Jennifer Lopez showing off chunky highlights with her hair down© @chisappleton1

JLo brings back the 90s hair trend you’d totally forgotten about

Jenny From The Block brings chunky highlights back to the mainstream


UPDATED APRIL 6, 2020 1:56 AM EDT

 Jennifer Lopez  has flirted with different kinds of highlights before and now she’s gone all-out with a chunky blonde stripes that are taking us back in a major way. The ‘90s nostalgia bug has obviously seduced her hairstylist Chris Appleton who has revived trends from the end of the last millennium to give his client the throwback look but updated for 2020. We got the first glimpse of the hairstyle when the Hustlers star shared a picture on Instagram of her vibrant neon manicure. But it wasn’t just her nail color that caught our eye, but also her chunky blonde highlights that made us do a double-take.

Jennifer Lopez showing off neon nails© @jlo
Chunky highlights means higher maintenance hair

The star has bid farewell to the balayage technique and brought back a trend that had been dormant for quite some time. Yes, the very same highlights that  Jennifer Aniston  immortalized in her years as Rachel Green in Friends and that Ginger Spice rocked with the Spice girls. It looks like this trend, with its defined contrasts, might just dethrone the more subtle hair color techniques. “We’re seeing a distancing from the perfectly-blended balayage looks and a return of the wider color block looks, like blonde on top and dark underneath,” celebrity stylist Jason Lee told InStyle.

© GettyImages
Both Jennifer Aniston and Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell were fans of the color block blonde highlights trend in 1996

And it’s not just Jennifer Lopez who has been seduced by this hair trend.  Charlize Theron  was one of the first stars to start flirting with chunky highlights in her dramatic pixie cut, demonstrating that the style also looks incredible on short hair.

© GettyImages
Charlize Theron has also flirted with chunky highlights

But here’s a reminder: even though pronounced blonde highlights on dark hair will help you stand out, keep in mind that unlike balayage, this technique will require many more touch-ups and treatments.

You’ll need to use products to keep your hair hydrated. Another tip: leave this up to the professionals – it’s a complex process that should be done by experienced colorists so your hair isn’t left looking patchy and damaged.