Color Trends
Money Piece Highlights: A Stylist's Guide
Money piece highlights brighten the front of your hair for a flattering, low-maintenance look. Here's how this face-framing color works and what to expect.
Money Piece Highlights: A Stylist's Guide to Face-Framing Color
If you want a brighter, more flattering look without committing to a full head of color, money piece highlights are the easiest win in the book. These bold face-framing pieces brighten the front of your hair, light up your complexion, and grow out beautifully. As a hair salon in Glendale, this is one of the most-requested color services we do — and one of the most misunderstood. Here's everything you should know before you book.
What Are Money Piece Highlights?
A money piece is a set of brighter highlights placed on the sections of hair that frame your face — usually the pieces that fall on either side of your part. The name comes from the idea that this is the most valuable, eye-catching real estate on your head: the color you see first when you look in the mirror.
Unlike traditional foils woven throughout the whole head, face-framing highlights focus the lightness exactly where it does the most work. The result is high impact with low maintenance, which is exactly why the trend has stuck around in Los Angeles and well beyond.
A few things that make the money piece special:
- It's customizable. You can go subtle and blended or bold and high-contrast.
- It flatters every complexion. Brightness near the face wakes up your skin tone.
- It works on any base. Money piece highlights look gorgeous on blonde, brown, and even dark hair.
Why Money Piece Highlights Are So Popular
There's a reason this look keeps showing up on Pinterest boards and in our Glendale color chairs. A money piece gives you a noticeable change with a fraction of the time and upkeep of an all-over color.
Low Maintenance, High Reward
Because the color is concentrated at the front, your regrowth is easy to manage. You're not chasing a hard regrowth line across your entire head. Many clients stretch their appointments to every 10 to 12 weeks, which keeps your hair healthier and your budget happier.
Instant Brightness Around the Face
A brighter frame acts almost like a highlight on your features. If you've ever felt that your color looks flat or that your face needs a lift, contrast highlights at the front deliver that glow without touching the rest of your hair.
It Pairs With Everything
Money piece highlights layer beautifully over balayage, traditional foils, or a single-process color. If you already love your base but want a little something extra, this is the add-on that does it. Curious how the freehand painting technique works? Read our full guide on what balayage is and how it's done.
Money Piece on Different Hair Colors
One of the best things about this look is how adaptable it is. Here's how it tends to play out depending on where you're starting.
Money Piece on Brown Hair
A money piece on brown hair is one of the most striking versions of the trend. Going a few shades lighter — think honey, caramel, or buttery blonde — against a brunette base creates that bold, magazine-cover contrast. We can keep it soft and warm or push it cooler, depending on your skin's undertone.
Money Piece Blonde
If you're already blonde, a money piece blonde simply means brightening the front pieces to a lighter, often cooler shade than the rest. It adds dimension so your blonde never reads one-note or flat.
Money Piece on Dark or Black Hair
Dark hair can absolutely pull off a money piece — it just takes a skilled colorist and, often, more than one session to lift safely. We always prioritize the health of your hair over rushing the lift, especially on deep bases.
How the Appointment Works at Our Glendale Salon
When you come in for money piece highlights, your stylist starts with a quick consultation to talk through your goals, your natural level, and how much contrast you want. From there, the process usually looks like this:
- Sectioning. We isolate the face-framing pieces around your part and hairline.
- Lightening. Your colorist applies lightener to those sections to reach your target brightness.
- Toning. A custom toner refines the final shade so it's never brassy or muddy.
- Gloss and finish. We often seal everything with a shine-boosting gloss, then style you out.
Most money piece appointments take one to two hours, depending on your starting color and how light you want to go. Clients come to us from across the area — Eagle Rock, Burbank, Pasadena, and Silver Lake — because a clean money piece really does come down to placement and the colorist's eye.
Caring for Your Money Piece Highlights
Lightened hair needs a little love to stay bright and healthy. A few stylist-approved habits go a long way:
- Use a purple or blue toning shampoo once or twice a week to keep blonde and lightened pieces from going brassy.
- Wash with cooler water and a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo to protect your tone.
- Add a bond-building or deep-conditioning treatment to keep the lightened sections strong and shiny.
- Protect from heat with a heat protectant before you flat iron or blow-dry.
Because the brightest pieces sit right at the front, they're also the most visible — so keeping them toned and conditioned makes the whole look feel fresh between visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do money piece highlights cost?
Pricing depends on your starting color, the brightness you want, and whether you're adding it to another service. A standalone money piece is one of the more affordable ways to add highlights because it uses less product and time than a full head. We'll always give you an exact quote at your consultation.
Will money piece highlights damage my hair?
Any lightening service involves some processing, but when it's done by a trained colorist with the right products and a bond-protecting system, money piece highlights are gentle and very manageable. The fact that we're only lightening the front pieces means most of your hair stays untouched.
How long do money piece highlights last?
Because the regrowth is easy to blend, many clients go 10 to 12 weeks between appointments. A gloss refresh in between can keep your tone looking salon-fresh even longer.
Can I get a money piece on dark hair?
Yes — but expect that very dark bases may need more than one session to lift safely to a bright shade. Your stylist will map out a realistic plan so we protect your hair along the way.
What's the difference between a money piece and balayage?
Balayage is a freehand painting technique applied throughout the hair for a soft, sun-kissed effect. A money piece is a placement — concentrated brightness around the face. Many clients actually combine the two for the best of both worlds.
Ready to Brighten Up?
Money piece highlights are the perfect way to refresh your look with minimal upkeep and maximum impact — whether you want a soft, blended frame or a bold, high-contrast statement. If you're searching for face-framing color at a hair salon in Glendale or anywhere across Los Angeles, our color team would love to design a money piece that fits your hair, your tone, and your routine. Book your appointment today and let's light up your look.
