and trendy update? Highlights are the perfect way to add dimension, brightness, and personality to your look without committing to a full-color transformation. Whether you prefer subtle balayage, bold streaks, or natural sun-kissed tones, there’s a highlights style for every hair type and texture.
In 2025, hair trends are all about customized, low-maintenance, and high-impact color. From cool-toned ash blonde hues to warm caramel ribbons and face-framing money pieces, this year’s highlights are versatile and effortlessly chic. Whether you have straight, wavy, curly, or coily hair, there’s a perfect highlight technique to enhance your natural beauty.
To inspire your next salon visit, we’ve rounded up 24 of the best hair highlights ideas, carefully curated for every hair type and style preference. Keep scrolling to find the perfect highlight transformation for you!
1/24. Chic Grey Blending
Strategically placed highlights create a youthful, sophisticated look, especially when embracing natural grey. Expert colorists seamlessly blend ashy and silvery tones, adding depth and dimension to the hair. Perfect for a low-maintenance yet stylish transition to grey. Ask your stylist for advice!
2/24. Golden Hour Balayage
Warm, honey-blonde highlights cascade through darker brown hair, creating a stunning, sun-drenched effect. The balayage technique ensures a natural, blended look, requiring less frequent touch-ups. This look adds dimension and movement, perfect for longer hair lengths that want shine.
3/24. Defined Curls Highlights
Caramel and golden highlights are carefully placed to enhance the natural curl pattern. It requires a stylist specializing in curly hair to achieve the perfect, non-damaging lift. The result is vibrant, defined curls with added depth, dimension, and shine that reflect light.
4/24. Bold Curl Contrast
Ribbons of brighter blonde highlights create striking contrast within a darker, curly base. It is a bold color choice. This technique accentuates the shape and texture of each curl. Professionals use techniques to minimize damage and maximize vibrancy for this high-impact look.
5/24. Cool Ash Brown
Subtle, cool-toned highlights are woven through an ash brown base, adding a multi-dimensional effect. This sophisticated color palette complements a variety of skin tones. Maintaining this look requires color-safe products to prevent brassiness and maintain the cool, ashy tones at home.
6/24. Icy Silver Streaks
Dramatic platinum and silver strands create a bold statement against a darker base. This high-contrast look requires a skilled colorist to achieve the desired lift without compromising hair health. Regular toning and deep conditioning are crucial to maintain this stunning, icy effect.
7/24. Cinnamon Swirl Curls
Warm, reddish-brown highlights are delicately painted onto a deeper brown base, adding dimension to curly hair. This technique enhances the natural curl pattern, creating a vibrant, sun-kissed effect. This look is a great choice for adding warmth and depth. It is amazing.
8/24. Bronzed Curlyage
Careful placement of bronze and light brown highlights throughout curly hair creates incredible dimension and movement. The ‘curlyage’ technique, a balayage adaptation for curls, ensures a natural, sun-kissed effect. It’s best used with hydrating products that enhance shine and definition on the hair.
9/24. Mahogany Hints
Fine, reddish-brown highlights are woven through a deep, chocolate brown base, creating a subtle, sophisticated warmth. This technique adds dimension and shine without drastically altering the overall color. The look complements warmer skin tones beautifully, and it adds glow overall.
10/24. Honey Dip Delight
Concentrated honey-blonde highlights are focused on the ends and face-framing sections of medium brown hair. This “honey-dipped” effect adds brightness and dimension while maintaining a natural, sun-kissed look. It’s the best choice to brighten up your overall look and looks amazing.
11/24. Layered Light
Blonde and light brown highlights intermingle throughout layered, medium-brown hair. The placement creates a multi-dimensional effect that adds movement and texture. This is a versatile look that works well with various styling options, from straight to wavy locks and buns.
12/24. Glossy Ribbons
Carefully placed highlights on a dark base create ribbons of shine and dimension, enhancing the hair’s natural texture. This is a sophisticated look that adds a touch of glamour without being overly dramatic. Regular glossing treatments can help maintain the vibrancy and shine.
13/24. Smokey Curl Embrace
Intricate silver and grey highlights wind through naturally dark, curly hair. It creates a stunning, multi-dimensional smokey effect. This bold color choice requires a commitment to regular toning and deep conditioning to maintain the cool tones and healthy curl patterns as well.
14/24. Peek-a-Boo Blonde
Strategically placed blonde highlights peek through a rich, medium-brown base, creating subtle dimension and movement. This technique adds a touch of brightness without a drastic color change. Perfect for adding a touch of surprise and interest to the hair, looks great!
15/24. Caramel Swirl
Rich caramel highlights are seamlessly blended into a warm, medium-brown base, creating a luscious, dimensional effect. This technique adds warmth and depth, perfect for enhancing natural shine. The colors melt together beautifully, creating a sophisticated and flattering appearance, ask your stylist.
16/24. Face-Framing Light
Concentrated highlights are strategically placed around the face, brightening the complexion and drawing attention to the eyes. This technique works well with various hair colors and lengths. The perfect choice for an instant, illuminating update, very useful for all ages.
17/24. Voluminous Blend
A mix of blonde and light brown highlights are expertly blended to create a voluminous, multi-dimensional look. This style adds texture and fullness, especially flattering for finer hair types. Perfect for those seeking a boost in body.
18/24. Updo Highlight Reveal
Strategically placed blonde highlights are showcased beautifully in an updo, adding dimension and visual interest to the hairstyle. This technique demonstrates how highlights can enhance even the simplest of styles. Perfect for special occasions or adding flair to an everyday look.
19/24. Short Chic Contrast
Bold silver highlights are interwoven through a short, dark hairstyle. It creates a striking, modern look. This high-contrast style adds an edgy and sophisticated touch. It is ideal for those wanting to make a statement with their short hair cut.
20/24. Long Flow Highlights
Caramel and honey highlights cascade through long, dark brown hair. It creates a beautiful, sun-kissed effect. This technique adds dimension and movement, perfect for enhancing the natural beauty of long locks and give an amazing glow to your face.
21/24. Subtle Dimension
Soft, light brown highlights are subtly integrated into a medium-brown base with layers. It creates natural-looking dimension. This technique adds a touch of warmth and brightness without a drastic color change, and the result looks gorgeous and healthy.
22/24. Foilyage Magic
A seamless blend of light brown and blonde highlights is achieved using the foilyage technique. It combines the precision of foils with the natural look of balayage. This creates a bright, dimensional color that’s both modern and low-maintenance and looks amazing and stylish.
23/24. Dimensional Brown Balayage
Warm, caramel, and honey highlights are expertly painted onto a brown base using the balayage technique. This style looks amazing. This creates a natural, sun-kissed effect with beautiful dimension. Perfect for adding warmth and depth to brown hair and looks healthy.
24/24. Platinum Contrast
Striking platinum blonde highlights are boldly placed against a dark brown, almost black base, creating a high-impact, contrasting look. This style is perfect for those who want to make a statement. Regular toning and deep conditioning are essential. Ask a professional.
Read Next: 27 Trendy & Flirty Short Haircuts for a Fresh 2025 Look