Ribbon Highlights Are Summer’s Latest Hair Trend

Summer hair usually means effortless, low-maintenance styles, but this year there’s a growing appetite for something a little more polished. Enter ribbon highlights—a fresh take on the high-contrast highlights and chunky streaks of the early 2000s.

Unlike traditional highlights, ribbon highlights use slightly thicker, strategically placed sections of lighter colour woven through a deeper base. The result is more defined dimension and movement, without the overly blended look of classic highlights.

What Are Ribbon Highlights?

Ribbon highlights create visible “ribbons” of light throughout the hair, often concentrated around the face and areas where the sun naturally hits. The technique works across different hair types, but it looks particularly striking when paired with waves or natural movement, which helps soften and diffuse the contrast.

Think espresso brown with creamy beige, deep brunette with golden blonde, or dark roots paired with bright blonde ribbons. Celebrities including Kelly Rowland, Ciara, Kaia Gerber and Sarah Pidgeon have already embraced the look.

How to Get the Look

Colourists can create ribbon highlights using techniques such as hand-painting or strategically placed slices of colour. The key is intentional placement rather than covering the entire head in highlights.

For the most flattering result, ask your colourist to focus lighter pieces around the face and through sections that naturally catch the light, while keeping enough of your base colour visible to maintain depth.

The result? A polished but effortless summer colour that brings brightness, movement and a subtle Y2K feel without requiring constant salon visits.

The takeaway: if you want your summer hair to feel brighter and more dimensional without going fully blonde, ribbon highlights might be the perfect middle ground. ☀️✨