15 Trending Peekaboo Highlight Ideas to Rock in 2024

Rock the peekaboo highlights trend with subtle natural or vivid bold color – it’s up to you. This versatile style can be as mild or wild as you want!

If you’ve been thinking about adding a pop of color to your strands, the half-hidden hues of peekaboo color may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. 

Check out this guide to see gorgeous examples of trendy peekaboo highlights, learn about the trend, and get tips for the perfect peekaboo color! 

What Are Peekaboo Highlights?

Peekaboo highlights are highlighted strands on the underside of the hair that only show through when the hair is parted or styled a certain way.

Peekaboo highlights range from very subtle and undetectable when the hair is worn down to bold looks that peep through the base shade more readily. When you get peekaboo highlights, you get the benefit of deciding when and where you want your highlights to show.

While natural colors (blonde, red, black, and brown) are beautiful options for peep-through color, vivid and bright hues are very popular because they have such a stark contrast. 

If you don’t want to rock vibrant shades of color all over, getting peekaboo highlights gives you an option to show off these colors when you want. Wear your hair down to hide them, or part your hair in a new direction or wear a half-up style to show them off. 

Peekaboo highlights are also a great, low-maintenance hair color option. Since the highlights are done in the lower layers of the hair, you won’t have to worry about roots showing quickly and needing constant maintenance and touch-ups. 

Whether you get all-over peekaboo highlights or concentrate the hidden colors to a section or two, we think you’ll love the many style options this look will give you.

If you’re looking for a way to update your hair color without making a major change, peekaboo highlights might be exactly what you need! 

15 Trendy Peekaboo Highlights We Love

Now that we’ve talked up peekaboo highlights and how cute and versatile this trend is, let’s take a look! Here are 15 of our favorite examples of the peekaboo trend for highlights.

We found inspiration in every color of the rainbow, from subtle natural shades to bold hues just dying to be shown off! Which looks are your favorite?  

1. Rich Espresso With Light Honey Peekaboo Highlights

We love a good peekaboo highlight paired with a deep hair color – it really accentuates the richness of the base color!

Lightened honey-toned highlights barely peek through the espresso brown hair, just enough to offer a hint of warm blonde. Curly or wavy styles will help you put the peekaboo color a little more front and center.  

2. Platinum With Lavender, Pink, and Blue Peekaboo Highlights

Platinum blonde is one of the best colors to pair with vibrant-hued peekaboo highlights. It creates such a cool contrast! Keep the boldly colored highlights to the deeper layers of the hair so you can control when the color shows.

This kind of look can even work for jobs and schools where vivid colors aren’t allowed – just wear your hair down to hide the color, then pull half up when you’re ready to show it off! 

3. Peekaboo Purple Berry With Bold Red

A bright purple with depth is hidden underneath a bold red color. It only shows up when the hair is parted or worn half-up, so you can choose from a variety of looks.

A chin-length bob is perfect for these bold and bright colors. Can’t you just see a cute half-up top knot with this colorful look?

Read Next: Bob Haircut Ideas

4. Balayage Peekaboo Highlights With Money Piece

Hand-painted peekaboo highlights liven up the rich brunette color in this look. The bold money piece highlights around the face bring a touch of lightness that brings out the highlights peeking through. The peekaboo highlights combined with the ombre lightened ends make this look one of our favorites!

Read Next: What Is Balayage Color?

5. Subtle Peekaboo Face-Framing Highlights

Peekaboo color doesn’t have to be all-over, as this pretty and subtle look shows. By placing the highlights on one side so they’ll only show when the hair is styled with waves or curls, you get a look that can be solid color or two-toned. When the hair is worn straight, these highlights will magically disappear! 

6. Peekaboo Purple Under Bubblegum Pink

Pink and purple are such an iconic color duo, and we love how ultraviolet looks with bubblegum pink! This sweet color combo is even prettier with the violet tones just peeping out from the layers underneath.

You can try violet highlights under any color, and make them peekaboo by keeping them to a section of the bottom layer. 

7. Sunset Peekaboo Root Highlights

Colors of a deep sunset make the roots stand out, but there’s a hidden surprise! When the hair is down and parted down the center, the rich purples and reds become peekaboo color under the light, sunny blonde. Wearing your hair up will show off the gorgeous, gradient color! 

8. Electric Pink and Blonde With Peekaboo Blue Highlights

Cotton candy comes to mind with this vibrant look! Bright pink with visible blonde highlights take over the top, while peekaboo highlights in a bold shade of aquamarine blue are hiding underneath. Braids and wavy or curly styles will be the best way to show off the blue peekabook highlights!

9. Rich Maroon Base With Copper-Blonde Peekaboo Highlights

Maroon offers deep shades of brown, purple, and red with tons of dimension, but it’s even bolder with peekaboo highlights underneath!

Have the highlights painted into the 2nd layer of the front section so you can move the top layer to show off the vibrant coppery blonde. This edgy cut is cute, but we’d love this color scheme on a short bob as well! 

10. Pastel Mermaid Peekaboo Highlights

Channel your inner sea queen (not Ursula, unless that’s your thing) with this bright, pastel-toned peekaboo look.

A deep, bluish lavender purple dominates the top layer, while light blue and seafoam green peep out from the layers underneath. A short haircut is ideal to show it off, but this look works on longer styles, too! 

11. Peekaboo Scarlet Under Deep Brown

If you want vibrant peekaboo highlights that show up a little more, try underdye hair color like this! Instead of actual highlights, sections of the bottom layer are dyed a vibrant color to contrast nicely with the color on top.

You’ll get the effect of highlights as the layer on top separates to reveal pieces of your bright red color underneath. 

12. Royal Purple Peekaboo Highlights With Espresso Base

Royal purple highlights peek out from a rich, espresso brown color for a subtle but noticeable contrast that we love.

Velvety brown offers depth while a vibrant purple adds a nice pop of color that weaves in and out of the hair. You’ll see the most of your peekaboo color with a voluminous wavy style like this. 

13. Faux Peekaboo Rainbow Highlights

If you love the peekaboo trend but don’t want to actually bleach and color your hair, try clip-in extensions instead! These faux peekaboo rainbow highlights show off every color and are perfectly accentuated with a half-braided style.

Read Next: The Best Galaxy Hair Ideas in 2024

14. Multicolor Peekaboo Highlights 

Even this kid knows how cute and versatile peekaboo highlights can be! We love this look for littles and grown-ups alike. Multicolored strands are highlighted in the underside of the hair for a subtle pop of color that can be worn to school or work without breaking the rules. 

15. Subtle Strawberry Blonde Peekaboo Highlights 

Dark colors are the best contrast for light-hued highlights, and these subtle strawberry blonde peekaboo highlights are the perfect match for cocoa-toned hair.

Blunt bangs end in peekaboo face-framing highlights on either side with bits of color throughout the style. Wear your hair half up or clip back the sides to show off the highlights more. 

Things to Consider Before Getting Peekaboo Highlights

Before you book your appointment with your favorite inspiration photos in hand, we’ve got a few tips and things for you to consider first. Peekaboo highlights may be the perfect color update for you, but you need to check out these considerations before you get them! 

• Make sure your hair is healthy enough to bleach. Getting peekaboo highlights involves bleaching small sections of hair, then toning or dying the bleached sections to create the final color. This process takes a toll on your hair, and if it’s already damaged, you might want to hold off for now. If you’re not sure your hair is ready, read this next: Should I Bleach My Hair? 5 Things to Consider.
• Pick colors that go well together. If you’re keeping your natural or current base color and only getting highlights underneath, you’ll generally want to stick with colors of a similar warmth or coolness. For example, if you have warm brown hair, opt for warm blondes, coppery tones, or warm vivid colors. If you’ll be dying your hair and getting peekaboo highlights, consider the base or overall color you want to do. Does it go well with your highlight color? Again, pair warm colors with warm-toned highlights and cool colors with cool-toned highlights for the most flattering look. 
• Decide where you want your highlights. Peekaboo ‘lights can be painted all over the head on the underside or in just one or two sections underneath. How much peekaboo color do you want? You might like peekaboo face-framing highlights that focus on the front of the hair, or maybe you’ll prefer scattered highlights around the sides and back for true peekaboo color that shows when you move your head.
• Are you going subtle, bold, or somewhere in between? Your work and/or school situation may help you decide how subtle or bold you want your highlights to be. If you’re going with a vivid color that isn’t part of a dress code you have to follow, you’ll want to make sure they’re subtle and able to be hidden with the top layer of hair. If you’re not a fan of vivid colors but still want a bold look, try natural-colored highlights just beneath the top layer of hair for more visibility. 
• Have a chat with your stylist. If you’re lucky enough to have a great stylist you trust, have a talk with them about what you’re considering doing. They might have a suggestion for a specific color or shade that will look great on you, or offer tips on where they think your peekaboo color will have the most impact on your look. Bring your inspiration photos to show them what you’re thinking of doing! 
• Low-maintenance isn’t no maintenance. While these types of “hidden” highlights are much lower maintenance than all-over foils or balayage, they still require touch-ups to continue looking their best. That’s especially true if you’re rocking bold colors, which tend to fade quickly. Be sure you’re ready for touch-ups every 2 months or so to keep your peekaboos bright!

So, Will You Be Rocking Peekaboo Highlights?

The peekaboo highlight trend is so popular because it can literally work for anyone. Whether you’re hoping to light up a room with vibrant colors bursting through your base shade or want subtle, natural shades that seamlessly weave in and out of your color, this look can be for you. 

With so many highlight placement and color possibilities, highlights of the peekaboo sort are one of the most versatile color options you’ll find.

Place them just under the top layer for more visibility, or tuck them deeper into the bottom layer of hair for more hidden highlights that only come out to play when you want them to. 

Rock natural or vivid colors that add a surprising pop of color to your ‘do in the most flattering way. Style and part your hair to hide them away or show them off, depending on the occasion and your mood.

There are lots of options, but one thing is certain – you’re going to get tons of compliments on your peekaboo highlights! Check out these helpful guides next to learn more about getting trendy highlights that will shake up your look. 

• Money Piece Hair | 2021’s Hottest Hair Highlight Trend
• Hair Highlights Cost | Know Before You Go!
• Balayage vs Highlights | Which One Is Right for Your Hair?