The go-to technique for giving any hairstyle dimension and brightness is hair highlighting. With the correct highlighting dye, you can achieve delicate sun-kissed strands or striking, contrasting effects. Even if you’re not a professional, experimenting with this technique at home is now easier than ever thanks to the abundance of options available.
We’ll look at the top hair highlighting dyes for at-home use in this post. We’ll cover every option, from mild formulas that safeguard the health of your hair to products that include a handy comb for accurate application. In order to help you envision the outcomes you can attain, you will also see before and after pictures.
For a thorough analysis of high-end home-use products, continue reading if you’re considering updating your appearance. You’ll discover which hair dyes are the most gentle on your hair, which produce the most natural-looking results, and how to select the best product for your highlighting objectives.
Product Name | Description |
Garnier Nutrisse Highlight Kit | A gentle highlighting kit for home use with nourishing ingredients, designed to lighten hair without causing damage. |
Revlon Frost & Glow Highlighting Kit | Professional-grade at-home kit with a cap and hook for easy and precise application of highlights. |
L"Oréal Paris Superior Preference | A premium highlighting dye that provides long-lasting, natural-looking highlights with a gentle formula. |
Clairol Nice"n Easy Balayage | Designed for creating soft, blended highlights with a comb for smooth and even application. |
Schwarzkopf BlondMe Highlighting Kit | A professional-grade product that delivers salon-quality highlights with built-in bonding technology to protect the hair. |
- What is highlighting
- What is hair highlighting: types and forms of products for the procedure
- Oil-based paints
- Oxidizers and paints based on them
- Pastes
- Powders (powders)
- Ammonia-free dyes
- Lightening cream
- Highlighting with tonic
- How to choose the right color and shade for highlighting?
- For light hair
- For dark
- On light brown
- TOP 10 best dyes for highlighting
- Loreal
- Estel
- Kapous
- Matrix
- Wella
- Igora
- Syoss
- Garnier
- Oriflame
- Palette from Schwarzkopf
- Highlighting paints with a cap included
- Professional products that are used in beauty salons
- A gentle ammonia-free hair highlighting dye
- Paint with a comb for highlighting
- Paint with a highlighting effect
- How to do highlights at home
- Necessary tools and instruments
- Frequently asked questions
- The best ways to highlight hair
- What is better – a cap or foil?
- Photo after highlighting
- On light hair
- On dark hair
- On light brown hair
- Highlighting in two colors
- Dark paint
- Light paint
- Pink paint
- Purple paint
- Red paint
- Ash
- Red
- Hair care after the procedure: TOP-5 tips
- Video on the topic
- quick highlighting with a comb #highlighting #hair #hairdresser #techniques #shorts
- Set of combs for veil highlighting
- Ash hair👩🦳 Estel 10/76 for bleached hair, ash with blond estel like in a salon #shorts
What is highlighting
Highlighting refers to coloring specific hair strands rather than the entire head of hair. You can achieve this or that aesthetic effect by processing your hair in various shades and with various methods. There are several styles of highlighting, including ombre, balayage, majimesh, Venetian, and classic. Certain dye types and shades are used in a variety of techniques.
What is hair highlighting: types and forms of products for the procedure
There are a tonne of products available for the process. They include complete sets that are appropriate for use at home as well as professional items that are only handled by licensed hairdressers.
Oil-based paints
Because oil paints don’t include harsh ingredients that break down the structure of hair, they are regarded as gentle coloring agents. Conversely, because the paint contains beneficial vegetable oils, it moisturizes and rebuilds the structure of the hair. Of the beneficial ingredients, jojoba oil, grape seed, flax, burdock, argan, and keratin extracts are the most frequently added to the mixture because they are good for hair health.
As an illustration of a product:
- Constant Delight Crema Colorante – cream paint with a rich palette of 40 shades and a universal oxidizer. Contains such caring components as vitamin C, cashmere, aloe vera. Package cost – 250-300 rubles;
- GKhair – a product with a palette of 40 shades based on keratin, jojoba and argan oils. Sold without an oxidizer, the cost of the coloring composition is about 800 rubles.
Oxidizers and paints based on them
Oxidizer-containing paints are characterized by a more forceful application on the fibers. Ammonia or hydrogen peroxide, the ingredients in them, have the ability to "etch" even the darkest natural hair color. These dyes are very long-lasting and can be used to cover gray hair or drastically alter its natural color.
Crucial! An oxidizer that contains 9–12% hydrogen peroxide is used to highlight women with brown hair and brunettes. It is advised to use a 3-6% oxidizer on blond and light brown hair.
Examples of colors:
- Schwarzkopf Color Mask – a durable dye in the form of a thick cream, suitable for home use. Contains a small amount of ammonia. The palette includes 22 shades. Price per package – 400 rubles;
- ESTEL De Luxe – ammonia paint with a palette of 120 durable shades. Despite the presence of ammonia in the composition, it is safe to use due to the content of nutritional and caring components. The price of paint without an oxidizer is 250-300 rubles.
Pastes
The paste has a cosmetic care effect while bleaching hair quickly and gently. The coloring composition is made by combining it with a developer, which produces a thick, apply-and-forget kind of mixture that doesn’t run over the head.
The top highlighting pastes are:
- L`Oreal Professionnel Platinium plus – corrects the original color by 5-6 tones. One can of bleaching paste with a capacity of 500 ml will cost about 2500 rubles;
- Blonde Glam Blond Idol Redken – bleaching paste with ammonia, allowing you to make the original color 1-5 levels lighter. Effective even on coarse hair, contains white beeswax and keratolipids. The price of a can with a capacity of 500 ml starts from 3000 rubles.
Powders (powders)
Because powdered products need to be precisely mixed with an oxidizer, they are better suited for use in salons. The structure of the strands as well as the depth of the intended and original color must be considered by the master.
Crucial! Working with powder should be done carefully because the particles can cause respiratory system damage and easily rise into the air.
Favored goods
- Matrix Light Master – bleaches up to 8 tones, leaving no yellowness. The composition includes panthenol, which has reconstructive and protective properties. Price – 1000 rubles for 500 g;
- Wella Blondor – lightens up to 7 tones, including previously dyed hair. Suitable for mixing with any concentration of oxidizer. Price – 2800 rubles for 800 g.
Ammonia-free dyes
Ammonia-free hair dyes work well because of their mild formula. However, they cannot produce radical coloring, so using them won’t allow you to get noticeable lightening.
Ammonia-free merchandise:
- Kapous Non Ammonia – does not contain ammonia, parabens or sulfates, enriched with argan and jojoba oils. Suitable for home and salon highlighting. Average cost of a package is 300 rubles;
- Faberlic – a long-lasting ammonia-free cream paint in 19 shades, enriched with amla oil and arginine. The price of a set with gloves is about 200 rubles.
Lightening cream
Suitable for both mild and radical lightening, resulting in seamless hairstyle transitions.
Favored goods
- CHI Blondest Blonde Cream – provides uniform lightening up to 8 levels. Price for 227 g – 1700 rubles;
- L’Oréal Preference Glam Lights – available in two shades, designed for highlighting with a comb. Price per package – 400 rubles.
Highlighting with tonic
In actuality, tonic highlighting is not possible because this product merely applies pigment to the curls on the hair, leaving the original shade intact. The most common method for neutralizing yellowness is to use tinting agents after light highlighting.
Adequate goods:
- Tonica Rocolor – tones both dark and light colors, costs about 100 rubles per bottle;
- Indola Color Silver – a toning shampoo designed to eliminate yellowness, costs about 500 rubles per bottle.
How to choose the right color and shade for highlighting?
Even though it’s commonly believed that blondes look best with highlights, people with dark or light brown hair can also benefit from this coloring technique. The most important thing is to select the appropriate dye while keeping in mind the original tone.
For light hair
By applying bright highlights to light strands, you can bring out their inherent shade and make them shimmer in the sunlight.
- For beauties of the color types "winter" and "summer", shades of cold colors are suitable – pearl, silver, gray, ash.
- Color types "autumn" and "spring" will be most attractive with highlighting in shades of gold, wheat, champagne, caramel and honey.
For dark
Chestnut, dark blond, brown, and black hair must first be lightened, and then tinted to remove any redness, in order to highlight in a light palette. To avoid damaging the strands, stylists advise highlighting in shades that are similar to natural:
- coffee;
- chocolate;
- burgundy;
- bronze;
- copper;
- chestnut;
- caramel;
- cognac;
- mocha, etc.
Counseling! When doing highlights on dark hair, a shade that is two tones darker than the iris color and three tones darker than the natural hair color is used.
On light brown
Chestnut, wheat, amber, gold, copper, and caramel hues will help dark brown hair look more put together and stylish. A palette of platinum, silver, ash, and cream goes well with light brown curls. Pink and purple tones will contribute to the image’s brightness.
TOP 10 best dyes for highlighting
Of the many highlighting products available, ten popular dyes have garnered positive feedback from customers.
Loreal
L’Oréal has developed a whole cosmetic line called Revlonissimo NMT Super Blondes for highlighting hair. There are seven blond shades in this category that use lightening nanotechnology. They give hair a lighter appearance without negatively affecting its structure. Furthermore, the products flawlessly cover gray hair, enabling you to attain a natural tone.
Estel
The Estel brand includes both professional and household dyes in its product line:
- Estel Quality formula lightening gel;
- Solo Super Blond Estel, Only Super Blond lightening creams;
- Essex Super Blond Plus, Ultra Blond De Luxe lightening powders.
The mildest gel in the entire line, only lightening hair by a maximum of two shades.
Kapous
Long-lasting cream dyes for coloring and highlighting are available from an Italian brand. There are over a hundred distinct shades in all of the Kapous series, so you can use a range of techniques. The Non Ammonia series, which has the widest range of colors for delicate coloring without ammonia, deserves special consideration.
Matrix
High-quality hair color products, such as the Ultra Blonde highlighting series, are made by the American company Matrix. It comes in eleven stylish hues that give hair a lovely pale color. A drastic color shift of more than two to three tones won’t work, but the hair will still be shiny and healthy.
Wella
A range of professional dyes with the ILLUMINA COLOR formula is new from Wella. It makes the cuticle scales smoother, which makes the hair surface more reflective of light. The color scheme consists of a range of brown tones along with shades of bright, light, and very light blonde.
Igora
Schwarzkopf’s Igora Royal Fashion is a great choice for highlighting with maximum contrast and unmatched brightness. The paint’s rich color range allows it to be used for both achieving an exceptionally bright color and highlighting in natural shades. used on hair darker than the sixth tone depth to add colored highlights and create accents.
Syoss
There are four lines of Syoss coloring cosmetics available, the most basic being Syoss Color Professional Performance, which has 29 shades and a range of lighteners. Every lighter has a unique level of intensity.
- "ultra" – lightens by 8 tones, suitable for very dark hair;
- "intense" – allows you to get a shade 7 levels lighter than the original, effectively bleaches dark blond hair;
- "strong" – designed to lighten medium-blond and light-blond curls by 6 tones.
The first two options give the hair shades of a cold palette, while the final color in the latter version turns out to be warmer.
Garnier
Notwithstanding the small quantity of ammonia in the composition, Garnier paints are renowned for their rich color palette and long-lasting tones. A range of less long-lasting, but ammonia-free pigments has been developed for softer highlighting. The most watched series:
- 100% Colors;
- Color Naturals;
- Color Sensation.
The richest palette is found in the Color Naturals series, which has 43 tones broken down into 10 groups. Two of these are designated for the perfect blonde and the shades of blonde.
Important!
Oriflame
Hair dyes Tru Color Hairx "Color-Expert": Oriflame’s latest innovation in cosmetics. Their rich color and conditioning properties are due to the vitamin and plant extracts added to their formula. With masked gray hair, the palette’s 22 chic tones can be used for both full coloring and highlighting.
Palette from Schwarzkopf
Palette is a low-cost home highlighter from Germany. Positioned as a non-zammiac paint, it contains royal milk from bees that feeds the strands. Particular consideration should be given to these palette groups:
- ultra -lighting;
- clarifying;
- light platinum;
- Bright.
It contains hues for both cold and warm highlighting.
Highlighting paints with a cap included
For use at home, the set of dye with a cap is a practical choice. The set’s cap features holes made specifically for pulling separate strands. It allows you to highlight without the need for foil.
A set like this is included in the Palette Deluxe "Color Highlights" trademark assortment. Paint, a stick, a mixing container, a coloring brush, a hook, a hole-filled cap, and balm are all included in the set.
Professional products that are used in beauty salons
Expert highlight paints require intricate preparations that are best left to the hands of a seasoned artist. They are offered without an oxidizer; instead, each customer’s specific reagent is chosen based on their hair type and base pigment. Professional products typically come with lightening powders, which let you achieve deep bleaching without looking yellow.
As an illustration of a product:
- Igora Vario Blond super plus – the powder contains a mixtone that guarantees deep lightening of even very dark strands, as well as a nutritional component in the form of wheat extract;
- Estel Professional Essex Super Blond Plus – a bleaching powder that helps lighten strands up to 7 tones.
A gentle ammonia-free hair highlighting dye
Professional dyes without ammonia let you use intricate highlighting techniques, but their pigmentation isn’t very long-lasting.
Crucial! Pregnant women can be advised to use ammonia-free highlighting products because they do not release any harmful fumes.
Professional product examples include:
- Kadus Fervidol Brilliant – a line of 50 fashionable shades has a rich composition, including oil extracts, minerals and useful salts. Coloring activators effectively change the color of the hair, and wax components reliably seal the pigment, preventing it from washing out;
- Revlon Professionals – liquid crystals provide nutrition and restoration of strands. And thanks to pigments with a slow action of mastur, it is possible to hit the exact tone of the planned shade.
Paint with a comb for highlighting
Special sets for highlighting with a comb should be of interest to those who enjoy playing around with their hair but do not want to spend a lot of money on salon coloring. It was L’Oreal who offered this option. inclination Glam Lights paint comes with a comb, shampoo, and balm for aftercare.
With the help of the product, you can easily craft alluring strands that have a hint of gold. Using a skilled comb, evenly distribute the coloring mixture along the entire length of the strands, and the desired aesthetic effect is achieved.
Paint with a highlighting effect
With the help of the somewhat difficult technique known as "balayage highlighting," you can create the appearance of sun-burned hair. This kind of highlighting was exclusive to salons until recently. However, with the introduction of L’Oreal Colorista Balayage, women can now create the look of balayage highlights at home. The paint lightens the hair by a few shades, and the kit’s comb can be used to create gentle transitions.
How to do highlights at home
Highlighting your hair at home is a simple task. An assistant will help separate and color the strands more quickly, so it is ideal to have them involved. If you are the only one who can perform the operation, you can use two large mirrors to do it yourself.
Necessary tools and instruments
A dye or lightening agent is the first item you will require. It is preferable to use premade cream paints with lightening qualities at home. Shampoo, conditioner, and a toner for yellowness should not be overlooked.
Instruments:
- bowl for mixing components;
- brush with a thin handle;
- massage comb;
- hair clips;
- foil or cap for highlighting;
- gloves;
- shoulder cape;
- hook (if a cap is used).
Frequently asked questions
- How much paint is needed – as a rule, less paint is needed for highlighting than for full coloring, because not all strands are processed. For short and medium length hair, you need to prepare one tube of dye (60 ml) and a bottle of oxidizer (50 ml). If the hair is long and thick, the amount of consumables should be doubled.
- How to dilute correctly – diluting the paint is simple – just squeeze the contents of the tube into a separate container and add oxide or developer. Then thoroughly mix the components with a brush until smooth.
Counseling! You can add one tablespoon of shampoo to the mixture to help the dye spread more easily throughout the hair.
- How to apply – Apply the paint in zonal directions. To do this, the entire volume of hair is divided into five working sections – at the temples, on the crown, on the back of the head and in the forehead area (bangs). It is better to start highlighting with the back of the head, gradually moving to the crown, temples and ending with bangs. The strands are separated by a thin handle of a comb – one is stained, and the other remains unpainted.
- How much to keep – about the aging of the product will be indicated in the instructions for the drug. Time can fluctuate from 15 minutes to 1 hour. The lighter the original hair color, the less time the pigment will need to act. The process is better to control yourself, periodically checking the paint reaction.
The best ways to highlight hair
We’ll talk about each of the three fundamental methods of highlighting later.
- Through a hat – A highlighting hat has a special design – it fit tightly to the surface of the head and has holes designed to separate the strands. Special hooks from each hole (or with passes) are removed strands. When all the planned bundles are extracted, they are painted at the same time and left for aging in an open way or with insulation.
- With foil – to highlight with foil, you first need to divide your hair into zones using the method described above and secure each one with clips. The foil is coated with a small amount of paint and placed under a thin separated strand, making a small tuck at the roots. The separated bunch is processed over the foil and folded into an envelope. Separate another strand – it will remain unpainted and pinned to the envelope. The rest of the hair is highlighted in the same way.
- With a comb – only a special paddle comb, known as a striper, is suitable for this job. Its thin teeth allow you to separate strands, and the scoop is designed to apply and distribute the paint. Holding the curl with your fingers, run the striper from the roots to the ends of the hair and leave the strand to be painted in an open way.
What is better – a cap or foil?
Short hair and medium-length hairstyles work better with a cap. Long strands are very difficult to pull through the cap’s holes; you run the risk of tangling and breaking them. Foil works best in this situation for highlighting.
Photo after highlighting
A collection of images both pre- and post-highlighting:
On light hair
When applied to light hair, highlights bring out the beauty of the natural color and give the image a more youthful appearance.
On dark hair
Pre-bleaching dark hair is necessary if you want to create a significant contrast between the bundles. Natural range shades will look good.
On light brown hair
Practically any highlighting technique can be applied to light brown hair. On light brown hairstyles, dark, light, and bright shades will all look good.
Highlighting in two colors
Two-color highlighting is regarded as classic. Your "native" hair color will be represented by one shade, and the chosen pigment by another. The only exception is if the hair has been fully bleached and then highlighted in two similar tones.
Dark paint
It is more appropriate for people with light to medium brown hair because brunettes and people with brown hair won’t notice it. Shades of chestnut, coffee, cognac, chocolate, and even black are used.
Light paint
On hair that ranges in color from extremely dark to light, light tones are applied. The ideal intensity of oxidizer is chosen based on the natural color.
Pink paint
On light brown hair and light brown curls, colored highlighting in pink tones will look great.
Purple paint
Violet and lilac tones complement both light and dark hair types. Those with dark hair should be the only ones to use high-intensity pigment.
Red paint
On dark hair, red strands contrast beautifully and go well with chocolate, red, and purple. Black and red together are regarded as classic.
Ash
For cold color types, such as summer and winter, ash tones work best. They will draw attention to the skin’s whiteness and the light eyes’ expressiveness. The "salt and pepper" highlighting method, which combines black and ash tones, can help cover up gray hair.
Red
On dark hair, red highlighting with frequent strand changes is the most beneficial option. On light hairstyles, the mix of red, milk, and reddish hues looks unique.
Highlighting dyes for hair are a quick and easy way to change your appearance at home. They come in a variety of forms, from mild formulas to comb-guided products that make application precise. In this post, we’ll examine before and after pictures to demonstrate the effects of various dyes and offer a comprehensive guide to high-quality products made for household use. Regardless of your preference for delicate highlights or striking color changes, we’ll go over all the information you need to pick the best dye for your hair type and desired outcome.
Hair care after the procedure: TOP-5 tips
Fundamental cleaning advice boils down to these:
- wash your hair with shampoos and balms designed to care for highlighted hair;
- use masks, nutrient oils or serum once a week;
- Light highlighting is periodically updated with silver shampoos or purple tonics to eliminate yellowness;
- In the summer, hide hair from ultraviolet radiation under a hat or panama to prevent burnout and destruction of the pigment;
- reduce the use of a hair dryer, curling iron and ironing with a minimum.
Read our special article to learn more about taking care of highlighted hair.
Counseling! Hair will be better protected from the damaging effects of high temperatures with the use of heat-protective products. They are applied to the curls prior to styling and come in spray, foam, or emulsion form.
Whether you’re going for a bold transformation or a subtle change, selecting the correct highlighting dye can have a significant impact on the outcome. With the variety of options provided by professional products made for home use, you can attain salon-quality results without ever leaving your home.
Everything from gentle formulas to cutting-edge tools like highlighting combs is available for all hair types and skill levels. It is crucial to take into account the state of your hair and select a product that will minimize damage while giving you the desired look.
Take some time to look at before-and-after pictures to get a clear idea of what different products can accomplish before beginning your highlighting journey. Your natural beauty can be enhanced with gorgeous, dimensional highlights achieved with the correct dye and preparation.