Burgundy highlights are the quiet cousin of cherry cola hair: less sweet, more complex, and surprisingly easy to live with. The current direction favors soft face-framing layers and subtle dimension over chunky streaks, which means the color moves with you rather than sitting in stripes.
These 24 versions of classy burgundy highlights cover the spectrum from a blunt bob to mid-back waves, with stops for fine hair, thick texture, and every fade in between. If you have ever watched a highlight grow out into a harsh line or wondered whether burgundy will work on straight hair, this collection has the answer.
Mid-Back Wavy Layers With Soft Curtain Bangs
The clever part of this cut is how the subtle lighter pieces sit within the rich burgundy, catching light and reading as fullness without a single chunky stripe. That dimension is why it works best on thick, wavy hair starting at mid-back, where the layers have enough weight to move. The curtain bangs soften round and heart-shaped faces, and the middle parting keeps everything balanced. Ask your colorist for: mid-back layers, soft curtain bangs, rich burgundy with subtle highlights. Styling is a blowout with a round brush to encourage the waves and tuck the bangs outward.
Upkeep is the trade-off for all that polish. The layers hold their shape for about six weeks, so plan a trim in that window, and the burgundy will need a gloss around the same time to keep the lighter pieces from drifting brassy. Between appointments, dry shampoo at the roots keeps the blowout from going flat by day two. This is a salon-only look, mostly because getting the lighter pieces subtle rather than streaky takes a colorist who knows how to weave.
Mid-Back Layers With Loose Waves
Where the previous section leaned on visible dimension, this one is a more uniform burgundy, with the lighter highlights woven so finely they read as shine rather than contrast. That makes it the better pick if you want burgundy highlights at mid-back length without the upkeep of a high-contrast balayage. The loose waves and middle parting suit oval and long faces, elongating the line from root to tip. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, long layers, loose waves, rich burgundy with subtle highlights. The layers are cut to move, so air drying with a curl cream gives you soft waves with zero heat.
Set this against a style with bolder, chunkier highlights and the difference is in the maintenance. A uniform base fades more evenly, so you can stretch toning to every eight to ten weeks instead of monthly. The result is less drama, but if you want burgundy that looks like your natural color got a rich upgrade, this is it.
Thick Wavy Mid-Back Blowout With Curtain Bangs, Middle
This is a salon-only job. The blowout itself you can recreate at home with a large round brush, but the color needs a professional hand to place the lighter pieces where they will catch light when you move. If you have thick, wavy hair, the layers will hold the shape without much coaxing, which makes the styling time shorter than you think.
Collarbone Layers With Face-Framing Pieces
Face-framing pieces at collarbone length do a specific job: they pull the eye outward and soften the jaw, which is why they suit square and angular faces particularly well. The burgundy with subtle highlights adds dimension without making the shorter pieces look heavy. Ask your colorist for: collarbone length, soft layers, face-framing pieces, burgundy with subtle highlights. The blowout styling with a middle parting keeps the shape polished, but the face-framing pieces will need a trim every six weeks to hold their line.
The burgundy also fades fastest on the ends, especially the lighter pieces, so expect a toning appointment monthly to keep the color from turning copper. Tucking the pieces behind your ears is the quickest way to reset the shape on day two, and it gives the cut a second, more casual look without any effort.
Mid-Back Layers With Vibrant Red Highlights
There is a moment in late autumn when the light goes low and gold, and this is the burgundy that matches it. The vibrant red highlights woven through the deep burgundy base catch that light and throw it back, which is why this color lands so well for the season. The back view shows the full effect, with the layers and loose waves letting the red pieces flash as you move. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, layers, loose waves, deep burgundy with vibrant red highlights. The two tones work because they stay distinct, so resist the urge to blend them into one flat shade.
This is a night-out color, built for festivals and holiday parties, but it also holds up in daylight without looking like a costume. The red highlights will need refreshing every quarter to keep them vibrant, and a color-depositing conditioner in between helps stretch that window. On thick, wavy hair, the waves give the red pieces enough movement to show off the dimension.
Fine Straight Mid-Back With Burgundy Highlights
Can fine, straight hair carry burgundy highlights without looking weighed down? Yes, if they are woven sparingly through a dark base rather than packed in. A side part and smooth blowout keep the mid-back length sleek, while the burgundy pieces add depth without bulk.
This approach works best for fine, straight hair that needs visual interest but cannot handle heavy color saturation. Ask your colorist for: dark base with burgundy highlights. A smoothing serum controls flyaways, and a trim every eight weeks stops the ends from looking thin. The tone stays rich with a gloss treatment every four to six weeks.
Thick Wavy Updo With Face-Framing Tendrils
Two buns stacked at the crown create a structured silhouette, while the face-framing tendrils soften the whole design. The deep burgundy base reads as one solid shade from a distance, but the subtle lighter pieces catch light at the edges of each curl. A middle parting keeps the front symmetrical. Ask your colorist for: burgundy base with subtle lighter pieces. A texturizing spray on damp hair builds grip before pinning, and the tendrils should be wrapped around a small curling iron so they match the wave pattern of the updo.
Mid-Back Layers With Black Cherry Burgundy Gloss
A black cherry burgundy gloss is a single-process color that lands somewhere between wine and dark chocolate. The long layers and middle part let the wavy blowout move freely, and the gloss finish gives every strand a glassy reflection. The honest drawback is that this shade fades faster than a standard burgundy because the gloss is a semi-permanent layer.
Medium-density wavy hair at mid-back length shows the color best, since the gloss needs some wave to catch light. Ask your colorist for: black cherry burgundy gloss. A color-safe shampoo and a toning rinse every three weeks will stretch the shine. Plan a trim every ten to twelve weeks to keep the ends healthy.
Thick Wavy Mid-Back With Subtle Lighter Pieces
How do you add dimension to thick wavy hair without it reading as a full color change? The answer is subtle lighter pieces, placed so they only register when the hair moves. From the back view, the deep burgundy shade looks almost uniform until a wave turns and catches a glimpse of auburn or copper.
Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length benefits from long layers that keep the volume from turning triangular. Ask your colorist for: deep burgundy with subtle lighter pieces. If the lighter pieces are placed too close to the root, they can grow out looking brassy, so request they start about an inch from the scalp. A sea salt spray on damp hair encourages the wave pattern without heat.
Mid-Back Blowout With Deep Burgundy Dimension
A deep burgundy base with scattered lighter pieces creates dimension that a single tone cannot match. The soft curtain bangs blend into the sides, and the middle parting lets the color fan out evenly on both sides. The blowout technique is key here: a round brush pulls the hair forward so the lighter pieces sit on top of the wave.
Ask your colorist for: deep burgundy with lighter pieces. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length holds this shape well. This is a salon-only job: the lighter pieces need a foil technique to stay fine and blended. A boar bristle brush and a heat protectant are all you need at home to recreate the blowout.
Back View Of Voluminous Wavy Burgundy
A deep, multi-dimensional burgundy looks different from the back than it does from the front, here, the subtle lighter strands catch the light between thick, soft waves. This glossy finish works best on wavy, thick hair that reaches mid-back, where the layers have enough weight to hold volume without collapsing. Ask your colorist for: deep burgundy with subtle lighter tones, mid-back length. A shine serum on dry hair keeps the gloss going, and a toning appointment every six to eight weeks maintains the depth.
It is not a one-session color. The blending between the deep base and the lighter pieces requires a professional hand to avoid uneven patches, so this is strictly a salon job. If your hair is fine or you prefer a single-tone finish, this multi-tonal approach may feel like more upkeep than it is worth.
Collarbone Layers With Soft Waves
Wondering if a rich burgundy tone works on collarbone-length hair? It does, especially when the base is deep and the highlights are kept subtle. Soft layers and curtain bangs frame the face without shortening the line, and a middle parting keeps the weight centered. Ask your colorist for: deep burgundy base with subtle lighter highlights, collarbone length, curtain bangs. Medium-density, wavy hair takes the soft waves best, and curtain bangs help soften a square or angular jaw. A texturizing spray on damp hair creates those waves with minimal effort, and a trim every six weeks keeps the shape clean.
Mid-Back Layers With Dark Burgundy Strands
The design here is straightforward: a dark burgundy base with slightly lighter strands woven through the layers, visible mostly when the light hits the back. It is a fall and winter color, rich enough to add warmth. The middle parting and blowout styling keep the thick, wavy texture smooth. Ask your colorist for: dark burgundy with subtle lighter strands, mid-back length, middle parting. Thick, wavy hair at this length holds the blowout shape well, and a middle part works to elongate rounder face shapes. A smoothing serum tames any flyaways, and a toning appointment every eight to ten weeks keeps the dark burgundy from turning muddy.
Mid-Back Blowout With Subtle Dark Burgundy
Subtle dark burgundy strands on a thick, wavy blowout can look like a natural brunette in dimmer light. The lighter pieces add depth up close but disappear when the lighting is flat. The blowout styling gives the mid-back length a polished, professional finish that works for the office or a dinner out. Ask your colorist for: dark burgundy with subtle lighter strands, mid-back length, blowout. Thick, wavy hair benefits from a heat protectant before blow-drying, and a trim every six to eight weeks keeps the layers from losing their shape. The subtlety can feel underwhelming if you wanted a visible pop of burgundy.
Short Textured Bob With Burgundy Tones
Can a short bob handle a vibrant burgundy? Yes, when the tone has lighter red undertones and the cut relies on texture. This ear-length bob with a side parting uses the wavy, fine texture to create volume where a straight bob would lie flat. Ask your colorist for: short textured bob, ear length, side parting, vibrant burgundy with lighter red tones. Fine hair at this length benefits from the side part, which lifts the roots on the heavier side. A texturizing paste defines the waves, and a trim every four to six weeks keeps the bob shape crisp.
Thick Wavy Mid-Back With Air-Dried Highlights
The design here relies on letting thick, wavy texture do the work, with burgundy highlights placed to catch light as hair moves while working with the natural pattern. A dark brown base keeps the look grounded, with brighter pieces through the ends. Thick, wavy hair of mid-back length takes well to this technique because the texture creates its own dimension without styling effort. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, air-dried texture, dark brown base with burgundy highlights.
Styling is as simple as applying a leave-in product to damp hair and walking away. The air-dried finish means zero heat on most days, though the highlights on a dark base are a salon-leaning process that takes about three hours. Those highlights will need refreshing about every twelve weeks, and using a color-safe shampoo in between helps the burgundy stay vibrant without fading warm.
Mid-Back Wavy Hair With Rich Burgundy
A rich, deep burgundy applied as a full color with subtle lighter pieces woven through creates saturation that looks expensive from across the room. The back view here shows consistent coverage from roots to ends, with loose waves adding movement without breaking the uniform richness. Thick, wavy hair of mid-back length holds this depth well, and the subtle lighter pieces prevent the color from feeling flat. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, loose flowing waves, rich deep burgundy with subtle lighter pieces.
Upkeep is demanding: this pigment fades fast under sun exposure and hot showers. A color-safe shampoo and a toning gloss at least every eight weeks are required. Washing in cool water and avoiding heavy heat styling between washes will stretch the vibrancy, but expect a salon visit every two months to maintain the saturation that makes this shade work.
Mid-Back Layered Blowout With Deep Burgundy and Curtain Bangs
How do you get a deep burgundy that moves without looking heavy? Long layers and curtain bangs. The middle parting lets the bangs frame the cheekbones softly, while the voluminous blowout lifts the roots and adds swing to the lengths. Medium-density, wavy hair of mid-back length works well for this shape. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, long soft layers, curtain bangs, middle parting, deep burgundy. This is a salon-only color process, but the blowout itself can be done at home with a round brush and mousse at the roots.
Chin Length Blunt Bob In Uniform Burgundy
A uniform burgundy bob is the opposite of the lived-in, highlighted looks elsewhere in this gallery, and that is exactly the point. A blunt cut at chin length relies on precision and a single, saturated color to make its impact. Fine, straight hair of this length benefits from the blunt edge, which adds the illusion of density. Ask your colorist for: chin length blunt bob, straight styling, uniform burgundy color. Subtle lighter undertones catch direct light without disrupting the clean silhouette. This is a salon-only cut and color, and the sharp line needs a trim every four to six weeks to stay architectural.
Mid-Back Layers With Lighter Burgundy Pieces
Building dimension into a burgundy base means placing lighter, brighter pieces where the eye should travel, and here those pieces land through the layers and ends. The deep burgundy ground keeps the overall look dark and sophisticated, while the lighter strands catch light in loose waves. Thick, wavy hair of mid-back length carries this technique well because the layers let each color section move independently. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, layers, deep burgundy base with lighter burgundy pieces, loose waves. A texturizing spray on dry hair will define the waves and separate the color sections. The dimensional effect lasts about eight to ten weeks before the lighter pieces need a refresh.
Mid-Back Wavy Layers With Fiery Red Highlights
The bright red pieces add contrast against the deep burgundy base and make the wavy texture look intentionally dimensional. This works best on thick, wavy hair that reaches mid-back, since the long layers need weight to hold their shape. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, wavy layers, deep burgundy base with vibrant red highlights. A color-depositing mask in a red tone will keep the brighter strands from fading toward pink between appointments. The highlights will need refreshing about every three months to maintain the contrast.
This is the kind of look that lands well for cooler months or festive occasions, when a little extra saturation in the hair makes sense. The back view shows the full effect of the red woven through the waves, so the payoff is visible from every angle.
Mid-Back Smooth Waves In Rich Burgundy
The subtle lighter tones in this rich burgundy are what keep it from reading as flat, even at a distance. On thick, straight hair at mid-back length, the smooth waves catch the light in sections, which is the whole point of a uniform color with subtle variation. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, long soft layers, smooth polished waves, uniform rich burgundy. The drawback is that those lighter pieces need careful placement to avoid looking patchy as the hair grows out, so a toner appointment every four weeks is a reasonable expectation. A smoothing cream and a flat iron will get you the polished finish shown here, but the real work happens in the bowl.
Collarbone Waves With Medium Brown Burgundy Highlights
Wondering how to get burgundy highlights without going full wine bottle? This is the answer: a medium brown base with burgundy highlights distributed evenly through the length. The collarbone length and loose waves let the color show without overwhelming the cut. Ask your colorist for: collarbone length, loose waves, middle parting, medium brown with burgundy highlights. This is a salon-only request, since the burgundy needs to be lifted from the brown base in a controlled way. The highlights add visual depth to medium-density hair, and the side view makes the placement easy for the colorist to reference.
Mid-Back Voluminous Waves In Deep Burgundy
The common mistake with a deep burgundy this saturated is assuming it will look dimensional on its own. It will not, which is why the layered cut and voluminous waves here create movement and body that prevent the color from becoming a solid block. On thick, wavy mid-back hair, the layers add motion and volume. Ask your colorist for: mid-back length, voluminous waves, layered cut, rich deep burgundy. A wide-tooth comb on damp hair preserves the wave pattern without breaking up the gloss. Plan for a color refresh every six to eight weeks to keep the depth from fading toward a muddy brown.
The back view shows the payoff: the waves reflect light at different points along the length, so the color appears rich and multidimensional.
Final Thoughts
For fine hair, keep highlights fine and spaced to avoid a stripe effect. For thick or wavy texture, ask for a few richer panels placed throughout the mid-lengths and ends. Burgundy highlights are a timeless choice for adding depth and sophistication.
- Maintain vibrancy with a color-depositing conditioner or gloss every four to six weeks.
- Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to slow fading.
- Schedule highlight touch-ups every six to eight weeks, depending on grow-out.
- Apply a thermal protectant before any heat styling.
