Without any doubt, natural black hair color is a great base color for any type of highlights. With so many variations flattering different skin tones, textures, and personal styles, it’s easy to find a combination to enhance your appearance. Whether you seek to add some depth or juice up your dark tresses with color, explore these amazing highlight ideas to step up your look.
1. Black Hair with Chestnut Highlights
Chestnut highlights on black hair are a great hair color idea for all four seasons. Chestnut hue gives the hair much shine without damaging hair. This is a really low-maintenance way to highlight black hair, and the color stays up to 8 weeks.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
2. Black Hair with Deep Purple Highlights
If you would like to have a hint of fashion colors like violet or red, here is a great idea that is in between those two colors. Purple highlights are high maintenance on black hair, which means getting your highlights retouched every 4-6 weeks and using color protection shampoo and conditioner.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
3. Brown and Caramel Blonde Highlights
This hair features an elaborate combination of highlights that create enticing depth and dimension. The richness of lighter and darker shades is definitely worth copying. Warm caramel blonde and chestnut highlights can be your best bet if you have a warm skin tone.
Instagram / @texasbalayage
4. Rose Gold Highlights on Dark Hair
Give your hair an edgy appeal with rose gold highlights that beautifully accentuate medium skin tones. For that gorgeous skin-glowing effect, add face-framing strands. A word of advice: rose gold and peachy hues are the best match for a dark brown base; however, consider a cooler, pastel shade of pink if you want to achieve a similar effect on your jet-black locks.
Instagram / @romeufelipe
5. Blonde Babylights on Black Hair
Although very subtle, blonde babylights can do an awesome job of illuminating your face and adding a soft glow to your complexion. Blonde highlights and a black base create a striking contrast, which makes the entire look elegant and dramatic, especially when paired with long hair.
Instagram / @aaashleee
6. Peachy Blonde Highlights for Black Hair
Blonde highlights can be your ideal option if you crave going lighter without coloring your entire head of hair. In addition, blonde comes in an impressive variety of shades. Sandy, peachy, strawberry, platinum, or golden highlights — this is you and your colorist who make the final decision.
Instagram / @kainandecanine
7. Black Hair with Burgundy Highlights
Natural black hair with darker shade highlights, like this burgundy hue, is easy to maintain. If you wash your hair once or twice a week with color protection shampoo, this color will stay on black hair for about 7-9 weeks.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
8. Black Hair with Brown Highlights
This color is perfect if you are looking for a minimum maintenance choice for very dark hair. Just wash and air dry your tresses, and it will still look beautiful, especially on long hair.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
9. Mocha Hair with Light Brown Highlights
If you’re a bit bored with your natural hair color but don’t feel like dyeing it all, highlights will come to save the day. Adding highlights on dark hair create dimension and depth, making it look really chic. Opt for light brown highlights in case you prefer a more natural look.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
10. Black Hair with All Over Platinum Highlights
This color is high maintenance, especially if you have black/brown natural hair roots. You need to do your hair every 4-6 weeks and use purple shampoo and conditioner every time your hair is washed.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
11. Black and Auburn Hair Color
Auburn highlights on black hair give you a natural look and, at the same time, are clearly visible. During the spring and summer season, auburn highlights are the perfect color if you like to have a more natural look. Auburn highlights are also low maintenance.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
12. Black Hair with Silver Highlights
If you have naturally gray hair mixed with your natural black hair, gray highlights are perfect to blend in with your natural black base. This color is high maintenance, which means you must use purple shampoo and conditioner to keep up with the gray shine and prevent yellow tones. Retouch is recommended every 5 to 8 weeks.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
13. Black Hair with Ash Highlights
If you would like to spice up your natural black hair, here are beautiful ash color highlights to add more shine to your locks. To preserve the lighter shade for any brassy tones creeping in, use low temperatures when using a flat iron or curling iron, no more than 370F. If the temperature is higher, the color will melt and after 2-3 weeks, the highlights will lose their color and shine.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
14. Black Hair with Caramel Highlights
Caramel highlights and dark natural hair color is one of the most beautiful combinations. The best part, when it comes to upkeep, it is very low maintenance. Brown highlights on black hair can stay up to 3 months without using any special treatment like purple or blue shampoo.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
15. Dark Brown Highlights on Black Hair
If you’re searching for ways to spice up your black tresses but don’t feel like going too bright, consider getting brown highlights. Chocolate brown highlights look elegant and chic on black hair, adding dimension and drama to your look.
Instagram / @ricardoalonsobeauty
16. Copper Red Highlights
Without any doubt, black hair and red highlights are a divine combination. The striking contrast these hues create is a sure-fire way to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t mind getting more of red than just a couple of highlights, choose a more vivid color effect, for instance, a black to copper ombre like this one.
Instagram / @colour.jade
17. Gray Peekaboo Highlights on Black Hair
If you find the commonplace blonde streaks too boring, why not inject a bit of silver in your black hair? Gray highlights look gorgeous on dark hair. Combined with loose waves, they help create a glamorous look.
Instagram / @hair_by_joscelyn
18. Chic Black to Brown Ombre
For a more natural look, choose highlights that are just a few tones lighter than your natural color. You can also ask for a couple of brighter accents for a sun-kissed effect. The whole thing looks truly elegant and chic.
Instagram / @hairbynathi
19. Caramel Blonde Ombre Highlights and Money Piece
Looking for low-commitment ways to juice up your short hair? Trendy highlights have you covered! This messy dark bob looks extremely hot with salted caramel money pieces and ombre. Warm caramel is the perfect match for ladies with darker skin tones, beautifully emphasizing facial features and bringing a beautiful glow to the skin.
Instagram / @styled_by_carolynn
20. Black Hair with Blonde Highlights
This type of blonde highlights for black hair is high maintenance. So, if you are not ready to devote much time (or money) to your hair, blonde highlights are not the choice to go with. However, if you feel that you can step up to the challenge, this look is definitely one to fall in love with.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
21. Black Hair with Honey Highlights
Honey highlights on black hair are a very pretty hair color idea for the spring/summer season. If you use color protection shampoo and conditioner this color will stay shiny without any orange and yellow tones.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
22. Black Hair with Honey Blonde Highlights
These types of highlights are a great hair color idea if you are looking for some shine of honey and blonde between your natural or colored dark brown or black hair roots. It flatters any skin tone and is a gentler approach to going blonde you’d better consider if you have curly naturally dark hair.
Pixabay
23. Subtle Highlights on Black Hair
Subtle accent highlights are a great idea if you are looking for low-maintenance color. Subtle highlights look more natural on black hair with extra shine on some spots of the hair, not all. Leave your dark roots natural and place highlights on the lower part of your hair and near the front to brighten up your complexion.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
24. Short Black Hair with Highlights
Here is a very modern short haircut with gray highlights on a dark hair base, and it’s an ultimate show stealer. Maintenance for this type of look is very high, though. Cut and highlights are recommended every 5 weeks. Also, continuous maintenance (read purple shampoo) is required to keep the gray bright.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
25. Black Hair with Copper Highlights
You can’t go wrong with copper highlights for black hair, especially for a summer hair color. Maintenance for this type of highlights is low and you can visit your salon just once in 8 weeks.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
26. Chocolate Brown Highlights for Dark Locks
Looking for an idea to flatter darker skin tones? Consider getting chocolate brown highlights on your dark brown base. While adding depth and dimension to your hair, they’ll perfectly pair with your sun-tanned complexion.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
27. Natural Highlights on Dark Brown Hair
If you aren’t enthusiastic about the stark contrast lighter shades like platinum or strawberry blonde can provide, you can always go for more natural-looking highlights, such as light brown. They will help you achieve that chic just-stepped-out-of-the-salon but still natural look.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
28. Black Hair with Dark Red Highlights
Red hair color is beautiful, especially as it contrasts with black hair. This is why the combination looks so perfect on darker tresses. It is recommended to retouch every 6 to 8 weeks.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
29. Fiery Red Highlights on Jet Black Base
If you enjoy shining bright and turning heads at all times, fiery red highlights might be what you need. So vivid and juicy, they are a great way to show off your charismatic personality and unique style. Still, remember to stock up on quality colored hair products to keep your flame burning for as long as possible.
Instagram / @colorbycindylish
30. Balayage Highlights
Balayage can be your best choice if you want to achieve a more dramatic look. Ask your stylist to select a combination of hues that will best match your skin tone and eye color.
Instagram / @hairby_arci_
The impressive variety of options to highlight black hair allows you to choose the one that will help your beauty shine through. With the proper maintenance, your highlights will last for weeks. However, keep in mind that different colors call for different products, so don’t forget to consult your stylist about it before leaving the salon.
