21 Ways to Rock Black Hair with Highlights

Black hair is often touted for its rich, luminous color—and black hair with highlights is an especially striking way to embrace the inky hue. When you have ultra-dark hair, it’s easy to assume highlights are off the table, but this hair-brightening technique isn’t only for sun-kissed brunettes and natural-looking blondes.

Highlights are the perfect solution to switch up your look, whether you want to add a vibrant pop to your black hair with red highlights or simply perk up your shade without committing to all-over color. If you’re unsure where to begin, check out these 21 gorgeous ideas highlight ideas for black hair.

What Highlights Go With Black Hair?

Highlights for black hair can be as subtle—or bold—as you’d like them to be. Darker, richer shades of brown and red can add dimension without making your hair appear obviously highlighted. On the other hand, brighter hues, such as platinum blonde or silver, can create intense contrast for a striking (and undeniably cool) end result. 

No matter which approach you choose, it’s important to remember that the best highlight colors for black hair will typically be those that match your hair’s natural undertones. If your mane is a cooler blue-black, ashier hues, like mushroom brown, will accentuate your natural color nicely. Those with warmer black hair, meanwhile, may want to opt for shades with reddish or golden undertones, such as chestnut or burgundy. 

Keep in mind that highlighting your hair will require bleaching, which can be damaging. If you’re not willing to take the risk, consider embracing a luminous, all-over black hue with the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes in Natural Black or Natural Soft Black. 

Regardless of your chosen hair or highlight color, a proper haircare routine can help ensure your hue stays vibrant and fresh between touch-ups. On wash day, lather up with a moisturizing shampoo like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Moisture Shampoo, which is suitable for all hair types and gentle on color. After lathering up, give your hair some TLC with the coordinating L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Moisture Conditioner, which helps keep color pure for up to four weeks.

Black Hair With Highlights 21 Ideas To Try

1. Black hair with silver highlights 

Deep, smokey silver highlights make for a seriously cool way to brighten up an all-black mane. This unexpected hue is also a great option to try if you’re going gray, as the silvery highlights will blend with your natural gray strands. You can get the look with bleach and silver hair dye, but if you want to test-run the trend before committing, try the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Silver.

2. Black hair with red highlights

Black and vibrant cherry red make for a perfect color pairing, as the red pops nicely against the black without looking too stark. If you’re heading to the salon, look for a colorist who specializes in the balayage technique. This highlighting method creates a seamless, lived-in blend, and often requires less upkeep than traditional highlights. 

If you want to test out cherry red highlights before you head to the salon, pick up the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Red.

3. Black hair with chocolate brown highlights 

Dark brown highlights are a great way to add subtle depth and dimension to an all-over black hair color. The trick to making black hair with brown highlights look natural is to look for a hue only a couple of shades lighter than your base color. A deep, warm-toned chocolate brown is the perfect option for mimicking a natural sun-kissed highlight. 

4. Black hair with beige babylights

Babylights are ultra-fine highlights designed to mimic the way your hair might naturally lighten in the sun. On blonde and brown hair, they’re usually done in light to medium shades of blonde. For black hair, however, we suggest opting for beige brown babylights. You’ll get a hint of brightness and plenty of dimension, but still be able to maintain most of your natural base hue.

5. Black hair with platinum blonde highlights 

If you’re in the mood for a bold hair color, consider opting for black hair with blonde highlights—the lighter, the better. The intense contrast of icy platinum blonde on deep black is cool, grungy, and attention-grabbing, though it will likely take a few bleaching sessions to achieve. If you’re confident in your highlighting abilities, you can use the L’Oréal Paris Colorista At-Home Hair Bleach & Lightener to lift your strands to your desired level. Just be aware that you may need to tone your hair afterward to neutralize any unwanted warmth and achieve your perfect platinum hue.

6. Black hair with mahogany highlights 

With luminous hints of gold and red, mahogany is a gorgeous highlight color for those with warmer-leaning black strands. It’s also on the lower-maintenance side, as the deep brunette hue won’t create as much contrast against your base color as a bright blonde or fantasy color.

7. Black hair with navy blue highlights 

Another subtle highlight option for black hair is navy blue highlights. While navy blue is a unique, fun hair color to experiment with, it’s not a major contrast from black hair, making it a great choice if you’re looking for something muted. Plus, the result rivals a gorgeous blue-black hair color with a glossy, luminous finish. 

8. Black hair with caramel highlights 

Caramel balayage is a great way to brighten up brown hair, but it works well for those with a deeper brown or black base color, too. The dark golden hue brightens the hair without creating too stark of a contrast (plus, it's a bit easier to maintain than an ashy blonde shade or a fantasy color). Ask your stylist to blend dark caramel, nutmeg, and honey highlights throughout your base for a dimensional hue, or DIY the look with the L’Oréal Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit in Medium to Dark Brown. The kit includes everything you need to achieve natural-looking, blended balayage highlights at home. 

9. Black hair with rose gold highlights 

Pink streaks on black hair feel soft, feminine, and romantic, but achieving pale rose gold streaks typically requires multiple rounds of bleach. If you’re not willing to sit through several bleaching sessions, try brightening your black base with a temporary pink hair color instead. The L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in Rose Gold gets our vote, as it’s a breeze to apply and washes out easily in the shower.

10. Black hair with ashy balayage 

If you have cooler-toned black hair but want to experiment with highlights, we suggest opting for cool-toned balayage. These subtle streaks are created using the same technique as traditional balayage but with ashy hues—like mushroom brown and dark ash blonde—instead of warm tones. The result is a blended, natural-looking hair color that’ll perfectly complement your cooler features.

11. Oil slick hair 

This edgy hair trend was definitely created with dark hair in mind. Inspired by the way gasoline reflects light when spilled on the ground, oil slick hair is the perfect option for those with black hair who want to sport some rainbow hues. Since the technique requires precision—and the use of multiple different hair colors—we strongly suggest heading to the salon to achieve this iridescent look.

12. Black hair with sombré highlights 

If you like the idea of ombré hair but would prefer a softer end result, consider sombré—the technique creates a subtle gradient of color without the stark contrast ombré often creates. The key to nailing this look is to pick a highlight color just a shade or two lighter than your existing hue. Espresso brown, gunmetal, and black cherry are all great options to consider. 

13. Black hair with a blue money piece 

Face-framing highlights like a money piece are great for brightening your features. To get in on the look, opt for a money piece in a flattering cobalt hue to frame your features and create a vibrant pop against your inky black hair.

14. Black hair with smokey blue highlights 

Colored highlights in black hair don’t have to be vibrant or bright to make an impact. Pastel hues can be incredibly flattering, too. We’re especially fond of the way light, smokey blue highlights pop against cool black hair. It feels fresh and on-trend and adds interest without being over-the-top.

15. Black hair with purple highlights 

Like blue, purple highlights can pair beautifully with black hair, as it has a natural coolness that’ll mesh well with your base color. Opt for pastel purple highlights if you want a brighter, higher-contrast look, or lean into eggplant highlights for a subtler pop of color. If you’re not sure whether you’re willing to commit, test-drive mid-toned violet streaks with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup 1-Day Temporary Hair Color Spray in Purple.

16. Black and raspberry ombré

While neutrals might be more in your comfort zone, you’d be surprised to see how well raspberry ombré can complement rich black hair. This vibrant shade, which bridges the gap between bright pink and moody purple, is vibrant, colorful, and especially flattering on those with medium or deeper skin tones (though in truth, anyone can rock the juicy hue). If you want to see how it looks before committing to permanent highlights, mist your mid-lengths and ends with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup 1-Day Temporary Hair Color Spray in Hot Pink—it appears bright on the package, but dries down to a perfect mid-toned raspberry hue on darker strands.

17. Black hair with a lime green money piece

A lime green money piece certainly isn’t for the faint of heart—this electric shade is vivid, vibrant, and admittedly, not the easiest to achieve. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, the neon green hue makes for an eye-catching statement, particularly when paired with inky black tresses. Keep in mind that you’ll need to commit to regular root touch-ups to keep your face-framing pieces looking their best. If that’s not in the cards, try a lime green balayage or hidden highlights instead. 

18. Black hair with emerald green highlights 

If you like green but aren’t sure if you’re up for neon, try emerald green highlights. The vibrant, gem-toned hue gorgeously complements black hair and adds an unexpected touch of color that feels edgy, but not over-the-top. Opt for a brighter emerald if you prefer a higher-contrast look, or consider a deep forest green hue for a subtle pop of luxurious-looking dimension.

19. Black hair with copper highlights 

If you’re down to play with warm tones but want to keep it looking natural, copper highlights are definitely an option to consider. This reddish-orange shade features hints of honey and gold, adding depth and an almost metallic brightness to your strands. The result is a warm and sophisticated hair color with dimensional, luminous ribbons that will make your hair look anything but basic.

20. Black hair with burgundy highlights 

There’s a reason burgundy highlights for black hair are always trending. This popular shade brings together warm red and brown tones, livening up black hair while adding some spice to your look. Plus, it complements most skin tones and highlights your features—that’s what we call a win-win.

21. Black hair with gold highlights 

Pair silky black hair with vibrant gold highlights for an incredibly glam look that feels decidedly luxurious. Because there’s so much contrast between gold and black, note that this look will require a good amount of commitment to maintain. If you can’t commit to regular touch-ups, you can achieve a similar look with a golden balayage or well-blended ombré.

Next Up: How To Balayage Your Hair at Home

Photo credit: Edwina Marie Dela Cruz, IG/@edwinamariebeauty