Blonde Hair Colors in 2024 Guide

Posted on Sep 28, 2023

Blonde hair never goes out of style, but new trends and s hair coloring ideas are always emerging. We’ll help you find the right shade of blonde for your skin tone and personal style.

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What Are The Shades Of Blonde Hair?

Blonde hair colors work well with every skin tone, and it’s easy to try out different shades of blonde until you find the perfect shade of hair color for you.

Your options are nearly endless: from the palest, icy blonde hair to more natural hair shades like honey blonde or light brown hair with blonde highlights. The most important thing to keep in mind when selecting the right shade of blonde is how it will work with your skin tone.

Hair colors generally come in cool, neutral and warm tones. Cool blonde shades include hair colors like platinum and ash blonde, while a warm blonde shade would have some pink, chestnut or reddish undertones. A strawberry blonde hair color is an example of this, but so is a golden blonde shade. Neutral blonde often includes both warm and cool tones, like champagne blonde or beige hair.

There are also dark blonde and light blonde hair colors in each of these categories. Generally, if you stay within two or three shades of your natural hair color, your blond hair will look very natural.

People with warm skin tones look best with warm shades, and anyone whose skin has a cool undertone can pull off a cool shade of blonde.

How To Look After Blonde Hair?

The best way to keep beautiful blonde hair colors looking their best is to take care of it.

Keep your hair healthy by not washing it too often or too aggressively- use a dry shampoo for a few days before washing it with a purple shampoo to combat brassiness. This is especially important if you have platinum or white blonde hair, and it can help to volumize fine hair, too.

For long hair or thick hair, pay extra attention to the ends when conditioning. You may want to use a deep-conditioning hair mask on them to prevent dryness.

Finally, limit sun exposure as this can fade even the best blonde hair colors and leave them looking tired and dry.

Most Trendy Blonde Hair Color Ideas For 2023

There are a ton of great blonde hair ideas out there, with enough different shades and styles to suit everyone. Here are some of the top blonde hair colors for different skin tones and hair types.

Dirty Blonde Hair

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This dirty blonde hair color can be adapted to suit both yellow and pink skin tones. It’s a mix of sandy blonde and light brown colors. If your natural color is already medium to light brown, it’s easy to lighten it to dirty blonde.

Blonde Highlights on Brown Hair

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If you’re not ready to dye your hair dirty blonde, then why not add some highlights? These look especially good on medium to long hair, and you can customize the color- choosing anything from a dramatic golden blonde to a subtle caramel blonde shade.

Strawberry Blonde Hair Color

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Strawberry blonde hair is perfect for people with warm to medium skin tones. Many people with fair skin naturally have a reddish-blonde hair color. Try wearing this warm blond color with waves for a summery look.

Dark Blonde Hair

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Anyone can pull off a dark blonde hair color- it’s not as dramatic as bright blonde, and it usually requires less bleaching as a result. This is the perfect blonde shade for someone looking for a subtle change.

Honey Blonde Hair

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When it’s done right, honey blonde hair dye leaves you with a warm, rich, golden blonde color. These neutral tones compliment most complexions, and are less high-maintenance than lighter shades like baby blonde or platinum.

Do not miss our post on How Much Developer Do I Mix With Hair Dye?

Traditional Platinum Blonde Hair

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If you have dark or light skin with cool undertones, then this dramatic shade is for you. Platinum blonde hair works well with dark roots, but the ends require extra care to keep them from drying out. Make sure to invest in a purple shampoo to prevent brassiness.

Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights And Lowlights

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Adding different shades of blonde to a darker shade like brown is a wonderful way to add dimension and brighten up your natural hair color. This also works well if your hair is long and you want to avoid damaging it with too much bleach.

Ash Blonde Hair

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You may want to try an ash blonde hair color if your skin has cooler undertones. This is a few shades darker than platinum blonde and looks chic, modern and sophisticated. It’s also a great way to mask graying hair.

Golden Blonde Hair

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This color can range from a dark, creamy blonde to an almost caramel shade. It’s very flattering on women with medium-dark skin tones, and works well with different hair types, since it doesn’t require aggressive bleaching to lift a lot of color from the hair.

Light Blonde Hair

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Light blonde hair colors will always be in style, and one of the trendiest bob haircut ideas right now is a light blonde bob with bangs. Light blonde hair requires a bit more upkeep, since dark roots are very noticeable.

Light Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights

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If you have brown hair, blonde highlights have always been popular, and they’re a great look for autumn. Unlike blonde balayage, highlights completely lighten specific sections of hair, so you can use them to create dramatic or subtle changes.

Red Hair With Blonde Highlights

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Adding blonde to red hair is the perfect way to lighten your hair while still keeping those gorgeous, warm tones. You can also add red lowlights to a blonde base for a “spicy blonde” look.

Balayage Blonde Hair

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Balayage involves hand-painting highlights directly onto strands of hair, and blonde balayage is one of the most popular ways to brighten brown locks. Blonde balayage hair is low-maintenance compared to highlights.

Black and Blonde Hair

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For a dramatic contrast, why not try black hair with blonde highlights. Light blonde highlights on black hair stand out and add depth to flat-looking colors, and the combination of blonde and black hair looks great with different hairstyles.

Blonde Hair With Brown Highlights

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If you already have golden or creamy blonde hair, consider darkening it a bit for fall with some brown highlights. Just make sure to choose a color that matches your hair’s undertone- if your hair is ash blonde, you’ll want to select a cool brown.

Brown and Blonde Hair

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For locks that are already brown, blonde hair colors on the ends or in specific sections are the perfect way to draw attention to your hair or create a face-framing effect. This looks great with shoulder-length styles.

Blonde Balayage on Brown Hair

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Adding a warm or champagne blonde balayage to your brown hair will bring out its chestnut tones and flatter warm to medium skin. It will also give you a sun-kissed appearance, as if you just got back from the beach.

Blonde Hair With Highlights And Lowlights

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In addition to highlights, blonde hair with lowlights can make the color look more natural, especially if you have long or thick hair. By adding multiple colors, you’ll create a more subtle effect.

Icy Blonde Hair

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White blonde doesn’t occur very often naturally, but it still looks fabulous. This color is often popular with short or medium-length hair, and requires some upkeep. You’ll need to have it touched up with toner every few weeks.

Natural Blonde Hair

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If your hair is not naturally blonde, you can always create a “natural” look by selecting a blonde color that’s within two or three shades of your own hair. You can also use balayage trends or subtle highlights to create natural-looking lightness.

Dark Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights

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Dark hair with blonde highlights remains one of the easiest and most popular changes that hairdressers can perform. It lets you keep your natural color while still brightening things up.

Blonde Hair With Highlights In Rainbow Colors

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This is one of our favorite blonde hairstyles, since it’s so much fun. It usually has to be done in stages, since your hair needs to be fully bleached before other colors can be added. For a playful touch, style it into a rainbow braid.

Blonde Ombre Hair

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Ombre hair starts out one color, then gradually lightens or darkens as it reaches the roots. This works best if your hair is at least medium length.

Red and Blonde Hair

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Red and blonde colors can be combined to create a “fiery” look or a subtle, sun-kissed effect. Some people even dye whole sections red to create an eye-catching contrast.

Beige Blonde Hair

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Beige blonde is a very neutral color, so anyone can wear it, regardless of their skin’s undertone. If you don’t know which blonde shade is best for you, this can be a good one to try out.

Pearl Blonde

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You may not have heard of this warm blonde color before, since it’s a relatively new trend. It’s similar to platinum blonde, but with pink, mauve and even violet tones added. It requires a lot of processing, so it’s not ideal for naturally-dark or fragile hair.

Buttery Blonde

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This is a natural-looking color that contains multiple warm blonde tones. Long, buttery blonde hair is a classic style that’s often cut into face-framing layers.

Champagne Blonde

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This is a neutral to warm blonde that doesn’t contain too much yellow. It really flatters medium and cooler skin tones. Consider adding some layers to your hairstyle if you choose this color.

Caramel Blonde

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This is an excellent color for fall, and it looks warm and rich. You can even layer it with a lighter shade for a brown and gold effect. Unlike a lot of other blonde colors, you won’t need to use purple shampoo often with this one.

Sandy Blonde Hair

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This blonde is a soft, powdery color with a “beachy” hue. Sandy blonde shades are inspired by nature and often combined with subtle cool or warm lowlights, depending on the client’s complexion.

Creamy Blonde Balayage

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This can be done as a full-head blonde balayage or as subtle, face-framing highlights. Although it contains buttery yellow tones, it still works well on people with cooler complexions, since it’s not too warm.

Baby Blonde

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Fans of the recent Barbie movie will be familiar with this bright blonde color. If you want to pay homage to the classic doll’s style, then wear it in long layers.

Pink Blonde

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Pink blonde hair is definitely not natural, but it’s incredibly fun. You can try it with a short bob or pixie cut if you’re extra adventurous.

Blonde With Peekaboo Highlights

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Adding peekaboo highlights (hidden underneath layers of hair) is a wonderful way to make your blonde hair unique. Since it’s already light, you probably won’t need a lot of extra bleaching before adding the new color.

Blonde With Dipped Ends

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Dipped ends are another fun way to enhance your hair’s color. You can have just a few for a burst of bright color, or you can get multiple, face-framing dipped ends.

Blonde And Copper Hair

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This is a classic combination that always looks gorgeous. You can go as subtle or as dramatic as you want with this color.

Brown to Blond Hair Balayage

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This is almost like ombre hair, but focuses on specific sections instead of the whole thing. This lets you create blonde highlights that are concentrated lower down the hair, and works wonderfully with longer styles.

Blonde Hair With Root Smudge

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Adding a slightly lighter color than your natural hue at the root line (also called a “smudge”) makes the transition from dark roots to blonde hair appear more subtle and natural. If your own hair is very dark, this is a good option.

Long Hair With Dark Blonde Tones

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If you’re getting Rapunzel vibes from this long, deep blonde hair, then you’re not alone. It’s an elegant and classic choice for anyone who loves being blonde.

Rose Gold Warm Blonde Hair

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Rose gold hair has gotten a lot of social media attention this year, and it’s one of the latest color trends. While it looks fantastic, it’s not easy to maintain, so make sure that you have time for regular touch-ups.

Blonde And Purple Hair

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Another look that we love is blonde hair combined with purple. The contrast is amazing and flatters light and dark complexions. This works best if the blonde is a cooler tone or neutral like a sandy blonde shade.

Platinum Blonde Pixie Cut

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Short blonde hair has always been fun and fashionable, and platinum pixie cuts are very sophisticated. If you have graying hair, this is a wonderful way to add some depth to the color, too.

Butterscotch Hair With Caramel Blonde Tones

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You can enhance a dark blonde color with some warm caramel tones. This is a lower-maintenance blonde that doesn’t need as much toner or upkeep, and works well on medium to long hair.

Mushroom Blonde Hair

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This shade is close to dusty blonde and is very flattering if you have fair skin and dark eyes. Try it with a chin-length bob to draw extra attention to your facial features.

White Golden Blonde Hair

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If you really want platinum blonde hair, but you don’t think that cool tones are right for your complexion, then this warm pale blonde is a great choice. It’s almost white, but with a hint of gold.

Recommendations

If you’re going blonde for the first time, then we’re excited for you. Blonde hair, highlights, or even just going a few shades lighter can all make a big difference when it comes to updating your look.

Just remember that blonde hair does require some upkeep if you want it to stay gorgeous. You’ll need to invest some time and a bit of money, but we think it’s worth it.

Citations

Hair color and wages: Waitresses with blond hair have more fun
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article

The Effect of Hair Color on the Incorporation of Codeine into Human Hair
https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/27/8/545/872220

The biology of hair care
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs

FAQs

What Blonde Hair Color Is Best?

The best blonde hair color really varies by person. What looks great on someone else might not be perfect for you. Our advice is to print out or save some photos of the colors you like, then bring them to your stylist and come up with a plan during your consultation.

Is Blonde Hair Recessive?

Each of your parents carries two alleles (genes that determine hair color), and they’ll pass these onto you. There are actually a couple of different genes responsible for making the dark-colored protein that determines your hair’s color, but (to make it simple) blonde is recessive and brown hair is dominant.

How To Dye Hair Blonde?

The best way to do this is to go to a salon- they’re trained professionals who can do this without damaging your hair, and they’ll work with you to get the best results. If you want to use an at-home blonde hair dye, make sure to wear protective gloves and clothing that you don’t mind staining. After the bleaching process, use a toner for blonde hair to get the shade you want. Make sure to deep condition your locks when you’re done.