15 Honey Blonde Hair Ideas To Warm Up Your Mane

From icy platinum to rich bronde, there are countless ways to wear a blonde hair color. But honey blonde—a rich, mid-toned blonde hue with hints of gold and caramel—definitely ranks among our favorites. With its warm golden tones and subtle dimension, it adds instant brightness to your look without leaning brassy or overly yellow. Whether you’re a natural blonde, a redhead, or someone with dark roots who wants to experiment with a slightly brighter hue, honey blonde hair is both flattering and achievable. Keep reading to discover a few of the prettiest ways to rock a honey blonde hair color, plus tips on achieving (and maintaining) the vibrant hue at home. 

What Is Honey Blonde Hair?

Honey blonde is a warm golden blonde hair color with rich undertones of amber, caramel, and light brown. It strikes a balance between bright and natural, giving hair a sun-kissed glow that flatters a wide range of skin tones. The shade can vary in depth from soft and subtle to more vibrant and dimensional, making it a versatile choice whether you’re going for an all-over color, balayage, or face-framing highlights. That being said, here are some of the shade’s most prominent characteristics:

What colors make up a honey blonde hair color?

Honey blonde is a warm, golden shade with hints of amber, blonde, chestnut, light brown, and even a little bit of copper. Like the sweet treat from which it gets its name, honey blonde hair can reflect any of these different tones depending on how the light hits it. And although it’s a warm blonde shade, it’s not orange or brassy—the hue has more of a soft, buttery warmth than a distinctly red tone. The ratio of blonde to brown will generally determine how rich the shade appears. A dark honey blonde hair color, for example, typically features more brunette tones. Lighter takes on the hue, meanwhile, may feature champagne or wheat-colored highlights more prominently. 

What skin tones does honey blonde hair suit?

Thanks to its depth, honey blonde hair suits warm, neutral, and even some cool undertones. Those with golden or peachy undertones look particularly radiant with golden blonde tones. For deeper skin, a richer, toastier shade works beautifully. 

15 Honey Blonde Hair Ideas to Inspire You

There’s no single way to wear honey blonde. It’s a whole spectrum of warm, radiant shades. From subtle highlights to bold all-over color, these variations on the trend show just how versatile this hue can be. Here are some ideas for your next look.

1. All-over honey blonde

If you’re a natural blonde looking to add richness to your mane, try an all-over honey blonde hair color. This rich hue will lend your look depth and dimension without the need to commit to a pricey salon visit. To get the look at home, pick up a honey blonde hair dye, like the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes Ammonia-Free Permanent Hair Color in Natural Light Blonde. It has a warm, golden tone that’ll brighten blonde strands without sacrificing richness or dimension. Plus, the ammonia-free formula protects as it colors for radiant-looking hair.

2. Honey blonde highlights

It’s hard to go wrong with honey blonde highlights—they look good on everyone and blend well with nearly every hair color. If you’re comfortable coloring your own strands, you can use an at-home highlighting kit such as the L’Oréal Paris Colorista At-Home Hair Bleach & Lightener kit to achieve this beachy look. Otherwise, we suggest recruiting a more-experienced friend (or professional colorist) for assistance.

3. Golden honey blonde

Add some extra sunshine to your look with a golden honey blonde hair color. To DIY this vivid shade of honey blonde, try the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Golden Blonde. The kit comes with a fade-defying dye and a UV-protective conditioner that helps keep your honey blonde hair color vibrant for up to nine weeks.

4. Honey caramel blonde

If you’re a natural brunette looking to lighten your mane, consider honey caramel blonde. This blend of warm, deep golden tones is sun-kissed and summery, but not so light that it’ll be super obvious once your color begins to grow out. For an extra low-maintenance take on the trend, ask your stylist for a root smudge—this technique blends your roots with your lighter lengths for a seamless grow-out. 

5. Light honey blonde

If, on the other hand, you want to keep your strands bright, a light honey blonde shade may be just what you’re looking for. This is an ideal hue for those with fairer skin and naturally light hair—though, of course, you can (and should) feel free to embrace whatever hair color you want. Get the look with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Light Golden Blonde—just keep in mind that if your current color is light brown or darker, you’ll need to bleach your strands first.

6. Honey blonde balayage

Blondes (and brunettes) seeking a lived-in golden blonde color should consider balayage. This hair coloring technique involves hand-painting color onto individual strands to create an effortless sun-kissed effect. Because nailing the hand-painted highlights requires a practiced hand, we recommend leaving your balayage to the pros. 

7. Copper honey blonde

If you love being blonde but have always wanted to try being a redhead, consider a copper honey blonde color. This warm, inviting hue is the perfect way to bridge the gap. Test-drive the reddish hue with a demi-permanent color or a hair gloss, or dive right in with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Light Reddish Blonde. 

8. Honey blonde babylights

Babylights are a type of soft and subtle highlights designed to mimic the natural highlights a child may get in the summer. The technique provides depth and dimension to the strands around your face without obviously changing the color of your mane—and when paired with a golden blonde hue, creates a summery effect that’s hard to resist. Keep in mind, however, that these ultra-fine highlights are best left in the hands of a professional—or someone who’s had a lot of experience with at-home color.

9. Beige honey blonde

If you have cool-toned skin and aren’t sure whether a warm honey blonde hair color will complement your complexion, try beige honey blonde instead. This in-between shade blends a neutral beige base with subtle honey-toned highlights for a soft look that doesn’t read overly warm or cool. For a similar look you can get at home, snag the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes Ammonia-Free Permanent Hair Color in Natural Blonde.

10. Honey blonde money piece

A money piece is a fun way to experiment with color without committing to a full color change. Plus, it’s easy to DIY—even if you’re new to at-home color. Simply portion out a one-inch section of hair on either side of your part, bleach both to a pale blonde, then apply the honey blonde hair dye of your choice.

11. Honey bronde

Natural brunettes seeking to go lighter without committing to a full-on blonde shade may want to try honey bronde. This rich, dimensional hue features all of the warmth of a classic honey blonde hair color, but with a base that teeters on the edge of blonde and brown. To get a similar look at home, grab the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Sparkling Amber.

12. Sunny honey blonde ribbons

You can think of ribboning as the modern version of chunky ‘00s highlights: they’re thick, but done properly, anything but harsh or clunky. We love how honey blonde ribbons add brightness to a medium brown base color, but you can also try this technique with light brown or dark blonde hair—it’ll look just as stunning.

13. Dark honey blonde

If maintenance is the only thing holding you back from rocking a blonde hair color, try a darker shade of honey blonde. This rich hue looks stunning on those with olive and deep skin tones, and it requires less maintenance than ultra-pale blonde shades. Plus, you can DIY the look at home with a dark honey blonde hair dye. Our pick? The L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Medium Golden Blonde.

14. Dimensional honey blonde

Highlights don’t have to be stark to make a lasting impact. For a subtler take on the honey blonde trend, consider weaving fine amber, caramel, and maple highlights throughout a warm brown base. You’ll get the brightness you’re after, but with a distinctly warm (and undeniably dimensional) finish.

15. Custom honey blonde

One of the things we like most about honey blonde hair is how versatile it is—there are countless ways to wear it. That being said, for foilyage, ombré, or any other kind of custom honey blonde color, you may want to visit the salon. A professional colorist can help you achieve your hair goals while protecting the integrity of your strands.

How To Get a Honey Blonde Hair Color

Depending on your starting color and end goal, it may take more than one step to transition to honey blonde. Here, we’re sharing a peek at what you can expect from the process depending on which honey blonde hair color you’re seeking to embrace.

All-over color

All-over color is, arguably, the easiest way to go blonde, as you don’t have to worry about picking up a highlighting cap or hand-painting streaks onto your strands. But you do need to pick the right formula for your needs.

If you’re starting with a darker base, you’ll need to lighten your hair to at least a medium blonde before applying your honey blonde hair dye. You can do this at home with the L’Oréal Paris Feria Hyper Platinum Advanced Lightening System Bleach, which lightens hair up to eight levels in a single application. Once your hair is light enough, you can go ahead and apply your chosen color. Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your coloring kit to ensure the best possible outcome.

Highlights

The thought of highlighting your hair at home may seem intimidating, but it’s pretty straightforward as long as you have the right tools on hand. We recommend snagging the L’Oréal Paris Colorista At-Home Hair Bleach and Lightener. The all-in-one kit comes with bleach and conditioner, as well as a unique three-pronged application tool that makes creating even, natural-looking highlights a breeze. Use the kit to pre-lighten your strands, then—if needed—you can go back over your highlights with the honey blonde hair color of your choice.

Balayage

As we mentioned earlier, balayage involves hand-painting individual strands to create a natural-looking gradient of color. It’s a bit more involved than highlighting, and as such, is best left to a professional colorist.

How To Care for Honey Blonde Hair

Once you have your new honey blonde hair color, you’ll want to adopt a color maintenance routine to help keep your locks vibrant and healthy-looking.

1. Use a color-safe hair care system

If your honey blonde color has left you with dry, bleach-damaged hair, swap out your go-to shampoo and conditioner for the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond collection. This bond-repairing collection includes a strengthening pre-shampoo treatment as well as a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner which work in harmony to strengthen color-treated hair from the inside out. The lineup also features a leave-in treatment designed to strengthen dry, brittle strands and boost shine.

2. Try a purple shampoo and conditioner

While honey blonde is a warm shade, it can still turn brassy over time. To keep unwanted warmth at bay, we suggest adding a purple shampoo and conditioner to your routine once a week—or anytime your hair looks brassier than you’d like. Try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Conditioner to keep your blonde balanced and bright.

3. Limit heat styling

Cutting back on heat styling is one of the best things you can to do preserve your color and minimize further damage. Consider using a curl-enhancing cream to bring out your natural hair texture, or, turn to heatless styles like a messy bun or heatless curls for volume and texture, sans heat.

If you must use hot tools, always remember to prime your strands with a heat protectant like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Frizz Killer Serum Leave-In or the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Moisture 21-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner. Use hot tools on the lowest temperature setting and pass through each section of hair once to avoid frying your strands.

4. Use a hair gloss

If your honey blonde hair begins to lose its luster, consider getting a gloss treatment to enhance shine. You can get a professional gloss at the salon, or take the DIY approach with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Glossing trio. The lineup, which consists of a sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, and five-minute conditioning mask, helps to smooth strands while enhancing shine for glossy, silky hair. Use the trio in place of your regular shampoo once weekly to boost shine for a luxurious-looking honey blonde.

Next Up: How To Rock Platinum Blonde Like a Total Trendsetter

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris