Highlights in black hair will help soften the harshness. "Make sure you stay within the tone that would be closest to how the sun would naturally lighten your hair," advises Hill. "You don't want to clash with the dark base making it look artificial."
Friedman recommends choosing chocolate tones, like coffee bean or milk chocolate.
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Highlights for Red Hair
Try babylights one-to-two shades lighter than your starting color.
Hill adds that it is superimportant not to go too light. "To get the best results, make sure you do not go more than two shades lighter than your starting point, otherwise the outcome can look too unbalanced," she adds. Ask for babylights, which will add dimension and look natural.
"Red heads should always go for warm golden highlights," says Friedman. The exception: If you have a lot of pink in your skin, because the golden tones will enhance the pink. If that's the case, opt for cool strawberry blonde highlights. To prevent them from turning brassy, she emphasizes the importance of a quality shampoo, and recommends B3 Brazilian Bond Builder Color Care Shampoo, $30.
Did you ever go through a gothic phase in high school, when you couldn't stand even a slight fade to your jet black hair color? Those days, you probably thought highlights were meant only for the carefree blondes or the sun-kissed brunettes of the world -- tortured soul, much?
Or maybe you had a head full of highlights -- bright blonde strands scattered on top of your dark brown hair -- and wish you could transport your current colorist back to your life circa college. You know, so he could talk you out of those fake-looking streaks.
Whatever your highlight history, it's time to think about revisiting them. Highlights offer the ability to switch up your hair color without getting a dramatic overhaul, and they can bring depth and life to an otherwise blasè brown or dull blonde. And lazy-girls, rejoice: The latest trends in highlights allow you to go a full six months between touchups.
The key to great, natural-looking highlights, say experts, is knowing what shades will work best with your hair color. Here, the best tips on how to get the right highlight shades for every hair color.
