Experts Agree: Ribbon Highlights Are Summer’s Answer to Expensive-Looking Hair
Our take
The beauty landscape is perpetually chasing the illusion of effortless luxury, and the current trend of “ribbon highlights” exemplifies this pursuit perfectly. The buzz surrounding this technique, touted as summer’s answer to expensive-looking hair, isn’t merely about a new color application; it’s a reflection of a deeper desire for understated elegance and a rejection of overtly flashy trends. We’ve seen similar sentiments emerge recently, with beauty editors reconsidering the value of targeted haircare, as evidenced in I’m a Beauty Editor Who Thought Purple Shampoo Was Pointless—After Trying 10+ Formulas, This Is the One I Regret Not Using Sooner, and even celebrities like Bella Hadid influencing color choices with their own sophisticated selections, like the shade of blonde she recently confirmed as perfect for late-summer – Bella Hadid Just Confirmed This Shade of Blonde Is the Perfect Late-Summer Hair Colour. Ribbon highlights, with their delicate, hand-painted placement and softer, more blended transitions than traditional foil highlights, seem to embody this quiet aspiration.
The appeal lies in their subtlety. Unlike chunky highlights or vibrant, saturated colors, ribbon highlights mimic the natural play of light and shadow within the hair, creating dimension without a stark contrast. This approach aligns with the broader shift in beauty towards a more holistic and personalized approach, prioritizing health and natural textures over dramatic transformations. It’s a move away from the "Instagram-ready" aesthetic and towards a more lived-in, authentic look. Furthermore, the technique’s association with a salon visit and skilled artistry reinforces the sense of investment and exclusivity. It’s not a DIY project; it requires expertise, elevating the experience beyond a simple color refresh. Even the terminology—"ribbon"—evokes a sense of delicate craftsmanship and refined beauty, further solidifying its position within the realm of quiet luxury. Consider, too, the broader context of celebrity hairstyling, where seemingly simple looks are often the result of meticulous preparation and product layering, a concept highlighted by Charlize Theron’s hairstylist sharing the most underrated product in his kit – Charlize Theron's Hairstylist Shares the Most Underrated Product in His Kit.
The rise of ribbon highlights also speaks to a broader cultural trend of prioritizing quality over quantity. Consumers are increasingly discerning, seeking out services and products that offer lasting value and align with their personal values. The investment in a carefully executed highlighting technique, performed by a skilled colorist, is seen as a worthwhile expense, contributing to overall well-being and confidence. This isn't about fleeting trends; it’s about cultivating a timeless aesthetic that enhances natural beauty. The emphasis on subtle enhancement, rather than radical change, also resonates with a growing desire for self-acceptance and embracing one's unique features. It’s a beauty philosophy rooted in self-assuredness, mirroring the quiet confidence and feminine power we see increasingly valued in other areas of life.
Ultimately, ribbon highlights represent more than just a seasonal hair trend. They symbolize a shift in the beauty industry towards a more nuanced and intentional approach, prioritizing understated elegance, personalized service, and a celebration of natural beauty. As we move forward, it will be interesting to observe whether this trend evolves into a more permanent fixture in the salon landscape, or if it will pave the way for another subtle, yet impactful, innovation in hair color techniques. Will the demand for personalized, low-maintenance color solutions continue to shape the future of beauty, and what other sophisticated techniques will emerge to cater to this evolving consumer desire for effortless, elevated style?
When it comes to summer hair trends, it’s not unusual to see more low-maintenance styles dominating in the warmer months. Yet while air-dried texture and beachy hair colours continue to dominate, there definitely seems to be an appetite for hair that looks and feels a little bit more polished. We’re seeing glam, brushed-out curls, Y2K-inspired pastel hair colours, and precisely tapered bobs emerging as summer’s hottest looks, and more intentional colour techniques seem to be following suit. Case in point: ribbon highlights.
Paying definite homage to the chunky streaks and more high-contrast balayage looks that were everywhere in the early noughties, this latest take on highlights is altogether more subtle. Think fine, softly woven sections of colour that thread through the hair—adding lightness, brightness and dimension as your strands shift and move. Plus, it makes for a particularly appealing trend if you’re looking for highlights that feel polished, but are still relatively low-maintenance.
What Are Ribbon Highlights?
“High-contrast ribbon highlights are a hair colouring technique where lighter ribbons of colour are placed against a deeper base,” explains hairstylist Jessica Elwell, winner of the L’Oreal Colour Trophy award and artistic team member at Scullion & Scot. “Rather than lots of fine, blended highlights that disappear into the hair, this look is all about creating bolder, more defined pieces that add contrast, movement and dimension.” And the fact that it is thicker sections of hair that are being coloured means that ribbon highlights work particularly well on all different hair types—particularly during the summer.
“This is the time of year when we tend to really embrace our hair’s natural texture, and this works so well with ribbon highlights as they have a wider diameter, which creates defined strands of light for a dimensional effect,” says colour specialist Siobhan Haug, Co-Founder of Haug London Haus. “On poker-straight hair, this can look quite contrasting; however, as soon as you introduce a little movement, the ribbons diffuse beautifully throughout the hair and appear like actual ribbons of colour and light.”
How to Get Ribbon Highlights
There are a few different ways that a colourist might achieve ribbon highlights in the salon, using hand-painting techniques or strategically sliced colour, but the key to the look is all about that contrast. “Ribbon highlights are bold, face-framing sections of colour that create visible ribbons of light running through the hair, rather than lots of blended highlights,” says celebrity hairstylist Joe Kelly. “I create this look by strategically placing thicker sections of lightener, focusing on the face frame and areas where the light naturally catches the hair. The key is keeping the placement intentional rather than overloading the hair with highlights, so you get movement and definition without losing depth.”
Ribbon Highlights Hair Ideas
Gigi Hadid's chunky bright blonde highlights frame her face so perfectly here.
Haug rates Kaia Gerber's "gorgeous sun-kissed ribbon lights" as a great example to take to your colourist if you're considering trying this trend yourself.
I love the contrast between Ciara's espresso brown lengths and the creamier beige highlights—a combination that she refers to as mocha.
Is there anything more Y2K cool than J. Lo's ribbon highlights and half-up, half-down style?
Elwell points out Sarah Pidgeon for her dark roots and blonde ribbon highlights, which we all became collectively obsessed with during her role in Love Story.
For a more subtle take on the trend, Ayo Edebiri's chunky caramel-coloured highlights add dimension to her bob without too much drama.
Kelly points to Beyonce for her "iconic honey blonde" ribbon highlights if you're looking for the perfect transitional summer to autumn shades.
How chic are Mia Goth's subtle ribbon highlights? These have been painstakingly placed to catch the light beautifully, adding dimension and shine.
Caring for Ribbon Highlights
Of course, highlights do require some degree of maintenance as we’re talking about colour that sits quite closely to the roots of the hair where growth is more noticeable. All of the experts agreed that you’d be looking at having to revisit the salon every 8 to 12 weeks for a colour refresh, depending on things like how high-contrast your highlights are and how fast your hair grows. In terms of aftercare at home? It’s all about hydration.
“Hydration is everything after highlights,” says Kelly. “A nourishing hair mask once a week to keep the hair healthy and shiny is key.” This one uses Smart Barrier HairTech to help add essential lipids back into the hair, leaving strands deeply moisturised, soft and shiny.
"A lightweight hair oil is also brilliant for sealing the cuticle and adding gloss without weighing the hair down," says Kelly. "And heat protection is essential whenever you’re styling, as highlighted hair can be more prone to dryness." This new launch from Olaplex ticks both boxes as a weightless oil that also protects hair from heat styling.
"Over the summer months, a purple shampoo is your friend to neutralise unwanted brassy tones that can find their way through, as the UV rays lift your hair colour", says Haug. "However, keep this use consistent to once a week and always as a second shampoo so that your hair is thoroughly cleansed first."
"I would also suggest using a hair sealer on wet hair to seal down the hair’s cuticle layer, trapping in moisture and working like a sun cream for your highlights," says Haug.
"To keep lightened hair looking its best, I’d always recommend L’Oréal Professionnel’s Metal Detox range," says Elwell. "It helps remove trapped metals from the hair that can lead to unwanted brassiness, while keeping the colour looking fresh and glossy."
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