A blonde with brown highlights or lowlights is the ultimate in versatile looks. You can take it light or dark, warm or cool, and it works through every season. Brown and blonde is a classic combo, but a new raft of techniques ensure it always feels contemporary - which is why it’s always a good idea to refresh your brown and blonde highlights inspiration.
It’s common for dark-haired women to wish to lighten their strands, but dark shades can be added to blonde tresses to emphasize the bright hue. If you consider getting lowlights in blonde hair, it is best to work with a professional colorist who can help you choose the right shade to complement your blonde color. They will apply the lowlights strategically to create a natural-looking contrast that will enhance your hair’s overall look. Of course, it always helps to guide your stylist by showing the looks you like most.
Whether you’re creating a blonde with brown highlights and lowlights, or adding blonde balayage to a brown base, there are so many ways to play with light and dark tones. Here are some of the best ideas and formulas for blonde with brown highlights and lowlights.
A combination of highlights and lowlights has been used to create this dimensional brown blonde (AKA bronde) mane. If you want to create contrast on a medium brunette base, this is the way to go. First up, lighten chunky sections of hair with Blondor Freelights + 6%, taking it from root to tip before wrapping the hair up in foils. Then, while locks are lifting, apply lowlights with Color Touch 6/0 + 1.9%; a medium brunette that, in this case, is seriously popping against those lighter pieces. Once the lightener and color have developed, rinse hair so it’s ready for its final step: a toning session with 9/0 + 9/16 + 1.9%.
One of the freshest ways to combine blonde and brown highlights is with a bold face frame. Go ultra-bright through the front of the hair, leaving the rest a rich brown for a caramel latte mane. To recreate this particular brown and blonde combo, lighten and foil the front section of dark hair with BlondorPlex for up to nine levels of lift, then tone with a cool blonde such as Illumina Color 10/1.
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What a mane. For the ultimate expensive brunette, combining espresso and hazelnut ribbons with a balayage technique is the way to go. On this dark brown base, you’re seeing a mix of lighter brown and bronde highlights, courtesy of Color Touch. Create the same rich vibe with 5/1 + 1.9% for the root shadow, 6/71 + 5/97 + 1.9% for the lowlights, and 7/97 + 9/97 + 1.9% as a final, all-over toner. Don’t forget to finish the look with EIMI Glam Mist for an extra dose of lightweight luminosity.
Color Blocking is the must-have look of the season, but it isn’t just about painting with pastel tones and rainbow brights. Working the trend in natural hues, like brunettes and blondes, can be just as statement-making. Case in point: this ultra chunky blonde face frame on a medium brown base, which you can craft with shades from the Koleston Perfect portfolio. Try 7/18 to create that milky chocolate brown hue, then lift the front piece with BlondorPlex and tone with a bright, white, icy blonde. 10/16 is a great pick, as it’s ultra ashy and shimmery, while 10/86 is the perfect choice if you want to add some silver into the mix.
Caramel blonde gets a statement-making upgrade with this high-contrast dip-dye, featuring dark brown through the roots and a whole lot of golden lightness on the ends. If you’re looking to enhance the shape of coils through a beautifully textured, short mane, try this two-toned look, starting with BlondorPlex + 3% on the mid-lengths and ends. Allow it to develop in foils for up to 50 minutes, before rinsing with WellaPlex No2 Bond Stabilizer. Then, apply Shinefinity Color Glaze 09/36 + 09/61 to the lightened sections for a beautiful blonde with shine you can feel.
When it comes to blonde ombre hair, a dark brown is the perfect root color to set off the look. The two hues melt into each flawlessly and deliver low-maintenance flawlessness for brunettes who crave seamless regrowth. If your client wants to go light and bright with their blonde, shade their root with Color Touch 7/89 + 5/1 + 1.9% first. Then, on pre-lightened mid-lengths and ends, tone hair to platinum perfection with 9/16 + 10/01 + 1.9%. They can then maintain their cool hue with the Color Fresh Mask in Pearl Blonde at home. All they have to do is apply the tinted treatment to blonde sections of clean, damp hair, leave it on for 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly.
How dreamy is this golden brown and blonde mane? Featuring high contrast highlights, it’s a testament to just how glossy and glowy a Shinefinity Color Glaze will go. If you’re as obsessed as we are, try it on your brunette clients. Start with chunky highlights using Blondor Freelights, making sure you really saturate those thicker slices for an ultra even lift. Then, apply Shinefinity Color Glaze 07/13 + 09/73 as the toner - two toasty blondes that boast major radiance.
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Give short, curly, brown hair a caramel blonde upgrade with piecey highlights focused through the full crown section. Keeping the sides cropped and darker allows the texture up top to really stand out. If you’re as hooked on this look as we are, you can try recreating it with BlondorPlex and Koleston Perfect. On a brown base, apply BlondorPlex first to lighten, then reach for a warm-toned, golden Koleston Perfect hue to tone, such as 9/3 or 9/73.
You’re already mixing blonde and brown tones - why not add some red to the mix? This brown and ginger blonde mane features a scattering of babylights (AKA micro-fine highlights) and chunky ‘lights on a natural level three human hair wig. To create the look, locks were first lightened with Koleston Perfect Special Blonde 12/22 + 12%, a high lift blonde hair color that lifts and tones in a single step. Then, once that formula had been rinsed and neutralized, tresses were finished with a Shinefinity Color Glaze, featuring 07/34 + 08/34.
A combo of mushroom blonde and brown highlights is the dream for clients who love cool-toned hues, and a foilyage technique (balayage developed in foils) just takes hair to the next level. Wrapping freehand ribbons in foils is a go-to trick for increasing the lift from your lightener or for isolating strands to give them extra contrast. Try it yourself with BlondorPlex. Then, finish the look with Color Touch 3/0 + 3/68 + 4/0 on the root, and 6/0 + 7/89 + 7/71 applied to pre-lightened mid-lengths and ends.
When a client with full head bleach blonde hair is looking to add lowlights, several techniques and products can be used to achieve the desired result. A client who is a base 6 currently and looking for prob 6 or 7 lowlights, will need to consider the following.
If she is bleach blonde and wants lowlights you will definitely need a 6 to even show and it won't come out this dark as it's on light hair. If you go for something quite golden/caramel you shouldn't need to prepig, just do say 3 foils bleach/ 1 foil dark all the way through. Remember which foils are the dark so you don't wash the dark and light off together and get a nice wishy washy colour that's run into each other.
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Wella is a popular choice for hair color. Some stylists recommend using a 6/75 or a similar shade, going slightly darker than the client's initial request because the color will come up lighter and prevent it from fading too quickly. If a 7.3 seems too warm, a 7.03 might be a softer alternative.
One time-saving method involves applying three foils of bleach followed by one foil of a darker shade throughout the hair. However, care must be taken to keep the dark and light foils separate during the washing process to avoid color bleeding.
When someone is bleach blonde the best thing to do to get colour to stay is to use Colour touch, it lasts like a permanent but will fade after about week five. It means that you don't have to re-pig and also gives the hair something to hold onto. Some stylists swear by using Colour Touch on bleach blondes to ensure the color lasts longer. This method can last like a permanent color but will fade after about week five, giving the hair something to hold onto and eliminating the need to re-pigment. The 6's do come out darker so go for sevens but I love the result.
Another option is using Goldwell's Colorance range called Lowlights, mixed with an activator called CoverPlus (2%). This product comes in various depths and tones, such as 5/6 Natural, 7/8 Natural, 5/6 Warm, and 7/8 Warm, adding depth and tone without pre-pigmentation.
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