How To Frame Your Face With a “Money Piece” Highlight

Changing your hair color can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. If you're craving something different for your tresses, money piece hair might be just what you’re looking for. This hair color trend involves coloring a small section of hair on one or both sides of your face for a subtle yet elevated look. The lightened strands help frame your face and brighten up your complexion. And money piece highlights are perfect for hair color beginners and anyone seeking a low-maintenance way to spruce up their look.

Below, find out how to get money piece hair at home, plus find loads of inspiration to sift through, from a high-contrast blonde money piece to bright red money pieces on black hair.

How to Do Money Pieces

To get money pieces, you can visit a professional at a salon or use a highlighting kit at home. There are a few different ways to do money pieces, including foils and balayage. Overall, the techniques used aren’t very different from traditional highlights. The distinguishing factor is the placement, as money pieces are meant to frame your face. The process, in short, involves deciding where you want your money pieces and applying a bleach mixture to lighten those strands.

If you want to DIY a money piece (or two), follow these steps:

Step 1: Determine your placement

First things first, where do you want your money pieces? Part your hair as you usually do, so you can see the strands that normally frame your face. Then, decide if you want to brighten both sides, or just one. The last piece of the puzzle is how big you want these highlights to be. You can go for a chunky, bold look or decide to highlight smaller sections of hair.

Step 2: Create your money piece highlights

It’s time to lighten up those face-framing sections! For easy money piece highlights, we recommend using a kit like the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Bleach & Lightener At Home Kit, which allows you to customize your look and paint the bleach onto just the sections of hair you identified in the previous step. Whether you use this kit or a different one, make sure to follow the instructions. How to mix your bleach, how long to leave it on, and how to remove it can all vary from kit to kit.

Money pieces look beautiful and bold on their own, but you can complement them with balayage highlights woven throughout your mane. For at-home balayage, we love the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit. Using the balayage technique to blend lighter tones into your hair can help balance the bright money pieces and create less of a stark contrast between the front of your hair and the rest of your strands.

Step 3: Choose your color

There are a lot of variations on the money piece trend, from subtle highlights to colorful face-framing strands. After bleaching, you may want to leave your hair as is. Or, you could use a toner or a hair gloss to neutralize brassiness and get an ashier finish.

Generally, if you’re hoping to achieve a subtle look, you’ll want to opt for a highlight color that isn't a major contrast from your base color. For instance, if you have medium brown hair, go for light caramel money piece highlights.

But if you like to experiment, another option is to really play with color. You can dye your bleached strands any shade you like, from a more natural-looking red to a fantasy blue hue.

To summarize, it’s really all up to you. If you aren’t sure which direction to go in, look at lots of inspiration photos (keep scrolling to see our favorites).

Step 4: Style the hair

An updated hair color deserves a new hairstyle to match. After coloring, try out a look that will really show off your money piece(s). A tousled updo, where your face-framing pieces are left out, is a great option.

11 Money Piece Hair Ideas We Love

As we mentioned, there isn’t just one money piece look. Find plenty of inspiration and different ideas below.

1. Dirty Blonde Money Pieces

The hint of dirty blonde in these face-framing money piece highlights pairs perfectly with effortless mermaid waves—a match made in beachy heaven.

2. Contrasting Blonde Money Pieces

It’s color blocking, but for your hair. The stark contrast between these espresso-hued locks and the perfectly-placed money pieces is proof that opposites attract.

3. Strawberry Money Pieces

Brighten up a red base with strawberry blonde money pieces. This color combo looks even better if you have lots of length.

4. Bright Blonde Money Pieces

Not looking for anything too dramatic? This well-blended, bright blonde money piece look is a prime example of just how subtle this trend can be.

5. Neon Purple Money Pieces

For those looking to go bold, a stripe of neon purple will definitely make a statement. Pair it with a dark base to really bump up the "wow" factor.

6. Red Velvet Money Pieces

Red velvet cake, but make it a money piece. This flirty look pairs pink highlights with a raspberry-red base, and the result is just as sweet as you’d expect.

7. Warm Blonde Money Pieces

Some say blondes have more fun, but we’d argue brunettes can have just as good of a time with money piece hairstyles. Pair your brown strands with a warm blonde money piece (or two) for a boost of beautiful dimension.

8. Auburn Money Pieces

Kick your bob haircut up a notch with auburn money pieces. The red-brown strands will look particularly striking with a deep side part and a jet black base.

9. Ashy Blonde Money Pieces

What's low-maintenance, swoon-worthy, and adds instant dimension to cool brown hair? Barely-there ash blonde money pieces, of course.

10. Curly Blonde Money Pieces

A dark brown base with a bright blonde money piece is especially beautiful on bouncy, curly hair. It creates a face-defining halo effect that’s extremely striking.

11. Cherry Red Money Pieces

Red is a power color. For proof, just look at how these eye-catching cherry red money pieces add interest to black hair.

Are Money Pieces High Maintenance?

Money pieces are a low-maintenance option for updating your hair color. Unlike a full head of highlights or completely changing your natural hair color, getting money piece hair requires only lightening your face-framing pieces. What does this mean for you? A quicker application process and a lower cost since you won't have to use as much product. Also, money piece highlights don’t need to be touched up as often as other hair color options.

To keep your highlights looking fresh in-between touch-ups, make sure you're using color-safe hair products, beginning with your pre-shampoo, shampoo, and conditioner. Try following a consistent routine using the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Repair Shampoo With Citric Acid, which work to strengthen the hair from the inside out by reinforcing weak hair bonds. Then, follow up with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Repair Conditioner With Citric Acid to soften the hair.

If your money pieces are blonde, you may also want to introduce a purple toning system (shampoo and conditioner) to your routine. Try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoo for Toning Blonde Bleached Hair and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Conditioner for Toning Blonde Bleached Hair to counteract brassiness.

Next Up: What Is Balayage? Everything You Should Know About This Highlighting Technique

Photo Credit: IG/@jennahaddockhairdesign