Highlights are actually “the ugliest form of color,” says Sorbie. “Visualize it: A center part with stripes on each side symmetrically? It looks like a zebra.” She says you’re better off taking inspiration from people who look like they’ve spent all summer on the beach. “They have lighter ends and darker roots, that’s more natural,” she says. Ask your stylist for a seamless transition from darker roots to lighter ends, and skip the streaky highlights.