Your Everything Guide to Blonde Highlights
When you hear ‘blonde highlights’, what’s the first thing you think of? For us, visions of Blake Lively’s blushed blonde mane and Gisele Bündchen’s head of seriously sun-kissed strands instantly come to mind. Both rely on unique techniques and shades to create their signature looks, with no two journeys to flaxen-haired flawlessness ever being the same.
However, once you’ve got the know-how on every type of blonde highlights available, you’ll be ready to create all kinds of colour and placement combinations. Keep scrolling for the full highlighting lowdown, from finding the perfect technique and dreamiest shade to unlocking the ultimate maintenance routine…
11 Blonde Highlighting Techniques to Know
Half Head Highlights
Image Credit: @gian_zapattini
Wondering what the difference is between half head highlights and full head highlights? It’s simple; half head highlights are – as the name implies – only applied to around half your client’s hair. These root-to-tip ribbons are typically placed through the crown and sides, but you can also lighten the entire top layer, while keeping the lower layers natural. The aim is to brighten locks the way the sun does, lifting only the very surface, so you get a summery effect that appears entirely au naturel.
Full Head Highlights
Image Credit: @harcenter
Full head highlights see all sections and layers of your client’s hair lightened, from the fringe or hairline right down to the nape of the neck. Hair can be lifted one or two levels for subtle all-over brightening, or you can use full head highlights to create a dramatic blonde transformation on a dark brown or red base colour.
Babylights
Image Credit: @fraeulein_lieblingshaar
Babylights are much like traditional highlights in that they typically run from root to tip – although you can combine them with a balayage technique for a softer, more painterly finish. These intricate ‘lights are micro-fine and set close together, so they mimic the shade your childhood hair would lift to in the midst of the most sun-drenched summers. To create this believable finish, colourists should wrap much smaller sections of hair in foil. This gives your client delicate ribbons that take longer to achieve, but are worth every second behind the chair.
Balayage
Image Credit: @tst_with_refined
This might just be the most coveted highlighting style of all, and it’s not just used for lightening locks – you can create balayage in every colour of the rainbow. It’s a freehand technique that sees random sections of hair painted with a pre-lightener (like Blondor Freelights), focused mostly through the face-framing layers, the mid-lengths and the ends.
Ombre
Image Credit: @hairby_lottie
While balayage sees a scattering of highlights placed in a painterly fashion throughout the hair, ombre focuses on an even graduation from darker roots to lighter ends. To achieve this gradient effect, lightener is applied to the tips of hair first – not the other way around – then stroked upwards until you reach the point where the ombre should begin.
Sombre
Image Credit: @kthrnaprg
The clue’s in the name. Sombre is a subtle ombre that follows the same colouring process, but the shade difference between the roots and the ends is far less obvious. This technique is perfect for those who want their blonde highlights to be virtually undetectable, as it lends a hyper-real finish that suits all base colours.
Écaille
Image Credit: @nikocilibertis
The French word for tortoiseshell, écaille, also describes the warmest edition of balayage, featuring caramel blonde and honey blonde highlights swept through a brown base colour. Placing the gold tones between rich brown sections lends a shimmering effect, making it the perfect highlighting technique for light to medium, warm-toned brunettes.
Foilyage
Image Credit: @xobeautybynicole
Need to level up the lift on your client’s balayage? That’s what foilyage is for. Swap open-air developing for foils, and those blonde ribbons will sparkle brighter than ever before. While we typically recommend Blondor Freelights for balayage (the adhesive mass stops the formula from smudging), the use of foils means you can work with any lightener. Try BlondorPlex for a boost of bond-forging ingredients.
Face-Framing Highlights
Image Credit: @danielleemilie
Fact: placing lighter ribbons through the front of your client’s hair can help to enhance their complexion. It’s no wonder, then, that face-framing highlights are proving so popular right now. It can either be a few slices in the front, applied back to back in foils, or for an even stronger enhancement, swept through strands from root to tip. Try the trend with Blondor Soft Blonde Cream, which is gentle enough for on-scalp lightening, and protects wispy front pieces from moisture loss. Go for a lift two levels brighter than the base to get those money-piece highlights looking rich and radiant.
Twilighting
Image Credit: @chloebradburyhair
While écaille is perfect for adding a touch of brightness to lighter brunettes, twilighting is all about creating contrast through dark brown hair. Twinkling golden blonde highlights are swept through strands for a twilit effect. You’re aiming for a lift around three levels brighter than the base, with extra brightness through the front. Try toning those ‘lights with Illumina Color for an ultra-glowy finish. The sheer, permanent formula is specially designed to play up the natural light reflections in your client’s locks.
Chunky Highlights
Image Credit: @jhair_stylist
Chunky highlights are back. No longer the reserve of 90s pop stars, these weightier ribbons are popping up on some of this season’s most Instagrammable looks. Combined with finer ‘lights, they create rich, volume-enhancing dimension. All you have to do is section off thicker sections of hair, and stroke your chosen lightener through. You can also try this trick with the Special Blondes shades from the Koleston Perfect portfolio, which lift and tone in a single step for the most efficient colour service.
The Best Blonde Highlights for Every Base Colour
Blonde Highlights on Blonde Hair
Image Credit: @tialambourn_hair
Blondes can still reap the benefits of highlights. If the goal is to give light hair an extra lift, try Illumina Color in 10/1, 10/69 or 9/19 to add shimmering ribbons of icy colour. Beachy warmth can be achieved with honeyed tones and hints of gold using 9/03 or 10/36. Meanwhile, lowlights will enhance a natural blonde and create a sun-kissed contrast. Use a demi-permanent colour, like Color Touch, to achieve this effect.
Brown Hair with Blonde Highlights
Image Credit: @avagodec
Mousy brown or light-medium brunette hair pairs perfectly with honey blonde highlights for warmth, or ash blonde highlights if your client has fair skin. The trick is to place a high volume of very fine weaves – also known as babylights – through the hair, starting a few inches down from the root to get the full Gisele effect.
Blonde Highlights on Dark Hair
Image Credit: @tst_with_refined
When creating highlights for dark brown hair, keep in mind that the lighter you go, the stronger the contrast will be. This can sometimes result in a less natural-looking result. For a softer blend with low-maintenance regrowth, opt instead for amber or caramel tones with a balance of coolness and warmth, as going too warm can veer on the orange side. There are two ways to apply this: in a bolder, root-to-tip concentration, or painted free-hand with Blondor Freelights for a balayage effect. Whichever look you create, team the lightener with our bond-strengthening treatment, WellaPlex, which will maintain the integrity of the hair throughout the colouring process.
Red Hair with Blonde Highlights
Image Credit: @cassandra_foehr
When adding blonde highlights to red hair, there are two key colour trends you should try. If your client is a light redhead, they’ll suit strawberry blonde, and if they’re more auburn, try pumpkin spice. Follow the same colour process you would use to create blonde highlights for dark hair (see above), then recommend your clients maintain the shade by mixing INVIGO Color Recharge Red Conditioner with INVIGO Color Recharge Warm Blonde Refreshing Conditioner as a weekly treat.
How to Maintain Blonde Highlights
The dream blonde highlights look fresh and bright without a hint of brassiness, but how do you maintain that glow? There are three key tricks clients should keep in mind…
1. Perfect a Post-Colour Care Routine
This one’s a given. Blonde highlights are only as good as the aftercare that goes into them, which is why every new blonde needs INVIGO Color Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo in their kit. Then, tailor one of our pigment-depositing conditioners to their shade, recommending the Color Fresh Mask in Pearl Blonde or Lilac Frost for cool blonde highlights, and Golden Gloss for warmer blondes. Used once per week – or whenever your client needs to keep brassiness at bay – the mask is applied from root to tip, left to develop for 10 minutes, then rinsed. It’s as easy as that.
2. Cool Down on Heat Styling
All colourists know that excessive heat styling can fade a new hair hue and turn blonde highlights brassy. That’s why it’s a good idea to remind clients they should tone down the straightening, curling and blow-drying. For when they do need to turn up the heat, recommend EIMI Thermal Image heat protection spray, misted from roots to tips to keep strands safeguarded. A must-have.
3. Get the (Hair) Gloss
Nothing keeps blonde highlights looking fresher than a hair gloss treatment: a service that removes brassy tones and brightens between colour appointments – all in the space of a lunch break. The speedy process sees Koleston Perfect permanent hair colour diluted with Welloxon Perfect 1.9% and INVIGO Color Service Post Hair Color Treatment for a hint of a tint and a dose of shine.
