root melt vs balayage

30 BEST SUN KISSED HAIR BRUNETTE IDEAS 

Sun-kissed brown hair is a timeless look that adds dimension, warmth, and a touch of summer glow to brunette locks. Whether you crave a subtle kiss of sunshine or a more dramatic bronzed effect, there are endless possibilities to achieve the perfect sun-kissed hair for your unique style.

This collection dives into 30 of the most stunning sun-kissed brunette hair inspirations, showcasing a variety of highlighting techniques, shades, and styles. From balayage and ombre to classic highlights and babylights, prepare to be dazzled by the range of sun-kissed looks that flatter all skin tones and hair textures.

BEST SUN KISSED HAIR BRUNETTE

BEACHY HIGHLIGHTS

Beachy highlights are the epitome of sun-kissed hair, mimicking the natural lightening effect of spending days by the ocean. This technique uses a hand-painted approach, often with balayage or ombre methods, to create subtle, dimensional highlights that are lighter towards the ends and frame the face. Unlike traditional highlights with stark lines, beachy highlights are blended seamlessly, creating a natural, sun-kissed look that flatters a wide range of brunette shades, from cool espresso to warm chocolate. For those seeking inspiration, hair color ideas for brunettes, beachy highlights offer a carefree, effortless vibe that evokes the feeling of summer days spent basking in the sun.

DIRTY BLONDE SOMBRÉ

Achieve a natural, sun-kissed look by adding cascading blonde highlights to your brown-blonde hair. This creates the effect of sun-kissed, “sun kissed brown hair,” with lighter pieces framing the face for a brightening effect and on the ends for a dimensional finish. Scatter random blonde strokes throughout the mid-lengths for a seamless blend. This subtle transition creates a flattering ombré effect that beautifully complements your existing brown-blonde base.

DARK BROWN WITH BABYLIGHTS

For a touch of subtle dimension and natural-looking highlights, consider adding babylights to your dark brown hair. These ultra-fine, ultra-delicate blonde highlights mimic the way sunlight naturally lightens hair, adding a subtle sparkle and multi-tonal depth to your dark base. This technique doesn’t involve stark contrast or harsh lines, but rather creates a seamless blend that adds a touch of brightness and warmth to dark brown locks, without drastically changing your overall color. The result is a gorgeous, sun-kissed effect that enhances your natural hair color with a touch of understated glamour.

SUNLIT HONEY BLONDE

Sunlit honey blonde hair, with its captivating warmth reminiscent of a sun-kissed glow, captures the essence of summer effortlessly. This stunning shade blends warm golden tones with subtle amber accents, evoking the rich color of honey. Imagine the sun’s golden rays gently kissing your hair, leaving behind a luminous, sun-kissed masterpiece. This dimensional blonde, akin to warm caramel balayage honey, flatters a wide range of skin tones, particularly those with lighter complexions. Sunlit honey blonde adds a touch of brightness and warmth to natural brunette hair, creating a multi-tonal effect that enhances its natural beauty. This hair color radiates a natural, effortless beauty, perfect for those seeking a touch of summer sunshine year-round.

CARAMEL LOWLIGHTS

Brunette hair with caramel highlights adds a touch of warmth and dimension to any brunette base. The rich, golden tones of caramel perfectly complement the darker hues, creating a multi-tonal effect that mimics the natural way sunlight plays on hair. This combination adds a touch of brightness and richness, offering a sophisticated and dimensional look that flatters a wide range of skin tones. Whether incorporated through subtle balayage or bolder highlights, caramel lowlights add a touch of sun-kissed magic to brunette hair.

SANDY BROWN

Soft blended blonde perfectly complements this rich warm brown, and we’re loving the bright pop of color it gives, especially around the face. If you want a sandier finish, start with a lighter brown base. For those seeking more depth and dimension, incorporating highlights and lowlights into brunette hair can enhance the overall look, adding subtle variation and interest to the color palette.

VERSATILE HIGHLIGHTS

The versatility of the illuminated brunette technique makes it an excellent choice for individuals with naturally dark hair. In this method, highlights dynamically shift in visibility depending on the wearer’s head movements, adding a captivating dimension to their look.

BALAYAGE BRUNETTE HAIR

Brunette balayage is a stunning technique that adds natural-looking dimension and sun-kissed highlights to brunette hair. The hand-painted application creates seamless transitions, often starting with darker tones at the roots and gradually lightening towards the ends. This creates a beautiful play of light and shadow, mimicking the way the sun naturally lightens hair. Brunette balayage offers endless customization, allowing you to choose from subtle, barely-there highlights to bolder, contrasting tones. Whether you have light, medium, or dark brown hair, balayage can add a touch of warmth, brightness, and effortless beauty to your locks.

BLONDE MONEY PIECE

If you’re looking to add a touch of brightness to your ash brunette hair dye, consider requesting blonde face-framing pieces. These highlights are expertly blended primarily into the frontside of your mane, providing just enough lift to enhance your overall look without requiring high maintenance.

ILLUMINATED BRUNETTE

Morenas iluminadas” translates to “lightened brunettes” in English, and it’s designed to delicately enhance your hair without completely departing from your natural color. This technique entails applying gentle, warm bronde balayage highlights to a naturally dark base, resulting in a subtle, sun-kissed transition of color.

FACE-FRAMING HONEY

For a low-maintenance summer hair color for brunettes, maintain your natural brown roots and most of your hair. Introduce significant face-framing highlights in a matching blonde tone. For instance, a warm honey blonde beautifully complements a warm medium brown base.

TONS OF HIGHLIGHTS

The auburn hair trend has become incredibly popular throughout Brazil, and its widespread appeal is clear. With Instagram serving as a reliable barometer for hair trends, it’s evident that salons around the world are adopting the style as well, even incorporating variations like brunette hair with blonde highlights. This further demonstrates the versatility of the auburn trend, showcasing its ability to be adapted and personalized to suit individual preferences.

BALAYAGE BRUNETTE

Another suitable name for this color could be “brunette balayage,” as it entails highlighting the hair with hand-painted strokes of color that ascend from the ends up to the mid-lengths of the hair. While balayage is often linked with blonde hair transformations, this trend demonstrates its suitability for brunettes as well.

SUN-KISSED WAVES

Sun-kissed waves evoke the carefree feeling of beach days and summer sunshine. This hairstyle features loose, textured waves that mimic the natural bend hair gets after a day spent by the ocean. They are effortlessly chic, with a touch of tousled texture that adds volume and movement. Sun-kissed waves pair perfectly with sun-kissed hair color, whether it’s natural highlights, a touch of balayage or ombre, or even caramel brunette hair color. The combination creates a cohesive, beachy look that radiates a relaxed and sun-kissed vibe. Whether you have long, flowing locks or shorter, layered hair, sun-kissed waves offer a universally flattering and effortlessly stylish option.

ROSE BROWN BALAYAGE

Move over rose gold, there’s a new brunette trend taking the spotlight: rose brown. This stunning shade infuses classic brown hair with warm, rosy tones, creating a rich, almost metallic dimension. It’s the perfect update for brunettes seeking a touch of trendy warmth and undeniable glamour.

RICH ESPRESSO

The light brown hair color trends encompasses various shades. Whether you have naturally light chestnut hair, dark coffee locks, or even exceptionally blue eyes, it works great. Blue eyes with brunette hair, why not?

BUTTERY BLONDE ON CARAMEL CURLS

Buttery blonde highlights dancing across caramel curls create a dimensional and warm hair look. The buttery blonde adds a touch of brightness and richness, while the caramel base provides a deeper, luxurious feel. This combination is perfect for those who want to add light and interest to their curls without going full-on blonde. The contrast between the two shades emphasizes the texture of the curls, making them appear even more voluminous and defined. It’s a sun-kissed, beachy look that flatters many skin tones and adds a touch of glamour to any hairstyle.

BRUNETTE HAIR PURPLE HIGHLIGHTS

Brunette hair with purple highlights and sun-kissed brunette strands creates a dimensional and playful look. The sun-kissed highlights, often in shades of caramel or honey, add warmth and natural dimension to the overall brunette base. The purple highlights, strategically placed throughout the hair, inject a pop of unexpected color. This combination can range from subtle and whimsical, with just a few purple strands peeking through, to bolder and more dramatic, with a stronger presence of the purple. 

DIRTY BLONDE BOB

This beachy bob is the epitome of sun-kissed hair. Warm blonde highlights are expertly blended throughout, creating a natural, sun-kissed look that only gets more radiant with time spent under the sun.

CHOCOLATE BROWN

This technique can be applied subtly to add dimension and shine to brunette hair. The result is a head of hair that appears full and lustrous, just like the stunning example shown here.

SHADOW ROOT BLONDE

Even for those who prefer cool hair tones, the beachy look is achievable! This technique uses cool blonde balayage to refresh a cool brown base, creating a dimensional and sun-kissed effect without sacrificing the overall cool color palette.

CARAMEL BRUNETTE

Caramel brunette hair color is a stunning blend of warm brown and golden blonde tones, reminiscent of the rich sweetness of its namesake.  It flatters a wide range of skin tones, adding a touch of sun-kissed dimension and vibrancy to brunette locks.  Caramel brunette hair can be achieved through all-over coloring, highlights, or balayage, creating a look that’s both sophisticated and universally flattering.

CARAMEL PIECES ON CHESTNUT BROWN

Forget salon-perfect precision, this chestnut brown bob embraces effortless summer vibes with the subtlest touch of caramel balayage. Delicate, almost invisible highlights dance throughout the rich base, adding a touch of sun-kissed dimension without screaming “professionally done.” It’s the perfect balance of natural beauty and summery flair.

BLONDE OMBRÉ

Blonde ombre hair is a stunning color technique that creates a gradual transition from darker roots to lighter blonde ends. This creates a beautiful, dimensional effect that mimics the sun naturally lightening hair. The shades of blonde used can vary greatly, from warm honey tones to cool platinum hues, allowing for customization to suit individual preferences and skin tones. Ombre is a versatile style that can be worn on any hair length, adding depth and brightness to natural or colored hair.

GOLDEN BRUNETTE HAIR

It features a rich, chocolatey base infused with subtle golden highlights, creating a luminous and dimensional effect. This hair color flatters a wide range of skin tones, adding warmth and brightness without appearing too light. Golden brunette can be achieved through all-over coloring, balayage, or highlights, offering versatility and a natural, sun-kissed look that’s both sophisticated and universally flattering.

COFFEE BRUNETTE

Coffee brunette hair is a rich, sophisticated shade that evokes the warmth and depth of a freshly brewed cup. It’s a deep brown color with subtle red undertones, adding a touch of dimension and richness to the overall look. This shade flatters a wide range of skin tones, particularly those with warm or neutral undertones. Coffee brunette hair can be worn solid for a classic, timeless look, or enhanced with subtle highlights in caramel or golden tones for added dimension and a touch of sun-kissed warmth.

HONEY CARAMEL

It evokes the sweetness of its namesake, adding a touch of sun-kissed dimension and vibrancy to any hair color. This versatile shade can be achieved through all-over coloring, highlights, or balayage, creating a natural, multi-dimensional look. Honey caramel hair flatters a wide range of skin tones, particularly those with warm undertones, and offers a touch of brightness without venturing into full-on blonde territory. For a stunningly dimensional effect, brunette hair with caramel balayage highlights is a perfect choice, adding warmth, sun-kissed glow, and effortless style.

LOADS OF SHINE

Loads of shine isn’t just a hair trend, it’s a statement. Healthy, glossy hair reflects light beautifully, creating a luxurious and eye-catching effect. This can be achieved through a variety of methods, from using hair masks and specialized shampoos to incorporating shine-enhancing styling products like glosses or serums. Hair with loads of shine isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it also signifies healthy, well-cared-for locks, adding a touch of glamour and polish to any hairstyle.

DIRTY BLONDE COLOR MELT

A dirty blonde color melt is a stunning hair coloring technique that creates a seamless transition between darker, natural-looking roots and lighter blonde ends. It achieves a beautiful, dimensional effect that mimics how hair naturally lightens in the sun. Unlike harsh lines or blocky highlights, the color melt blends seamlessly, creating a soft, natural look. This technique often incorporates various shades of dirty blonde, a mix of light and dark blonde tones with subtle ash or golden undertones, adding depth and richness to the overall look. 

MAHOGANY BRUNETTE

It evokes the deep, luxurious color of its namesake wood, adding warmth and depth to natural brunette locks. Unlike a straight red hair color, mahogany brunette retains a dominant brown base, with the red highlights adding vibrancy and dimension. This versatile shade flatters a wide range of skin tones, particularly those with warm or olive undertones. Mahogany brunette can be achieved through all-over coloring, highlights, or balayage, offering a range of intensities and variations, from subtle red accents to a more dramatic, auburn-like effect.

CONCLUSION 

Discover lots of ideas to color your brown hair like the sun kissed it. Find the perfect shade that looks great on you and feels like summer. You can choose soft highlights or a bold balayage. There are so many options! To get that sunny look, make sure the colors blend well together and look natural. Also, take care of your hair by using good products and massaging your scalp to help your hair grow. Try out these ideas and see how beautiful your brown hair looks in the sun!

30 Brown Hair with Highlights Inspos that You Will Fall in Love with

There’s a joke that says all ladies need to do is weave their straight hair, relax their curly hair, trim their long hair, and stretch their short hair. We may continue by saying that girls with dark hair imagine themselves as blondes in their dreams, and blondes wish to be brunettes. Any change in the color of hair is softer with highlights. It can be really subdued and perfectly complement your natural hair color. If you are ready to change, these 30 brown hair with highlights inspo will make you want to run to your favorite salon place ASAP.

Icy Blonde Chunky Highlights

In 2023, bold hair color is going to be very popular. If you haven’t seen brown hair styled in this way yet, you will adore how this color pairs with blonde highlights to frame the face! To get this dye replicated at a salon, show your hairstylist this picture.

Light Brown Balayage

For dark hair, a light brown balayage creates a stunning gradient appearance. The application of highlights creates the illusion that the sun has truly kissed your black locks. In contrast to other highlighting methods, the balayage is not only delicate and unobtrusive but also simple to maintain.

Dark Brown Hair with Bronze Highlights

A layered haircut will give your waves more depth, and if you opt to add some subtle highlights to your dark brown hair, the result will be a sophisticated look that looks stunning both up and down. Take a look at it, please! It has substance, texture, and flawlessly harmonized colors. If you desire this appearance, a layered haircut with choppy ends is also an excellent choice.

Steel Grey Highlights

It’s no longer only for your elderly folks! Gray hair dyeing has gained popularity, particularly among younger audiences. However, if you want to experiment without fully committing to a new shade, soft gray or light blue chunky highlights work well.

Sun-Kissed Balayage

Your hair can completely change with blonde highlights. Transform your ordinary, boring look into something glitzy that will get you compliments all the time. If you want to preserve that special summertime shine in your hair, nothing compares to the balayage effect.

Ash Brown Highlights

Subtle highlights are a must-try for anybody looking for a little glitz, no matter the season. You’ll adore the lovely gloss they impart to your hairstyle.

Dark Brown Mane with Caramel Balayage

Caramel balayage on dark brown hair with highlights is quite striking. In this case, the transition is seamless yet still looks really fashionable. For added dimension, dark fragments have also been placed on the bottom.

Dark Chocolate Bob with Babylights

If you love your dark brown hair and just want to jazz it up a bit, create some cool curls with a straightening iron and add a sprinkling of babylights. These brown hair highlights can certainly redefine your look.

Lob with Thin Caramel Highlights

Dark hair highlights can turn any boring locks into a sophisticated, diva-like style. You’ll feel fantastic and your hair will be glossy and shiny! Isn’t it, after all, what we all want from a makeover?

Chocolate Copper Balayage


The vitality and richness of both colors combine to create a visually striking effect when copper hair highlights are applied to black hair. Ask your hairstylist to take the highlights all the way up to your roots if you want the copper hue to steal the show.

Shaggy Bob with Subtle Partial Highlights

Broad highlights and striking hues aren’t always necessary. In this instance, keeping things simple is ideal. Subtle brown accents can be used to achieve that effect.

Chocolate Brown Highlights

Light brown highlights can instantly alter the style of medium-length chocolate hair. Any length looks excellent with this color combo, but to get the complete effect, wear it wavy.

Natural Striped Highlights

A closer inspection reveals that these are actually perfectly integrated with the light chocolate ribbons, even though at first glance they appear to be just basic blonde highlights. You’ll stand out from the crowd with this bohemian-chic ombre effect. Who wouldn’t love to have blonde highlights paired with shimmering dark brown hair?

Golden Bronde Color Melt

Blend highlights and lowlights for a hairstyle with endless depth. This gorgeous colormelt is ideal for noncommittal people. A bit blonde and a little brown gives you the best of both worlds. When the colors work so well together, there’s no need to make a decision.

Light Caramel Balayage 

Enhance the brightness of your swoopy shoulder-length waves by adding deep caramel highlights. The peek-a-boo, side-parted bangs give off a little Hollywood glitz.

Angled Bob with Light Brown Highlights

This hair color’s caramel and ashy tones are really lovely! Just a few thin blonde highlights give it a really trendy and fresh look. Choose a choppy bob without bangs to maintain a modern look. Style it with bendy waves for a stylish urban appearance.

Thin Beige Highlights 

If you want a more natural look, thin highlights are a fantastic option because they blend in smoothly with the hair. Going a few shades lighter is more than sufficient to create a noticeable difference.

Bright Blonde Contour Highlights

Enjoy yourself while highlighting and balayaging. You are not limited to the typical ombre-inspired style. Wear the lightest items closest to your face to highlight and brighten it. The bolder the style, the greater the contrast between the highlights and your natural color.

Cool Toned Highlights

Twisting together in loose curls are highlights and lowlights? Yes, please! On the top and rear of the head, the brown lowlights are more noticeable, whilst the blonde tones are more noticeable in the front. It’s not quite ombre, though. Absolutely stunning.

Chocolate Bob with Golden Blonde Highlights

Blonde accents in light brown hair make it seem delicate and feminine. The lengthy, honey-colored streaks run the length of the wavy, neck-length bob, emphasizing the flirting, seductive peek-a-boo bangs.

Highlights on Sandy Brown Hair

In order to get a natural look, some of the best highlight ideas for light brown hair revolve around this concept. Consider this look to be a reproduction of the highlights you remember receiving as a child following exhausting outdoor activities. That kind of inspiration will help you achieve a youthful look.

Painted Balayage Highlights

This style with the light brown hair is amazing. These appealing textures and tones are sure to please. Ask your stylist for highlights that are painted on (also known as balayage) and brighter in the facial area. Next, ask her to style it with contemporary, loose waves.

Messy Bob with Face-Framing Balayage

Light brown hair can look adorable with balayage, even on a short bob. Given your limited hair length, choose a striking contrast between the blonde and brown to maximize the amount of hair you have. In fact, the untidy finish and jagged ends add to the cut’s edge.

Honey Light Brown Locks

One of the most well-liked choices for light brown hair highlights is this warm, natural look. Your stylist will work with caramel highlights to create an even, appealing pop of color enhancement, starting with your foundation color.

Shiny Bronze and Blonde Balayage

Hair with lowlights always obtains the necessary depth and brings out highlights, even if your color job is low contrast. An absolute masterwork, this balayage is the go-to option for skin with warm, neutral undertones.

Caramel Highlights on Choppy Cut

For people with fine hair who don’t want to bother with a lot of maintenance, a choppy haircut is a great look. Having light brown hair with caramel-colored highlights can definitely bring out the best in your new cut and face.

Cool and Neutral Blonde Balayage Highlights

The cool element of the balayage is well-known. To make the look seem specifically your own, there are lots of options for you to try out and play with. Even though warm and golden tones are often preferred, your complexion might look better with a neutral blonde tint.

Dimensional Highlights

Brighter is what is lighter! Use bold streaks of blonde hair to provide some color to your traditional bob haircut. This will give your natural brown color greater depth and structure, giving the illusion of thicker hair.

White Blonde Ribbons on Brown Hair

This pairing of frosty blonde and dark brown is really cute! Ribbons that frame the face give the face more brightness and depth in the front portion. An adorable fringe that is accentuated can further improve this appearance.

Chunky Highlights and Curtain Bangs

Combine chunky blonde highlights with your natural hair to give your fine, straight hair more volume and thickness. Your hairstyle will appear even more voluminous and accentuate your facial features if you add a curtain fringe.

Your light brown or dark brown hairstyles are enhanced by highlights. When the highlights are properly picked and applied, even the most basic haircut looks stunning. They will enhance your skin tone and eye color, give your hair more substance, and make you appear amazing whether you wear your hair loose or in elegant styles. Check out 30 inspo above for the best “New Year” hair look.