34 Trending Methods to Blend Dark Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights

Avery Hunt
Avery Hunt Hair Colorist

Dark chocolate hair with caramel highlights is a dark hair color with hints of a brown-orange shade. Soft and understated, adding shades of caramel on dark chocolate hair has a remarkably sophisticated dimensional effect, indeed!

Foil highlights, along with root shadow and balayage, are some optional coloring techniques. Jessica Scott Santo from Pennsylvania suggests asking your colorist how frequently you should visit the salon. She reminds us that transitioning from blonde to dark may require a few applications for the hue to adhere properly.

Inform your professional colorist about your 3 to 5-year hair history as well. Are you on any medication, or are the products they’ll use suitable for you? Any factors that could influence the results of adding caramel highlights to dark chocolate hair are crucial.

Santo recommends being attentive to proper hair care. “Purchase the right products at a salon, not at drug stores, such as sulfate-free shampoos. Avoid washing your hair daily, and refrain from using hot water. These practices will help maintain the color’s vibrancy in the strands.”

Santo’s preferred products include oils from Olaplex and RandCo for an enhanced shine. “With darker hair and caramel tones, it can be challenging for the light to reflect, so make them shine!” she says enthusiastically.

Before your next hair color session, take a look at these images of fashionable dark chocolate hair with caramel highlight ideas!

Photos

#1: Rich Brown Hair with Warm Caramel Highlights

Volume and dimension work wonders! When you’re aiming for a vibrant new look, consider rich brown hair with warm caramel highlights that produce gentle creamy tones. Luscious waves enhance the beauty of this balayage.

Elegant Long Fine Dark Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights
Instagram @xoxo_balayage

#2: Elegant Long Fine Hair Adorned with Caramel Highlights

Long, fine hair can sometimes seem lacking in volume and fullness. However, the introduction of caramel or golden highlights can create an illusion of thickness. Expertly applied hair dye offers subtle dimension. I recommend enhancing natural tones through balayage or foilayage techniques. Given that fine hair is susceptible to over-foiling or highlighting, careful consideration of highlight colors and their placement is essential.

#3: Multidimensional Caramel Highlights for Textured Hair

Coloring adds a fantastic element to any hairstyle. However, when it comes to dark hair, highlights can create a striking contrast and added dimension. This level of dimension and contrast is challenging to achieve with a uniform color.

Flowing Dark Mocha Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights
Instagram @hair_hangout

#4: Flowing Dark Mocha Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights

This beautiful long, flowing dark mocha brown hair with caramel highlights was created by stylist Arianna Varastehpour of California.

A toffee caramel highlight enhances the long layered haircut and the woman wearing it! It’s a practical choice for the busy brunette who wants to feel lighter and brighter without frequent salon visits.

When considering this look, Varastehpour notes that your initial appointment for the balayage/ombré may take some time. She adds, “However, it’s definitely worth it, as the subsequent touch-up service is a quick 15-minute toner to bring back the caramel brightness and reintroduce shine!”

rich auburn hair with caramel highlights
Instagram @_____dani.elle

#5: Rich Auburn and Caramel Highlights

The luxurious appeal of the rich auburn and caramel combination demonstrates that a touch of balayage can create stunning dimension. With this shade, all you need to do is layer your mid-length tresses, then softly curl them for a beautiful outcome.

Deep brown hair with rich caramel balayage
Instagram @bybecca_hair

#6: Deep Brown Hair with Rich Caramel Balayage

Deep brown hair with rich caramel balayage is the ideal shade to achieve infinite warmth on your locks throughout the year. This hue creates a stunning contrast for those with darker hair. To maintain vibrant results, use blue shampoo like Oligo. This helps prevent dark hair with caramel highlights from becoming brassy.

#7: Delicate Caramel Highlights on Dark Brown Hair

Streaks of delicate caramel undertones on dark brown hair look best on an olive skin tone. Darker shades look more luscious when prepped with a shine spray or oil.

#8: Dark Brunette Base with Caramel Highlights

If you seek a hair makeover, opting for a dark brunette base with caramel highlights is a wonderful choice. This look delivers a soft, blended appearance. It strikes a perfect balance of brightness, introducing a subtle hint of color. It’s particularly suitable for those with a dark base hue. To preserve this style, it’s advisable to have highlights refreshed twice a year.

dark espresso brown hair with caramel balayage on straight hair
Instagram @locksbythalia

#9: Soft Caramel Balayage Perfect for Straight Hair

Soft caramel balayage on brown hair is ideal for straight strands and is sure to appear natural on a mid-length haircut. Those golden highlights effectively create depth in various hairstyles.

#10: Chestnut Highlights on Deep Caramel Hair

Chestnut highlights on deep caramel hair work well with a balayage technique. It helps create a soft, luxurious finish. Warm caramel tones are ideal for brunettes, particularly levels 3-6 brown locks, to achieve a naturally beautiful hue. Despite the glam it provides, this chestnut balayage requires minimal upkeep.

#11: Caramel Accents on Short Dark Copper Layered Hair

Such a stunning tone of caramel on short dark copper layered hair! Style your shorter-length bob with waves to bring out the caramel shade, and you’ll create a lovely dimension. Always wash your short hair with cold water to help maintain the caramel color from fading.

#12: Rich Dark Brown Hair Featuring Auburn and Caramel Highlights

Rich dark brown hair adorned with auburn and caramel highlights exudes dimension and style. Enhance your long strands with beach waves; the sun-kissed tones will stand out beautifully.

#13: Caramel-Brass Highlights

When blending dark brown hair with brassy highlights, it’s vital to avoid an orange tone. A cool base color with neutral tones can effectively counterbalance the warmth of the highlights. If feasible, have your colorist opt for a low volume developer when lightening. This will help maintain the integrity of your hair. Finally, finish off with a toner like Wella’s Color Touch to create those caramel highlights on brown hair with enhanced shine and depth.

#14: Rich Golden Brown Tresses with Caramel Accents

A rich golden brown hairstyle featuring caramel accents shows a perfect balayage. Layers in this mid-length chop enhance the overall dimension. Meanwhile, face-framing pieces serve as a beautiful finishing touch.

“The long layers in this haircut are enhanced by honey caramel or golden blonde highlights,” says hairstylist Rachel Megarry of Massachusetts. “The dimension these highlights create complements the cut by showcasing the layers.”

To achieve this color, Megarry advises ensuring your stylist retains sufficient of your natural dark shade or incorporates a lowlight between the highlights, or it may lose its dimension. For styling this medium brown hair with caramel highlights, naturally wavy or curly hair can attain this polished look with a smoothing cream and a round brush blowout, while straighter hair types can utilize a large barreled curling iron.

Rich Caramel Highlights on Dark Brown Hair
Instagram @colorbymarina

#15: Rich Caramel Highlights

Incorporating rich highlights will provide exceptional shine and depth in dark brown hair with caramel highlights. To achieve this look, utilize a curling or straight iron to curl all the hair in one direction away from the face. These deep caramel highlights for brown hair require sufficient shine, so apply an oil-based serum after heat styling and gently brush through with a soft-bristled hairbrush.

#16: Warm Caramel Highlights on Deep Brown Curly Hair

Warm caramel highlights on deep brown curly hair create a vibrant look that you’ll love! One of the most flattering styles for a warmer skin tone is to balance with inviting hues. Bring along some inspirational images to your stylist and select the shades that will complement you best.

#17: Mid-Length Dark Chocolate and Caramel

Seeking a fresh style that will elevate your thick tresses? Add some layers and consider this mid-length dark chocolate brown and caramel hair color. Highlights and lowlights will bring dimension to your appearance. These caramel highlights on dark hair are an excellent choice for women with a warm or neutral skin tone.

#18: Rich Dark Brown with Subtle Caramel Highlights on Medium-Length Hair

This caramel brown balayage is an ideal color to enhance your medium-length thick mane. Rich dark brown with subtle caramel highlights generates an energetic vibe with soft waves.

#19: Rich Caramel Balayage Hairstyle

Embrace the rich caramel balayage hairstyle! Discover how to seamlessly blend caramel tones into your dark brown locks for a beautifully natural effect.

#20: Deep Brown and Caramel Highlights

A stunning blend of depth and shine! Showcase a timeless dimension with deep brown and caramel highlights on your straight strands.

#21: Chestnut Tresses with Caramel Accents

Chestnut hair with caramel accents creates a vibrant and alluring finish to the strands. If you have deep chocolate locks, request for hand-painted highlights higher around the face and at the crown of your head, as if the sun had gently illuminated your hair. You’ll want to ask your stylist for a toning gloss service to enhance warmth and depth in the hand-painted highlights.

Caramel ombre on espresso hair
Instagram @kimstylesme

#22: Caramel Ombre on Espresso Hair

Espresso hair featuring caramel ombre is an excellent choice for those with dark hair. A low-maintenance color option with only a toner refresh is needed every 6-8 weeks. Highlighting can extend to 12 weeks or more, based on your preference—warm honey highlights for dark hair stand out especially on individuals with hazel-colored eyes. Don’t hesitate to consult your stylist about coordinating the toner with your eye color for an even more striking effect!

Mocha brown hair with chunky caramel highlights
Instagram @lwoodssalon

#23: Mocha Brown Hair Enhanced with Bold Caramel Highlights

For women seeking a fresh look, consider mocha brown hair with chunkier caramel highlights to introduce depth and vibrancy. The dark brown hair interspersed with caramel accents provides an ideal shade for those wishing to brighten their locks. Utilize a 1 ½” barrel curling iron to achieve beach waves that highlight its stunning dimension.

Bold caramel highlights for dark, fine hair
Instagram @hairmeroar

#24: Bold Caramel Highlights for Dark, Fine Hair

Bold caramel highlights for dark, fine hair will enhance delicate textures with increased dimension and contrast. The most effective way to achieve prominent ribboned highlights is to ask your stylist to balayage all around the top and sides of your hair to frame your face and maintain depth underneath. When styling your dark brown hair with highlights, use a 1.5-inch curling iron to curl your hair, then gently brush them out with a wide-toothed comb for effortless beachy waves.

#25: Highlights of Caramel on Rich Dark Burgundy Hair

A delicate hint of caramel on long dark burgundy hair will enhance your natural allure. Hints of red, violet, and caramel tones create a soft finish that still looks striking.

“This color can work for almost all women,” says hairstylist Lindsey Novasic of Wisconsin. If you enjoy more understated styles for your hair, the tones of brown and caramel highlights with red-violet hues can be more muted. On the flip side, if you prefer bolder looks, Lindsey recommends making them very bright and contrasting.

#26: Rich Dark Brown Hair with Luscious Caramel Ombre Highlights

Show off some luscious caramel ombre highlights on your rich dark brown hair. Balayage enhances the look, making it seem as though you simply let your dark brown hair color bask in the sun for hours.

Deep Brunette with Delicate Caramel Highlighted Streaks
Instagram @nacirsomera

#27: Deep Brunette with Delicate Caramel Highlights

If you admire high gloss finishes, select a darker base hue. This color catches light and introduces some brighter sections to it. Use warm tones such as toffee or caramel. These selections will provide a luxurious appearance. For shiny hair, consider products like Kerastase Chroma Rich for healthier-looking locks.

#28: Rich Brown + Caramel + Blonde Hair Shades

Stunning on long waves, this is rich brown hair featuring blonde and caramel highlights. It was created by hairstylist Taylor Parkes of Canada.

To achieve this caramel hair inspiration, Parkes explains, “She didn’t want to be too blonde, so I picked the more caramel side of toning. I didn’t let her lift too long, so I didn’t have to work too hard with the toning process. I’ve learned that for doing a soft brown highlight like this, you don’t generally want to go past a level 8.”

Parkes says to ensure you visit the salon in 4-6 weeks to get it touched up, so it wouldn’t look too grown out. While it’s a balayage technique, letting your hair grow out makes it look less put together.

#29: Chocolate Brown and Caramel Highlights on Curls

Curly chocolate brown and caramel shades create a dimension and texture that complement each other beautifully. Maintain a shoulder-length cut to keep its shape throughout.

shoulder length dark ash brown hair with caramel highlights
Instagram @emilypstylist

#30: Deep Ash Brown with Caramel Highlights

Opt for a rich ash brown with caramel highlights for a beautiful depth. You’ll appreciate the result once you see it on your shoulder-grazing, wavy lob.

“This is dark brown hair with some caramel blonde babylights is low-maintenance,” says hairstylist Emily Priest of Ohio.

Priest’s recommendation for this caramel hair dye job is to invest in a quality color-safe shampoo and conditioner along with a leave-in conditioner/oil for the highlights.

Rich cinnamon caramel hair highlights
Instagram @theebohoblonde

#31: Rich Cinnamon Caramel Hair Highlights

Rich cinnamon caramel hair highlights are sumptuous shades that enhance the appearance of women with dark locks. These highlights for deep brown hair beautifully complement a warm skin tone for a subtle yet striking luxurious new style.

#32: Deep Chocolate Black Hair with Caramel Tones

Blending deep chocolate, black hair and caramel tones creates your desired dimension. Allow the highlights to shine even brighter with waves and a layered cut. A shoulder-grazing wavy style beautifully emphasizes and integrates movement into dark hair with hair highlights.

deep brown hair with caramel blonde highlights
Instagram @gretawagner_

#33: Deep Brown Hair Accentuated with Caramel Blonde Highlights

Enhance your deep brown hair with stunning caramel highlights, and prepare to be amazed by the transformation! The depth in this caramel blonde balayage looks rich, especially on long hair styled in beach waves. The effect is reminiscent of indulgent chocolate hair paired with caramel highlights.

#34: Rich Chocolate Brown Hair with Caramel Highlights

The blend of dark chocolate brown hair and caramel tones is breathtaking! It creates a dimension that looks fantastic with soft curls on your long chocolate hair. Although this is particularly stunning in summer, chocolate and caramel balayage are beautiful all year long.