Want to brighten up your dark brown hair, but you’re scared of going too bright? You need to try balayage! Balayage on dark brown hair is an effortlessly stunning style, giving all that dimension, depth, and definition of traditional highlights, but they’re much more toned-down.
Balayage is the real-life embodiment of the saying, “A little bit goes a long way.” This style is much more subtle than traditional highlights, blending seamlessly with your base color for a more natural look. It also brings the perfect contrast for depth and low maintenance (especially during the grow-in phase).
But even better than all of that, this trendy and modern highlighting technique is unique. The creative balayage placement is totally customized to your hair and the look you’re going for. You can get bright blonde balayage, rich caramel swirls, or pops of something vibrant and fun.
#1. Dark Brown with Subtle Honey Highlights
Need a low-key but luxurious way to lighten things up? Add some subtle honey highlights to your dark brown tresses! Smooth, subtle honey highlights are toned just right to brighten and define any hair type without overwhelming the luscious dark brown, making the perfect gentle upgrade.
#2. Espresso Balayage with Caramel Swirls
Espresso balayage and caramel swirls are an indulgent and irresistible combo. They create a stunning contrast with your dark brown, bringing rich warmth and definition to give your natural texture a boost in movement. The swirl technique accentuates this, making this look ideal for thicker waves and curls.
#3. Deep Chocolate with Auburn Streaks
Want something radiant and ravishing? Go for deep chocolate brown with auburn streaks! Vibrant auburn blazes your deep chocolate brown with warmth, a multi-dimensional look, and an autumn-inspired allure.
#4. Midnight Brunette with Cool Ash Tones
Midnight brunette with cool ash tones is the perfect blend of dark and dramatic and soft and sophisticated aesthetics. The smokey cool ash tones give your hair subtle dimension for just a little lift without losing the mystery of the midnight brunette.
#5. Rich Mocha Balayage with Blonde Highlights
Lighten up your look with something naturally lovely, like rich mocha balayage and blonde highlights. These colors combine to give depth for the illusion of more volume while illuminating and defining your hair for a zap of energy.
#6. Dark Chestnut with Soft Golden Ribbons
Low-key meets luxury, with dark chestnut brown and soft shimmering golden ribbons. These golden balayage ribbons accentuate the warmth of the dark chestnut base, creating multi-tonal dimension and boosting movement, especially in straight or wavy hair.
#7. Deep Brown with Rose Gold Accents
Take your deep brown up a notch with some trendy rose gold accents. This vibrant and modern adds radiance and depth that makes your dark brown hair look more voluminous, all while adding a rosy glow to your skin tone.
#8. Intense Dark Coffee with Warm Toffee Strokes
If you’re looking for something more refined, go for intense dark coffee with warm toffee strokes. These sweet strokes of toffee tones infuse your intense dark coffee brown with rich warmth and a little bit of lavish dimension for thicker hair.
#9. Velvety Dark Cocoa with Cherry Undertones
Give your velvety dark cocoa brown a dash of drama while keeping a soft, polished look with velvety dark cocoa and cherry undertones! The cherry undertones give your hair a hint of warmth without overshadowing that deep, luscious dark cocoa brown.
#10. Jet Black Base with Dark Chocolate Highlights
Switch things up by going with a jet-black base and dark chocolate highlights. This classy and high-fashion look brings a super-cool contrast for depth, dimension, and an enchanting yet dramatic and moody aesthetic.
#11. Luxurious Dark Walnut with Bronze Glints
Bronze glints on luxurious dark walnut hair are all things earthy and elegant. These bronze glints brighten and warm up the walnut brown for soft definition and luxurious movement for a style that looks alluring and au natural.
#12. Smokey Dark Brown with Silver Ash Tips
Looking for something ultra-fab and fashion-forward? You need some silver ash tips on smokey dark brown hair! This contemporary combination brings depth and sharp definition to smokey dark brown hair for maximum dimension and gives straight and wavy hair an iconic futuristic flair so you can be the star of the smoke show!
#13. Ebony Balayage with Mahogany Reflections
Get a dynamic and dazzling look for your dark brown hair, like ebony balayage and mahogany reflections! Dark brown hair with ebony balayage and mahogany reflections is a trio of captivating colors that work together to create a multi-tonal dimension to intensify your natural texture with maximum movement, depth, and warmth.
#14. Dark Brown with Subtle Burgundy Flush
Looking for something ravishing with a little bit of romantic flair? Try dark brown with a subtle burgundy flush. This style features a dazzling dark brown, kissed with a lovely and luxurious burgundy that creates unexpected warmth, dimension, and a flirty pop of color.
#15. Deep Umber with Sun Kissed Amber Highlights
Go for a natural look with a little kick, like deep umber with sun-kissed amber highlights! This look features an earthy umber brown blazed with sun-kissed amber highlights that add radiant warmth and gentle definition, giving you a soft and subtle lift with all the sunny style.
#16. Dark Cinnamon Swirls on Espresso Base
Spice up your style by adding dark cinnamon swirls to your espresso tresses! These cinnamon swirls add a hint of brightness, a dash of definition, and dimensional movement to thicker espresso brown waves and curls.
#17. Jet Black with Midnight Blue Balayage
Moody, mysterious, and absolutely magnificent—that’s how we describe jet-black hair with midnight blue balayage. This intense contrast of two cool tones creates a vibrant dimension that gives any hair type a serious modern edge.
#18. Dark Brown with Platinum Blonde Streaks
If you’re into a bright and elegant aesthetic, you’ve got to try an iconic color combo, like dark brown and platinum blonde streaks. This eye-catching contrast brings intense depth and dimension for a burst of life to any hair type and a bright, cool glow to your skin.
#19. Warm Dark Brown with Fiery Copper Highlights
Heat things up with something vibrant, like warm dark brown with fiery copper highlights! These copper tones bring bursts of blazing dimension to the warm dark brown base while giving your face a warm and cozy glow, just like sitting by a fire.
#20. Rich Brown with Icy Lavender Highlights
If you’re looking for something dreamy and dazzling, try a rich brown with icy lavender highlights. This charming pop of pastel color adds whimsical dimension and movement to your earthy, rich brown with a flawless fairytale flair.
#21. Natural Dark Brunette with Olive Tones
Want a more organic and unique twist on balayage for dark brown hair? Try some olive tones on your natural dark brunette. The graceful, gentle olive tones give a natural, low-key lift and an earthy but polished style.
#22. Dark Chocolate with Sapphire Blue Accents
Sapphire blue accents on dark chocolate hair are alluring and eye-catching. This jubilant jewel-toned blue levels up your dark chocolate brown with a cool contrast and a sophisticated-looking way to try a vibrant pop of color.
#23. Deep Brown with Glossy Raspberry Tints
Need something to juice up deep brown? Go for some glossy raspberry tints! This light red-toned tint brings warm illumination for a touch of rich definition and a whole lot of shine for a style with all that sweet yet sultry flavor.
#24. Mystical Dark Brown with Teal Streaks
Nothing blends edgy and enchanting like mystical dark brown with hypnotic teal streaks. This color combo creates a jaw-dropping contrast with unique definition and brightness, creating a magnetic moody meets mermaid vibe.