The money piece — those brightened front sections that frame the face — remains the highest-impact, lowest-commitment color trend because it brightens the whole face without touching most of the hair. In 2026 the look splinters in every direction: soft and sun-kissed, chunky and retro, copper and red, even pastel. These are the money piece variations worth knowing, on every base color and hair length. See also August Hairstyles And Hair Color Ideas for more variations on this look.
1. Classic Blonde Money Piece on Brunette
Photo credit by: hairtical.com
The original formula: two bright blonde sections painted around the face against a deep brunette base. The contrast is the entire point — the light front pieces pull the eye forward and make the darker lengths behind them look richer by comparison. A companion piece, Fall Hairstyles For Short Hair, explores the same palette.
This remains the most requested version because it suits almost every brunette and grows out softly when blended. The maintenance reality is toning every six to eight weeks to keep the blonde from going brassy, plus the usual lightened-hair care: bond builders, heat protectant, and gentler washing. For readers who want more, Hair Lowlights Color Ideas keeps the ideas coming.
2. Caramel Money Piece on Dark Brown
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Warm caramel ribbons framing the face over a dark brown base, softer than blonde but still clearly visible. The warmth flatters golden and olive skin tones, and the color reads as expensive and dimensional rather than high-contrast.
Caramel lifts fewer levels than blonde, which means less damage and a gentler grow-out. It does fade faster than cooler tones, so color-safe shampoo and the occasional gloss refresh keep it looking intentional. This is the safe entry point for anyone nervous about bold face-framing color.
3. Copper Money Piece
Photo credit by: shadesofkvy.com
Vivid copper pieces around the face, worn over brunette or auburn bases. Copper is the warmest money piece option and it behaves like a spotlight — the orange-red tones reflect light aggressively and make the complexion look warmer and more awake.
Copper fades faster than almost any other color, so this is a higher-maintenance choice that rewards commitment. A copper-depositing mask between appointments stretches the vibrancy, and appointments every six weeks are realistic. The payoff is a look that photographs beautifully in any light.
4. Honey Blonde Money Piece With Balayage
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Soft honey-toned front pieces blended into a balayage base, so the brightness melts into the lengths instead of stopping in a hard line. This is the money piece for people who want brightness without obvious regrowth.
Because balayage grows out diffusely, this version needs the fewest touch-ups — often just a toner and a gloss every couple of months. The honey tone sits between warm and neutral, which makes it adaptable to most skin tones. It is the lowest-drama way to wear the trend. For more ideas in the same lane, see our Fall Blonde Hair Color Ideas For.
5. Chunky 90s Money Piece
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Thick, unapologetic blonde streaks framing the face in deliberate 90s style, worn over dark hair. Where the modern money piece is blended, this one is graphic — the stripes are meant to be seen, evoking the era’s statement highlights.
The boldness is the appeal and also the commitment: chunky pieces show regrowth faster than blended ones, so root touch-ups come around more often. It suits confident dressers and looks best with the rest of the hair kept simple. Not subtle, not trying to be.
6. Subtle Money Piece on Black Hair
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A gentle lift of just one or two levels around the face on near-black hair — think dark caramel or deep bronze rather than blonde. On black hair, even a small shift in tone around the face reads clearly because the contrast with the base is so strong.
This is the lowest-damage money piece since the lift is minimal, and it grows out almost invisibly. It suits anyone who wants the face-brightening effect without the upkeep of blonde. A gloss is usually enough to refresh it; full lightening appointments are rarely needed.
7. Ash Blonde Money Piece
Photo credit by: fitsbydee.com
Cool, smoky ash-blonde front pieces, often worn over dark blonde or light brown bases. The ashy tone keeps the brightness muted and modern rather than golden, and it pairs well with cool skin tones that go sallow in warm blonde.
Ash tones are notorious for fading warm, so purple shampoo and regular toning are part of the deal. On very dark bases the lift needed can be significant, which means more processing time. When the tone is right, though, it is one of the most striking versions. The same idea, styled another way, appears in Fall Hair Color Ideas For.
8. Golden Money Piece on Wavy Hair
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Warm golden pieces woven through the front of wavy, textured hair. The waves break up the color so it reads as sunlit dimension rather than stripes, and gold tones amplify the movement that wavy hair already has.
This combination is forgiving on regrowth because the texture disguises the line where color meets natural root. Sea-salt texture or a loose curling-iron wave enhances the effect. The golden tone needs occasional toning to stay golden rather than drifting brassy, but it is an easy keeper overall.
9. Red Money Piece
Photo credit by: kiri-me.com
Fiery red or auburn sections framing the face, worn over brown or black bases. Red is the boldest natural-adjacent option — it draws the eye immediately and gives even a simple haircut a deliberate, styled feeling.
Red molecules wash out quickly, so cool water, color-safe products, and red-depositing conditioners are essential. This color also stains light fabrics and pillowcases when fresh, which is worth knowing upfront. The intensity is the whole point, so embrace the maintenance it demands.
10. Platinum Money Piece
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Near-white platinum pieces against a dark base for maximum contrast. This is the most dramatic money piece — the brightness is almost graphic, and it turns the face into the undeniable focal point of the whole look.
Platinum requires the most lift and therefore the most care: bleach to pale yellow, tone to white, and ongoing bond repair. Regrowth shows fast, so root appointments every four to six weeks are typical. It is not low-maintenance, but nothing else delivers this level of impact. We covered this territory more deeply in Fall Brunette Hair Color Ideas For.
11. Money Piece With Curtain Bangs
Photo credit by: hairtical.com
Face-framing brightness painted onto curtain bangs, so the lightest pieces are also the shortest and closest to the eyes. The combination doubles the face-framing effect — shape from the bangs, light from the color — and it looks intentional from every angle.
The bangs need trimming every few weeks to hold their shape, and the color on short pieces shows regrowth sooner. But because the colored area is small, touch-ups are quick and cheaper than a full-head service. This pairing suits anyone who already wears or wants a fringe.
12. Face-Framing Highlights on a Lob
Photo credit by: hairtical.com
Money piece brightness tailored to a long bob, with the lightened sections following the cut’s perimeter. On a lob, the face frame sits right at the jawline, so the color lands exactly where it draws the most attention.
The shorter length means the color grows out faster in relative terms — a few inches of regrowth is a bigger proportion of a lob. Toning appointments every six to eight weeks keep it fresh. The pairing is popular because the cut and color reinforce each other: both are about framing the face.
13. Bold Money Piece With Dark Roots
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High-contrast blonde pieces worn deliberately over grown-out dark roots, leaning into the root shadow rather than hiding it. The dark root actually makes the money piece look brighter by comparison, and the lived-in base keeps the look modern.
This is lower-maintenance than it looks because the shadow root is part of the design — regrowth just extends it. A root melt or shadow at the appointment blends the transition. It suits anyone who likes the lived-in color aesthetic and wants the money piece without frequent salon visits.
14. Sun-Kissed Money Piece on Long Hair
Photo credit by: moehair.com
Soft, natural-looking brightness around the face on long hair, mimicking where the sun would lighten it. The pieces are fine and blended, reading as a summer’s worth of sun rather than a salon service. The same theme, explored from another angle, is in Babylights Hair Hair Gorgeous Ideas.
Long hair shows color beautifully but the lengths need to stay healthy for the effect to work — split ends make any color look dull. Because the brightness is subtle, grow-out is nearly invisible, making this one of the easiest versions to maintain. A yearly or twice-yearly refresh is often enough.
15. Warm Bronze Money Piece
Photo credit by: glowinspo.com
Rich bronze tones — between brown and copper — framing the face over brunette bases. Bronze is the understated warm option: noticeable in sunlight, subtle indoors, and flattering on warm and neutral skin tones.
Bronze lifts moderately, so damage is manageable and grow-out is soft. It fades gracefully toward a warm brown rather than going brassy, which buys time between appointments. This is a good choice for professional settings where brighter colors might feel like too much.
16. Icy Silver Money Piece
Photo credit by: yourstyleinspo.com
Cool silver-white pieces around the face, worn over dark or platinum bases. The icy tone is striking against warm complexions and gives the whole look an editorial, fashion-forward edge.
Silver is a toner-dependent color — it fades to pale blonde within weeks without purple shampoo and regular toning. Achieving it on dark hair requires significant lift. It is a statement choice that rewards the upkeep with a genuinely head-turning result.
17. Strawberry Blonde Money Piece
Photo credit by: beautychime.com
A pinkish-golden blonde framing the face, softer than copper and warmer than blonde. Strawberry blonde occupies a rare middle ground that flatters fair, warm skin tones beautifully and looks distinctive without being loud. Related reading: Blonde Winter Hair Color Ideas takes the same concept further.
This shade is custom-mixed more often than not, which means finding a colorist who understands the balance of pink and gold matters. It fades toward blonde, so the grow-out is gentle. It is uncommon enough to feel personal rather than trendy.
18. Money Piece on Curly Hair
Photo credit by: herbloomly.com
Face-framing brightness painted to follow curl patterns, with the lightened pieces placed where curls naturally fall around the face. On curly hair the color moves with the texture, creating dimension that shifts as the curls bounce.
Coloring curly hair demands a colorist experienced with texture — curls spring up when dry, so placement has to account for shrinkage. Curly hair also tends to be drier, so the lightened pieces need extra moisture. When done well, the combination of curl and color is one of the most dimensional looks possible.
19. Burgundy Money Piece
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Deep wine-red pieces framing the face over dark brown or black bases. Burgundy is bold without being neon — it reads as rich and deliberate, with the red showing most clearly in sunlight.
Dark bases need less lift for burgundy than for blonde, which keeps damage down. The color fades toward a warm brown-red, so regrowth is not harsh. Cool-water washing and color-safe products extend the richness. It is a strong choice for autumn and for anyone who wants color with depth.
20. Blonde Money Piece on a Pixie
Photo credit by: fitsbydee.com
Bright front pieces on a cropped pixie, where the color lands on the longest sections around the face. On short hair the money piece is concentrated and graphic — there is nowhere for it to hide, which makes it a confident, deliberate statement. For a different spin on the same theme, browse Chestnut Brown Hair Color Ideas.
The small colored area means quick, affordable touch-ups, but regrowth shows fast on short hair, so appointments come around every four to six weeks. The pairing works because the cut is already bold; the color just turns up the volume. It suits anyone who likes their hair to be the outfit.
21. Soft Babylight Money Piece
Photo credit by: willowsalonaz.com
Ultra-fine babylights concentrated around the hairline for the most natural money piece of all. The effect is a soft halo of brightness that looks like new growth catching the sun rather than a color service.
Because the pieces are so fine, grow-out is essentially invisible and maintenance is minimal — often just a toner when it starts to look dull. The trade-off is subtlety: from a distance it reads as shine rather than color. It is the money piece for minimalists.
22. Money Piece Blended Into Balayage
Photo credit by: hairstyleonpoint.com
Front brightness that dissolves seamlessly into an all-over balayage, with no visible line where the money piece starts. This is the most technically demanding version — the colorist has to marry two techniques so the face frame feels like a natural concentration of the overall lightness.
The grow-out is the softest of any bold money piece because there is no demarcation. Appointments are mostly about toning and glossing rather than re-lightening. It costs more upfront for the artistry, but the low-maintenance grow-out pays it back over the year.
23. High-Contrast Caramel on Brown
Photo credit by: jeanlouisdavid.com
Bold caramel pieces with deliberately strong contrast against a medium-brown base — brighter and more defined than the soft caramel version. The contrast is the style here: the face frame should read clearly, not melt away. You’ll find the same spirit in Cozy Winter Hair Color Ideas.
Higher contrast means more lift and slightly more upkeep than the subtle version, but caramel still grows out more gracefully than blonde. Toning keeps it rich rather than brassy. This suits anyone who wants the money piece to be unmistakable.
24. Champagne Money Piece
Photo credit by: beauticate.com
Pale, bubbly champagne blonde around the face — cooler than gold, warmer than platinum. Champagne is the refined neutral blonde of money pieces: bright and luminous without the starkness of platinum or the warmth of honey.
It needs the lift of a blonde with the toning discipline of a cool tone, so expect regular purple shampoo and toning appointments. On medium bases it is very achievable; on very dark bases the lift required is significant. The result is polished and versatile.
25. Pastel Pink Money Piece
Photo credit by: pradaandpearls.com
Soft pink pieces framing the face over blonde or lightened bases — the fashion-color entry in the roundup. Pastel pink is playful and unmistakable, and because it sits only around the face, it is a way to try fantasy color without committing the whole head.
Pastels fade the fastest of any color here — sometimes within a couple of weeks — so this is the highest-maintenance option per unit of time. But the colored area is small and re-toning is quick. It is temporary by nature, which is either the appeal or the dealbreaker.
The money piece endures because it is the rare trend that is both dramatic and practical — maximum brightness exactly where it matters, minimum commitment everywhere else. Choose the version that matches your base color and your tolerance for upkeep, and the grow-out will take care of itself.
Hi, I’m Zoey Mitchell, the creator of ChicStyle Blog.
I share simple, wearable outfit ideas, hairstyles, nail trends, and beauty tips that feel natural and easy to recreate.
This blog is where I explore everything that makes a woman feel put together and confident every day. I’m not an expert — just a woman who genuinely loves style, mixing looks, and discovering what works.
If you love effortless fashion with a personal touch, you’ll feel at home here.