5 Types of Highlights For Blond Hair to Spice Up Your Look

Making a small tweak to your hair can be impactful and eye-catching. If you're looking to spice up your blond hair, you don't have to go to extreme lengths, like changing your hair color entirely, to satisfy that desire for a change. Instead, opting for blond highlights can make your look feel fresh and new.

Highlights are ideal if you're looking to ease yourself into the world of hair dye. There are practically endless styles and techniques to choose from and this versatility means you can customize the shade to your preferences and skin tone, whether you're searching for flattering colors for cool tones or shades for warm skin tones.

There's also room to go bold with your highlights by testing out new trends like money-piece highlights or chunky highlights. The hair color technique can look both super natural, as if you've simply been kissed by the sun, and impactful, depending on what style you go for.

Are you interested in adding highlights to your hair but not sure where to start? We spoke with Rachel Bodt, a celebrity hairstylist and owner of Homecoming Hair Salon, who provided her insight for the best highlights for blond hair. Keep reading to get some inspiration before your next hair appointment.

Baby Lights For Blond Hair

This classic highlight technique typically uses a white-blond shade to mimic the look of hair that's been naturally lightened by the sun. Bodt finds this highlight for blond hair "ideal for someone who wants to feel blonder without a ton of contrast [and] softer grow out with a very delicate vibe."

Root Shadow Highlights For Blond Hair

As one of the most versatile highlights for blond hair, you can go as bold or as subtle as you want with a root shadow look, Bodt notes. This highlight method creates a stronger line of contrast between the dye and your natural, which allows you to go longer between touch-ups.

Money-Piece Highlights For Blond Hair

Money pieces are another easy-to-maintain look that packs a punch. It involves dyeing just the front two pieces of your hair that frame the face. Bodt adds that it's "perfect for someone who wants that bright hairline but isn't looking for the maintenance — less work but with high impact." What's even better is that you can choose whatever shade you want as long as it differs from your base color.

Hand-Painted Highlights For Blond Hair

If you want a look that doesn't require much maintenance, Bodt says hand-painted highlights are "great for a super seamless grow out," which is why she recommends them to her clients. "This can be done as little as twice a year," she says. "[It] can be done in many manners, but since it's slightly off base, it's a softer look at the root."

Mid Lights For Blond Hair

Bodt likes mid-lights for a more modern and elevated take on the old-school ombré effect.
"As opposed to the color just puddling on the ends, this is brought up to the mids of the hair, creating more contrast and pop," she says.


Rylee Johnston is a New York City-based freelance writer who covers everything from beauty, fashion, and celebrity trends to home, pets, and more. With a degree in journalism and over three years of industry experience, she enjoys interviewing experts and testing out products to make the best recommendations for readers.