Honey brown hair is a beautiful warm brunette shade that flatters a variety of skin tones.
Adding highlights to honey brown hair can give it extra dimension, depth and vibrancy.
There are many different ways to highlight honey brown hair, from subtle sun-kissed looks to bold and striking styles.
In this article, we will explore 13 gorgeous options for honey brown hair with highlights.
For each look, we will discuss the placement and tone of the highlights, who the style would work best for, and how to achieve it.
Read on for inspiration and tips to get the most flattering honey brown hair color with highlights for you!
Subtle Sun-Kissed Highlights
The first option we’ll explore is a soft, subtle highlighted look.
This works beautifully on honey brown hair, giving it extra warmth and dimension that appears natural.
For this style, fine babylights are placed throughout the midlengths and ends of the hair.
The highlights use tones just slightly lighter than the base honey brown shade.
Blonde shades like pale gold and buttery caramel work well.
The highlights are seamlessly blended in, giving the hair an overall glow.
This technique adds multidimensionality while still allowing the honey brown to take center stage.
It’s perfect for those with naturally warmer complexions who still want a highlight boost.
The lightened pieces give sun-kissed texture and vibrancy while maintaining an understated feel.
To get this look, ask your colorist for fine babylights in tones just a touch lighter than your natural honey brown base.
Make sure they are thoroughly blended in for that seamless look.
This works well as a low maintenance option since the regrowth will be minimally noticeable.
Beachy Balayage Highlights
If you love the lived-in, beachy look, balayage highlights are the way to go.
This hand-painted technique leaves hair looking gorgeously sun-kissed.
For balayage on honey brown hair, softly lifted pieces are painted through the midlengths and ends.
The highlights are focused towards the front and scattered throughout.
For a natural look, keep the roots darker.
The tones can vary from warm golden blondes to creamy beige and light brown.
This looks beautiful and casual on honey brown hair.
The highlights give dimension while appearing completely natural.
It’s a great option for thick or wavy hair, as the highlights can enhance texture.
The seamless grow out also makes balayage low maintenance.
Ask your stylist for a honey brown balayage with a lived-in feel.
Reference photos with similar hair textures are helpful.
Make sure the highlights are concentrated mid-shaft to ends, leaving the regrowth area darker for contrast.
The painted on technique will create that perfectly undone look.
Warm Caramel Babylights
For golden honey brown hair, adding warm caramel babylights can make it come alive.
The light and dark contrast is gorgeous.
With this look, fine babylights are alternated with slices of natural honey brown hair.
The thin, ribbon-like highlights are placed throughout the head using warm caramel and gold tones.
This adds gorgeous luminosity while allowing the honey brown to peek through.
These babylights are beautiful on those with golden undertones in their hair.
The warm tones lend brightness while still harmonizing naturally with the honey brown base.
It’s a striking yet soft look.
Ask your colorist for fine babylights using natural beige, caramel and gold shades.
Make sure they blend seamlessly with the base honey brown for that illuminated dimension.
This style works well touched up every 8-12 weeks to keep the regrowth looking fresh.
Chunky Blonde Highlights
For an eye-catching bold highlight look, try chunky blonde pieces contrasted with dark honey brown hair.
This creates great definition and depth.
This edgy yet soft style places thicker sliced highlights throughout the lengths of the hair.
The chunky pieces use shades like bright golden blonde, pale beige and ivory white.
When combined with the deep brown base, the result is bold and beautiful.
These thicker highlights are perfect for making a statement.
They work well on straight hair, allowing the contrasting chunks to really stand out.
It’s an amped up version of traditional highlights that is guaranteed to get you noticed.
Ask your stylist for thick slice highlights placed strategically throughout your hair.
Bright blonde shades will pop the most against rich honey brown hair.
Make sure the chunks are evenly distributed for that bold, dynamic look that still appears natural.
Girly Peach Highlights
For a sweet, feminine take on highlights, try using soft peach tones.
This is such a pretty, unique look for honey brown hair.
The peach highlights are applied using babylight or balayage techniques, concentrating color in the midlengths and ends.
The tones range from pale peach to melon to rose gold, blended seamlessly with the base shade.
This adds both warmth and whimsy.
These peach accents are gorgeous on honey brown hair.
The hint of color comes across as extra dimensional rather than overpowering.
It’s perfect for softening brunette hair and adding a touch of girliness.
This look is great for the spring and summer months.
Ask your colorist to incorporate fine slices of peach tones, alternating them with pieces of natural hair.
Make sure the hue aligns with your skin’s undertones for the most natural look.
The peachiness will fade faster than traditional highlights, making this a fun seasonal look.
Bronde Bombshell Highlights
One of the hottest color trends is bronde – a fusion of brown and blonde shades.
This looks absolutely beautiful when incorporated through highlights on honey brown hair.
The bronde highlights are applied using a foilayage technique.
This involves handpainting the color higher up on the head before sandwiching sections in foil.
The bronde pieces blend seamlessly into the base honey brown for dimension.
Using tones like chestnut, amber and dark blonde creates incredible depth and luminosity.
The bronde accents are flattering on both cool and warm complexions.
It’s that perfect in-between shade that isn’t quite brown or blonde.
Ask your colorist for a foilayage application using dark blonde and light brown pieces around the face and crown to brighten those areas.
Make sure the color melts flawlessly together for that bombshell finish.
Your hair will shimmer with gorgeous dimension.
Honey Brown and Cream Sombre
The sombre (short for “ombre”) technique is a new take on traditional highlights.
It starts darker at the roots and seamlessly lightens towards the ends for a beautiful sun-kissed effect.
This looks gorgeous on honey brown hair using creamy tones.
The sombre starts with cool beige and sand shades at the midlengths, slowly blending into lighter cream blonde ends.
This adds nice dimension while appearing completely natural.
The roots are kept darker to match the base honey brown exactly.
The smooth fade of this technique means minimal maintenance with regrowth.
It works well on both straight and wavy hair, adding texture and vibrancy.
The cool yet warm tones flatter nearly all complexions.
Ask your colorist for a sombre in tones slightly lighter than your natural honey brown.
Reference photos with similar hair textures.
Precision is required to achieve that perfectly blended look from roots to ends.
Done right, it’s guaranteed to add beachy brightness to your hair!
Earthy Espresso and Caramel
Rich espresso brown makes an exquisite base for caramel highlights.
This earthy combo looks beautiful on olive and darker complexions.
Fine slices of buttery caramel and honey shades are alternated throughout the espresso brown hair.
The caramel pops against the dark base while harmonizing naturally.
Babylights help blend the colors for a seamless look.
This cool and warm contrast appears both bold and natural.
The earthy tones are softened by light accents.
It’s ideal for enhancing dark hair without overpowering.
The natural dimension is gorgeous.
Ask your colorist to weave fine slices of caramel babylights through your espresso hair from roots to ends.
Keeping it fine prevents the contrast from becoming too harsh.
The swirls of color will make your dark hair shine beautifully.
Sunset Copper Highlights
Warm copper tones create the most jaw-dropping highlights on dark honey brown hair.
This bold yet natural look is unforgettable.
The copper is applied using balayage and babylighting techniques.
Shades like cinnamon, maple and burnt orange make a stunning statement contrasted with rich brunette hair.
Placement is concentrated on the midlengths and ends.
These rich sunset shades look incredible on olive to medium complexions.
The warmth flatters and illuminates so beautifully.
Copper highlights on honey brown hair are guaranteed to get noticed.
Ask your stylist for copper pieces painted from mid-shaft down to the ends and concentrated around the face.
You want the color mostly on the ends so it pops against the natural root area.
The blend of techniques results in tones that shine and shimmer.
Iced Chocolate Babylights
For cool brunettes, ashy babylights are the perfect way to add dimension and sheen.
This frosty combo looks gorgeous together.
Fine icy blonde babylights are hand-woven through the dark chocolate brown hair.
Shades like sterling silver, beige blonde and pale sand are used sparingly throughout.
This adds luminosity while preventing warmth.
The cool tones allow brunettes to go lighter while maintaining their neutral base.
It amps up the shine factor tremendously.
This works well on straight hairstyles as the ribbons of color are clearly defined.
Ask your colorist for thin babylights in icy blonde tones evenly distributed from roots to ends.
Emphasize silver shades to prevent brassiness against the cool brown base.
This is ideal for low maintenance with minimal visible regrowth.
Spicy Red Highlights
Vibrant red highlights with brunette hair is such a sexy, striking combo.
It’s bold yet still classically beautiful.
For honey brown hair, the ideal red tones to use are vibrant copper and cinnamon.
These have touches of warmth that enhance the brown base shade gorgeously.
The red is painted through in slices using a foilayage technique.
Balancing the red with neutral brown prevents it from becoming too harsh.
This look is eye-catching and powerful.
It’s perfect for making a statement and unleashing your inner siren.
Ask your stylist for strategic pops of cinnamon and copper red highlights through the midlengths and ends.
These warmer reds will flatter your skin while providing exciting contrast.
Make sure the colors melt together smoothly for that fiery fusion.
Smoky Silver Highlights
Silvery highlights lend an edgy yet ethereal vibe to honey brown hair.
This grunge glam look has serious wow factor.
The silver is applied using sliced highlights and babylights concentrated mid-shaft down.
Tones range from steely gray to icy white-silver.
This creates definition against the warmer base brown.
The light/dark pairing looks beautiful and bold on honey brunettes.
The smoky silver pops while blending seamlessly thanks to expert placement.
It’s all about that striking yet soft contrast.
Talk to your colorist about adding a smoky silver dimension to your hair.
Show photos of slice highlights that inspire you.
The tones should complement your complexion.
Done right, this melding of colors has an otherworldly beauty.
Buttery Blonde Babylights
For a sweet and pretty highlight look, you can’t go wrong with buttery blondes.
These soft accents melt into honey brown hair beautifully.
Fine babylights are used to apply the pale blonde shades evenly throughout the hair.
Colors like creamy beige, pale gold and light champagne are perfect for creating delicate dimension.
This is ideal for those looking for a natural enhancement to their hair color.
It lightens subtly while still allowing the honey brown to take center stage.
The effect is golden brightness with natural shine.
Ask your colorist for super fine babylights in soft beige and pale gold hues.
The ribbons of color should not overpower the base brunette but rather provide an illuminating pop of vibrancy.
Be sure to condition hair well to enhance the multi tones.
Bright Golden Pop Highlights
If you want to spice up your honey brown hair with striking pops of brightness, vibrant golden highlights are the way to go.
These eye-catching accents inject lightness and life into brunette hair.
The pops of golden blonde are painted on using foiling or balayage techniques.
Shades like sunflower, pale banana and bright butter are placed strategically throughout the style.
Concentrating the color around the face provides flattering dimension.
This livens up honey brown hair with an exciting kiss of radiance.
It allows you to go bold or subtle depending on just how much gold shimmer you want.
This look complements warm complexions beautifully.
Talk to your colorist about strategically painting bright golden highlights through the ends and around the face.
Reference photos that have similar vibrancy.
Going a touch lighter around the face will frame your features and create the perfect glow.
There are so many stunning ways to highlight gorgeous honey brown hair.
Whether you want to go for delicate natural dimension or make a bold color statement, highlights can take your hair to the next level.
I hope these 13 carefully detailed highlighted honey brown hair looks have provided some inspiration.
Have fun exploring different placement techniques, color tones and levels of contrast to find your perfect match.
Your hair color should enhance your beauty while making you feel confident and fabulous.
With the right highlights, your honey brown hair is sure to have beautiful luminosity and life.
