9 Hair Color Ideas That Look Expensive Without the Constant Upkeep

Bronde

Bronde is the sweet spot between blonde and brunette, making it one of the easiest ways to brighten your hair without committing to a full head of expensive peroxide-blonde strands. The shade blends warm brown and golden tones for a sun-kissed finish that grows out softly, making it one of the best choices for limiting grow-out maintenance appointments.

Glossy Black

Whether your hair is naturally a deeper brunette or not, a glossy black is one of the most impactful low-maintenance color moves. Rather than relying on highlights or a dramatic color shift, acing a glossy black look is all about depth, shine, and richness. A soft black or espresso-black shade can make hair look instantly healthier and more polished, especially when maintained with glosses or shine-enhancing treatments between appointments.

Copper Brunette

…

Traditional copper is a gorgeous and bright take on red hair, but it’s notoriously high maintenance. That’s where copper brunette steps in: this warm-tinged brunette is a softer way to try red without fully diving head-first into high-maintenance territory. The shade keeps a brunette base intact while adding warm cinnamon, chestnut, or coppery tones throughout, creating a subtle red tinge that adds eye-catching dimension in the light.

Expensive Brunette

…

A lot of celebrities have recently gone over to the dark side, and we’re here for it. The trending hair color has earned its official name as “expensive brunette” because it’s rich in hue, warm, and glossy. Despite its name, though, this hair color won’t break the bank in upkeep, especially if you use a DIY home box dye.

Balayage

…

“Hair painting or balayage is a way to color hair with no harsh lines of demarcations,” explained Bodt. “It’s effortless and timeless.”

Papanikolas said balayage is his go-to technique for someone asking for low-maintenance hair color.

“The highlights can be delicate at the root area, gradually getting thicker and heavier towards the mid-shaft and ends,” he said. “This allows you to have a dimension that is either bold or subtle, but keeping the root area delicate gives a more forgiving grow out.”

Shadow Roots

…

If you’re a natural brunette, then you know how difficult it can be to choose a color that brightens your hair without requiring a ton of maintenance. Instead of dyeing your entire head a different hue, opt for shadow roots.

“Some ways to add color to brunettes but make it easy are adding mid and end lights, staying away from color at the roots and adding the root shadow to make it seamless,” said Bodt.

Depending on the color you choose for the bottom, though, it may require some extra TLC, so be sure to talk to your stylist about the best hair colors that won’t require too much maintenance.

Babylights

…

Babylights are very thin, fine highlights subtly placed throughout the hair. “Babylights are the most common ways to add dimension while keeping it low maintenance and natural-looking,” said Papanikolas. You can also customize your look by choosing to get lighter or darker babylights than your natural hair color to either brighten or darken your overall hair color.

Hidden Highlights

…

If you have naturally red hair and want to add more dimension, Bodt recommended getting hidden highlights.

“For redheads, it’s all about painting underneath and the ends so it’s hidden and builds lots of dimensions,” Bodt said.

Cunningham agreed and said you can also vary the color from copper to cinnamon, depending on what complements your natural shade, without much upkeep.

“Subtle highlights are a great way to add dimension without a heavy schedule of salon visits,” Cunningham suggested. “By adding them off the roots and not all over, it will be subtle yet vibrant.”

Face-Framing Highlights

“By staying away from the top of the head and using face-framing pieces, it looks natural, adds dimension, and does not need to be done more than a few times a year,” said Cunningham. No matter your natural hair color, you can opt for face-framing highlights to brighten up your face and hair.