20 Gorgeous Money Piece Highlights for Women Over 40

Money piece highlights for women over 40 work best as a face-framing panel of lighter color—caramel, honey, or ash blonde—set against your natural base, brightening your complexion and blending gray with far less upkeep than a full foil.

A money piece is the single most efficient highlight technique in the salon chair: two or three face-framing pieces of lighter color, placed where light naturally hits, that brighten your whole complexion without the time or cost of a full head of foils. For women over 40, that trade-off matters even more — skin tone shifts, gray comes in unevenly, and fewer of us want to sit in a chair for four hours every six weeks. A well-placed money piece does the work a full balayage used to, at a fraction of the maintenance.

What makes the technique so versatile is how much it can flex around your base color, cut, and gray percentage. Warm caramel and honey tones soften a dark brunette base; icy platinum and ash panels blend into salt-and-pepper gray; buttery blondes lift a beige or honey base without a full lightening service. Below are 20 ways to wear it, from blunt bobs to long layered shags, each built around a base color and cut combination that reads differently from the last.

1. Chestnut Lob with Caramel Money Piece

A rich chestnut brown lob gets warmth from two soft caramel panels framing the face, brightening the complexion without a full foil. The below-collarbone length keeps ends looking dense, which suits coarser or higher-density hair especially well. Ask your colorist to keep the caramel a shade or two lighter than your base so the contrast reads as sun-kissed rather than stripy. Because the color sits mostly at the front, root touch-ups can typically stretch to ten or twelve weeks.

2. Jet Black Long Layers with Platinum Money Piece

Long layers in deep jet black make a bold contrast for a bright platinum money piece, a combination that reads modern once the platinum panel is kept narrow. This high-contrast pairing works well on dense, straight-to-wavy hair, where the panel stays visible instead of blending into softer layers. Because platinum on dark hair needs pre-lightening, expect a color-correction visit if roots grow past an inch or two. A flat iron on dry hair keeps both tones sleek and glossy for photos.

3. Espresso Bob with Golden Honey Money Piece

A rounded espresso-brown bob gets warmth from a golden honey money piece that lightens gradually toward the ends, avoiding a hard line. The soft gradient makes this a forgiving option for finer hair, since a blended panel looks natural even as it grows out. A round brush and diffuser bring out the bob’s shape without a flat iron. Because the honey tone is only two or three shades lighter than the espresso base, touch-ups are easy to stretch past ten weeks.

4. Auburn Shag with Copper-Rose Money Piece

A layered auburn shag pairs with a copper-rose money piece for a warm, dimensional look that photographs beautifully outdoors. The shag’s face-framing layers already move light around the cheekbones, and the money piece doubles down on that brightening effect. This combination suits thinner or fine hair particularly well, since the choppy layers add the appearance of volume the highlight can’t provide alone. Because auburn fades fastest of all color families, a color-safe shampoo stretches the copper tone between visits.

5. Ash Brown Curtain Bangs with Icy Blonde Money Piece

Curtain bangs on an ash brown base pair with an icy blonde money piece that picks up where the bangs part, drawing the eye straight to the brightest section of hair. The cool undertone in both the base and the highlight keeps the combination looking crisp rather than brassy over time. This pairing tends to suit straight or slightly wavy hair, where the bangs lie flat enough to show the placement clearly. A purple-toned shampoo used weekly helps keep the icy tone from turning yellow between visits.

6. Dark Chocolate Pixie with Champagne Money Piece

A cropped dark chocolate pixie gets a single champagne-blonde swoop near the front hairline, proving a money piece works on short hair too. Because there’s so little length for the color to travel across, the panel is cut narrow and precise rather than blended, which keeps upkeep low. This cut and color combination suits finer, lower-density hair well, since short layers already create the illusion of thickness. A texturizing paste worked through dry hair is the only styling most mornings require.

7. Medium Brown Waves with Butterscotch Money Piece

Loose waves in a medium brown base carry a butterscotch money piece that catches light every time the hair moves, which is part of why this combination photographs so well in motion. The waves add texture that helps a highlight blend into the rest of the color rather than sitting as an obvious stripe. This look works on thick, dense hair especially well, since the added texture keeps a heavier head of hair from looking bulky. A lightweight curling wand on completely dry hair recreates the wave pattern in under ten minutes.

8. Cool Brunette Blunt Bob with Ash-Blonde Money Piece

A blunt, one-length bob in cool-toned brunette pairs with a crisp ash-blonde money piece for a graphic, high-contrast look that reads completely differently from a softer, rounded bob. The blunt edge keeps the color line sharp, so the ash panel looks like a deliberate design choice rather than a fade-out. This pairing suits straight, fine-to-medium hair especially well, since a blunt cut needs minimal layering to hold its shape. Because ash tones can pull cool fast, a blue-toned conditioner keeps brassiness from creeping into the panel.

9. Mushroom Brown Long Hair with Beige Blonde Money Piece

Sleek, long mushroom-brown hair carries a beige blonde money piece that leans neither warm nor cool, making it one of the easiest tones to maintain against silvering hair. The length lets the color travel gradually from root to end, so the panel looks sun-drawn rather than painted on. This combination suits straight or gently wavy hair, where the sleekness shows off the gradient clearly. Because beige blonde is a low-contrast choice, most women can stretch salon visits to twelve weeks or longer before regrowth is noticeable.

10. Sleek Black Ponytail-Length Hair with Bronde Money Piece

Hair worn long enough for a sleek low ponytail shows off a bronde — a blended brown-and-blonde — money piece along its full length, not just near the face. Pulling the hair back is actually the best way to see the color placement, which makes this an easy option for anyone who wears their hair up most days. Dense, straight hair holds the sleek ponytail shape longest without extra product. A flat iron on fully dry hair smooths flyaways before pulling the ponytail tight.

11. Warm Brunette Voluminous Blowout with Vanilla Money Piece

A voluminous blowout on warm brunette hair puts a vanilla-blonde money piece front and center, since the extra volume lifts the highlighted panel away from the face instead of letting it fall flat. This combination is popular for special occasions because the color shows even more once the hair has body. It tends to suit medium-to-fine hair, which takes a round-brush blowout more easily than very coarse or dense hair. A large round brush on damp hair builds the volume before the style is finished with a blast of cool air.

12. Silver-Blended Bob with Pearl Blonde Money Piece

For hair that’s already transitioning to gray, a soft bob blended with silver tones pairs naturally with a pearl blonde money piece, since the two colors sit close enough on the color chart to merge almost seamlessly. This is one of the lowest-maintenance combinations on this list, because new gray growth blends into the existing color instead of creating a visible line. It works particularly well on coarser, wiry gray hair, which tends to hold a toner well. A weekly violet toner keeps both the silver and the pearl blonde from turning brassy.

13. Copper Red Layered Bob with Toffee Money Piece

A layered copper-red bob pairs with a toffee-toned money piece for a combination that stays warm without competing shades fighting each other. The layers keep the bob from looking heavy at the length copper red often reads as, and the toffee panel softens the transition between hair and face. This works well on medium-density, wavy hair, where the layers separate naturally without extra styling. Because copper fades to a duller tone faster than most colors, a color-depositing conditioner used every few washes keeps the red vibrant.

14. Deep Brunette Textured Crop with Wheat Blonde Money Piece

A textured crop in deep brunette keeps things short and low-maintenance, with a single wheat-blonde money piece swept across the fringe for brightness. Because the cut is short, the color panel is one of the smallest on this list, which keeps both cutting and color appointments quick. This style suits fine or thinning hair especially well, since cropped layers create the appearance of fullness that longer fine hair often lacks. A texturizing cream worked into damp hair before air-drying is usually all the styling this cut needs.

15. Caramel Base Long Layers with Chunky Buttery Blonde Money Piece

Long layers over a caramel base carry a wider, chunkier buttery-blonde money piece than most looks on this list, which makes a bolder statement for anyone ready to go beyond a subtle panel. The extra width works because the base color is already light enough that the transition stays soft instead of harsh. This suits thick, dense hair particularly well, since a wide panel needs enough hair to avoid looking like a solid block of color. Loose beach waves from a curling wand on dry hair show off the width of the panel best.

16. Cool Black Angled Bob with Ice-Platinum Money Piece

An angled bob, longer in front than in back, gives an ice-platinum money piece extra room to show off along the face-framing point. Cool black serves as a stark backdrop that makes the platinum panel look almost luminous by comparison. This shape and color pairing suits straight, dense hair especially well, since the angle needs sharp, controlled ends to read clearly. Because the contrast is so high, most women find they need a root touch-up at the platinum panel every eight to ten weeks, even if the rest of the color can wait longer.

17. Honey Blonde Base with Sandy Blonde Money Piece

For hair that’s already honey blonde, a sandy blonde money piece creates a low-contrast, barely-there effect that reads as naturally sun-lightened rather than salon-colored. This is one of the most forgiving combinations for regrowth, since the two tones sit close enough that new roots rarely create a visible line. It suits fine or lower-density hair especially well, because subtle color doesn’t compete with the hair’s natural volume. A lightweight glaze every few months keeps both tones from dulling between full color appointments.

18. Dark Auburn Undone Waves with Strawberry-Blonde Money Piece

Undone, texturized waves in dark auburn give a strawberry-blonde money piece a soft, lived-in setting rather than a sleek, graphic one. The waves scatter light across the whole head, so the highlighted panel blends into the movement instead of standing apart. This combination suits medium-to-thick, wavy-to-curly hair especially well, since the texture already mimics what a curling wand would add. A sea-salt spray scrunched through dry hair keeps the waves textured without heat on days when a touch-up isn’t needed.

19. Beige Blonde Face-Framing Layers with Cream Blonde Money Piece

Face-framing layers cut into a beige blonde base carry a cream-blonde money piece that’s only a shade or two lighter, keeping the whole look tonal rather than high-contrast. The layers already draw attention to the front hairline, so the subtle highlight reinforces a shape that’s already flattering rather than competing with it. This suits straight-to-wavy, medium-density hair well, since the layers need enough movement to blend the tones. Because the contrast is so low, this is one of the easiest money piece looks to grow out without a salon visit.

20. Deep Espresso Low-Maintenance Bob with Golden Bronze Money Piece

A simple, low-maintenance bob in deep espresso pairs with a golden-bronze money piece placed just at the part line, giving a small amount of color a big visual payoff. Because the panel is narrow and placed precisely at the part, it stays looking fresh even as the rest of the color grows out. This works especially well on coarse, dense hair, which holds a bob’s shape with little daily styling. A diffuser on damp hair is usually enough to finish the look without reaching for an iron.

You Might Also Like

• caramel highlights for fine hair
• gray blending highlights
• embracing gray hair at any length
• pixie cuts for women over 40

Whatever base color or cut you choose, a money piece works because it puts light exactly where people look first: right around your face. Pick a tone family — warm caramel, cool ash, or neutral bronde — that matches your existing color, and the blend reads as intentional, not stripy.

One heat note covers this whole list: if a style calls for a flat iron, curling wand, or blow-dryer, use a heat protectant every time. Irons should only ever touch fully dry hair — running one over damp strands is the most damaging thing you can do to it — and keep the barrel around 300°F (150°C) for fine or previously lightened hair, or up to about 390°F (200°C) for coarser hair.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a money piece flatter every face shape?

A money piece is a color placement, not a cut, so it works with most face shapes rather than being tied to one. Because the lightest color sits right at the hairline, it tends to draw the eye toward the cheekbones and jaw. The cut you pair it with — blunt versus layered, short versus long — has more influence over face-framing than the highlight itself.

How often do money piece highlights need a touch-up after 40?

Hair grows at roughly half an inch a month no matter your age, so a money piece typically shows a quarter to half an inch of regrowth every four to six weeks. Most women still stretch touch-ups to eight to twelve weeks because the panel sits at the hairline rather than across the whole head, and slight grow-out there often just looks like natural dimension.

Is a money piece a good option for hair that's going gray?

Yes — because the technique only lightens a small section, it's an easy way to soften the line between gray regrowth and your remaining natural color. Choosing an ash, pearl, or platinum money piece close in tone to your gray blends the two better than a warm caramel or honey tone would against silvering hair.

Can a money piece be low-maintenance?

Yes, more so than most highlight techniques, since only two or three face-framing sections are lightened instead of the whole head. Choosing a money piece tone close to your base color — rather than a high-contrast platinum on dark brunette, for example — stretches the time between salon visits further because the regrowth line stays subtle.

Are money piece highlights a passing trend or a long-term style?

Money piece highlights have stayed in steady rotation since the mid-2010s because the technique is really an update on classic face-framing balayage, not a fad shape or color. Expect the base tones and cuts around it to keep shifting year to year, but brightening a small panel near the face isn't going anywhere anytime soon.