Highlights and Lowlights: 10 Ways to Wear This Hair Color Combination

Show off your unique, multi-dimensional color.

Pair blonde hair with highlights and lowlights together for one of the season’s most beautiful combinations of highlighted styles. Mixing darker and lighter colors adds depth and dimension to your look for an on-trend and intentional style you can wear with confidence. Learn about lowlights and highlights and get inspired by 10 ways to wear blonde hair with lowlights to show off your color and celebrate your style:

Highlights and Lowlights: FAQ

How to Wear Blonde Hair with Lowlights?

Lowlights are a hair coloring technique that involves dyeing strands of hair darker to add depth and dimension. Because they emulate the different tones that naturally occur in our hair, they’re perfect for breaking up block colors and making those with dyed blonde hair look more natural. They’re also a really great way to test out a darker hue without committing to it all over (kind of like try-before-you-buy!).

What’s the Difference Between Highlights and Lowlights?

In many ways, highlights and lowlights are very similar, including the methods used to achieve them. They’re both applied either in the traditional way using foils or painted on freehand. The one key difference between highlights and lowlights though is that highlights use bleach to lift and lighten, while lowlights take your base color down a few shades darker to add extra dimension.

Who Should Get Lowlights?

Lowlights work well on all hair types, from curly to straight, and depending on your base color, they can be either super subtle or have a bolder effect. For example, lowlights are especially popular with those with blonde hair looking to transition to dark and even brunettes who want to add depth and movement to their look.

Are Lowlights Damaging?

The truth is, lowlights aren’t any more damaging for your hair than highlights. In fact, the process is pretty much identical, except one applies lighter hues, and the other applies darker hues. Simple, right?

It’s also a common misconception that you can only exclusively work highlights or lowlights at one time. Because to create a more natural-looking finish, you really need to employ both of these techniques, so do ask your colorist to combine these two hair coloring processes to achieve your desired look.

Highlights and Lowlights: Stylish Combos to Try

Here are 10 stylist combinations to consider:

1. Loose Waves

highlights and lowlights waves
Show off your color with loose and easy waves.

Use a curling iron to create a loose wavy style that will show off your color and add even more dimension to your style. We love this look of layered hair with curly bangs. Hold your look in place with TRESemmé Extra Hold Hair Spray for a long-lasting look.

2. Volumized Curls

blonde hair with highlights and lowlights volume
Go overboard on the volume.

Draw attention to your color by creating volumized curls all over your head. Use a 1-inch curling iron and have each curl start at your temple and cascade down from there. Finish off your style with a mist of Dove Style + Care Compressed Extra Hold Hairspray.

3. Oversized Curls

blonde hair with highlights and lowlights
These larger curls add the perfect bounce to your style.

Add even more volume to your look by running Suave Professionals Natural Volume Mousse through your roots before they dry. This can also be achieved with rollers. This is a gorgeous look for everyday wear.

4. Tousled Texture

highlights and lowlights tousled texture
Go in on the texture. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Add some texture to your style by spraying your air-dried strands with TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray Texture Hold Level 1. This hairspray will give you lasting hold while also adding texture and even more dimension to your look.

5. Tight Curls

lowlights and lowlights curly
Show off your unique curly texture. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Use hair rollers to create super tight overnight small curls all over your head. Curls created with hair rollers generally last longer for a style you can wear for days at a time. This look can also be created by braiding your hair overnight and combing it through in the morning for a cute wavy finish.

6. High Ponytail

blonde hair with highlights and lowlights
Tease the front and gather your hair up into a high ponytail.

Tease the front of your hair and pull your strands up into a high-volumized ponytail. This is the perfect look to bring back all the 2010’s nostalgia in a more. elevated and trendy way! Let your new color shine with this ponytail.

7. Wear it Natural

blonde hair with highlights and lowlights
Wear your texture naturally.

Let your hair air dry either overnight or throughout your morning and wear your natural texture with your brand-new color. You can never go wrong when embracing your natural hair texture!

8. Messy Curls

highlights and lowlights messy curls
The messier, the better.

Curl your hair with a curling iron, skip the hairspray and go for an easy and messy curly hair look to compliment your new blonde hair with highlights and lowlights. To maintain this look heat-free use rollers and styling mousse to touch up your look while getting ready in the morning.

9. Brushed Curls

blonde hair with highlights and lowlights
Brush through your curls after they cool.

Use a hairbrush or a comb to brush through your curls after they’ve cooled for this textured curly look. This will add a dimensional look to your blonde hair with highlights and lowlights.

10. Sleek Strands

highlights and lowlights straight sleek
Wear your hair in a sleek center part.

Wear your hair sleek and straight and comb it into a deep side part for even extra drama. Add some flair with some hair clips that complement the color of your blonde hair with highlights and lowlights for the ultimate elevated hair look.

How will you be wearing lowlights and highlights? Show us your look by tagging us @AllThingsHairUs.

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