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Hair color is one of the easier ways to quickly change your look, but an entirely new hue can be intimidating; especially if you’ve never done it before. Although hair-color techniques like balayage and ombre have taken precedence in recent years, we’re still smitten with good old-fashioned highlights.
Taking a few pieces of the hair and dyeing them a shade lighter or darker than your natural one not only adds depth and dimension to your mane; it also delivers the same head-turning impact of other hair-color techniques. And with summer on the horizon, we can’t think of a better time to lighten things up … or down, depending on your mood.
Ahead are some of the fiercest examples of highlighted hair, modeled by a handful of famous ladies. Get the inspo you need to take the plunge below.
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If you’re thinking of a honey-blonde ’do, à la Beyoncé, create dimension by adding in a couple different shades.
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A mix of thick and thin highlights, like the ones on Halle Berry, will brighten up sun-kissed skin.
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Curly brown strands with a hint of light brown took Ciara’s wild mane to the next level.
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If you’re going to go big, opt for neon-bright strands like Donatella Versace’s.
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Even just a hint of hair highlights can keep fine, textured hair from looking flat; just ask Issa Rae.
Morrocanoil
Morrocanoil Protect & Prevent Spray
The brand’s new Color Care collection includes this leave-in spray, formulated with enough antioxidants to protect strands against sun exposure and deliver hydration after a color treament.
$30 at Morrocanoil
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Jennifer Lopez’s thick, blonde highlights are beautiful inspo for anyone who wants to throw an ombre effect into the mix.
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Highlighted strands along the hairline, like the ones on Jessica Biel, brighten up the face.
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If you’re a blonde like Margot Robbie, highlighting your hair into different golden shades will have everyone convinced you spent a day at the beach.
Bumble and bumble
Bumble and bumble Bb Color Stick
This velvety, dry fiber stick is key to covering up roots in between dye jobs.
$26 at Bumble and bumble
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If you start with balayage but decide you want to break up the color, simply add highlights over it like Olivia Palermo.
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Take a bob from basic to runway-ready with just a few highlights, à la Selena Gomez.
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If you’re getting a protective style, choose hair in a variety of colors to create a highlighting effect, similar to the one on Serayah.
Olaplex
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Who says you can’t sprinkle a super short pixie with color? We love how Zoe Kravitz incorporated light brown into her dark-brown cut.
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Logan Browning had the right idea when she amped up her brown faux locs with pops of blonde and caramel shades.
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You can also channel your inner rockstar with brightly colored highlights like Paris Jackson.
Madison Reed
Madison Reed Color Reviving Hair Gloss
This gloss, with both transparent and color-specific options, refreshes faded color, while adding vibrancy to hair.
$24.95 at Madison Reed
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Chunky highlights may be so ’90s, but just one, as spotted on Whitney Port, can still look current and chic.