How To Get Caramel Latte Highlights (Without a Trip to the Salon)

Cinnamon swirl, pumpkin spice, dark chocolate—many of today’s trendiest hair colors sound more like something you’d order at a café than ask for in the salon. Caramel latte hair—a dimensional color featuring bright caramel highlights woven throughout a brunette base—is the latest newcomer to put on your radar. Despite caramel being a warmer hair color, this rich hue is flattering for a wide range of complexions, from fair and cool to deep and warm. Plus, with a little know-how, the luxe look is totally achievable at home. Below, learn how to DIY natural-looking caramel highlights, plus find tips on keeping your sweet hue looking its best.

What Is Caramel Latte Hair?

There are a few iterations of caramel latte hair, but the classic look features a neutral-toned medium-brown base enlivened by bright caramel highlights (which are often most concentrated around the face). It’s often achieved using the balayage technique to create a softer, more lived-in look than traditional foil highlights.

Caramel latte hair is versatile, however, and there are plenty of ways to customize the look. For example, if you favor a warmer look, you could try light brown hair with auburn and caramel highlights—the auburn will add a hint of red that complements the caramel’s golden tones beautifully. For a more dramatic spin on the trend, dark brown hair with caramel highlights is a gorgeous choice, as the bright caramel will pop against your deeper brunette base. Ultimately, how you rock this decadent hair color trend is up to you. If you need advice on choosing the best approach for your mane, consider consulting with an expert via the L’Oréal Paris Hair Color Concierge.

How To Get Brunette Hair with Caramel Highlights

If you’re a brunette, caramel latte hair is totally achievable from home, so long as you have the right products on hand. The most important, of course, is an at-home hair color kit for creating your caramel highlights. We recommend the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference At-Home Highlighting Kit, as it comes with an expert applicator that makes creating blended, natural-looking highlights a breeze.

To highlight your hair, dip the bristles into the highlighting formula then brush the mixture along your hair where you’d like your caramel highlights to be placed. Then, let the color process (refer to the package instructions for specific timing guidance), and rinse your hair thoroughly. After highlighting your hair, use the kit’s after-color toning conditioner to help blend your roots for a subtle root smudge effect. Choose the Medium to Dark Brown kit if you’re working with a deeper brown base, or reach for the Dark Blonde to Light Brown kit if your current color is on the lighter brown side.

For a more traditional highlight look, use the L’Oréal Paris Frost & Design Kit in Caramel, which allows you to create precise, even highlights in as little as 20 minutes. If you want a more intricate look—such as multi-tonal caramel and red highlights in dark brown hair—you may want to hit the salon to achieve the look. Just be prepared to spend a while in the chair—and to leave the salon with a much lighter wallet.

How To Take Care of Caramel Highlights

After coloring your hair—whether you choose subtle caramel highlights or opt for a more dramatic transformation —you’ll need to update your haircare routine. Here are a few tips for lightened hair to keep in mind.

Use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner

Color-treated hair requires special care to look and feel its best. Even if you really love your current haircare system, it could dull your new hair color faster than you’d hoped. To help keep your caramel highlights looking fresh, use a color-safe system, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Shampoo and coordinating L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Conditioner. The sulfate-free shampoo gently cleanses, while the conditioner helps smooth and detangle color-treated hair for healthy-looking (and -feeling!) strands. If your hair is damaged—a common side-effect of lightening your mane—complete the system with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment, which helps strengthen weak, brittle hair from the inside out.

Take precautions when heat styling

We can’t blame you for wanting a bouncy blowout or sleek, straight strands, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use heat tools all the time—they can be damaging, especially for those with color-treated hair. Opt for heatless hairstyles when you can to avoid subjecting your strands to unnecessary stress. When you do decide to blow dry, straighten, or curl your hair, be sure to use a heat protectant to help shield your strands from unnecessary damage. We love the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Repair Hair Oil-in-Serum, as it softens, boosts shine, and helps protect against temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If you prefer leave-in conditioners for their hydrating benefits, the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Moisture 21-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner is an excellent choice, too.

Use purple shampoo as needed

Caramel highlights are meant to be warm, but too much warmth can make them appear orange rather than golden. If your highlights begin to take on a brassy tinge, use the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Purple Shampoo in place of your regular shampoo once or twice per week. The violet-tinted formula helps correct brassy tones in blonde, silver, and bleached hair to promote a brighter, more vibrant color. We suggest using it alongside the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Purple Conditioner for the best results. Just take care not to use the duo too often, or you could risk muddling your beautiful caramel highlights.

Best Hairstyles for Caramel Latte Hair

You can rock caramel highlights with any hairstyle, but to make those ribbons of color really pop, here are a few looks we love:

• Soft waves: Loose waves give your hair volume and texture, and the movement can help your golden highlights shine. If scoring waves requires heat styling your hair, don’t forget to prime your strands well with your chosen heat protectant.
• Beachy braids: Beachy braids lend a summery feel to your caramel highlights and help showcase the various tones of your dimensional color.
• Sleek and straight: Ultra-straight hair is a great pick for when you want your highlights to be the focus of your look. Mist your finished look with a shine spray or flexible hold hairspray (we love the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray) for a smooth, sleek finish.
• Messy bun: Lean into the lived-in feel of your caramel balayage highlights with a classic messy bun. If you need pointers on how to make your bun artfully disheveled rather than overly messy, check out our article How To Do a Messy Bun On Every Hair Type and Texture.

Next Up: 20 Blonde Hair Color Ideas for Every Skin Tone

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris