If you’ve got black hair, you already know that adding highlights can go one of two ways. They’ll take your black hair to the top. Or, they’ll look tacky.
Finding the right highlights for your black hair is all about tone and technique. Today, we’re showing you 45 high-profile highlighted black hairstyles that will skyrocket your style. Let’s get started.
#1. Sleek Black Bob with Silver Streaks
The bob was practically made for black hair. This structured cut gives black hair a bold and elegant shape, with just the right amount of volume and movement for any hair texture while keeping that sleek look. Then, silver streaks add refined texture and soft dimension.
#2. Long Layers with Honey-Brown Highlights
A long and layered cut with honey-brown highlights gives black hair a touch of warm brightness and a whole lot of depth. These darker highlights are toned perfectly to bring a natural sun-kissed glow that packs your hair full of definition, emphasized by the long, luscious layers.
#3. Edgy Pixie Cut with Electric Blue Tips
Go bold with an edgy pixie cut with electric blue tips! The uber-edgy pixie brings striking texture and shape to even the finest hair for high-impact style. Then, the electric blue tips come in for a playful touch that makes black hair pop.
#4. Shoulder Length Cut with Chunky Blonde Highlights
If you think blonde highlights look tacky on black hair, you haven’t seen them done like this! The shoulder-length cut sets the chic tone with a sleeker take on volume. Then, chunky blonde highlights (toned to complement your black shade, of course) add enhanced texture and definition for a striking contrast that really shines.
#5. Voluminous Curly Cut with Subtle Auburn Accents
Bring some richness and drama to your black hair with some subtle auburn accents on a voluminous curly cut. Subtle auburn accents bring a bold yet romantic type of dimension to your hair, amplified by the voluminous curly cut that maximizes your natural curl pattern.
#6. Asymmetrical Lob with Icy Platinum Highlights
The asymmetrical lob with icy platinum highlights is the quintessential contemporary yet classy look for black hair. This modern cut features texturized layers and sharp asymmetrical shaping for a bold base for elegant yet edgy platinum highlights.
#7. Classic Shag with Hints of Emerald Green
Feeling creative? Go with a retro shag cut with hints of unexpected yet alluring emerald green. This classic cut is packed with layers for more depth and movement for the groovy emerald green hints to shine through. And who knows? They could even bring you luck.
#8. High-Volume Afro with Copper Highlights
Show some love to your natural roots with a high-volume afro with captivating copper highlights. This afro cut gives you full volume and iconic shaping to showcase your natural texture. Then, the copper highlights bring a rich definition to your hair and a rosy glow to your skin.
#9. Cornrow-Braided Updo with Gold Flecks
Level up your cornrows with an updo accented by golden flecks. The golden flecks (which can be artificial or not–it’s up to you) are woven into big beautiful cornrow braids for a super luxurious look. Then, you can elevate that with a simple updo for that extra pinch of elegance.
#10. Subtle Rose Gold Streaks on Straight Hair
For a soft and charming lift for your black hair, try subtle rose gold streaks. The hints of rose gold bring a delicate and flattering flair to your darker hues while adding a pinch of richness and depth. This style is for all hair lengths and textures but shines brightest on straighter hair. Take this look up a notch with pink ends to bring out the rose gold streaks.
#11. Wavy Mid-Length Cut with Cherry Red Highlights
Give your waves that wow factor with a mid-length cut and cherry red highlights. The wavy mid-length cut gives your waves all of the body and bounce they need to come back to life. The cherry-red highlights are an enigmatic contrast to your black hair, further enhancing the movement and dimension of your waves while bringing a captivating charm to the whole look.
#12. Layered Pixie with Bright Pink Tips
Get that punky-playful aesthetic with a layered pixie with bright pink tips. The iconic layers of this pixie cut are perfect for shaping and texturizing black hair to create a strong background for bold and bright pink tips for that extra girly edge.
#13. Half-Up, Half-Down Hairstyle for Soft Lavender Streaks
Soft lavender streaks make for a beautiful blend of whimsical and striking, and they shine even brighter on a dark base like black hair. You can bring those streaks to the forefront with a half-up and half-down hairstyle. And, what’s best, both the color and style work on any hair texture.
#14. Bold Undercut with Neon Yellow Highlights
Looking for a hairstyle with some sting? Look no further than a bold black undercut with neon yellow highlights. This high-octane haircut gives you a grungy texture and sharp shape brought to the top by the neck-breaking color contrast.
#15. Chestnut Brown Accents on Tight Curls
Just when you think tightly curled black hair couldn’t get more lively, chestnut brown accents come in to freshen things up. Chestnut brown provides a natural warmth and dimension to your curls, making them look better than ever.
#16. Flowy Black Beach Waves with Sun-Kissed Blonde Highlights
Think black hair can’t be beachy? Think again! Give your flowy black waves that beachy look with sun-kissed blonde highlights. These tastefully toned highlights are the perfect shade to lighten up your hair, giving your flowy waves that beach goddess vibe.
#17. Metallic Silver Stripes in a Sleek Ponytail
Metallic silver stripes are a stunning addition to black hair, creating dimension and texture where there is none in a polarizing color. Then, style this hair color combo in a sleek ponytail for the ultimate clean and polished look.
#18. Fiery Orange Highlights with Side-Swept Bangs
Fiery orange highlights bring the heat, making a uniquely vivid contrast to black hair that turns heads wherever you go. Then, you can add side-swept bangs to soften the look (without taking away from the edgy aesthetic). Even better, this cut and color combo is suited to all hairstyles.
#19. Tousled Lob with Pastel Pink and Blue Streaks
The tousled lob with pastel pink and blue streaks creates a soft and dreamy look out of dark and moody black hair (without completely covering it up). The tousled lob brings lightweight texture and subtle movement, while the pastel color combo brings a whimsical vibe.
#20. Subtle Silver Highlights in an Elegant Top Knot
Always a complementary color for black hair, subtle silver highlights are exactly what you need for a little bit of dimension with a super-sophisticated look. You can build on that vibe and showcase those silver slivers by styling your hair in an elegant topknot.
#21. Bold White Streaks with Retro Waves
If you’re looking for a stand-out color for your black hair, there’s no better contrast than a bold white. Bold white streaks give black hair an undeniable dignified charm that shouts confidence. Then, retro waves maximize the movement of the streaks while bringing that iconic old Hollywood glam to the whole look.
#22. Deep Burgundy Accents on Boho Braids
Bring some breathtaking drama to your Boho braids with deep burgundy accents. This shade is as bold as any other red but much more approachable, especially for black hair. Color your hair before braiding or weave the accents in. It’s all up to you.
#23. Gleaming Gold Highlights Styled in a Side-Part
Give your black hair a spark with gleaming gold highlights and a side part. The gleaming golden tones of the highlight lumify black hair while bringing depth and dimension. Then, style your hair in a side-part to give your hair some more body and movement while showcasing your new highlights.
#24. Textured Bob with Sapphire Blue Streaks
Black and blue has never looked as good as in a textured bob with sapphire blue streaks. The textured bob is perfect for giving thin and finer hair a life. And for thicker hair, some lightweight definition. Then, the sapphire blue brings a vibrant splash of color for a playful twist on this edgy look.
#25. Vibrant Turquoise Highlights in a High Ponytail
Another bewitching blue tone perfect for black hair, vibrant turquoise highlights have exactly what it takes to make a style statement with your hair. You can elevate this jubilant jewel tone with a high ponytail for that extra trendy touch.
#26. Cascading Layers with Soft Purple Streaks
Bring some flirty flair to your black hair with cascading layers and soft purple streaks. The purple tones are complementary to black hair, giving it a playful yet delicate look. Then, to soften it even further, cascading waves create a gentle movement in a style that works with almost any hair texture.
#27. Sleek Angled Bob with Rose Highlights
Give your black hair a sultry and sophisticated charm with a sleek angled bob with rose highlights. The sleek and sharp angles of the bob bring a touch of body and volume to your hair with a smooth finish and a striking shape that accentuates your jawline. Then, the rose highlights bring a flirty and fabulous flair to the look while giving your skin a rosy glow.
#28. Pastel Pink Highlights in a Messy Bun
No hairstyle is more effortlessly trendy and versatile than the perfectly undone messy bun. No matter you’re hair texture or color, you can make it look gorgeous. But, if you want to take that fun and fab look to the top, add some whimsical pastel pink highlights for a playful pop against your back hair that you can emphasize with the bun.
#29. Half-Shaved Short Cut with Bold Crimson Streaks
If “Go bold or go home” is your motto, we’ve got just the cut and color combo for you and your bodacious black hair! A half-shaved short style with bold crimson streaks is the perfect punchy cut and color to give your black hair texture, captivating coloring, and a whole lot of edge.
#30. Natural Curls with Golden Brown Highlights
Get a diva-level hairdo by showcasing your natural curls with gorgeous golden brown highlights. The warm golden brown color accentuates your natural curl pattern while giving a slightly sun-kissed glow to your whole aesthetic.
#31. Subtle Green Highlights in a Fishtail Braid
Normally, you might think green is the last color you’d want. But on black hair, it’s magnificent! These understated green highlights create an unexpected and unique visual interest for your black hair, which you can amplify by styling it in an intricate fishtail braid.
#32. Mocha Highlights Styled in Old Hollywood Waves
Give your look classic elegance with mocha highlights styled in old Hollywood waves. This mid-toned brown is natural and a low-contrast transition for black hair, for a subtle yet stunning contrast that gets mega movements and full-bodied bounce from old Hollywood waves.
#33. Edgy Mohawk with Rainbow Streaks
Nothing blends playful and edgy better than an edgy mohawk with rainbow streaks. This confident and captivating cut (along with your black hair) provides the perfect background for vibrant rainbow-colored streaks. This color choice may be high maintenance, but it’s absolutely worth it.
#34. Long Straight Cut with Indigo Blue Highlights
A long, straight haircut with indigo-blue highlights is nothing short of sleek and striking. This deep blue shade makes a low-key contrast with high impact, especially with a straight black cut. Plus, the cut is also super-easy to style every day.
#35. Platinum Blonde Streaks in a Classic Chignon
Cool and captivating platinum blonde is an iconic highlight color, especially for a lighter and more natural shade of black. Adding some platinum blonde streaks to your hair can add a high-contrast dimension for a bright and trendy look. Then, to put some sophistication in your style, put it up into a classic chignon that showcases your highlights.
#36. Soft Pink Highlights and Wispy Bangs
Bring some girlie vibes to your hair with soft pink highlights and wispy bangs. Both the highlights and wispy bangs bring a softness and playful charm to the dramatic darkness of black hair.
#37. Electric Purple Streaks in a Tight Top Knot
Get a runway-ready hairstyle with electric purple streaks done up in a tight top knot. This is a magnificently modern way to give your black hair a zap of fashion-forward flair with a slightly romantic touch. Then, style your hair in a tight top knot to give it that clean and polished look.
#38. Copper Red Highlights in a Sleek Side Braid
Copper red highlight can easily crank the heat on your black hair and add a vibrantly stunning color contrast with depth and richness to your hair while warming up your skin tone. You can create even more definition in this color combo with a sleek side braid.
#39. Caramel Streaks for Voluminous Ringlets
Hey, curly girls! Stop trying to define your curls with cream. You need caramel streaks! This rich light brown color brings smooth definition and brilliance to your black roots and accentuates your bouncy curl pattern. Sounds pretty sweet. Doesn’t it?
#40. Pixie with Chunky Magenta Highlights
Give your black hair a punchy pickup by getting a pixie cut with chunky magenta highlights. This may be a low-maintenance cut, but it makes for a high-impact pop of color, courtesy of the mesmerizing magenta highlights.
#41. Chocolate Brown Highlights for Elegant Waves
Soft black waves are iconic on their own. But you can give yours an update with natural contrast like chocolate brown. This color puts the spotlight on the gorgeous body and movement of your hair for an elegant aesthetic. And although this looks best on soft waves, this hairstyle works on any hair texture for full versatility.
#42. Bright Red Streaks and Side-Swept Bangs
Give your look some fire with bright red streaks and side-swept bangs. Black and red make for an iconically edgy color combination which is emphasized by the bold side-swept bangs. But what we love most is this style’s versatility. It works for any texture and length.
#43. Soft Peach Highlights Styled in a Low Ponytail
Bring a warm and charming glow to your black locks with soft peach highlights. This low-key take on sun-kissed brilliance defines any hair texture with an easy-breezy aura. Then, you can build on that look with a laid-back low ponytail.
#44. Tapered Cut with Iridescent Blue Green Streaks
A tapered cut with iridescent blue-green streaks is an iconically bold and edgy way to shake up your black hair with style. This cut is a low-maintenance way to get some structure and shape, and the iridescent blue-green streaks make this style truly high-fashion.
#45. Vibrant Teal Highlights with Full Fringe Bangs
Vibrant teal highlights are an eye-catching offset for black hair, creating cool depth and dimension. Then, the fringe bangs create a chic frame for your face, particularly highlighting your eyes, all while connecting the style for a sense of unity.