Longing to add some blonde highlights to your hair? Balayage may have had its moment, but the mega impact of lighter strands is a trend that transcends time. There are now so many variations from a full head of platinum foils, to a half head of caramel tones. Whatever your natural color or texture, we’ve rounded up the best sun-kissed hair Instagram inspo to take straight to the salon.
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Cream dream
If your hair is already light but it’s extra depth you’re looking for, ask your colorist to mix multiple tones of blonde for a seamless transition into natural hair.
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Berry blonde
Naturally blessed redheads, rejoice. A scattering of blonde highlights elevates hair to one of the most coveted shades of all time: Strawberry blonde.
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Blurred lines
Worried about roots making blonde maintenance a living nightmare? Asking the colorist to stretch the root color downwards before the highlights start helps extend your time in-between appointments.
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Totally tonal
Award-winning hairdresser Charlotte Mensah underlines that blonde highlights on Afro hair is a triple threat–volume, depth and curls.
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'90s wannabe
Spice up your life with a look to rival that of Geri Halliwell circa 1997. Throw it back with a mixture of highlights intertwined with lowlights.
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Babylights
Going lighter is a gradual process. Begin gently and, in the meantime, let small sections of hair do the talking with sparse, scattered highlights.
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Goldie locks
Golden tones are your one-way ticket to beach perfect hair. Most effective on longer hair, go gradually lighter from gold to yellow blonde towards the ends.
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Honey highlights
Highlights take to texture like a dream. Add a tinge of honey blonde for a summer statement, followed up with a strengthening treatment to care for curls.
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White walker
Starting on a platinum canvas, ask for the lightest possible bleached highlights for a complete white out.
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The minimalist
Blonde highlights need not be too obvious. Keep it subtle by highlighting thinner strands, with strategic sectioning helping frame the face.
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Milky blonde
Somewhere between white and yellow blonde, milky blonde is ice cold cool without a dairy product in sight.
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Bronde girl
If blondes have more fun, then brunettes can get in on it now, too. With a few blonde highlights blended in, bronde is the happy medium.
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Shade shots
Scattered highlights make for a plethora of shades running through tresses and will keep people guessing—was it two weeks on the beach or two hours in the salon chair?
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Dirty blonde
Stay out of Barbie blonde territory beginning with ashier tones contrasted with light blonde highlights added later to the mix.
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Caramel Curls
Caramel tones are continually lusted after, and this season is no exception. Blonde highlights + brown curls = creamy caramel delight.
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Sand storm
Both sophisticated and summer-appropriate, sandy shades are the grown-up way to go blonde.
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Platinum perfection
Lighter means brighter. A full-head of platinum highlights is set to be big news this season.
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com/uk. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
