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Hair

22 of the Best Blonde Hair Color Ideas for Every Skin Tone

 

All blondes are not created equal. (Just ask a blonde.) Ahead, the prettiest golden, honey, and platinum shades for your complexion and your preference.

By most sound estimates, only about 2% of people have a naturally blonde hair color. And while statistics are inconclusive as to how many of us are blonde by other means ("unnatural" blonde is so harsh, no?), we're willing to bet good money that blonde is the most-requested shade in the salon and the most purchased out-of-the-box shade at the drugstore.

Don't believe us? Think of your favorite celebrity. Chances are, they've been blonde at some point in their career. Not to mention yourself: If you clicked on this article, you've probably been or considered going blonde, too. And you're in good company. After all, the global appeal of blonde makes sense. For starters, it has about one billion permutations, from the coolest, iciest silvery shade to the richest and earthiest mushroomy hue.

Don't even get us started on highlights. Some blondes flirt dangerously close to dynamic brunettes. Others are a mere whisper away from auburn. It's that versatility that makes blonde hair so universally flattering. Take our word for it—there is a blonde for you. Whether you choose to wear a wig or sit in a salon chair and let the bleach do its thing, you have a ton of options. With the help of top colorists, we rounded up some of the most stunning shades to inspire your next hair transformation.

Meet the experts:

Rogério Cavalcante is a colorist and owner of The Second Floor Salon in New York City.
Tiffanie Richards is a colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon in New York City.
Lorena M. Valdes is a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.
Karissa Schaudt is a colorist and owner of Scarlet & Co. Salon in Chicago.
Katie Reid is a global design director and education manager at Kevin Murphy.
Parvin Klein is a colorist at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa in New York City.
Laura Gibson is a colorist and Joico global artistic director.
Elisabeth Leary is a colorist and owner of Whiteroom in Brooklyn, New York.
Liz Jung is a colorist at Mare Salon in West Hollywood, California.
Aaron Bradford is a colorist and balayage specialist at Cedric Salon in New York City.

 

Cool blonde hair ideas

Muted platinum

Rosé’s muted platinum embodies the “quiet luxury” aesthetic. “Platinum hair looks stunning on her fair skin tone,” says Rogério Cavalcante, owner, stylist, and colorist at The Second Floor Salon in New York City. Word to the wise: “Because platinum requires a few rounds of coloring, the hair needs to be strong.” To get ready for a dramatic change like this, prepare your hair from breakage before it starts with these tips.

Cappuccino cool

Less is more when it comes to Halle Berry’s cappuccino-toned hair color, which has high-contrast highlights. “Halle’s skin tone is perfect for balancing the lightness of the highlights and the darkness of the base color,” says Tiffanie Richards, a colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon in New York City. She says warm skin tones will benefit most from this look.

Richards adds that any hair texture can pull it off. “Due to the contrast between the highlights and the brunette, curly hair will especially thrive,” she says. “The highlights will pop and appear defined.”

Another benefit? This color is pretty low-maintenance. Richards says the highlights will look “just as good grown out a bit as they do fresh.”

Beige platinum

Leave it to Kim Kardashian to pull off nearly any hair color from her natural dark brown to the beige platinum shown here. The latter strikes the right balance between warm and ashy tones. According to Lorena M. Valdes, colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, it is universally flattering on all skin tones.

Beige platinum

Saweetie’s white platinum hair is just as fun as her latest hits—but it's not for the faint of heart. "Unfortunately, not everyone can achieve this level of platinum," says Karissa Schaudt, colorist and owner of Scarlet & Co. Salon in Chicago. "If there's a previous color or existing damage, you would need a wig to achieve this. But if your hair is naturally light and in good condition, ask for a consult to see if it's achievable for you."

Neutral blonde hair ideas

Sandy bronde

Margot Robbie’s sandy bronde hair is a few shades darker than her shade in Barbie. Says Katie Reid, global design director and education manager at Kevin Murphy, this color is flattering on almost everyone, except those with supercool skin tones.

One major benefit to this look is that it’s low-ish maintenance. As it grows out, you’ll have a bigger grace period before hitting up your salon again.

Dirty blonde

Taylor Swift’s many memorable blonde eras include this natural, dishwater hair color. “This ashy blonde tone looks very understated,” says Parvin Klein, color director at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa in New York City. “It works well on Taylor because it has deeper tones and helps highlight her fairer skin tone.”

Golden sombré

Amanda Seyfried's hair is not quite brunette, not quite blonde, but every single bit dynamic and flattering on just about every skin tone. "Seyfried's color creates a soft glow on her skin while adding definition to her features because of the dimension and depth throughout the color," says Laura Gibson, a colorist and Joico global artistic director. Ask your stylist for a soft golden sombré (a subtle ombré) to achieve this look. They can choose the root color based on your skin tone and you're good to go.

Lighter mushroom blonde

Yes, the ideal balance of brightness and ashiness does exist. Salma Hayek’s hair here is proof. “It’s fitting for her skin tone as it isn’t too brassy and still has dimension,” says Valdes. She adds that this works for most skin tones, except those with rosy undertones. (It might bring out your redness in an unflattering way.)

Since it’s an extremely high-maintenance shade, doing a strand test (coloring a small section of your hair) is important. It lets you see how the integrity of your hair reacts to the color so there’ll be no surprises later.

Gold ash

The neutrality of Cardi B’s golden ash hair is what makes it extremely wearable, Elisabeth Leary, owner of Whiteroom in Brooklyn, explains: “It is so balanced,” she says. “It looks great on darker skin that has a lot of warmth, but could also work well on fairer skin with olive undertones because it isn’t too cool or warm.”

To maintain the shade before your next touch-up, Leary advises using shampoo and conditioner specifically for colored hair to help prevent stripping away the tone and depth.

Lived-in platinum

Platinum doesn’t have to be super-high maintenance. Gigi Hadid’s lived-in iteration of the hair color is yet another look that will let you take longer breaks between touch-up appointments. Its beauty is in the darker roots that transition into solid blonde ends. “Warm, olive skin tones and red undertones work best with this hair color as it will bring balance between the hair and skin tones,” Valdes says.

Warm neutral blonde hair

Whipped butter

When Billie Eilish went from her green-and-black hair to this ever-so-slightly yellow platinum, she broke the internet. But it wasn't an easy transition. The singer/songwriter sat in a salon chair for hours over weeks to safely take her to this blonde, so if you’re considering a similar change, be ready to do the same. "It's a little warmer than your traditional platinum blonde, but this works for her fair complexion," says Gibson. "It makes her bright eyes really stand out."

Buttery braids

Slightly darker blonde tones at the roots combined with lighter blonde at the ends make Solange's blonde braids a winner in our book. Instead of braiding in extensions with her typically dark roots, the singer dyed her natural hair a warm blonde that creates the contrast you see here. "Solange's platinum level 10 is one of the most requested blondes and the hardest to achieve," says Liz Jung, a colorist at Mare Salon in West Hollywood, California. "It isn't a fast process and definitely not for the faint of heart; there will be damage. [Solange] stunned us all when she debuted this braided look and later revealed an incredible platinum Afro."

Vernon François is the colorist behind Solange's blonde, whom Jung calls "one of the most brilliant hairdressers." Of course, we couldn't agree more. "He nailed this color!" she says. "I can tell so much care and attention went into the lightening process as well as the aftercare." Jung only recommends platinum for clients who understand the high-maintenance upkeep, time commitment, potential for damage (you'll probably lose a few inches), and dedication to regular treatments.

Golden wheat blonde

Richards calls Chloë Grace Moretz's extra-radiant hair color “golden wheat,” describing it as “a mixture of a natural medium golden shade with a pale blonde, creating a warm creamy tone.” She goes on to say it should look flattering on just about any skin tone.

Golden sand

If a dreamy island vacation were a hair color, this would be it. Klein calls Zendaya’s neutral blonde hair “golden sand” as it has both the warmth of the sun and the neutrality of sand on the beach. The different shades melt together, creating this refreshing hair color that we’re here for. Klein notes, “This unique tone suits Zendaya as it complements her natural beauty and olive complexion.”

Beige

This pale yellowish tone is deeply flattering against olive and deeper skin tones. “The warmth in Amandla Stenberg’s hair color helps accentuate and compliment the warmer tones of her skin,” says Klein.

Beige looks especially striking on more textured hair or hair that has a lot of volume and shape, she adds. “The more movement throughout the hair helps the color pop.”

Caramel blonde

Rita Ora has been platinum blonde, dark brunette, and every hue in between, but one of our favorite looks of hers is this caramel blonde. “This is a mixture of golden and pale tones which is why it is so forgiving layered on a dark natural root color,” says Richards. “The warm highlights complement Rita's skin tone while the pale blonde highlights add the pop of brightness needed to achieve a fresh, vibrant look.” Overall, the contrast of colors adds extra interest and looks perfectly balanced.

Warm blonde hair

Honey blonde

What makes Sydney Sweeney’s honey blonde hair stand out is the combination of colors, including gold, beige, and almost-white strands. “It blends well with her light eye color and beige skin tone,” says Cavalcante. “This shade brings out a natural look; she probably had a similar hair color as a child.”

It’s versatile and flattering on all skin tones from light to olive to dark. The darker roots blend the different shades of blonde in her hair. Leary’s tip for keeping the shade fresh? Use a hair gloss between appointments.

Buttercream blonde

Solid, bright, with the perfect balance of warmth. That’s exactly what Dakota Fanning’s buttercream blonde hair is. “It brightens up the complexion on her fair skin without bringing out too much of her pink undertones,” says Leary. She adds that finer, sleeker textures might look best with this color. “For someone with thicker, coarser hair, this color might lack the dimension it needs to look healthy and balanced.”

An easy way to amp it up? Use a deep leave-in conditioner to ensure the ends look hydrated and smooth, Leary says. Finish by applying a light hair oil to give it that made-you-look shine.

Honey blonde

Here, the warm honey-blonde hair color is placed on darker roots, giving Serena Williams an all-over G.O.A.T. glow. “If this color blonde was brought up to the root, it would definitely have much more of an overall strawberry blonde feel, as opposed to golden blonde,” says Richards.

“Mixing dark and warm light tones [against] deep skin is extremely flattering,” she adds, with the caveat that those with fairer skin might want to steer clear of the look. “This color on someone with naturally light skin would bring out the red or olive undertones in their skin.”

Tawny gold

Skip the highlights for this one: Tawny gold looks extra-polished with its solid color and high shine. “Golden hair colors have warm undertones, meaning they have hints of yellow, red, or orange,” says Cavalcante. “Skin tones with warm undertones harmonize well with warm hair colors because they create a cohesive and balanced look.”

Since this is one overall hair color, Reid notes that you’ll see even a little bit of grow-out at the roots. Six weeks is the sweet spot for a touch-up.

Golden ombré

For Jennifer Lopez, whose hair has been quite literally every shade of the blonde, bronde, and brunette rainbow, this might be one of her more successful permutations to date. "J.Lo does what we refer to as a double process' meaning she gets her gray roots covered and then gets highlights afterward," explains Aaron Bradford, colorist and balayage specialist at Cedric Salon in New York City.

“In contrast, if you have a dark base with little to no gray, you would want to ask for balayage and a gloss afterward to soften or bump your dark base to a lighter chocolate tone." Bradford notes that it may take a few highlight sessions to get your color to that blonde while maintaining the hair's integrity.

Golden copper

Think of Blake Lively’s golden copper hair as a couple of levels deeper than strawberry blonde. “It’s a bronzy shade with a heavy emphasis on gold,” says Valdes, who notes it complements those with peachy red undertones.

This hair color allows your eye to focus on Blake, says Valdes. “It works great on most hair types and textures but best on waves and curls as it emphasizes the variety of coppers and golds in the hair,” she says.