20 Ultimate Caramel Balayage Highlights Inspiration

Are you looking to brighten your hair with a stunning, on-trend color the next time you go to the salon? Staying current can be important, but working with your natural hair and skin color should be a top priority. Fortunately, caramel balayage highlights deliver all of that- and more.

How To Make Caramel Balayage Highlights Work For You

Caramel is the perfect color to lend your hair the warmth and lightness that it deserves. Apply it in the balayge technique and it will look natural on your locks while bring that touch of sunshine everyone is craving these days. Even if your hair is a deep brunette, you can use a richer, darker caramel on the hair to lighten and brighten. Your stylist should be able to help you keep your caramel color within the tonal range of your existing color. We have complied 20 of the very best caramel balayage highlights looks, let’s take a peek!

#1: Soft Warm Balayage

While caramel highlights can match every skin tone, soft, warm tones like these are great for olive skin tones. Feel free to blend the warmer balayage tones throughout your naturally darker hair for a natural vibe.

If you really want the highlights to pop, add them around the face to brighten your overall look.

#2: Beach Caramel

If you are a blonde looking to incorporate warmer caramel tones into your hair, then this medium length look is for you. The effect is light, beachy, and totally carefree! Plus, the color will grow out like a dream.

Instead of using balayage to bring caramel to the tips of hair, this look works as a caramel gradient. Your stylist will want to start with darker caramel at the roots and end with freshly light color at the tips.

#3: Glossy Blend

Looking to freshen up your basic brown hair? Adding caramel highlights to your lovely brunette color is the perfect way to brighten your locks and your look all at once.

To recreate this caramel balayage look, use just one slightly lighter tone for painting on the ends in the balayage style. Ask your stylist to add a gloss for high shine and glamour.

#4: Deep Brunette

Believe it or not, caramel highlights are super versatile- even if your natural color is dark. This babe’s hair is a deep brunette and as you can see, it is surprisingly easy to brighten it with the balayage technique.

To get the most of the lightening effects of caramel on a deep brunette, focus the highlights at the base of the hair and around the face.

#5: Baby Lights

The beauty of balayage is the ability it gives a stylist to create any highlighting effect they desire. Ask yours for baby lights for the subtlest yet most natural dimension out there.

Baby lights is a fine hair coloring technique used to mimic the natural highlights in children’s hair. We all know how gorgeous kids’ hair can be. These warm balayage baby lights on light brown hair will have people asking if you’re born with it!

#6: Full Ribbon Balayage

For a super subtle caramel appeal, have your stylist use the ribbon effect when painting highlights on your hair. Instead of focusing on the ends of hair, this technique doesn’t go for sun-kissed glow but rather an overall natural look.

It looks great on long hair but works especially well on short hair like pixies or bobs. Don’t go too crazy with contrast here, just a shade or two lighter in the caramel range should do the trick.

#7: Black + Caramel Ombre

We love the versatility of caramel highlights. Black hair can absolutely rock gorgeous caramel color. Here we see it in an ombre style.

Because this babe’s hair is super dark, it’s essential to pick up on the deep undertones for a natural effect. Here the caramel takes on an auburn hue that still has that golden luster.

#8: Light Caramel + Auburn Undertones

It’s amazing to see how undertones can determine the overall look of your caramel balayage highlights. Working with, instead of fighting, your undertones can make all the difference as highlights fade between salon trips.

Ask your stylist for this beautiful light caramel look if your hair tends to turn auburn in the sun. A nice glaze will help balance out any warm undertones.

#9: Caramel Blend

With caramel highlights, you can give off the illusion of blonde hair without having to go blonde at all. Here, her root color is several shades darker than the light caramel highlights, but balayage ensures a beautiful blend.

Focus on the tops layers of hair rather than just the ends for the most natural, blended feel.

#10: Dark Brunette Ombre

This beautiful dark brunette look utilizes caramel balayage for a naturally grown out look. Ombre styles are perfect for the babe who wants to stretch the time between highlighting sessions at the salon.

With brunette styles, it’s important to stay within your tonal range for your caramel highlights. Blending them throughout the hair and focusing on the ends will help highlights appear natural.

#11: Face-Framing Highlights

The balayage technique is perfect for applying caramel highlights in a subtle fashion. If you want to take it easy on your locks, then focus your caramel details around your face and at the ends of the hair.

The overall effect will brighten your beautiful face as the highlights grow out with ease.

#12: Warm Honey Balayage

Caramel balayage don’t have to mean high contrast between your base color and the highlights. If you prefer a more singular look, try this highly blended warm honey caramel color.

For the most natural effect, your roots should remain slightly darker than the light color on the tips of the hair.

#13: Soft Ombre

Ombre balayage is the perfect way for the low maintenance babe to incorporate caramel highlights into their look.

Here, the ultra warm tones are focused on the bottom half of the hair while the roots are a brunette tone that feels natural. Let your locks grow out as you wish, but utilize a toner to keep brassy tones at bay.

#14: Caramel Color Melt

Looking to stretch the time between color appointments? Color melting may be just the technique you’ll need to blend your root color with luscious caramel balayage tones.

Instead of focusing warm caramel hues on just the outer edges of locks or bottom half, this caramel color melt blends the color all throughout the hair.

#15: Natural Lob

You don’t have to have long locks to take advantage of some gorgeous caramel balayage! In fact, lobs are just the right length to truly show off dimension for shorthaired babes.

This caramel hue is highly blended because her root color isn’t far from the caramel balayage. For the best grow out, the roots should remain slightly darker than the ends of hair.

#16: Root Contrast

Let caramel balayage highlights give you the blonde look you’ve always wanted. Techniques like root smudging let you maintain your darker, more natural root color while painting your ends in a sunny, golden caramel.

This look, dubbed ‘caramel frappe’ may take your stylist some time to achieve, but the precision is so worth it!

#17: Chestnut + Warm Caramel

Even red headed babes can incorporate the gorgeous tones that caramel highlights offer. Once again, sticking within the tonal range of your natural root color will serve you best when creating your balayage look.

You can choose to focus caramel highlights at the bottom of the hair for an ombre style or blend it heavily throughout the hair for color melt style.

#16: Low Contrast

Not everyone is looking for a bold hairstyle. For a low contrast between your root color and ends, try emulating this caramel balayage highlights hairstyle.

Here, root color is kept dark and shiny while the ends have been lightened and contain plenty of warmth. This will help color grow out beautifully.

#19: Sandy Blend

If ‘effortless’ is how you prefer your hairstyle, then this sandy blend of blonde, caramel and brunette is the look for you. Depth of tone is possible when your stylist uses a careful hand to create this balayage dream style.

No matter how you choose to create your look, it’s ideal to keep light blonde tones around the face and the base and roots dark. Let sun-kissed surfer babes serve as your inspiration and you can never go wrong.

#20: Highlights + Lowlights

Believe it or not, the perfect combination of highlights and lowlights can actually make your appear thicker. This light and dark brown combo is stunning, even for straight hair, as seen here.

Focus your lighter hued caramel balayage highlights at the ends of the hair and around the face. The look will bring out your natural skin tone and eye color for a stunning effect.