The humble highlighting technique has undergone a myriad of distinct variations since its rise to commercial popularity in the 1980s.
Though hair highlighting has existed for centuries, with the ancient Egyptians known to lighten their hair through elixirs of olive oil, lemon, pollen and gold flakes – it was the decadence, pomp and puff of the ‘80s which saw a rise in obvious, rather un-natural looking highlights painted onto hair in kaleidoscopic colours as a fashion statement.
These oh-so-Madonna highlights were achieved with the help of a highlighting cap, a styling accessory with pin-sized holes for pulling thin streaks of hair through that has seen a recent resurgence in popularity through TikTok to achieve retro style streaks. By the late ‘80s, the foiling method had been developed and remains the most popular technique today.
Balayage, contrary to popular belief, was first invented back in the ‘70s when hairdressers experimented with a freehand highlighting technique in which bleach is painted directly onto the diary by hand in a ‘sweeping’ motion (balayage means ‘sweeping’ in French).
From Scandi hairlines to baby lights, foliage and even the return of ‘00s chunky highlights a la Christina Aguilera, developments in highlighting techniques aren’t slowing down any time soon. All such methods, however, have the same goal in common: to add dimension, depth, texture and brightness to your look.
We spoke to Bantika Robson, Creative Master Colourist at Josh Wood Atelier, for some insight into creating intricate highlights at home. First and foremost, it should come as no surprise that Josh Wood Atelier doesn’t support doing your own highlights – it’s not lockdown anymore, people, and if you can find the time and the money to go to a professional hairdresser, you certainly should.
“It is best to get the highlights done at a salon but keep them fresh with an at-home gloss such as the Josh Wood Colour Icy Blonde Gloss to help tone down any brassiness that occurs,” Robson explains. When it comes to choosing your highlight colour, “colour-match your highlights to your skin tone, as your colour should suit the same nuance tone as your skin tone but not be too different from your hair colour.”
The extent to which your highlights last “depends on the growth rate of your hair and how often you tone it,” says the colourist. “If you get highlight at the salon, or if you do try it yourself, for at least a couple of days we would recommend avoiding heat styling tools, colour-based products, chlorine, too much sun etc, all things that affect the care of your highlights.”
We’ve rounded up a selection of the best dyes and accessories for creating highlights at home. No matter which style of highlights you choose, make sure to find a decent tutorial video online before throwing yourself into the deep end.
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Garnier Olia Highlights for Brunettes / Blondes
Formulated with no ammonia and powered by 60 per cent natural flower seed oils, Garnier’s Olia Highlights range delivers luminous, multi-dimensional highlights which leave your hair feeling miraculously smoother than traditional chemical dyes. The formula is entirely vegan and offers an impressive 100 per cent grey coverage. Before using the product, Garnier recommends doing a patch test and has a handy guide on exactly how to apply it here.
Buy now £10.00, Boots
Jerome Russell Bblonde Maximum Highlighting Kit No.1
Great for those looking to perfect bright blonde highlights on a darker brunette base, Jerome Russell’s Bblonde Maximum Highlighting Kit is enriched with avocado oil and seaweed extract to help condition hair while preventing damage.
For those new to the at-home dye game, be mindful that this product is an uber-strong 40-volume lightener, which correlates to roughly 12 per cent hydrogen peroxide and can cause burns if used incorrectly. If you already have damaged hair or are inexperienced, we recommend going for a kit with a lower volume.
Buy now £7.09, Boots
Knight & Wilson Colour-Freedom Cream Hair Bleach
Offering a complete kit at a value-for-money price, Knight & Wilson offers everything you need to achieve highlights at home. The ammonia and sulphate-free cream bleach can be used for your whole head, regrowth, balayage, ombre and highlights depending on your needs. Formulated to lighten colour up to eight shades, it’s also formulated with corn proteins for replenishing moisture.
Inside the box, you’ll find a mixing tray, an applicator brush, a lightening cream, a cream developer and a white-blonde toning mask to achieve a true icy finish. You’ll need to invest in a toner to prevent any brassiness in your overall look, unless you’re planning on going in with a highly saturated, colourful dye over the top.
Buy now £13.09, Amazon
Josh Wood Colour Permanent Hair Colour 9.0 - Blonde + Shade Shot
A great option for fixing brassy highlights or adding dimension to your roots at home, Josh Wood Colour’s Miracle System offers 100 per cent grey coverage and a fun, easy way to experiment with slightly different undertones. By opting for a shade shot to either neutralise or bring out certain tones, you’ll gain more control over the overall shade that you’re left with – rather than going in totally blind.
Buy now £19.00, Josh Wood Colour
Kiiwah Hair Colouring Highlighting Caps, Two Hooks and Hair Colouring Brush
Though the aesthetics don’t really matter when popping on a bleach bonnet, we love the fact that this set of two comes in blue and pink. Crafted from non-toxic material, the highlighting set comes with two hooks for pulling hair through the dye cap, a mixing tray and an application brush.
Buy now £4.99, Amazon
Millie Wilford Hair Dye Bowl and Brush Set
Every at-home hair dye aficionado needs a chic tool kit, and this option by Millie Wilford takes the cake. It comes with two fantastic wide-opening sectioning clips, a wide application brush with feathered bristles, a parting comb and a large mixing bowl with an anti-slip base.
Buy now £11.87, Amazon
FRAMAR Checked Out Hair Foil
For foiling like a pro, look no further than this chic roll from FRAMAR. The roll comes in a box which is fitted with a blade, so you can trim each foil to your desired length with ease. Perfect for long hair, these foils were designed for colourists, by colourists – so you can say goodbye to cheap kitchen aluminium.
Buy now £15.16, Amazon
