12 Cool Peekaboo Highlights and How to Get the Look

Now you see them, now you don't. 

Peekaboo highlights are all the rage in the hair world. These hidden highlights are the subtle sister to the hidden rainbow hair we love so much. But we know you may still be asking, what’s the deal with peekaboo highlights, and could they work for me? We’ve got all the information you want to know about this awesome hair dye technique. Read on to learn more about peekaboo highlights to see if they could be a good hair color choice for you.

Best Peekaboo Highlights

Peekaboo highlights are a great way to add bright colors to your style or warm up your overall look. Keep scrolling to check out our favorite peekaboo highlight looks.

1. Ash Brown Peekabo Highlights

peekaboo highlights layered brown hair
Simple and classy.

You don’t have to settle for a drastic change. Muted tones can work wonders. We love the mix of colors here and how the blonde highlights peek out from underneath the brown base.

2. Auburn Highlights

peekaboo highlights auburn
Auburn pops nicely against dark chocolate hues.

Go with tones that complement your natural hair color. These subtle auburn tones are the perfect pairing for this sleek brown bob.

3. Blonde on Short Hair Peekabo Highlights

peekaboo highlight short cut with blonde highlights
Make your short cut stand out.

Give your short hairstyle a new look with peekaboo highlights. Flip the color story and opt for a rooted peekaboo look. This mix of brunette and blonde is the perfect combination for some subtle yet impactful dimension.

4. Wavy Blonde Highlights Peekabo Highlights

peekaboo highlights with a wave
Update your look with waves.

A wavy style can change your entire look in an instant. This style is ideal for peekaboo highlights as the wave allows the highlights to peek out even more and make more of an impact.

5. Peekaboo Highlights on Natural Hair

peekaboo highlights natural hair
Naturally, curly hair looks great with peekaboo highlights.

Give your color an instant lift. Style hair into a voluminous curly style to attract attention to your freshly colored look. This is a gorgeous look for anyone with natural coils and curls.

6. Peekaboo Highlights on Straight Hair

peekaboo highlights: brown
Straight is always nice.

You can’t ever go wrong with highlights on straight hair. This silky smooth look draws extra attention to your peekaboo highlights and gives them a real chance to shine.

7. Copper Highlights

peekaboo highlights: copper
The perfect color combo for any season.

Looking to wear your highlights long-term? Opt for copper highlights. This hue works regardless of season and mixes perfectly with a deep brown base for a dimensional peekaboo highlights look you will love.

8. Frosted Peekabo Highlights

peekaboo highlights: frosted
Icy hues are back.

Icy hues are having a moment. Mix it into your look for a nice frosty glow to get in on the OG version of the peekaboo highlights trend. This is a great way to experiment before going full out with icy hair colors.

9. Reddish-Brown Highlights

peekaboo highlights: reddish brown
Red alert!

Into red hues? Go for this auburn tone for a sun-kissed look that’s super natural and easy to wear. We love the way these brunette and red hues blend together to create a gorgeous and dimensional fiery brown look.

10. Highlights on Wavy Bob

peekaboo highlights: wavy bob
Second-day hair with highlights will always be our favorite. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Give your bob a more lived-in feel with a textured wavy bob style. As we mentioned above, a wavy hairstyle is a great way to show off your peekaboo highlights and give them a chance to shine.

11. Peekaboo Rainbow Highlights

girl with rainbow peekaboo highlights
Play around with every color.

If you want to play around with bold hair colors but don’t want anything that’s super distracting, peekaboo highlights may be the way to go. Adding color to the underneath section of your hair is really fun because you can still show off bright hues without worrying about the extra upkeep of dyeing your whole head. You can easily show off the highlights in updos and braided styles.

12. Neon Peekaboo Highlights

girl with blue and green highlights
Try out pops of neon blue and green highlights.

Peekaboo highlights are a fun way to add pops of color to your look. If you’re feeling adventurous, add neon blue and green peekaboo highlights for an unexpected look. These shades look best on dark hair colors.

Peekaboo Highlights: Everything You Need to Know

peekaboo highlights are they for me?
Peekaboo, are these highlights for you?

What are peekaboo highlights?

Peekaboo highlights are generally applied to your hair underneath the top layer so that when you wear your hair down with your normal parting, you don’t see them. They are usually applied towards the front of the head, no closer than an inch or so down from your natural part.

How are peekaboo highlights done?

Your stylist will first ask you where you normally part your hair so they can get the correct placement for your peekaboos. After brushing through your hair and sectioning it off into manageable areas, your stylist can start on the highlights. Working from the bottom up, bleach will then be applied to small sections to lighten the hair. Usually, the foil will be used so that the bleach doesn’t transfer to hair that isn’t meant to be dyed. To make sure they are peekaboo-style highlights, they usually stop about an inch away from your part, so a layer of hair will cover them.

What do you ask your stylist?

Before heading to the salon, decide how many peekaboo highlights you want and in what color. Do you want to go super subtle or totally change up your look? At the salon, ask your stylist for peekaboo highlights, describing your preferences. Make sure you both agree on the look before starting the dyeing process.

How do you care for peekaboo highlights?

To make sure you keep your hot new color totally perfect, have a color-safe shampoo and conditioner to use when you get home from the salon. We like Love Beauty and Planet Blooming Color Murumuru Butter & Rose Shampoo and Conditioner to help keep our colored hair vibrant and healthy. You’ll also need to incorporate a weekly hair mask into your hair care regimen since bleaching treatments can do damage to your hair.

Try out a mask, like Love Beauty and Planet Blooming Color Murumuru Butter & Rose 2-Minute Magic Masque, which works to provide your hair with deep moisture, leaving your hair looking healthy.

How do you show off peekaboo highlights?

When you wear your hair down, the highlights are covered up. To show off your fresh hair color, you can do quite a few different fun styles. A half-up hairstyle will show your peekaboo highlights nicely; one of our favorite half-up styles is this triple dutch braid. You can also do a vintage ponytail; make sure to comb your hair so that the highlights are shown.

Are you thinking about trying out this trend? Be sure to share the results with us over @AllThingsHairUS!

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