Watch: 15-Minute Reverse Highlights Technique

Watch This: Reverse Highlights Tutorial For A Lived-In Blonde Blend

For every long-haired client who wants to change it up without losing length, there’s a blondie who wants to go darker without saying goodbye to her lighter locks. That’s why Brenna Sylvester (@brenna.sylvester) went live to share her quick reverse highlights technique for transitioning grown out highlights into a dimensional, rooty blonde. Watch the video above to see the entire technique, then keep scrolling to learn key things to know (including her formulas) and to peep the before and after!

What Are Reverse Highlights?

Similar to reverse balayage, reverse highlights add depth to previously highlighted hair in order to create more of a lived-in blonde. To achieve this, Brenna works with horseshoe partings because it creates a more natural, gradient look and applies a demi to the regrowth and a gloss over the mids and ends. Then, she’ll comb through each section to ensure she gets an even blend from roots to ends. 

Who Is The Ideal Client For This Technique?

Reverse highlights are perfect for highlight or partial highlight clients who want depth and dimension without totally ditching their blonde hair.

Click here to shop Schwarzkopf Professional tbh – True, Beautiful, Honest Permanent Color at Cosmoprof.com!

Formulating For Reverse Highlights

During the live demo, Brenna used just two formulas—a demi that she applied over the regrowth and the line of demarcation and a gloss that revitalizes the previously highlighted blonde. Here are her formulas for each:

• Formula A (demi): Schwarzkopf Professional tbh – true beautiful honest Permanent Hair Color 5-49C + 6-51C + Schwarzkopf Professional 6-volume IGORA VIBRANCE® Activator Gel (1:2)

• Formula B (gloss): tbh – true beautiful honest Permanent Hair Color 9-49C + 6-volume IGORA VIBRANCE® Activator Gel + Schwarzkopf Professional tbh – true beautiful honest Tone Softener (1:1:1)

Note: Brenna says Formula B won’t lift but instead add a translucent muted tone to blonde hair.

Products Used

Hair Color

tbh – true beautiful honest Permanent Hair Color

Schwarzkopf Professional®

Hair Color

IGORA VIBRANCE® ACTIVATOR GEL

Schwarzkopf Professional®

Demi-Permanent Color

tbh – true beautiful honest Tone Softener

Schwarzkopf Professional®

Does This Technique Work On Dry Hair?

Yes! Brenna prefers to work with wet hair because it makes blending the formulas easier, however, if you’re doing reverse highlights on dry hair she recommends using tbh – true beautiful honest Tone Softener as a blending agent. To do that, simply apply it directly to the demarcation line and drag it down before applying either of the formulas.

Check out the before & after pics below to see the the finished result from the front and the back of the head!