Money Piece Highlights: The Complete Guide

Money piece highlights are the lightest sections of color framing your face, and they have quietly become the most-requested color service in the salon. Hailey Bieber popularized the look. Clients across every age range, hair color, and length keep asking for it. The reason is simple. It is the highest-impact, lowest-commitment color change you can make.

This is the full breakdown. What money piece highlights actually are, who they look best on, how they differ from balayage and traditional highlights, what they cost, how to maintain them, and how to ask for the version that suits your face and your hair.

What are money piece highlights

Money piece highlights are two thicker, brighter sections of lightened hair placed directly around the face, usually starting at the part and running down past the cheekbones. The “money piece” name comes from the idea that those front pieces are the ones doing the most visual work, the ones that frame and brighten the face every time you look in the mirror.

Unlike traditional highlights, which are woven through the entire head, the money piece is concentrated. Two pieces. Strong contrast. All the impact lives at the front.

Who money piece highlights look best on

Almost everyone, when placed correctly. The trick is matching the brightness and tone of the front pieces to your skin and your existing hair color.

For brunettes, a soft caramel or honey money piece adds warmth without making the rest of your hair look flat. If you want more contrast, a buttery blonde money piece on dark hair is the high-impact version, the one you see all over Pinterest and TikTok.

For blondes, a money piece is usually a brighter platinum or icy section against your existing dimensional blonde. It pulls focus to the face and keeps the rest of your color soft.

For redheads, a copper-gold money piece adds light without breaking the natural warmth of the base.

Money piece vs balayage vs highlights

This is the question every new color client asks. The short answer.

Traditional highlights are foiled sections placed through the head, usually in a uniform pattern, with a clear root line as it grows out.

Balayage is a freehand painted technique that creates soft, sun-kissed transitions and grows out without a hard demarcation line.

A money piece is a placement, not a technique. You can do a money piece using foil highlights, or you can do a money piece using balayage. The point is the placement at the front of the face, not the application method.

Most colorists, including ours, use a combination. Balayage through the mid-lengths and ends for soft dimension. Foiled money piece sections at the front for brightness and a clean, defined frame.

How long does it take

A money piece on its own runs about an hour and a half, processing included. If you are adding it to a full balayage or all-over color service, plan for three to four hours start to finish. Long, thick hair takes longer.

What does a money piece cost

Pricing depends on hair length, density, and whether the money piece is a standalone service or an add-on to balayage or color. At Monarch Studio in San Diego, a money piece add-on starts at $85, and a full color service with money piece runs from $250 depending on the stylist and your hair. We always quote during your consultation so there are no surprises.

How often to come back

The beauty of a money piece is that it grows out gracefully. You do not need a four-week chase to keep it looking right. Most clients come in every 10 to 14 weeks for a refresh. In between, a gloss appointment every 6 to 8 weeks keeps the tone correct and the shine high.

How to keep your money piece looking expensive

Three rules.

Use a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo. We use and sell Davines because the line is plant-based, color-protective, and built around the kind of soft, natural-looking color we specialize in.

Keep the heat down. Style at 350 degrees or lower, and use a heat protectant every time.

Tone at home if your money piece pulls warm. A purple shampoo once a week is enough for blondes. Brunettes with caramel pieces should leave the toning to your colorist so the warmth does not flatten.

How to ask for the money piece you actually want

Bring photos. Always. Two or three reference images that show the brightness level you want, the placement (close to the face, slightly back from the part, behind the ear), and the tone you are after. Saying “money piece” alone is not enough. Saying “I want a buttery blonde money piece, starting from my part, ending around my collarbone, with a soft balayage through the rest” is the conversation your stylist needs.

Be honest about your maintenance window. If you can only get in every three months, your stylist needs to place the money piece higher and softer so the regrowth blends. If you are in every six weeks, you have more options.

Money piece in 2026

The trend has moved away from chunky, stripey contrast and toward soft, blended, lived-in money pieces. Less Pamela Anderson, more Sofia Richie. Thicker than a regular highlight, but smudged at the root so the grow-out is gentle.

The other shift, especially in San Diego where the sun lifts color naturally, is that clients are asking for money pieces that look like the way their hair would lighten if they spent the summer surfing. Soft. Warm. Natural.

That is the version we are doing the most of right now.

Where to book money piece highlights in San Diego

Monarch Studio is in the College Area on College Avenue, just north of SDSU. Our team specializes in dimensional, lived-in color, and the money piece is one of our most-requested services. Every color appointment starts with a real consultation, photo references, and an honest conversation about what suits your hair and your maintenance window.

You can book online or call the salon at (619) 733-0000. New color clients always start with a consultation so we can plan your service correctly the first time.

FAQ

What is the difference between a money piece and face-framing highlights?

A money piece is a thicker, brighter, more deliberate version of face-framing highlights. Face-framing highlights are usually thinner woven sections placed around the face. A money piece is a bolder placement, often two clearly defined pieces, designed to be seen.

Will a money piece damage my hair?

Lightening always lifts the cuticle, so any blonde service involves some level of stress on the hair. The way to keep damage minimal is to work with a colorist who uses bond-builders during the process and to follow a clean home-care routine afterward.

Can I do a money piece on dark brown or black hair?

Yes. The result depends on how light your colorist takes the front sections. Going from black to platinum in one session is hard on the hair, so most colorists will either soften the contrast or build the brightness across two appointments.

How is a money piece different from lived-in color?

Lived-in color is a broader philosophy, color that grows out softly and looks natural for months. A money piece is a specific placement of brighter pieces around the face. You can absolutely do both at once, and most of our clients do.