Whether you have naturally dark hair or you are about to switch your palette to a darker mode, you can’t go wrong with the idea of black hair with highlights.

When a dark hue meets a lighter one, they create a tasteful contrastive ensemble. This contrast gives birth to two invaluable features: color dimension and enhancement. So why don’t make your new dark color even better?

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This post is devoted to the beauty of highlighted dark hair. Besides eternal inspiration, you are also going to get to know the basics of getting highlights hair. See how color accents can change your dark base for the better!

How To Highlight Black Hair

How To Highlight Your Hair
Credit photo: instagram.com/rachaelharris_hairmakeupbeauty

Of course, to achieve perfectly blended and even highlights for dark hair, it’s always better to go leave your mane up to a colorist. But let’s be honest: girls either have no time to spend on searching for a good one or love to experiment with their appearance themselves. Since colorists already know how to highlight hair, here are the basics for home players.

What you need:
  • A pack of Box Dye that is one or two shades lighter than your natural base;
  • A regular brush;
  • A toothbrush;
  • Hair clips for sectioning;
  • A pair of gloves;
  • An old T-shirt;
  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Vaseline
How to:
  1. Start with third-day hair: colors adapt better to greasy locks. Before getting to the coloring process, brush your hair thoroughly to make sure there are no knots or tangles.
  2. Wear a T-shirt that you are ready to sacrifice for the new color and put on your gloves.
  3. Then, apply vaseline along the hairline, also paying attention to your neck, ears, and forehead.
  4. Decide how and where you want to place your highlights. For fine and thin hair, it’s better to work with thin strands, spacing the sections evenly. As for thicker, curly chevelures, place the sections sparsely.
  5. Mix the developer and colorant based on the instructions on the box.
  6. Part your hair in any way you like.
  7. Apply the dye onto your hair with the help of a toothbrush. It’s an awesome trick for achieving better color precision.
  8. When coloring your hair, keep in mind that your highlights should get heavier in the front portion.
  9. So as not to make the color dull, don’t forget to add some light to the lower layers.
  10. Leave the color in for the specified amount of time and then wash and condition your locks.

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Black Hair With Silver Highlights

Ashy Highlights

Now, it’s time to get inspired! Let’s start with a color combo that embraces an overwhelming trend of silver hair. Though white is the opposite of black, the black hair with silver highlights achieves a better color play, accentuating dark locks effortlessly.

Black Hair With Brown Highlights

Dark Chocolate Walnut
Credit photo: instagram.com/suetyrrellstylist

This color looks just as attractive as it sounds. It also proves that black hair with brown highlights actually can go well together. To get that lovely transition, ensure that the brown accents are just a tone lighter than the base.

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Black Hair With Caramel Highlights

Golden Lights

Believe it or not, the golden hue that enlivens this dark primary is achieved with a mix of brown shades. If you spice up your black hair with caramel highlights and finish it with dark brunette ones, you will get such organic color movement.

Copper Brownish Lights

Copper Brownish Lights

And this is how subtle highlights for dark hair look like. The space between colored strands is so even and the color is so balanced that it’s hard to believe it’s a dye job.

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Cascara Cold Brew

Cascara Cold Brew #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #brown
Credit photo: instagram.com/suetyrrellstylist

A color that is as fresh and crisp as your favorite cold brew drink, who could ask for more? This idea is nothing but brown hair with black highlights, but, of course, you can replace the color order to get that deep and cool shade.

Black Hair With Blonde Highlights

Caramel Dimensions

Unlike previous color combos, this one is all about distinctive contrasts. Black hair with blonde highlights that get warmer to the ends makes the basic color appear in a totally new light.

Melted Praline Dimension

Melted Praline Dimension

While praline is a palette of the most desired tastes, you can make it work for your hair to show off your good taste. Light hazelnut hair, soft caramel vibes, and sugary blonde are the ingredients of these stunning hair highlights for dark hair.

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Reddish Highlights

Reddish Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

Reddish highlights for dark hair can be saturated and eye-catching or muted and harmonic. If you’re into well-balanced ideas, this dark chevelure with a soft red tone stretching down the length will be an excellent choice.

Black Hair with Highlights Rose Gold

Black Hair with Highlights Rose Gold #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #rosegold
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairbybiancarose

How do you imagine black hair with pink highlights? Luckily, the epoch of the emo generation passed us in 2007, so now we can show you the best angles of this color combo. A slight hint of rose that gently hits your ends, isn’t that a dream come true?

Fiery Orange Highlights

Here comes a variation of black hair with red highlights designed to catch people’s eyes. Girls who want their hair to make a statement should look no further than this fiery duo!

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Black Hair With Yellow Highlights

Black Hair With Yellow Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #yellow
Credit photo: instagram.com/amburgerofhair

Though many people may find yellow highlights for dark hair to be too drastic and unnatural, we want you to listen to your heart. Want to be in the spotlight? Do it, girl!

Black Hair With Green Highlights

Green Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairwaytokale

This time, highlights don’t just accentuate the deepness of the color; they make it complete, enhancing the profound dark hue. To finish the look, leave some strands a bit lighter to let the color be visible at some point.

Rainbow Highlights

Rainbow Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #rainbiwcolor
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairbybiancarose

Black is a good match for all colors possible, so how about you to mix them all? First, embellish your black hair with blue highlights, for example. Then, place any colors you like so that they match the first added shade. Voila!

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Colorful Highlights

Colorful Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/sheffpavelstylist

Black hair with purple hues highlights has had its ups and downs, yet, today, it seems to be the hottest trend ever. There’s no better way to enhance a deep color than to do it with a saturated one.

Black Hair With Purple Highlights

Magenta Lights On Black Hair
Credit photo: instagram.com/adlydesign

There’s a magical way to go for purple highlights for dark hair and still look effortless. Magenta color, which is a mix of purple and deep red colors, will nicely complement your dark shade, looking as if your hair has been kissed by the sun.

Wine Red Highlights

Wine Red Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

We can’t have too much wine colors in our life, can we? Some burgundy, garnet or merlot colors can make your hair look like never-ending Friday!

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Soft Brownish Lights

Soft Brownish Lights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

Although highlights are meant to accentuate a base, they should not necessarily be bright and contrastive. You may think that black and brown won’t go well together until you actually give them a try. Here, you can see how harmonically they can blend: the brownish hint makes this dark hair color appear smoother, thus making it look alive and organic.

Chocolate Highlights

Chocolate Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairwaytokale

Another proof that black and brunette shades work wonders. This time, the shade of brown is more intense to add more dynamic character to the black base. The truth is, despite being super hot and seductive, black hair tends to lack dynamics and appear very static. And a little hint of a matching brown is enough to bring the balance back.

Metallic Shine

Metallic Shine
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

Want to enhance the natural shine that your black hair reflects once the sun shines down on it? A metallic shade of brunette is key, then. Ask your colorist to coat your hair with a thin layer of a metallic brown so that it acts just like a tint. Once your black hair with highlights meet one another, they will literally show up from new perspectives.

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Cold Reddish Toned Lights

Cold Reddish Toned Lights
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairwaytokale

Besides catching a lot of shine and light, reddish toned black hair will also catch eyes and make heads turn. Of course, this color idea has nothing to do with all those red ombre or balayage looks; it actually shows the new side of the most desirable shade. If you go subtle with a cool reddish shade added through your black hair, you will not only give a fresh take at it but will also enhance its natural beauty.

Caramelized Chocolaty Bliss

Caramelized Chocolaty Bliss
Credit photo: instagram.com/karinaupdo

Not only haircuts can work on your face shape; colors also have the beautifying power. The secret of making it work for you lies in the right color placement. If you want to frame your face, you can highlight only the front sections of your hair. Or, you can go for hidden highlights placed underneath the top layer of hair. By the way, this caramelized chocolate bliss is a stunning example of perfect color strategy.

Toasted Sandalwood

Toasted Sandalwood
Credit photo: instagram.com/rachaelharris_hairmakeupbeauty

The color of sandalwood is pretty light and warm, which may not be the best match for black manes. All in all, naturalness, harmony, and balance are three essential characteristics that most ladies expect to achieve after getting their black hair highlighted. Therefore, you can try a toasted, a bit darkened version of the warm sandalwood shade, thus changing the temperature of your look.

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Toasted Toffee

Hair color that gently escapes from the top of your head, giving every single wave of your hair tons of definition and movement: too good to be true, huh? The color transition in this pic is done so smoothly that it looks like appetitive molasses dropping down on fresh crispy cookies. This is how perfect color jobs look like.

Jet Black Hair With Highlights

Jet Black Hair With Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/ashley.m.stylist

Jet black hair, be it natural or achieved in a salon, is pretty drastic and thus striking. And while some women love how this deep and breathtaking shade stands out in the crowd, others would like it to appear more harmonic. As it turns out, a hit of brunette shade will add the needed warmth and slight dimension, making your hair color soft, yet deep.

Cold Toned Brown Highlights

Cold Toned Brown Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

Warm brown highlights can bring the temperature of your black hair to a more-balanced mode. And if you want to not only accentuate your amazing primary but also intensify the whole look, cool brown highlights are just what the doctor ordered. Here, the lights aren’t very bright or light, but the contrast between the deep base and cold highlights creates a stunning contrastive finish.

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Warm Golden Highlights

Warm Golden Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

Black and gold is a combination that people will be passing through generations. In fact, it’s a synonym of refinery and luxury at the same time. And here’s one of the endless experiments you can try with these two fantastic shades: slight gold highlights hitting black mid-shafts. Due to the well-blended transition, colors melt with one another smoothly, therefore forming a flawless duo.

Face Framing Platinum Blonde Highights

Face Framing Platinum Blonde Highights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

If you want to see a new, different person in the mirror, it’s time to open your heart for contrastive black hair with highlights. What makes this idea so special is the application, as well as the intensiveness of the added color. There’s no need to tell you how much of a visual impact you can achieve once you mix pure blonde with black. As for the application, the color is placed mostly to the front, thus giving an illusion of a slimmer face. Such a color play literally changes the appearance of this model, making her look even more beautiful.

Chestnut Brown Highlights

Chestnut Brown Highlights
Credit photo: instagram.com/thevividbrunette

If you are looking for something moderate and low key, then why not accentuate your black hair with brown highlights? The streaks look very natural in this way, so no one can even tell if you got highlights painted or if this is your natural hair color. Yet, they still give your locks depths and movement, so they will not look flat.

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Black Hair With White Highlights

To get a really edgy and high contrast hair look, complement your black hair with white highlights. They turn out incredibly striking against your dark hair color, so you are sure to be the center of attention. So that it appears a bit less harsh, you may ask your colorist to blend white streaks into your black strands seamlessly.

Blonde Hair With Black Highlights

Blonde Hair With Black Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #blonde
Credit photo: instagram.com/off7thsalon

Black hair with blonde highlights is a very popular combo, so you can hardly surprise anyone with it. For this reason, why not try a reverse version of the look? Incorporate black highlights into a blonde mane and you will end up with a hair color that will not leave anyone indifferent.

Extraordinaary Hime Cut with Bright Raccoon Tail Hair

Extraordinaary Hime Cut with Bright Raccoon Tail Hair #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #himecut
Credit photo: instagram.com/thehairygodmotherr

If you prefer to really stand out in the crowd, raccoon hair highlights are your best way to go. While they look awesome on any hairstyle, you should try them with something daring and unusual, such as a hime cut. Of course, it requires a certain amount of fashion bravery to pull off such a look. Yet, you will not be disappointed.

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Black Hair With Blue Highlights

It is also a good idea to try some unconventional colors for highlights. Black hair with blue highlights comes out not only unique but also very beautiful. Blue smudges on dark locks create a shimmering ribbon effect, adding dimension to your tresses. This color suits perfectly well any hair type, from straight to curly.

Short Black Hair With Red Highlights

Short Black Hair With Red Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #red
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairbybiancarose

It is a known fact that black and red go together like peanut butter and jam. That is why you can never go wrong when pairing black hair with red highlights. This pop of color gives your hairstyle interest and makes it the focal point of the whole look. So, when choosing a suitable outfit, you can grab just anything.

Brown Hair With Black Highlights

Brown Hair With Black Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #brown
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairdreams.ny

Just like there is black hair with caramel highlights, you can wear it the other way around – black highlights on brown hair. This is also a failsafe option for those ladies who want to go darker with their hair color but are not sure whether it is going to suit them.

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Black Hair With Pink and Coral Highlights

Black Hair With Pink and Coral Highlights #blackhairwithhighlights #hairwithhighlights #pink
Credit photo: instagram.com/hairbyclairperez

Take your black hair with pink highlights to another level of boldness by introducing coral highlights to it. Together, these two colors create a mesmerizing hair look, especially when applied to dark hair. However, keep in mind that you will need to maintain the color thoroughly so that it does not wash out fast.

When you want to add some more dynamics to your one-toned black hair, brown highlights will be a perfect choice. Naturally dark tones usually have a couple of brunette hues, so making them more visible by going for highlights is a good way to enliven your color. And if you’d like to go a bit warmer, pick chestnut brown and you won’t be disappointed.

There are no limits to your imagination when you are about to get highlights. Now that you’ve seen today’s black hair with highlights ideas, you know what techniques and color combinations will come out ravishingly for sure, so there’s no way your new color will end up being a failure!

FAQ: Black Hair With Highlights

Does highlights damage black hair?

Remember that black is a difficult base color to highlight. Another issue that arises when adding highlights to dark colors is the loss of vibrancy. Black hair perfectly reflects the light, and with highlights you will lose some of its gorgeous shine over time.

Does highlights damage natural hair?

Semi-permanent dyes and highlights aren’t as harmful for your hair as bleach, however they do have consequences. They can also alter the inner hair structure, resulting in a lackluster appearance and dryness, especially if you color it regularly to conceal gray hair.

What Colours go with black hair?

On women with black hair, red color looks gorgeous, so all of the jewel shades will look good on you:

  • cobalt blue
  • bottle green
  • turquoise
  • gold

Look for saturated and bold tones. Bright pinks and berries, yellow and pear green will all work well.

Can you put blonde highlights on dyed black hair?

You cannot just apply a color highlight to dyed-dark hair, or even naturally black hair. Darkly dyed hair has dark deposits that stain and make lighter colors difficult to lift.

REFERENCES:
  • Dark Hair With Highlights: How to Perfect the Look. Source
  • Fun Ideas for Black Hair With Highlights. Source

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