21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (2025)

Short hair with highlights is an effortless and fun way to add dimension and interest to your hair. Adding contrasting or even subtle streaks of a new shade against your base color, you can create a truly captivating short hairstyle. Check out this collection of trendy highlights for short hair for inspiration and effortlessly elevate the attraction of your pixie cut, neck-length bob, or shoulder-length loose waves.

1. High-Contrast Highlights on Short Wavy Hair

White blonde highlights add a wonderful touch to brunette short hair, creating a striking and dynamic look. To give your hairstyle a more textured appearance, stylists recommend slightly curling the locks. Remember to fix the result with a hair spray to help those loose waves last.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (1)

@hairby.ambermarie

2. Wavy Bob with Bangs and Money Pieces

Block color highlights add a stylish sun-kissed touch to this dark chestnut base, creating a stunning contrast and adding vibrancy to the hair. For those having a round face shape and wishing to balance and elongate it with the right style, incorporating wispy bangs can be an excellent idea.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (2)

@bottleblonde76

3. Red Face-Framing Highlights for Brunettes

Here’s an excellent illustration of how beautiful a rich dark brown base combined with dark red teasylights can be when executed on healthy hair by a skilled hair colorist. A subtle change with a major impact!

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (3)

@hairbynathi

4. Shiny Golden-Brown Bob

If you wish to accentuate your otherwise plain brunette bob, it’s not necessary to bleach your locks or dye them in bright colors. With warm brown blended highlights, your mane will shine as never before!

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (4)

@alanaugustto

5. Short Shaggy Bob with Partial Balayage

It’s incredible how a low-maintenance balayage can change your short dark strands! Highlights on neck-length shaggy hair can be like the finishing touch on a cake, adding a touch of elegance and flair to your layered bob hairstyle.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (5)

@rayvoltagebeauty

6. Highlighted Bob with Flipped Ends

Highlights and lowlights can be used creatively to achieve various effects on your hair. In this particular hairstyle, curtain bangs, layers, and buttery blonde hair highlights work together to create the illusion of fuller, more voluminous hair, which is perfect for those with thin strands.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (6)

@ka_espacobeleza

7. Angled Blunt Cut with Shadow Roots

The highlights for short hair in this look effortlessly blend warm and cool shades to create a stunning, multi-dimensional appearance. Pair this light brown balayage with a slightly angled bob haircut to bring volume to your short hair.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (7)

@katyahairstylist

8. Honey Blonde Ombre for Short Hair

Incorporating highlights that complement your natural hair color is key to achieving a harmonious and eye-catching look. You can place them down the middle or closer to the roots, depending on the result you want to achieve.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (8)

@hirohair

9. Side-Parted Loose Waves with Highlights

Combining highlights with short hair is a versatile way to add an irresistible flair to your look. The blonde highlights in this messy bob hairstyle add depth and dimension, making the hairstyle stand out and look effortlessly chic.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (9)

@juandiegoteo_

10. Chocolate and Copper Tones for Short Hair

Matching highlights can be the perfect complement to a short, wavy hairstyle. In this example, the natural brunette hair is elevated to a new level of gorgeousness with the addition of side parting and well-blended copper and warm brown tones.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (10)

@paintedbyashleymarie

11. Maroon Teasylights for Inverted Wavy Bob

The dark burgundy red highlights are undeniably debonair and give the stacked brunette bob a bold and audacious look. This hair highlights idea adds a rebellious and vibrant touch to a short wavy hairstyle, making it stand out with confidence and personality.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (11)

@stylingpretty

12. A-Line Bob Cut with Warm Blonde Highlights

The golden blonde highlights on this angled stacked bob add a glamorous touch to the short hair. Concentrating the highlights on the longer tresses that frame the face creates a super-fashionable and trendy look suitable for ladies of all ages.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (12)

@rodrigocintra

13. Purple to Pink Bouncy Curls

The pink highlights on the purple base create a captivating and striking look that can express your individuality. While this hair color may seem somewhat defiant in terms of the office dress code for some occupations, it can help you achieve a truly memorable and creative style.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (13)

@slickback_buttahtoa

14. Rose Gold Feathered Bob

It’s a great example of how you can use highlights to create a unique and eye-catching style for short, straight hair. The rose gold shade blends beautifully with light brown mane, providing a low-maintenance hairstyle that doesn’t need regular coloring.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (14)

@the_hair_tailor

15. Relaxed Bob with Bronde Balayage

Combining both lowlights and highlights throughout your hair is a fantastic way to achieve a stylish and dimensional look. This technique adds depth and body to your hair, resulting in a fascinating and eye-catching hairstyle.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (15)

@jessibchiq

16. Two-Tone Style for Curly Bob

Honey blonde highlights are a fantastic way to add depth and dimension to your hair without making a drastic change to your base color. This combination of light and dark tones complements various skin tones. Plus, it’s a gentler approach to hair coloring that helps minimize potential damage.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (16)

@slickback_buttahtoa

17. Platinum Blonde Bob with Dark Roots

We love how this platinum blonde hair color blend seamlessly with the dark brown base, providing a striking illuminated hair effect. When highlights are expertly applied like this, they can enhance your haircut, frame your face, and add an eye-catching element to your short hairstyle.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (17)

@juliiana__dias

18. Root Melt on Short Thin Hair

The multi-tonal effect of platinum highlights against the dirty blonde base looks catchy and sophisticated. It adds body to your short haircut with blunt ends and middle parting and creates the illusion of thicker, fuller hair, making it a fantastic choice for those with thin locks.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (18)

@brimsandbalayage

19. Skunk Stripe Hair Highlights

Chunky highlights are a good alternative for those who want to go for something more creative than simple blonde balayage. The contrast between the auburn hair color and vanilla blonde shade creates a trendy and funky hairstyle worthy of everyone’s attention.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (19)

@memmieyo

20. Light Blonde Balayage on Chin-Length Hair

Short highlighted hair looks incredibly voluminous and full, which is quite surprising if you didn’t know that the hair is naturally thin. This effect is achieved through a combination of flattering short haircut and color techniques.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (20)

@chrisjones_hair

21. Pixie Bob with Subtle Highlights

Highlights can completely transform short hair, making it more dynamic and eye-catching. They’re a popular choice for adding a touch of glamour to a short pixie bob haircut. In addition, a pinch of honey shade will help you look younger than your age.

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (21)

@justindillaha_hair

Adding highlights to your short hair can make your hairstyle look radiant and full of depth. Pick the option that resonates with your sense of self and impress everyone with your new stunning style!

21 Must-Try Short Hair Highlights Ideas for a Fresh Makeover (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 5924

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.