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Hair Highlighting Ideas

If you want to complement the color and cut of your hair without committing to dying all of your hair, you might consider these hair lighting ideas.

The Right Highlights for Your Color

If you're a natural blonde and want to make your hair look richer and more luxurious, consider adding strawberry blonde or copper highlights. If your hair is layered, you can minimized the damage to your hair by using a Brazilian technique where color is only added to the tips of your hair. Brunettes benefit most from caramel and copper highlights that define features without doing too much damage to the hair. Champagne highlights can also be striking, but remember that the lighter you go with your highlights, the more damage you do to your hair. If you are a red head with cool tones in your hair, go with beige-blonde, fuschia, or champagne streaks. If your red hair has a warmer tone, go with copper. If you are a brunette with a darker skin tone, stick with warm highlights that compliment your features without bleaching out your hair. Coppers, beiges, and golds are probably your best bets.

The Right Highlights for Your Face Shape

Just as your face shape should determine the cut of your hair; it should also determine how and where your highlights are applied. If you have a round face that you would like to lengthen and slim, avoid highlights near your crown or along the length of your hair. Instead, apply highlights to your hair only below your ears, and add lowlights around your crown. If you have a heart-shaped face with narrow cheeks and a pointy chin, apply highlights near your chin and crown to widen your cheeks and divert attention away from your chin. To soften a square-shaped face, apply highlights evenly throughout the front section of your hair.

Consult a Professional

Applying highlights is significantly more difficult than a normal home hair dye job. Unless you have experience, it is best to leave it to a professional. A professional colorist will also be able to advise you on exactly what shade of highlight will best enhance your color, cut, and face shape.