black and teal hair color

20 BEST DARK HAIR WITH BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS  

No hair trend has stood the test of time quite like blonde highlights—they’re the ultimate glow-up! But can they work with dark hair, like rich brown or jet black?

Absolutely! Blonde highlights add instant brightness to dark hair, creating stunning depth and dimension. Even better, there’s a shade of blonde to complement every dark hair color, whether you want a soft, subtle blend or a bold, high-contrast look. Why choose between dark and blonde when you can rock both? Here are 20 ways to embrace the best of both worlds with dark hair and blonde highlights!

Dark Ash Brown Hair with Platinum Blonde Highlights

Want a luxurious look with a touch of grunge? Try dark ash-brown hair paired with platinum blonde highlights! The striking contrast between the cool, dark tones and icy platinum streaks creates incredible depth and dimension, delivering an edgy yet sophisticated vibe.

Midnight Blue Hair with Silver Blonde Highlights

Midnight blue hair with silver blonde highlights is a captivating style that channels the mystery of the night sky. This striking combination adds mesmerizing dimension with a hint of futuristic flair, complementing any hair length or style. It’s especially breathtaking on wavy locks!

Lustrous Black Hair with Rose Gold Blonde Accents

Want to nail a punk-glam vibe? Opt for sleek black hair with rose gold blonde accents. This look combines the boldness of rich black with the softness of rose gold tones, creating striking contrast and adding intense depth. The result? Hair that appears fuller with a whimsical rose gold finish.

Coal Black Hair with Icy Blonde Ombre


Coal black hair with an icy blonde ombre is the ultimate statement of bold contrast and fierce style. This dynamic pairing adds incredible depth and texture, delivering a flawlessly chic, fashion-forward look that shines on both straight and wavy hair.

Raven-Black Hair with Subtle Sandy Blonde Highlights


If you adore subtle yet striking styles, raven-black hair with sandy highlights is a must-try! The soft sandy blonde accents bring a touch of brightness, adding life and dimension to your rich raven-black locks. This look enhances the beauty of thicker hair, no matter the texture or length.

Dark Walnut Hair with Sun Kissed Blonde Highlights


For effortless radiance, dark walnut hair with sun-kissed blonde highlights is the perfect choice! This understated yet luxurious style pairs rich walnut brown with warm, sunlit blonde tones, adding subtle dimension and a natural glow to any hair type. It’s a look full of life and soft, sunny charm.

Dark Burgundy Hair with Copper Blonde Highlights


Dark burgundy hair with copper blonde highlights is the ultimate blend of drama and rustic charm. The warm, earthy copper tones add vibrant, multi-dimensional brightness to the rich burgundy base. This versatile combo breathes life into straight styles and beautifully enhances waves and curls for a look that’s both bold and adaptable.

Glossy Dark Brown Hair with Butterscotch Blonde Accents


If you love understated (but never overlooked) styles, glossy dark brown hair with butterscotch blonde accents is a must-try. The smooth butterscotch blonde adds a subtle contrast to the rich dark brown, creating natural dimension and a lustrous, luxurious vibe. It’s the perfect low-key look for both straight hair and waves.

Dark Olive Brown Hair with Golden Blonde Highlights


Earthy and elegant—that’s the vibe you get with dark olive-brown hair and golden blonde highlights. This unique twist on the sun-kissed look features a rich, organic brown base, with golden blonde highlights adding warmth and vibrancy. It enhances any hair texture, creating a radiant glow that complements all skin tones.

Deep Brown Hair with Mocha Blonde Highlights


Deep brown hair with mocha blonde highlights is a luxurious pairing that adds a sophisticated boost to any hair type. The rich, creamy mocha blonde highlights create a smooth, complementary contrast with deep brown hair, offering a natural yet summery touch of elegance.

Rich Ebony Hair with Amber Blonde Streaks

Soft and sophisticated—that’s the essence of rich ebony hair with amber blonde streaks. The warm, golden amber blonde perfectly complements the deep tones of ebony hair, offering a subtle contrast that adds brightness and a rich, glowing warmth.

Pitch Black Hair with Bronzy Blonde Balayage

A deep, bronzy blonde is the perfect highlight color for black hair—and for good reason. It adds a subtle touch of illumination, bringing life to your dark locks with a hint of sunlight, all while preserving the luscious, dark, and mysterious allure of your black hair.

Dark Cocoa Hair with Sunlit Blonde Streaks

Looking for something natural with a touch of sparkle? Try dark cocoa hair with sunlit blonde streaks! True to their name, these streaks brighten your rich cocoa brown with a sunny glow, while adding warmth and radiance to your skin for an inviting, luminous effect.

Black-Brown Hair with Soft Beige-Blonde Highlights

For a subtle twist on sleek and sophisticated, try black-brown hair with soft beige-blonde highlights. The creamy beige-blonde highlights add a refined touch of radiance, enhancing the depth of your lustrous black-brown hair with a soft, elegant glow.

Dark Caramel Brown Hair with Warm Blonde Highlights

Opt for a timeless highlighted dark hair look with dark caramel brown and warm blonde highlights! This classic pairing not only brightens your hair but also adds movement to any texture, creating a cozy glow that complements every skin tone.

Lush Black Hair with Smoky Blonde Balayage


Nothing exudes “mysterious allure” quite like lush black hair with smoky blonde balayage. This combination pairs rich black hair with soft, barely-there smoky blonde balayage, creating a subtle contrast that adds natural life to your hair while maintaining that deep, dramatic vibe.

Dark Sable Hair with Honey Blonde Ombre


Dark sable hair with honey-blonde ombre is a sweet, sophisticated style that keeps you looking summer-ready all year long. The honey-blonde ombre beautifully complements dark sable hair with a smooth, soft transition, adding a warm, sun-kissed glow that enhances natural curls and waves.

Inky Black Hair with Silver Ash Blonde Highlights


Looking for the perfect mix of classy and contemporary? Try inky black hair with silver ash-blonde highlights. The striking contrast between deep, mysterious black and bold, modern silver ash-blonde adds powerful dimension, instantly enhancing any hair texture—from sleek, straight strands to bouncy curls and everything in between.

Blackberry Tinted Hair with Golden Blonde Highlights


Blackberry-tinted hair is truly captivating. The rich blend of deep berry tones creates a unique, eye-catching look that adds incredible depth and multi-tonal definition to any hair texture—ensuring you steal the spotlight every time!

Rich Espresso Hair with Toffee Blonde Balayage

Rich espresso hair with toffee-blonde balayage is an indulgent and irresistible look, offering a warm, luscious contrast between deep espresso and smooth toffee-blonde balayage. The golden tones of the balayage create natural definition, flattering any hair texture with a sun-kissed, effortless vibe.

SOFT AUTUMN: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO YOUR COLOR PALETTE AND CAPSULE WARDROBE

Soft Autumn combines the warm, inviting undertones of autumn with the soft, understated qualities of summer, making it a distinctive category in the 12-season color analysis system. This seasonal blend is perfect for those who have an overall gentle warmth in their features, where no single element stands out prominently. If you find yourself drawn to soothing, neutral tones like beige and olive, and feel a sense of calm at the sight of a misty forest morning, Soft Autumn may be your ideal match.

This guide will explore the Soft Autumn profile in detail, including physical characteristics, makeup recommendations, and a tailored color palette. You’ll also discover essential wardrobe staples for Soft Autumns and learn how to create a custom palette that enhances your natural beauty. Keep reading to uncover how to fully embrace and elevate your Soft Autumn style.

THE 12 SEASONS OF COLOR ANALYSIS

Seasonal color analysis is a transformative tool that reveals which colors enhance your natural beauty and boost your confidence. By assessing the undertones of your skin, eyes, and hair, this system places you into one of 12 unique color categories, each offering a tailored palette that highlights your best features.

This approach is based on six key color elements: warm, cool, deep, light, soft, and bright. Within the warm spectrum, the Autumn color family is distinguished by its medium to dark, muted hues.

The Autumn palette includes:

  • Soft Autumn (your focus today)
  • Warm Autumn
  • Deep Autumn

In this guide, we’ll explore the Soft Autumn palette—a harmonious blend of warm undertones and subtle contrasts that creates a soothing, refined look.

SOFT AUTUMN IS WARM AND SOFT

Soft Summer is characterized by the following attributes: warm hue, medium value, and muted chroma.

Warm Hue: Soft Summer has a warm undertone, typically red, though it can sometimes appear cooler due to various pink or white overtones. This can make it challenging to differentiate between Soft Autumn and Soft Summer.

Medium Value: Soft Summer features medium-value colors. While Soft Autumn generally leans towards medium to dark values, Soft Summer colors may range from medium pinks and reds to deeper greens and blues, depending on the specific family.

Muted Chroma: The most defining trait of Soft Summer is its muted chroma. Unlike bright colors, Soft Summer colors are subdued and lack intense vibrancy. Bright hues are not suitable for this palette and can help distinguish it from Soft Autumn.

While Soft Autumn shares warmth with its seasonal counterparts, its defining characteristic is its muted gray undertone. This gives Soft Autumn a softer, more subtle appearance compared to the more vibrant Autumn types.

Skin: Soft Autumn skin often ranges from gentle beige to taupe. Skin tone may shift from a golden glow in the summer to an ashy warmth in winter due to sun exposure.

Eyes: Eyes in Soft Autumn are usually brown, green, or blue with a soft, opaque quality. Unique patterns, such as olive overlays and brown specks, are common.

Hair: Hair color in Soft Autumn is generally in the brown family, from light to medium or dark shades, and may include gold, red, or faint auburn highlights. Dark blonde and occasionally medium blonde hair are also seen. Hair color complements the overall muted, harmonious look of the Soft Autumn palette. Features are balanced and unassuming, coming to life when paired with the appropriate colors for the season.

MAKEUP FOR THE SOFT AUTUMN WOMAN

To enhance the Soft Autumn look, your makeup should reflect its warm and soft characteristics.

Eyes: Opt for light neutrals such as cream, blush, and copper, or rich tones like brown and olive. For accents, consider soft plum or warm teal to add subtle depth.

Cheeks: Choose neutral warm shades like sand, coral, and peach to create a natural, peachy glow that complements the Soft Autumn palette.

Lips: Nude shades, along with copper and caramel, work beautifully for everyday looks. For a bolder statement, try chestnut, mocha, or coral red.

Avoid cool tones such as pink or berry red lipsticks, cool blue or green eyeshadows, and soft pink blushes. Dark lip colors are also best avoided as they can overpower the Soft Autumn’s gentle aesthetic.

INSPIRATION: THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF SOFT AUTUMN

The Soft Autumn palette is renowned for its serene warmth and subtle elegance, beautifully reflected in the imagery of a fog-draped landscape. This season’s colors blend the warmth of browns, reds, oranges, yellows, and greens with a gentle hint of gray, creating a harmonious and muted visual experience.

Nature provides rich inspiration for Soft Autumn. Consider the soft transition of a leaf changing colors, where summer’s vibrant hues gradually give way to autumn’s deeper tones. Similarly, the tranquil beauty of a spring scene illuminated by a setting sun offers a glimpse of the warm teal blues that define this palette. These colors capture the essence of Soft Autumn, balancing warmth with softness.

VISUAL INSPIRATIONS:

Leaf Transition: Observe a leaf in mid-transition, where summer’s brightness subtly merges with autumn’s rich, muted colors, embodying the essence of Soft Autumn.

Marigold Glow: The soft, muted glow of marigold leaves under gentle lighting highlights Soft Autumn’s range, connecting deeply with the natural cycle of change.

Sunset Brilliance: The warm yellow hues of a cloudy sunset, blending seamlessly with ivory and taupe, illustrate Soft Autumn’s palette as it transitions from day to night, capturing the season’s tranquil beauty and warmth.

These natural scenes offer a visual guide to embracing the Soft Autumn palette, encouraging you to explore and incorporate these muted, warm colors into your wardrobe and personal style.

SOFT AUTUMN COLOR PALETTE

When creating a Soft Autumn palette, begin with neutral tones and then explore the major color families.

For Soft Autumn, black and white are too harsh, so replace black with brown and denim, and white with ivory. Essential neutral colors for this palette include olive, blush, and camel.

Soft Autumns benefit from rich, muted hues. Burgundy and squash are ideal soft tones. Given the blend with summer, there’s a wider range of pinks available, though warm pinks like blush are particularly suitable. Yellows in this palette can include soft brass, flax, and marzipan. Greens should be medium to light, while blues can be cool but should have a green undertone to fit the autumnal theme. Warm purples, especially those with red undertones, complete the palette.

While most colors can be adapted to fit any season, some may be challenging to match for Soft Autumn. Warm pinks often translate well into blush, but cooler reds and blues without green can be unsuitable. Opt for purples with a red base rather than blue.

Certain colors should be avoided by Soft Autumns. Stark black and white are too high-contrast, and bright, saturated colors can be overwhelming. Instead, focus on warm pastels and soft hues, particularly blush and olive, to complement your Soft Autumn palette.

CHOOSING PRINTS FOR SOFT AUTUMN

Choosing the right patterns can significantly enhance your Soft Autumn style. To ensure your patterns complement your color scheme and align with your scale and contrast preferences, follow these guidelines:

  • Color Consistency: Limit patterns to less than 10% of colors that fall outside your Soft Autumn palette. This keeps your look cohesive and harmonious.
  • Scale: Choose prints with a small to medium scale. Large, bold patterns can disrupt the gentle and soft aesthetic of Soft Autumn.
  • Contrast Level: Opt for low-contrast prints. Soft Autumn’s charm lies in its muted, blended appearance, and low-contrast patterns will emphasize this quality.

Adhering to these principles will help you refine your Soft Autumn wardrobe and boost your confidence in pattern selection. Browse our curated image collection below for examples that perfectly embody these guidelines.

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS FOR SOFT AND WARM COLORING

Regardless of your style or personal aesthetic, there are essential items every woman should have in her wardrobe.

Begin with neutrals, which form the foundation of any wardrobe. Opting for similar shades of the same color can create a sophisticated, cohesive look through layering.

If you prefer a more vibrant approach, the basics remain important, but you can add flair with fun and quirky accessories in yellow, orange, purple, and blue. These colorful accents will bring interest and personality to your outfits.

CONCLUSION

The Soft Autumn palette offers a harmonious blend of warm, muted tones that can complement a variety of skin tones and hair colors. By incorporating these colors into your capsule wardrobe, you can create timeless and versatile outfits that reflect your personal style.