Burgundy highlights add depth without a full color overhaul, giving your base shade a subtle, warm dimension. The shift toward lived-in color means softer, more natural-looking placements that grow out gracefully, so you’re not in the salon every four weeks.
These 15 takes on Simple Burgundy Highlights range from short bobs to long layers, fine strands to thick waves, and low-upkeep blends to richer, more vibrant tones. If your fine hair tends to fall flat or you’re tired of a stark grow-out line, this collection offers a workable solution for most textures and lengths.
Collarbone Lob With Deep Burgundy Highlights
A collarbone-length lob with long layers and soft curtain bangs gets its punch from a rich, deep burgundy color with subtle dimension woven through. Thick, wavy hair is the natural partner for this cut, the layers stop the weight from pulling the waves flat, and the curtain bangs soften round and heart faces without demanding daily styling. Ask your colorist for: collarbone length lob, deep burgundy with subtle dimension, soft curtain bangs. A blowout with a round brush is the fastest way to make the layers and bangs behave, and a trim every six to eight weeks keeps the shape from turning into a shag.
Long Wavy Hair With Rich Burgundy Dimension
The technique behind this look is straightforward: a deep, rich burgundy base is applied all over, then subtle lighter tones are painted in to create dimension without obvious stripes. The result reads as one saturated color until the light hits the waves. Thick, wavy hair at long length carries this best, the texture diffuses the highlights so they look like natural variation rather than salon work.
Ask your colorist for: long layered cut, deep rich burgundy with subtle highlights, loose waves. Dry texturizing spray separates the waves and keeps them from clumping together. Plan on a trim every eight to ten weeks to keep the ends from thinning out.
Chin Length Dark Burgundy Lob With Highlights
How do you ask for a chin-length lob that reads dark burgundy but still shows dimension? The trick is subtle lighter burgundy highlights woven through a dark base, enough to add depth without lifting the overall tone. Medium density, wavy hair at chin length handles this well, and the soft, natural waves help soften a square or angular jawline. Ask your colorist for: chin length lob, dark burgundy with subtle lighter highlights, natural waves. Air drying with a curl cream defines the wave pattern without heat, and a trim every six to eight weeks keeps the bob from growing past the chin.
Shoulder Length Burgundy Highlights
The base is still a rich burgundy, but the highlights are kept fine and spaced out so the color reads as dimensional rather than uniform. Thick, wavy hair at shoulder length is the sweet spot. The weight of the hair keeps the waves from getting too poofy, and the highlights have enough surface area to show. Ask your colorist for: shoulder length layers, rich burgundy with subtle highlights, loose waves. Air drying with a texturizing spray gives a relaxed finish, and a trim every six to eight weeks keeps the ends healthy.
Mid-Back Layers With Burgundy Highlights
Subtle, lighter burgundy highlights on a rich burgundy base create depth without the high-maintenance grow-out of a full balayage. On mid-back length hair with loose waves, the lighter pieces sit mostly in the mid-lengths and ends, so the roots stay dark and the color fades gracefully. Thick, wavy hair at this length benefits from the layers. They prevent the waves from turning into one heavy triangle.
Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, rich burgundy base with subtle lighter highlights, loose waves. A sea salt spray adds texture and encourages wave separation without crunch. A trim every eight to ten weeks keeps the ends from splitting, and a gloss treatment every six to eight weeks refreshes the burgundy tone.
Mid-Back Loose Waves With Vibrant Burgundy Highlights
Ever wonder why some hair colors look flat under restaurant lighting but alive under the sun? The answer is a dark base with rich burgundy highlights, precisely placed. These aren’t shy streaks; they’re woven throughout mid-back length hair, hitting the loose waves at enough angles to catch every light source in the room. The effect works best on thick, wavy texture that can hold a visible wave pattern without deflating by dessert.
This is a color for evenings that demand a little more presence, holiday parties, milestone dinners, any occasion where your hair should arrive before you do. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, dark base with vibrant burgundy highlights, loose waves. The technique uses a fine weave to keep the burgundy from reading as chunky, and a gloss at the end seals the shine. A trim every eight to ten weeks keeps the ends healthy enough to hold the wave.
Thick Wavy Mid-Back With Deep Burgundy
Deep burgundy on thick, wavy mid-back hair is a straightforward proposition: the color adds richness, and the texture does the rest. Loose waves let the subtle highlights catch light across the full width of the hair, which is what gives this look its dimension. The trade-off is daily styling time. Thick wavy hair this length needs heat styling to shape those waves without frizz, and that takes twenty minutes you might not have on a Tuesday. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, deep burgundy with subtle highlights, loose waves. It suits oval and heart faces best, since the volume at the sides can broaden a round face more than you want.
Collarbone Waves With Muted Burgundy Highlights
A muted burgundy tone is the version you choose when you want dimension without a neon sign. On collarbone-length, thick, wavy hair, the subtle highlights sit low enough in the color spectrum that they look like natural depth. This works best for medium to high hair density, because the muted tone needs enough strands to create visible variation, fine, thin hair would swallow the effect. Ask your colorist for: collarbone length layers, muted burgundy with subtle highlights, loose waves. The softer tone also means a longer stretch between toning appointments, roughly every six to eight weeks, since the fade is less noticeable than it would be with a brighter red.
Mid-Back Plum Burgundy With Subtle Highlights
Plum burgundy sits between a true red and a brown, so the subtle highlights add depth. The technique uses a fine foil weave on mid-back length, thick, wavy hair, placing lighter pieces close to the base for a blended effect. Loose waves let the color shift as the hair moves, which is the point of a tone this nuanced. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, rich plum burgundy with subtle highlights, loose waves. For upkeep, a color-depositing conditioner every second wash keeps the plum from turning copper. A trim every eight to ten weeks maintains the shape without losing length.
Glossy Mid-Back Burgundy Base With Highlights
A deep burgundy base with subtle, finely woven highlights that are only a shade or two lighter lets the gloss coat do the work, because the light bounces off a uniform surface. On mid-back length, thick, wavy hair, the polished wave pattern looks deliberate. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, deep burgundy base with subtle highlights, glossy finish. A shine serum on the ends before heat styling seals the reflection, and a trim every eight to ten weeks keeps the ends from dulling it.
Chin Length Bob With Layered Wavy Texture
Unlike a sleek one-length bob, this chin-length cut with layered, wavy texture keeps the ends moving instead of sitting in a strict line. The rich burgundy base gets its dimension from lighter burgundy highlights woven through the layers, so the color shifts as the waves do. Medium-density wavy hair takes to this shape well, and the soft layers around the jaw help balance a square face. Ask your colorist for: chin length layered bob, rich burgundy with lighter highlights, tousled waves. A texturizing spray on dry hair keeps that lived-in feel, and a trim every six to eight weeks preserves the layered ends.
Sharp Chin Length Burgundy Bob
This cut can lengthen a round face, thanks to the length falling just below the chin. Ask your colorist for: chin length sharp bob, striking burgundy with highlights, smooth blowout. A heat protectant before blow-drying is non-negotiable for fine hair, and the sharp edges need a trim every six to eight weeks to stay crisp.
Short Textured Burgundy Bob With Subtle Highlights
What makes a short textured burgundy bob work across seasons is its ability to feel light in summer and cozy in fall without a single change. Cut to ear length, the deep burgundy base carries very subtle, lighter burgundy highlights that add depth without shouting. Fine, slightly wavy hair gains volume from the textured finish, and the side part softens the profile. Ask your colorist for: short textured bob, deep burgundy with very subtle highlights, side part. A little styling paste through dry ends gives it grip, though the shape relies on a trim every four to six weeks to keep the texture intentional.
Mid-Back Dark Brown With Subtle Burgundy
On dark brown hair, subtle burgundy highlights are a lesson in restraint: finely woven strands that add depth without announcing themselves. The mid-back length with soft layers gives thick, wavy hair room to move, and the dimension creates contrast that is visible up close. This suits oval and heart faces because the length and waves balance the lower half. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, dark brown base with subtle burgundy highlights, natural waves. Getting that subtlety right is a salon job, not a box-dye project, since lifting dark brown evenly takes precision. A color-safe shampoo keeps the burgundy from muddying, and a trim every eight to ten weeks maintains the layers.
Back View Dark Brown Burgundy Highlights
From the back, the payoff of burgundy highlights on a dark brown base becomes obvious: the loose waves catch the lighter strands and turn a flat color into something with movement. The mid-back length with soft layering lets the thick, wavy texture bounce, and the highlights are woven finely enough to stay subtle from the front. This is a good match for oval and heart faces, since the length and waves elongate the neck and soften the jaw. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length layers, dark brown base with subtle burgundy highlights, loose waves. A smoothing balm on damp hair before blow-drying adds shine, and a trim every eight to ten weeks keeps the ends healthy.
Final Thoughts
For fine hair, stick with finely woven highlights to keep the color from overwhelming the strands. Thick hair can handle bolder placement for more contrast. Burgundy highlights offer a versatile way to refresh your look.
- Toning may be needed every 6-8 weeks to maintain vibrancy.
- Use color-safe shampoo and conditioner to prevent fading.
- Deep condition weekly to keep highlighted hair hydrated.
- Avoid excessive heat styling to protect color integrity.
Burgundy highlights offer a versatile way to refresh your look.
