20 Money Piece Hair Ideas 2027 for a Fresh Look

A money piece is a face-framing highlight that runs from root to tip along the front hairline, brightening the face without a full head of color. This season, it’s showing up on soft, lived-in color with natural movement, often paired with curtain bangs or face-framing layers.

Explore 20 Money Piece Hair Ideas that range from low-maintenance blends to bold, high-contrast statements. Whether your hair is fine or thick, straight or curly, short or long, there’s a version that works. If your color needs a refresh or your style feels flat, these ideas offer a practical way to add dimension and light.

1. Long Dark Blonde Hair With Blended Blonde Money Piece

A dark blonde base that reads almost neutral gets its lift from a blended blonde money piece, painted so the transition is soft. This works best on thick, wavy hair starting at shoulder length or longer, where the loose waves can catch the lighter strands from different angles. The middle parting lets the brightness fall evenly on both sides, so the effect feels symmetrical without being rigid.

Ask your colorist for: a dark blonde base with a blended blonde money piece and long layers. The layers are key here: they let the money piece diffuse into the rest of the hair instead of ending in a blunt line, which makes the grow-out lower maintenance. A smoothing serum on the front pieces cuts down on frizz and boosts shine. Plan for a trim every six to eight weeks to keep the layers from losing their shape.

2. Vibrant Coral Hair With Blonde Money Piece

Can a fashion color feel grounded? A vibrant coral base with a blonde money piece pulls it off, because the blonde acts as a neutral anchor against the warmth. The mid-back length and thick, wavy texture give the color room to move, and the curtain bangs let the bright front strands frame the face without overwhelming it. This is a party or festival look, designed to contrast hard against the coral.

Ask your colorist for a vibrant coral base with a bold blonde money piece and curtain bangs. The coral needs a color-depositing conditioner to stay saturated, and the blonde will need a toning shampoo every few washes to stop it pulling warm. A large-barrel curling iron builds the voluminous waves the cut calls for. This is a salon-only project, about three hours in the chair for the double process.

3. Dark Blonde With Creamy Blonde Money Piece

A dark blonde base with a creamy blonde money piece is a low-contrast version of the trend. The creamy tone is warmer than a beige or pearl blonde, so it melts into the base rather than popping against it. The curtain bangs and soft blowout reinforce the polished, lived-in feel. This suits thick, wavy hair at mid-back length, and the softness around the jaw works well for square or oval face shapes. Ask your colorist for a dark blonde base with a creamy blonde money piece and curtain bangs. The request is simple, but the creamy shade is specific enough that your colorist needs to see a swatch or photo reference. A heat protectant before blow-drying and a light hairspray to hold the waves are all the styling this needs.

4. Medium Brown With Butter Blonde Money Piece

Butter blonde sits somewhere between a golden and a yellow blonde, richer than a pastel and less brassy than a honey. Set against a medium brown base, the contrast is clear. The long layers and no-bangs cut keep the focus on the front sections, where the color difference does the work. This is a better bet than a cool platinum money piece if you want warmth without going full golden. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length carries the butter tone well; finer hair might find the shade too heavy near the face.

Ask your colorist for: a medium brown base with a butter blonde money piece and long layers. To recreate it, look for a texturizing spray on the waves to add grip and separation. The long layers need a trim every eight to ten weeks, and the butter blonde typically needs a toning gloss every four to six weeks to keep it from warming into a brassy yellow.

5. Dark Brown With Dimensional Balayage Money Piece

A dark brown base with dimensional balayage and money piece highlights is a lived-in look. The balayage technique paints the lighter strands freehand, so the money piece blends into the rest of the hair and does not sit as a separate block. The face-framing layers add movement at different heights. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length shows the dimension best; the loose waves help the hand-painted sections look natural.

Ask your colorist for: a dark brown base with balayage and money piece highlights and face-framing layers. This is not a DIY project. The freehand painting is precise, and the grow-out is soft enough to skip the salon for ten to twelve weeks. A dry shampoo between washes keeps the roots fresh, and the lived-in texture means you can air-dry or use a diffuser without fighting the wave pattern.

6. Dark Brown Collarbone Lob With Blonde Money Piece

Blonde money pieces on a dark brown base look great for about two weeks, then the roots start reminding everyone they exist. The collarbone lob here uses loose waves and curtain bangs to soften that grow-out line, but a root touch-up every four weeks keeps the contrast sharp. Thick, wavy hair at collarbone length holds the wave pattern best, and a middle part helps the face-framing pieces land evenly on both sides. Ask your colorist for: dark brown base, blonde money piece highlights, collarbone length lob, curtain bangs. The lob needs a trim every six weeks to keep the collarbone line clean. The real drawback: those front pieces lift faster than the rest, so they may look brassy between salon visits.

7. Espresso Bob With Vanilla Blonde Money Piece

Can a vanilla blonde money piece on an espresso bob stay cool-toned without turning yellow? Yes, but it takes work. The vanilla shade is warm enough to avoid ashy dullness but light enough to show every hint of brassiness, so a purple shampoo once a week is needed. Medium-density, wavy hair at collarbone length carries the contrast without looking chunky.

Ask your colorist for: espresso brown bob, vanilla blonde money piece, curtain bangs. Blow-dry the bob with a volumizing mousse to keep the shape from falling flat, and schedule a trim every six weeks to maintain the blunt line. The curtain bangs will need a quick refresh with a round brush each morning, but they keep the money piece integrated so it does not sit on top like a separate layer.

8. Dark Red Collarbone Cut With Blonde Money Piece

Side-swept bangs and a side part change the geometry of a money piece entirely. Here, the blonde highlights hit the face on a diagonal rather than a symmetrical frame, which draws the eye outward instead of straight down. Thick, wavy hair at collarbone length has enough weight to keep the voluminous waves from shrinking up, and the dark red base provides a warm backdrop that keeps the blonde from reading as harsh.

Ask your colorist for: dark red base, blonde money piece highlights, collarbone length, voluminous waves, side-swept bangs. This combination works best on cooler-toned reds; a copper-leaning red can turn the blonde peachy. The side-swept bangs require daily blow-drying to hold their direction, but they also hide the grow-out line on one side, stretching the time between toning sessions by a week or two.

9. Mid-Back Dark Blonde With Beige Blonde Money Piece

A beige blonde money piece is built differently than a bright one. The colorist applies balayage strokes starting a half-inch from the root, then feathers the lightener through the mid-lengths so the contrast softens gradually. Mid-back length, thick, wavy hair gives the colorist enough canvas to keep the fade gradual, and the soft curtain bangs help the money piece wrap around the face without a hard line.

Ask your colorist for: dark blonde base, beige blonde money piece, curtain bangs, blowout. The beige tone sits between warm and cool, so it resists brassiness longer than vanilla or butter shades, but it also looks less dramatic. The real drawback: the subtlety means the money piece can blend into the base too much if your dark blonde grows out warmer than expected. A gloss every eight weeks keeps the separation visible.

10. Chocolate Brown Lob With Creamy Ivory Money Piece

You could try painting a creamy ivory money piece onto a chocolate brown lob at home, but the odds of getting the placement symmetrical and the lift even are low. The contrast between a warm brown base and a cool ivory highlight is strong enough that any unevenness looks like a mistake. Medium, wavy hair at collarbone length is straightforward to section, but the lightener needs to sit precisely on the front strands without bleeding into the rest.

Ask your colorist for: chocolate brown lob, creamy ivory blonde money piece, loose waves. A salon can isolate the money piece with foils and control the processing time, which keeps the ivory tone from turning brassy against the brown. The lob itself is low-maintenance, with a trim every six to eight weeks. The money piece needs a toning gloss at every other trim to keep the ivory from warming up.

11. Ash Blonde Blunt Bob With Pearl Blonde Money Piece

A chin-length blunt bob in ash blonde gains a cool-toned lift from creamy pearl blonde money piece highlights placed at the front sections. The side view shows the sharp line of the cut, softened by wavy texture and a middle parting. Medium density hair holds this shape best. Ask your colorist for: ash blonde blunt bob, creamy pearl blonde money piece. A texturizing spray brings out the wave pattern, and the bob needs a trim every four to six weeks to keep the line crisp. The honest drawback: ash tones fade warmer over time, so a purple shampoo every other wash is worth the effort.

12. Medium Brown With Sun-Kissed Blonde Money Piece

Can a money piece look like it just happened from a week at the beach? This one manages it. A medium brown base runs through mid-back length hair, with blonde money piece highlights concentrated at the front for a sun-bleached effect. Loose waves and a middle parting let the lighter strands read as natural, not painted. Thick, wavy texture helps the blend feel organic. Ask your colorist for: medium brown base with sun-kissed blonde money piece. This lands best in late summer or early fall, when you want to hold onto warmth without committing to a full highlight schedule. A sea salt spray adds the right amount of bend.

13. Black Hair With Bold Blonde Money Piece

A black base and a bold blonde money piece is a contrast that does not hedge. The front sections lift to a bright, unsubtle blonde while the rest stays deep black, creating a graphic frame around the face. Mid-back length layered hair with curtain bangs and a middle parting keeps the look modern. Thick, wavy texture carries the contrast without looking heavy. Ask your colorist for: black base with bold blonde money piece, curtain bangs. What you need to say: specify “bold” not soft or blended, the effect depends on that sharp line between the two shades.

14. Dark Brown Mid-Back With Blonde Money Piece and Curtain Bangs

A full head of highlights brightens everything, but a money piece targets only the sections that move when you tuck hair behind your ear. This dark brown base uses blonde money piece highlights on the front strands, with long layers and curtain bangs that sweep outward. A wavy blowout and middle parting give it a polished but not rigid finish. Thick, wavy texture keeps the volume from falling flat. Ask your stylist for: long layers, curtain bangs with dark brown base, blonde money piece. The trade-off: the front pieces grow out faster than the rest, so plan a toning gloss every six to eight weeks to keep the blonde from turning brassy.

15. Brunette With Bright Blonde Face-Framing Pieces

Face-framing pieces work as a money piece when the stylist concentrates the lightest strands on the front sections and blends them through the mid-lengths and ends. A brunette base keeps the background depth, while bright blonde highlights at the front create a glossy, lived-in finish. Loose waves and a middle parting let the lighter color catch movement. Medium density, wavy hair at mid-back length carries this technique well. Ask your colorist for: brunette base with bright blonde money piece, face-framing pieces. The application is straightforward for a colorist: they weave the blonde into the front sections first, then feather it back so there is no hard line.

16. Medium Brown Bob With Blonde Money Piece, Chin

A chin-length bob in medium brown with a blonde money piece is a practical choice precisely because the grow-out is so forgiving. The blonde framing pieces sit away from the root line, so you can stretch to eight or nine weeks between color appointments without a harsh demarcation. A medium density, wavy texture like this one holds the shape without needing much product. Ask your colorist for: medium brown bob, blonde money piece highlights, chin length. A quick blowout or air-dry works fine; trim every six to eight weeks to keep the bob line crisp. This one is best left to a salon for the initial color placement.

17. Black Hair With Teal Money Piece Highlights

Does a money piece have to be blonde? Not when you have a black base and teal highlights. The curtain bangs and collarbone layers give the color plenty of surface area to show off, which matters for a shade this saturated. Thick, wavy texture carries the teal without looking sparse. Ask your colorist for: black base with teal money piece, curtain bangs, shoulder-length layers. Use a color-safe shampoo formulated for blue or green tones to keep the teal from turning muddy. A textured blowout adds definition. This is a festival or party move, not a Monday-morning zoom call.

18. Ash Blonde Collarbone Cut With Bright Blonde Money Piece

The design here is about contrast, not volume. An ash blonde base reads cool and slightly muted, so the bright blonde money piece has to be a few shades lighter to register as a separate element. Collarbone length with subtle layers keeps the line tidy while the soft waves add movement. Medium density, wavy hair carries the lift without needing a ton of product. Ask your colorist for: ash blonde base, bright blonde money piece, collarbone length, soft waves. The cool tone of the base means a purple shampoo every other wash will keep brass at bay. A light hold hairspray is enough to keep the waves defined.

19. Black And Red Split Dye With Silver Money Piece

A split dye divides the head into two distinct color zones, in this case black on one side and red on the other. The silver money pieces sit at the front, bridging the two halves without blending into either one. Mid-back length with long layers gives the color enough canvas to read clearly. The honest downside: maintaining three separate tones means three different color-safe routines and a salon visit every four to five weeks for the silver. Thick, wavy texture softens the hard line of the split. Ask your colorist for: black and red split dye, silver money pieces, mid-back length. A textured blowout enhances the edgy shape.

20. Chin Length Blunt Bob With Blonde Money Piece

A chin-length blunt bob with a blonde money piece is the sharper cousin of the layered bob. The dark brown base and bright blonde face-framing pieces create a defined contrast that the blunt cut amplifies. Fine, wavy texture benefits from the weight of the blunt line, which keeps the ends from looking wispy. Ask your stylist for: chin length blunt bob, dark brown base, blonde money piece. A textured blowout adds volume at the crown without sacrificing the sharp perimeter. The blunt bob needs a trim every four to six weeks to hold the line, and a purple shampoo will keep the blonde from going brassy against the dark base.

Final Thoughts

When choosing a money piece, consider your natural base color and how much contrast you want. Fine hair benefits from a face-framing highlight that blends softly, while thicker hair can handle a bolder, chunkier piece. Keep in mind that brighter money pieces require more upkeep, so plan for toning appointments.

• Tone blonde money pieces every 4-6 weeks.
• Deep condition weekly to keep highlights shiny.
• Use color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
• Trim split ends every 6-10 weeks.
• Limit heat styling to protect highlighted strands.

Money pieces are a customizable way to brighten your look.