20 Looks With Hair Streaks: From the Subtle to the Dramatic
Ready to add some color to your hair?
If you’re looking to switch up your color but aren’t digging a dramatic change, hair streaks might be the style you didn’t know you needed. Hair streaks can be dramatic if you choose a bright color and bold style, or they can be a little more laid-back. That’s the beauty of this look: The sky’s the limit on whichever way you want to personalize your highlights!
We’re all about hair streaks right now, and as such, have created a collection of inspirational looks that range from the quietly subtle to edgy and bold. Read on to find the style that best suits you:
Hair Streaks: A 2020 Resurgence of a Classic Style
1. Blue Hair Streaks
Blue hair is one of our favorite color trends of all time. But, if you’re not into dyeing all of your hair blue, hair color streaks can be a fun alternative. Just make sure that you try to work an extra day or two in between hair washes. The extra time will make sure your color stays vibrant and highly pigmented. Use a dry shampoo, like Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Color Care Dry Shampoo, to refresh your hair on those in-between days. This dry shampoo will absorb grease without messing with your fresh color.
2. Thick Strawberry Blonde Highlights
If you want to spice up light brown hair, try thick strawberry blonde streaks. We’re loving this shade because it’s not quite auburn, or rose gold, or even ginger. Instead, this fun orange hue adds warmth and tons of dimension to your look. Be sure to seek out a seasoned colorist when you’re opting for this vibrant hue in order to nail the exact color you’re aiming for.
3. Blended Highlights and Lowlights
For a more natural look, try a blended combination of both highlights and lowlights. This gives you a multi-dimensional effect no matter what color you choose.
4. Caramel Chunky Highlights
This is a dream combination right here: this streaks hair with bright caramel highlights. The thicker the better for this chunky highlight look. Just make sure the top of your highlights are nicely blended if they don’t go all the way to the root.
5. Funky Multi-Colored Streaks
How cool is this multi-colored look? With a focus on darker shades, like dark brown, green and lilac, this trending gas puddle-inspired look is perfect for those willing to go the extra mile for something unique. For color, this skews on the high-maintenance side, so make sure you’re using a hydrating and color-protecting leave-in conditioner, like Suave Professionals Honey Infusion 10-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner.
6. Peekaboo Blonde Highlights
If you want to go for just a few select highlights, we suggest trying out peekaboo highlights! These hair streaks are clustered around your face, but they only pop out when you wear your hair in certain ways. Like other subtle highlight styles, we think it’s extra important to feather the top of the highlights to frame your face.
7. Colorful Box Braid Streaks
For box braid wearers, you have all the color options in the world! We’re obsessed with this look that combines both black braid extensions and just a few bright, cobalt blue strands.
8. Thick Blonde Bangs
This style is a bit less streaky and more like a color-block hairstyle. Making sure to add blonde streaks throughout will help to create an overall more blended look.
9. Clip-In Fun Pink Streaks
For those wanting some temporary color, you can still get the look of hair streaks without having to bleach or dye your hair. You can get the same hair streak effect with clip-in extensions. Opt for skinnier individual extensions, or get a whole chunk of hair dyed in the color that you like.
10. Subtle Chocolate Mauve Hair
How pretty (yet subtle) are these chocolate mauve streaks? We had a real heart eye-emoji moment with chocolate mauve hair streaks last year, and we’re feeling it again right now! Be sure to visit your colorist to get the right shade.
11. Tiny Multi-Colored Streaks
How sweet are these mini streaks in hair this length? Just because you don’t have long hair doesn’t mean you can’t get a big look with hair dye. These mini streaks are the perfect shade of coral-pink that can really bring out the depth of your pixie cut and all of its cool layers.
12. Sea Green Streaky Ombre
This look is giving us some serious mermaid hair goals that combine beachy curls and sea green streaks. If you’ve got a gorgeous color like this, you’ll really want to protect it when you do head to the beach! Spritz down your hair with Bed Head by TIGI Beach Bound Protection Spray before you head out into the sun.
13. Hidden Rainbow Hair
If you have a job that frowns upon fun colored hair, try out this sneaky color trend. Hidden rainbow hair is exactly what it sounds like. It’s basically a combination of various colorful highlights that are hidden in the back of your hair. Turn heads at your own discretion with this hidden color style.
14. Auburn Lowlights
We’re big fans of red hair! Although we’re believers that natural redheads shouldn’t mess with their color too much (it’s rather hard to dye it back to that virgin shade!), there’s nothing wrong with adding some dimension to your hair via lowlights. A darker red-toned brown is the just the thing to add a little flavor to red hair, particularly in the colder months.
15. Silver Brown Lowlights
As cool as silver hair is, it can be a little one-dimensional. This is where silver-brown lowlights come in! Instead of getting one full color of silver, consider weaving in a silver-brown color. Keeping up with this trend can be tricky—and sometimes damaging. Use the TIGI Copyright Custom Create Colour Lustre Oil to soothe your hair, making it shiny and frizz-free.
16. Ombré Highlights
You don’t need to bleach all of your ends to get in on the ombre hair trend. We love this look of carefully-placed highlights that will beautifully accentuate your hair and face.
17. Icy Highlights
Opt for an icy contrast with this 90s inspired look.
18. Blonde Dimension
Consider subtle streaks for a touch of easy dimension!
19. Soft Blonde
This softer blend of streaks and highlights is ideal for a softer effect.
20. Mid-Level Blonde
This rooted style makes a statement while staying in the natural hair color territory. We love the contrast of darker roots paired with lighter streaks.
