Get ready, because another ’90s beauty trend is making a comeback: thick highlights. Remember Geri Halliwell’s (aka Ginger Spice) iconic red and blonde locks? Or Kelly Clarkson’s brunette, blonde, and red streaks? That’s what we’re talking about. There’s a new wave of stars championing the retro look, and we’re happy to tell you it’s a little less dramatic than the first time around.
Advertising
Rihanna, for example, stepped out at Paris Fashion Week in June 2024 with her signature dark hair accentuated by ash-blonde highlights over a side-swept fringe. While the streaks were clearly visible, they weren’t quite as strong as Halliwell or Clarkson’s retro styles. Keke Palmer, on the other hand, went the other way on Instagram with a far more striking version, complete with a money piece.
We spoke to Jennifer Korab, celebrity hairstylist and owner of Renaissance Salon, about the controversial hairstyle—and she can’t see it going out of style anytime soon. “Rihanna is the ultimate trendsetter, and whatever she wears, people are going to follow her. Y2K has been popular in the fashion and beauty scene for a number of years, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon,” she told Women.com exclusively. Korab noted that the key to making 20000s highlights contemporary is to make sure the strands aren’t too, well, chunky. Typical highlights tend to be around 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide, so those who want something more subtle should aim for less than 1 centimeter wide to get the right effect. Of course, your hairstylist will give you the best, tailored advice. Ready to take the plunge? Good. Because we show (got it?) the best ways to rock this trend.
Advertising
Try cool-toned highlights for a modern style
The modern way to do bold highlights is to choose cool tones instead of overly golden or warm tones, especially if you want classic blonde highlights. “It’s definitely better to go with an ashier, cooler blonde to make it more modern and less overpowering,” Jennifer Korab told Women.com. Darker and olive skin tones find cool tones more flattering, while cool tones tend to look pale on lighter, cooler skin.
Advertising
But that doesn’t mean that beauties with lighter skin can’t try out this trend. To make cool highlights work for you, ask your stylist to place the highlights a little further away from your face (so they don’t contrast as much with your skin) and start with an overall warmer shade.
Accentuate your curls with dramatic blonde highlights
If you want to look stunning with curls, you’re in luck because thick highlights look especially good on natural curls. Since textured hair naturally has a lot of volume, your thick highlights will catch the light and give your hair strong definition. However, keep in mind that repeated coloring can potentially loosen your curl pattern, so it’s important to see a professional to get the right care. Also, keep in mind that if you have curly and dark hair, you may need multiple visits to the salon to lighten the color of your highlights and achieve the look you want.
Advertising
Try to choose shorter sections to protect your hair
Bleach is known to damage your hair, and it’s usually the ends of our locks that suffer the most. To keep your hair healthier, try highlighting only the top two-thirds or three-quarters of your hair, similar to a reverse balayage method. This will effortlessly give you a more subtle, modern hairstyle like Rihanna. This also allows more of the overall tone to show through, so it’s great if you have a fresh color and highlights.
Advertising
Think outside the box and make a statement with purple and pink
Who said your thick highlights have to be blonde? If you want to do something different, follow Megan Thee Stallion’s lead. The star ignored advice to keep it subtle (because sometimes life is just too short, right?) and debuted purple locks with thick pink highlights on Instagram in July 2024. The star had two thick blocks of pink around her face, but then added narrower pink sections at the back of her head. This means her curls still pack a strong punch, but the purple can also stand out. The star’s super-thick version leans more towards the Y2K version than something more modern, but we all like a dose of nostalgia, right?
Advertising
Apply two bold highlight colors to add a personal touch to your look
There’s no reason why you can’t double up on highlight colors. If you have naturally dark hair, combining a cool blonde with a pastel shade, such as light purple, can look particularly beautiful. Just make sure you leave enough space between the highlights and your base color. This will create a better contrast between light and dark, as well as a stronger contrast between the highlight colors. For a more complex style like this, we recommend visiting a hairdresser.
Advertising
