Highlights do something special on curly hair that they rarely do on straight hair: every bend, coil and ringlet catches the light differently, so a single colour placement can look soft from one angle and striking from another. For 2027, the most wearable curly highlights are the ones that follow the curl pattern instead of fighting it, with darker roots, hand-painted ribbons and face-framing brightness that grow out gracefully. The thirty-three ideas below cover long, shoulder-length and short curls, and tones from quiet caramel and honey to copper, burgundy, ash blonde and vivid red. Our Long Curly Hair 2027 rounds up more takes on this exact idea.
1. Long Curls with Soft Caramel Ribbons
Photo credit by: chicnstylish.com
Soft caramel ribbons are the easiest entry point into highlighted curls, because the warm brown-gold tone sits close enough to a brunette base to look natural while still adding visible movement. Painted through the mid-lengths and ends, the lighter pieces break up a long, dense curl pattern so the shape reads as layered rather than heavy. The concept gets a fuller treatment in Curly Hair Wedding 2027.
This placement is also forgiving between appointments, since the root area stays dark and the caramel fades gently rather than leaving a hard line. A curl cream scrunched through damp hair keeps the definition, while a gloss every couple of months stops the warmth from turning brassy. Related reading: Curly Hair Haircuts 2027 takes the same concept further.
2. Warm Caramel Balayage on Long Curls
Photo credit by: womenshairtoday.com
Warm caramel balayage suits long curls because the hand-painted technique follows each curl instead of cutting across it. The colour concentrates where the hair naturally catches light, around the face and through the outer layers, while the interior stays deeper for contrast.
Long hair shows colour changes more slowly than short hair, so this is a good choice for anyone who wants dimension without a strict salon schedule. Regular deep conditioning matters more than frequent touch-ups, since long highlighted curls dry out faster at the ends.
3. Dark Curls Lit with Caramel Highlights
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On very dark curls, caramel highlights work best when they are kept fine and scattered rather than chunky. Thin ribbons woven through the top layers give the hair a lit-from-within quality, and the dark base underneath keeps the overall look rich rather than washed out.
The trade-off is lift: dark hair needs more lightening to show caramel clearly, so a salon visit with a bond-protecting treatment is the safer route. Once the colour is in, colour-safe shampoo and cooler water help the warm tone last longer between visits.
4. Voluminous Curls with Caramel Dimension
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Volume and colour work together here: the caramel pieces sit on the outer curls, which makes the shape look fuller and more sculpted without adding any extra length. It is a useful trick for thick curls that can otherwise look like one solid block of colour.
Styling stays simple, since the cut and colour already do most of the work. Diffusing on low heat preserves the curl pattern, and a light oil on the ends adds shine so the caramel reads as glossy rather than dry.
5. Fluffy Curls with Ash Blonde Balayage
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Ash blonde balayage gives fluffy, brushed-out curls a cooler, smokier edge than golden tones do. The ashy pieces soften the contrast against a darker base, so the colour looks blended and modern rather than striped.
Cool tones are the highest-maintenance blonde family, and curly hair shows fading quickly when it gets dry. A purple-toning wash now and then, plus a weekly mask, keeps the ash from drifting warm or yellow. For readers who want more, Medium Curly Hair 2027 keeps the ideas coming.
6. Honey Blonde Ribbons Through Dark Curls
Photo credit by: flawlesshair.com
Honey blonde is warmer and sunnier than ash blonde, and on dark curls it reads as a golden glow rather than a stark contrast. The ribbons tend to sit through the mid-lengths, which draws the eye down the length of the curl and makes the style feel longer.
This tone flatters warm and neutral skin tones especially well, and it pairs naturally with a middle or side part. Because honey fades toward brassiness in strong sun, a hat or UV-protective spray is worth considering in summer.
7. Cowboy Copper on Bouncy Curls
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Cowboy copper blends warm brown and copper tones, so it brings the fire of red without the full commitment of a bright copper dye. On bouncy curls, the reddish pieces catch light with every movement, giving the colour a lively, dimensional finish.
Copper is famously quick to fade, so this look asks for colour-depositing conditioner or a gloss refresh every few weeks. The payoff is a shade that looks expensive and autumnal all year, not just in one season.
8. Warm Copper Streaks on Long Curls
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Warm copper streaks are a bolder cousin of caramel, with a distinctly reddish-gold cast that stands out against a brown base. Kept as fine streaks rather than an all-over colour, the copper adds energy without overwhelming the natural curl pattern.
Fair to medium skin tones tend to carry copper most easily, but the real deciding factor is upkeep: warm red tones wash out faster than browns, so washing less often and using cool water genuinely extends the colour.
9. Ash Blonde Lowlights on Soft Curls
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Pairing ash blonde with brown lowlights creates a cooler, more muted version of highlighted curls, where no single tone dominates. The darker pieces woven back in give the blonde depth, so the hair looks thicker and more textured.
This combination suits anyone who finds all-over blonde too bright but still wants visible lightness. It also grows out softly, since the lowlights blur the line between the highlighted sections and the natural base. If this look speaks to you, Curly Hair Hairstyles 2027 continues the thread.
10. Bronde Layers for Defined Curls
Photo credit by: flawlesshair.com
Bronde, the midpoint between brown and blonde, is one of the most forgiving highlight tones for curly hair. It lightens the overall look without forcing a dramatic jump from the base colour, and layered cuts give each bronde piece room to show separately.
Defined curls benefit most here, because the layers stop the colour from disappearing into a single mass. A curl-defining cream applied to soaking-wet hair, then left to air dry or diffused, keeps the layers distinct.
11. Chocolate and Caramel on Long Curly Hair
Photo credit by: favoritehairstyles.com
Chocolate and caramel together are a classic pairing for a reason: the deep chocolate base provides richness, while the caramel ribbons add warmth and light exactly where the curls turn. The result looks polished without looking over-processed.
Long curly hair carries this blend well because there is enough length for the two tones to melt into each other gradually. Trimming every ten to twelve weeks keeps the ends healthy, which matters more than usual when two tones need to stay glossy.
12. Brown Highlights on Black Curls
Photo credit by: womenshairtoday.com
Brown highlights on black curls are deliberately subtle: the lighter brown pieces lift the hair just a few shades, so the change reads as depth and shine rather than an obvious dye job. It is a strong option for a first highlight appointment or a workplace-friendly refresh.
Because the lift is modest, the hair stays healthier than it would with a blonde transformation, and regrowth is barely noticeable. A shine serum or light oil makes the brown pieces stand out more, especially on freshly defined curls.
13. Purple Ombre on Curly Hair
Photo credit by: flawlesshair.com
Purple ombre takes curly hair in a playful direction, with the violet tone deepening toward the roots and brightening through the ends. On curls, the gradient looks less uniform than on straight hair, which actually suits the style: each coil shows a slightly different depth of purple.
The honest drawback is fading, since purple washes out faster than natural tones and can drift toward grey. Colour-depositing conditioner in a matching violet shade is the simplest way to keep the ombre vivid between salon visits. We covered this territory more deeply in Curly Hair 2027.
14. Balayage Highlights with Curtain Bangs
Photo credit by: latest-hairstyles.com
Curtain bangs change how highlights behave, because the face-framing sections get the most attention. Painting those front pieces slightly lighter than the rest opens up the face, while the balayage through the lengths keeps the back from looking flat.
Bangs also grow out fastest, so they need trimming more often than the rest of the cut. A quick blow-dry with a round brush on just the fringe section is usually enough to keep the shape sitting as intended.
15. Face-Framing Curls with Curtain Bangs
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Face-framing highlights are the low-commitment version of a full highlight appointment: only the sections around the face are lightened, but the effect brightens the whole style. Paired with curtain bangs, the lighter pieces draw attention to the eyes and cheekbones.
This is also the easiest highlight style to grow out, since the rest of the hair keeps its natural colour. If the goal is a refresh rather than a transformation, asking for face-framing pieces first is a sensible starting point.
16. Dark Red Highlights on Finger Coils
Photo credit by: hermosahair.com
Finger coils show highlights beautifully because each coil is a separate, defined strand, so the dark red tone appears as a series of rich, glossy ribbons. The deep red reads as sophisticated rather than loud, especially against a dark base.
Defined coils need moisture above all else, and highlighted coils need even more of it. A leave-in conditioner under a curl cream keeps the coils springy and stops the red from looking dull.
17. Red-to-Orange Melt on Dimensional Curls
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A red-to-orange melt blends two warm tones so gradually that the eye reads them as one sunset-like colour rather than two separate dyes. Keeping the root darker, with dimensional depth, stops the bright ends from looking disconnected from the rest of the hair.
Vivid warm tones fade fastest of all, so this is a salon-maintenance look rather than a set-and-forget one. Washing in cool water and using a colour-safe routine stretches the melt noticeably longer.
18. Crimson Ribbons on Natural Curls
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Crimson ribbons are a cooler, deeper red than copper, which makes them a good match for natural curls that already have a lot of texture and volume. The ribbons sit through the outer layers, so the colour flashes as the hair moves rather than dominating it. We break down a similar look in Highlights On Dark Hair 2027.
Because crimson sits between red and burgundy, it pairs well with both warm and cool styling choices. A gloss refresh every four to six weeks keeps the tone rich instead of letting it slide toward a muddy brown-red.
19. Red Highlights on Dark Curly Hair
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Red highlights on dark curly hair offer a middle path between subtle brown and full vivid colour. The red pieces are visible enough to change the character of the style, but the dark base keeps the overall look grounded and wearable every day.
Placement matters more than quantity here: fine red sections scattered through the curls look intentional, while wide sections can turn stripey. Asking for fine, irregular placement is the detail that makes this version work.
20. Auburn Lowlights in Brown Curls
Photo credit by: herstylepulse.com
Auburn lowlights work in reverse to highlights: instead of lightening sections, deeper reddish-brown tones are woven in to add shadow and richness. On brown curls, the auburn pieces create warmth without pushing the overall colour toward blonde.
Lowlights are also one of the gentlest colour services, since they involve less lightening than highlights. They are a good choice for curls that have already been lightened and need depth restored.
21. Auburn Balayage on Layered Curls
Photo credit by: herstylepulse.com
Auburn balayage gives layered curls a warm, autumnal glow that sits between brown and red. The hand-painted placement means the auburn appears strongest through the mid-lengths and ends, while the roots stay naturally dark.
Layered cuts help this colour in particular, because each layer catches the auburn at a different point and stops the warmth from looking flat. A diffuser on low heat keeps the layers defined without frizzing the colour-treated ends.
22. Burgundy Curls with a Deep Wine Glow
Photo credit by: momooze.com
Burgundy is red at its most wearable: deep, wine-toned and rich, it adds drama to curls without the high-maintenance fading of brighter reds. The wine glow shows most clearly in sunlight or bright indoor light, and reads as a deep brunette in dimmer settings. For a different spin on the same theme, browse Curly Hair Down 2027.
That dual quality makes burgundy a practical bold choice, since it never looks out of place in a formal setting. Colour-safe shampoo and a gloss every month or so keep the wine tone from slipping toward plain brown.
23. Burgundy Curls with Soft Dimension
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A softer burgundy placement focuses on dimension rather than drama, with the wine tone woven through the curls in fine sections. The result is a style that looks naturally multi-tonal, as though the colour variation came from the curl pattern itself.
Soft placement also means a softer grow-out, since there is no sharp boundary between the burgundy sections and the base. This version suits anyone who wants to try burgundy without committing to frequent, full-head refresh appointments.
24. Red Curly Hair with Warm Highlights
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Warm highlights on red curly hair lift the base just enough to show off the curl shape, adding golden-red dimension without changing the overall colour family. The lighter pieces sit through the outer curls, which makes the texture the star of the style.
Red hair already tends toward warmth, so the key is choosing a highlight tone that blends rather than clashes. Golden and copper-toned highlights keep the result cohesive, while ash tones on top of red can turn muddy.
25. Champagne Ash Curls
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Champagne ash is a lighter, softer take on ash blonde, with a pale, almost silvery warmth that flatters curly hair worn in loose, brushed-out shapes. The pale tone makes each curl more visible, since the light colour outlines the pattern clearly.
Pale tones show damage more readily than darker ones, so this look depends on healthy, well-moisturised curls. A bond-building treatment after lightening, and a mask routine at home, keep the champagne tone luminous instead of dull.
26. Rose Gold Curls
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Rose gold blends pink and gold into a soft, romantic highlight tone that looks especially pretty on curls, where the pink catches light differently on every coil. It reads as playful in bright light and as a warm blonde indoors, which makes it more wearable than a pure pastel pink. You’ll find the same spirit in Brown Curly Hair 2027.
Pastel-leaning tones fade quickly, so rose gold needs a colour-depositing conditioner to stay pink rather than washing out to plain blonde. Keeping the base a little darker also helps the rose tone last longer.
27. Caramel Balayage with Honey Highlights
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Combining caramel balayage with honey highlights layers two warm tones instead of relying on one, which gives curls a more complex, sunlit finish. The caramel provides the depth, while the honey pieces add brightness around the face and ends.
Two-tone warmth like this is forgiving as it grows out, since neither tone creates a sharp contrast with the base. A gloss that blends both tones, rather than a single-tone toner, keeps the combination looking intentional.
28. Dark Caramel Balayage on Curls
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Dark caramel is the quietest version of caramel balayage, sitting only a shade or two above a dark brown base. On curls, it adds a gentle glow that is noticeable up close but never shouts, which makes it a strong everyday option.
Because the lift is minimal, this is one of the healthiest highlight choices for curls that are already dry or fragile. It also needs the least salon maintenance of any option in this list, with touch-ups driven by the cut rather than the colour.
29. Honey Brown Balayage on Curls
Photo credit by: herstylepulse.com
Honey brown balayage sits between honey blonde and caramel, giving curls a warm, golden-brown glow that looks natural in every season. The balayage placement concentrates the lightness through the lengths, leaving the roots dark for a lived-in finish.
This tone works across a wide range of skin tones, since it is warm without being orange. Regular trims keep the balayage looking fresh, because split ends dull the golden tone faster than any fading does.
30. Platinum Curls with Bold Dimension
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Platinum on curls is a statement choice: the palest blonde against a defined curl pattern creates maximum contrast and makes every coil stand out. It suits confident styling, since there is no way to wear platinum quietly. The same theme, explored from another angle, is in Curly Hair Color 2027.
The cost is upkeep and hair health, because reaching platinum usually takes more than one lightening session. A strict routine of masks, minimal heat and purple toning is part of the look, not an optional extra.
31. Short Platinum Ombre Crochet Curls
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Short crochet curls with a platinum ombre offer the drama of platinum without lightening natural hair at all, since the colour sits in the crochet style itself. The ombre graduates from a darker root to pale ends, which flatters the short, rounded shape.
Protective styles like this also give natural curls a break from daily heat and manipulation. The trade-off is that the ombre cannot be adjusted once installed, so choosing the right platinum tone before fitting matters.
32. Pearly Blonde Layered Curls
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Pearly blonde has a soft, luminous quality that sits between platinum and ash, with a subtle sheen that suits layered curls. The layers let the pearly tone appear in stages rather than as one flat block of blonde, which keeps the style dimensional.
Like other pale blondes, pearly tones need toning to stay cool and even. A purple shampoo used sparingly, rather than every wash, avoids over-toning the hair toward grey.
33. Short Blonde Natural Curls
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Short blonde curls prove that a shorter length does not mean less colour impact: with less hair to distribute the blonde across, the tone reads as brighter and more concentrated. A short, rounded shape also frames the face in a way that long hair cannot.
Short styles grow out visibly faster than long ones, so trims every six to eight weeks keep both the shape and the blonde looking fresh. The reward is a wash-and-go style where the colour does most of the talking.
Across all thirty-three looks, one rule holds: the best curly highlight is the one that respects the curl first and adds colour second. Start with a tone close to your base if you want low maintenance, go bolder only with a toning and moisture routine you will actually keep, and bring a photo of the exact placement, not just the colour, to your colourist.
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.
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