Candlelit brunettes are the beautifully soft, subtle highlights that you are seeing on many famous natural brunettes right now, such as Kaia, Hailey and Priyanka.

The lit-from-within finish is created by adding glistening flickers of light. Finely blended highlights create multi-tonal dimension, shine and movement in the hair, while retaining a naturally darker base.

The result is a natural, glossy brunette base with subtle and natural highlights with threads of gold, caramel, or richer copper or mahogany tones.

Candlelit brunette relies on a super blended technique to create the sought-after soft glow. Adding a shimmer of colour will catch the light, adding shine, dimension and movement.

Effectively, it’s your-hair-but-better.

Highlight techniques

The candlelit brunette look is a great option if your natural colour level is between darkest black and dark brown.

Adding subtle highlights, babylights or foilyage (balayage with foils) can transform your look. Candlelit brunette will add dimension, softening your overall colour and add shine and movement in your hair.

Adding highlights is a two-step process.

Our Highlights Kits include two separate kits; a lightening kit which is used to lighten the highlight strands, and a second kit with either a toner or a semi-permanent colour to give your highlights the finish you prefer. Highlights kits are customised for each client.

They also include illustrated step-by-step instructions, showing you exactly how to weave and place your highlights.

If you prefer to add some lighter pieces to frame your face, our instructions show you how to place your highlights to achieve a lighter halo around your face.

Babylights

Babylights are ultrafine highlights, which can lift and illuminate the surrounding natural color, leaving a soft-focus candlelight glow.

Finishing your babylights with a colour which is only 2-3 shades lighter than your natural colour will look natural and effortless.

Ultra-fine babylights leave a highly blended finish to achieve a softer, flattering finish.

Foilyage

Foilyage is a highlight application method using foils applied in the lower sections of the hair only.

This application technique is perfect for those you are looking to spice up their color without a big change. It creates a beautiful natural-looking finish, making this the perfect subtle, dimensional look.

A foilyage application will retain a naturally dark base and add softer, fine balayage highlights which are lighter on the ends. The finish is natural and low-maintenance with minimal upkeep. Foilyage allows the colour to grow out naturally, so you can stretch touch-ups as long as you wish.

Light Me Up!

The candlelit trend often relies on finishing highlights with warm golden tones, but cool ash tones have their place too.

If you lighten your highlights to a level 6-7 light brown to dark blonde colour level, select an Imola Dark Golden Blonde 7.3 semi-permanent to deposit golden tones. A golden halo will add a healthy glow to the complexion and contrast beautifully against a darker base.

Cool tones will tone and reduce warmth in your lighter highlights. Natural warmth is always revealed during lightening and there are many who prefer no warmth at all in their colour. Adding cool tones will reduce unwanted warmth, and leave a softer, more muted finish than honey golds to create the light within the look.

A Trento 5.1 or Montecristo 6.1 toner is a great option if you wanted highlights which are tonally balanced.

You can achieve a candlelit brunette finish on your darker locks by adding some subtle, softer babylights or foilyage.

A candlelit brunette finish will lift and enhance your darker base with delicate highlights, which you can achieve without leaving home!