The last time I tried to talk someone out of getting light brown highlights, I ended up giving her some of the best light brown highlights I have ever done. She kept asking for something “dramatic” and I was trying to get her to go for bolder ideas, but she was right. That’s the issue we always come across when getting light brown highlights; people think they are compromising, when in fact it’s a strategy. This is most often the case after people turn 40, when one realizes the best color work is subtle, and doesn’t feel like a dramatic change, but enough to catch people’s attention and make them want to figure out what is different.
I have been doing color similar to this for years and I once again stand by how forgiving this is as a look. Your roots grow in and it still looks intentional, and you can skip a salon visit or two and because it blends, it was intentional. If you are letting some grays come through, this will work with them. It also helps warm up your skin while winter is making everyone look even more ghostly. It works on basically every base color I have tried and these 26 looks are all a little different from each other, which is the whole point because light brown highlights should be tailored, not just a cookie-cutter stamp.
#1: Polished Long Layers with Light Brown Highlights
As a stylist, one of the most rewarding experiences I get at the salon is when my client has fine straight hair, and instead of stressing over how to work around it, I get full creative control. This is that. The highlights will do the majority of the work here, and are framed to catch the light along the cheekbones. The layers are subtle enough to provide that satisfying swish of length when you move it. It’s the kind of cut that will make you feel great about yourself, because you can wash it, blow it out with a round brush, and it’ll look fabulous.
#2 Elegant Long Layers with Light Brown Highlights
I can see there was some thought put into the haircut. I appreciate that because that is my favorite kind of haircut to give! The layers give a textured look and the color adds warmth and depth to the highlights and helps prevent a flat look in indoor lighting! If you have an oval or heart-shaped face, this haircut looks especially good on you. The length and movement is super easy so you won’t have to do a morning routine you’ll be annoying about by Thursday!
#3 Sun-Kissed Light Brown Waves with Soft Layers
Sun kissed is my absolute favorite look. I think it’s harder than most people think though. I want to bring out a specific look for you, and with these highlights it should look like you just got back from a vacation in a sunny and warm destination! The soft layers will look nice and move on their own without you feeling like you don’t have a ton of hair. Once this is done, it’s super low maintenance. Catching yourself in the mirror will be the highest reward. With this look you will want to keep up with your colour appointment. The magic is in the highlights so you don’t want to let it grow out.
#4 Chic Layered Cut with Light Brown Highlights
Soft bangs can really enhance an overall look. Many women over 40 avoid bangs because they think they look like they are trying too hard, but these are not those type of bangs. They are soft and easy going. They also have a light brown highlight that goes well with the layers. All of this combined is very youthful and age appropriate. Face shapes that are round or oval are very forgiving, and usually the length that is just above the shoulders is very flattering. I think this is a low maintenance hairstyle, but you will want to come in every couple of months for a touch up on the color to keep the layered dimensions looking fresh.
#5 Textured Bob with Light Brown Highlights
The bob cut with highlights looks great. The highlights are not blotchy or distracting. The hair looks shorter and the waves provide personality to this style. The layered cut is practical as it prevents finer hair from going flat by lunchtime while still allowing room for structure. The best part about this cut is it looks high maintenance but is actually really low maintenance. This cut is so practical that it will likely require just a touch of wave spray on the second day to keep the style looking fresh.
#6 Textured Bob with Warm Light Brown Highlights
This bob is going to inspire people to go for the chop, and I mean that in the best way possible. The dimensions of these highlights are deliberate, and it’s not ‘dirty’ brown, it’s warm-light brown which is going to compliment your skin. The chin-length cut is doing it’s job for your face shape, and the tussled bits look more effortless. We both know a good cut means a lot of work from the stylist. With this style, regular trims are a must every 6 weeks. Once a bob starts losing its shape it can look like you need a cut really badly.
#7 Modern Textured Bob with Light Brown Highlights
Expressing my love for chin length bobs is not an easy task! They are incredibly youthful and give off a good energy! I think this is a great example of how a chin length bob should be done. The highlights framing the face add an illusion of depth and when the right texture is added, it looks so effortless. Personally, I think this is the best hair type for the cut. People with fine and medium hair achieve an airy look that people with thick hair pay a lot of money to create. The best part about styling this cut is that all you need is a texturizing spray!
#8 Playful Textured Lob with Light Brown Highlights
This haircut definitely gives off the vibe of ‘running late but still cute’ and I think the messiness of the cut works really well with the overall look. The cut is shoulder-length, making it the ideal length to be thrown back into a low pony, and short enough that when you want to wear it down, it won’t be a hassle. The brown highlights that frame her face really soften the look and give it a warm, cozy, lived-in feel. Personally, I think it looks best the day after you’ve styled it. I think that if you don’t have natural waves, the look will require a few minutes of curling, but let’s be honest, it’s a 5-minute thing, not a full production.
#9 Chic Layered Bob with Light Brown Highlights
What I noticed the most were the bangs. It’s so soft with the face shape, overall vibe, and even the blending of the natural color and the highlights. The bob is layered so it adds body to fine to medium hair without looking overly layered. The highlights frame the face beautifully. This haircut is gonna look just as amazing in real life as it will in pics, which is super rare.
#10 Textured Wavy Lob with Light Brown Highlights
The improvement keeps showing on the lob and this one is no exception. The waves give a fuller look to finer hair and the light brown highlights create lovely dimension that looks natural and intentional up close and from a distance. When it comes to bangs, I guess more frequent trimming to the length of the rest of the cut is a part of life so know that if you get bangs like the model here, they’re going to need a trim. The easy to maintain shape keeps looking tidy even if you haven’t touched it since yesterday.
#11 Effortless Curly Bob with Light Brown Highlights
If you have natural waves or curls, this is the haircut that will make you love your texture all over again! The great thing about the layers is they reduce bulk and really let your curl pattern shine! The light brown highlights bring warmth and dimension that really come alive with movement. I won’t pretend curls are as easy as straight hair to manage, but the right haircut really makes the difference between ‘fighting with your hair’ to ‘working with it,’ and this haircut is definitely in the ‘working with it’ category!
#12 Modern Shaggy Cut with Light Brown Highlights
I’ll admit I have a weakness for a good shag, and that isn’t likely to change. It seems like a shag cut that seems like it’s cut with intention. They’re doing movement of all the correct areas, and the highlights are strategically placed to catch light at those layers so that everything looks like it’s moving, even if you’re not. It has that sun-kissed look without the salon look like you’ve been in the salon for hours, which is the goal. You’ll have to do some styling for the full, complete look. A little mousse and scrunching goes a long way. The structure of the cut will do most of the lifting.
#13 Modern Long Layers with Light Brown Highlights
Right now, I’m really into curtain bangs. With light face framing highlights, they really make long layered haircuts really stand out. I really like the end of the hair to have a small wave because it avoids a super polished look. Instead of seeming like just walked out of the salon, it has a more relaxed vibe. I think it looks best on hair of a medium thickness so that it holds the shape. The highlights will have to be maintained every couple months, but in between appointments the haircut will look good for a long time.
#14 Sleek Blunt Bob with Light Brown Highlights
A blunt bob can either look amazing, or terrible, however with some specific details, this look can be great. The highlights starting from the roots give the perfect amount of dimension to break up what could be a solid and severe look. The light brown used also keeps the cut looking modern and not harsh as the variation in color gives it some clean and intentional styling and works with straight or wavy hair with very little effort. Blunt cuts can also exhibit growth very quickly and if you keep your trims stretched, this cut may test your patience. That said, a blunt cut does look amazing when it is fresh.
#15 Contemporary Long Layered Cut with Light Brown Highlights
This style makes me want to toss my hair back! It has soft layers that shimmer when they catch the light and the overall shape is chic and sophisticated. You can look good with it just air dried, but if you do a quick blow dry it’s going to look like you just walked out of a salon commercial. If you’ve been bored with your long hair for a while, getting highlights like this will change things up.
#16 Beautiful Long Layers with Light Brown Highlights
The gradual blending of the colors is amazing. It gives the impression that the colors melt together. It seems like it’s been growing out of her head. Achieving this sort of highlight is difficult and creates an expensive appearance. I have to say, highlights like this are miles ahead of the cheap strip mall looks. She has layers in her hair but she has movement to her hair. This is very important to hair that is medium straight and dense hair that can look flat. She has low maintenance hair. This hair is the type of color that looks better when it grows out, and this really is a compliment. This color looks great as it grows out.
#17 Curly Layered Cut with Light Brown Highlights
Curly hair and highlights is a look that takes a little explaining, and this is a great example of it being done right. The highlights flow with the pattern of the curls instead of fighting against them, so when that bounce happens, you’ve got a gorgeous tonal variation through the curls. It adds so much depth to them. The shoulder length is the most ideal as it gives the curls enouh room to spring up without creating a shape you didn’t sign up for. A good curl cream will hold the frizz at bay, but the color and cut will be doing most of the heavy lifting.
#18 Effortless Medium-Length Layers with Light Brown Highlights
I would give this haircut to anyone trying to look like a better version of themselves. This haircut achieves that perfectly. It’s nothing too dramatic, and nothing you’d have to explain to your coworkers on Monday. Just a few well cut, mid-length highlights that warm your complexion and make you look more rested. The waves at the ends are a nice touch that adds personality without fully committing. It’ll look even better if your hair has any natural texture.
#19 Chic Textured Pixie Cut with Light Brown Highlights
I know that getting a pixie cut can feel like a big decision, but look at this as a big step towards something better. This light brown short hair with highlights is a great way to show off a lot of texture, particularly when it’s layered. It also makes styling a lot easier. This pixie will have a subtle undercut to remove some of the weight, so styling will ultimately end up being towel-dry-and-go. You will be in my chair every four to six weeks to keep the shape nice and tight. However, a lot of my pixie clients say it’s the easiest their hair has ever been and they are completely correct.
#20 Textured Shoulder-Length Cut with Light Brown Highlights
This is a very nice generic cut. At this current point and time, there aren’t very many haircuts that look good on all demographics, yet this cut happens to work on all/most. Generally flattering shoulder length hair allows soft layers to sway the hair with just enough movement to accentuate the waves. The subtle light brown highlights brighten up the hair without making a huge statement. In my opinion, it is best to keep highlights like that with this sort of cut. In between salon visits, the cut is beautifully low effort. However, the color touch ups will likely become routine because of how good the cut looks.
#21 Stylish Textured Lob with Light Brown Highlights
I’m consistently drawn to this haircut and I can’t help but appreciate the amazing color, balance, length, and texture. The highlights add dimension but don’t look like I “just got highlights.” They look soft, woven, and layered at the ends to avoid the thick, blunt look that lobs are notorious for. I’ve done this haircut on medium density, fine, and thick hair and it has always translated well. The haircut will need maintenance, but other than that, it is pretty low maintenance. The same goes for color.
#22 Effortless Curly Layers with Light Brown Highlights
I can’t help but feel the energy! n It really makes me want to scrunch my hair to see what it looks like with some curls in it. n The layers give such a lovely shape to the curls without losing volume, which a lot of stylists get wrong. n The highlights give the look a very warm touch, almost like a sun-kissed vibe, and really healthy. n If you have curls and have been straightening your hair because you just don’t know what to do with your hair, please show this picture to your stylist. Your hair wants to do this.
#23 Soft Layered Cut with Light Brown Highlights
The haircut is polished and relaxed at the same time, which may sound like a contradiction but isn’t when the cut is this good. The highlights are framed around the face in a brightening way, and the medium length + soft layers has a really easy, breezy feel. For an oval or heart-shaped face, fine to medium hair is ideal. However, it is one of those haircuts that works for a lot of different people. The lighter color tones do fade and shift over time, so keep that in mind, but the grow-out on this is actually graceful.
#24 Chic Curly Lob with Light Brown Highlights
I absolutely adore the mid-length curls with highlights trend. When the curls are kept at lob length, they don’t get too heavy at the bottom which allows for good bounce and good lay. The light brown highlights add a richness that curly hair sometimes misses. I appreciate that this works for different face shapes because the curls soften and frame the face, it’s another reason I love working with textured hair. I know curls require a little more upkeep, but when the cut and color look this good together, it feels less like maintenance and more like showcasing.
#25 Effortless Textured Waves with Light Brown Highlights
The layers are what makes this haircut special. No hard lines are formed but instead soft lines are created that add volume for the waves to grab hold. The light brown highlights paired with the texture of the hair give an exciting light and shadow play that you can’t get from a solid, flat color. If you have naturally wavy hair, you will love how little this haircut asks of you in the mornings. It feels like hair does too much, but the cut is designed for that and it feels almost finished. A scrunch of sea salt spray on damp hair and you are practically done.
#26 Textured Short Cut with Light Brown Highlights
I’m excited to end with a haircut. Short hair with highlights is very underrated and I think looks fantastic. This messy, layered crop with soft brown highlights is full of personality! I love it with fine hair because it creates a volume illusion that longer cuts lose. The layered texture offers some great framing without being too cute about it. The best part is that it is extremely low maintenance. A nice style can be done in 2 minutes with mousse and a bit of finger work. The hair will need to be regularly trimmed to keep it looking intentional as opposed to just grown out. Ideally every 5 to 6 weeks. I promise the daily ease of this cut makes those salon visits worth it.
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