Why choose between blonde and brunette when you can have the best of both worlds—caramel hair highlights. The burnt-sugar shade adds depth to blondes, dimension to brunettes, and warm highlights to black hair. It’s particularly stunning on those with neutral to warm undertones as it helps enhance their naturally warm complexions. Cool-toned undertones are also welcome to try the color, especially when cushioned with the right balance of beige or ash.
To inspire your next visit to your colorist, we’ve rounded up our favorite caramel hair colors. From scanty stripes to bronze balayage, there’s a look for everyone.
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11 Caramel Hair Highlights to Give You a New Look
Whether you’re ready to commit to a rich, all-over caramel shade or prefer a low-maintenance option, like sun-kissed highlights or caramel-dipped balayage, keep scrolling to see caramel hair color ideas that will brighten up your complexion.
Honey Brown Balayage
Balayage is a hair coloring technique that involves hand-painting individual strands of hair to add brightness and dimension. It’s adaptable for nearly any hair color, including caramel in honey brown.
Burnt Caramel Balayage
This style adds a touch of color and warmth to black hair. Also, it’s low-maintenance, as the color starts lower. Hence, there’s no need to worry about root touch-ups often.
Mocha Caramel Hair Highlights
Your multidimensional brunette hair will seamlessly blend with shades of chocolate, giving you a yummy, warm look.
Strawberry Caramel Hair Highlights
Wear a caramel shade that leans toward pinkish-red. It’s fresh, bold, and timeless.
Light Honey Brown
For a brighter take on caramel brown, try a light honey brunette shade with touches of soft golden, wheat, and buttery blonde highlights. If you’re bothered about the high maintenance of lighter hair color, ask your colorist for a root smudge. This technique helps blend your natural root color with your brighter dyed shade to conceal regrowth and give it a lived-in feel.
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Chocolate Caramel Hair Highlights
Enliven your natural dark brown hair by giving it a warmer take. This caramel hair highlight brings a unique warmth that feels vibrant and refreshing.
Caramel Braids & Locs
If you love to wear black or brown protective styles, caramel is a fun and subtle tweak to reinvent your look, especially during warmer months.
Caramel Brown Babylights
If you love highlights but want them to look as natural as possible, babylights are the way to go. This highlighting technique involves lightening ultra-thin sections of hair, mostly around the face and crown of the head, to create a subtle effect. It’s also low-maintenance, making it a must-try.
Caramel and Blonde Highlights
Caramel always does magic on brown hair, especially when it’s used as highlights or lowlights. It adds a sun-kissed glow that improves your hair’s natural radiance.
Light Caramel Balayage
Keep your caramel balayage light and bright with this shade. All you need to do is increase the volume of micro-fine highlights. It’s a shade suitable for bright summer days.
Caramel Money Piece
You don’t have to commit to dyeing your hair all over to embrace caramel hair color. If you have dark hair, simply add a caramel money piece to your hair by lightening the front sections with the shade. Or liven up a honey brown hair color with buttery golden blonde highlights.
Caramel Hair Highlights or Nothing
Nothing sets brown hair apart like swathes of warm, rich caramel. Whether you’re trying it as balayage, babylights, or an ombre gradient, the hue is a must-try. But before picking the perfect caramel shade, decide if you want it lighter or richer. Either way gives you that solid balance of lightness in your hair. Also, consider your maintenance level. If you stray too far from your natural shade and or opt for highlights or all-over color, you’ll need regular touchups to keep the color in shape.
Additionally, if you want your caramel tones fresh and vibrant always, use sulfate-free shampoos and color-safe conditioners, and schedule touch-ups every six to eight weeks to maintain warmth and prevent brassiness.
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