A pink ombré hair is a hair color that features a shade of pink transitioned into another vivid or natural hair color or vice versa. For the daring, cotton-candy hair fans who’d like to get a feel of the pink hair movement, going ombré should be your first step!
Philly hair color specialist Brit Evans‘ Instagram feed is a sweet spot of a variety of seriously envy-inducing pink ombré hair looks. From romantic rosy to soft pastel to hot neon pinks paired with other hues and painted on pixies, lobs, and beach waves – you’ll surely be wishing you could try ’em all!
The pink hair trend even reached modern-day pop icons Lily Allen, Grimes, Jemima Kirke, and Lucy Hale, as they recently turned their strands into two-toned hairstyles and made their statements.
But of course, having a quirky hair color doesn’t come without cost. Your hair color change would also mean a lifestyle change because you need to be committed to keep your dreamy strands last long. Consult with your trusted colorist for the best product recommendations and at-home care tips!
Take your social media by storm when you show off one of these super-popular pink ombré hair colors below!
#1: Black and Pink Ombré
This work is a natural dark root into a neon pink ombré by Kat Collett, a salon owner in Kansas City, MO.
“Some of my favorite things about it are the vibrancy and richness, and the blend I was able to create using Pulp Riot color. I paired it with a customized cut and a tousled style to really bring it the dimension and highlight the neon pieces,” Collett notes.
She suggests being prepared for cold hair washing, as this is going to be the best way to extend the life of fashion colors. The most important thing is to embrace the fade.
“Every time you wash your hair it will turn more and more into a pastel tone of this color. You don’t want to wash your hair every day to prolong the amount of time you’ll have color in your hair. Dry shampoo is King. Using Pulp Riot hair color have the most beautiful fade out and true to tone,” Collett explains.
#2: Extra Long Bright Pink Ombre
An extra long bright pink ombre is the perfect hair color to try if you love vibrant hair and you’re ready to take on the maintenance it requires to upkeep. Dyeing your hair vivid and colorful comes with homework. No more hot showers, shampooing every day, or swimming in pools or at the beach. If you want to see your new pink hair get the most longevity, you’ll want to make sure you’re using a professional sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo as well as rinsing in cold water. Ask your stylist about a custom color conditioner or a color-depositing shampoo or conditioner you can use at home to refresh your color at home each time between washes.
#3: Strawberry and Pink Ombré
A more saturated champagne pink ombré for long hair is a thing to die for! This is a must-try for ladies with dark hair that needs some upgrade.
#4: Baby Pink Ombre
A baby pink ombré gives a lived-in look with a contrast in color. A softer pink is more flattering for all skin tones and ages. Whereas a brighter pink may appear too harsh.
#5: Pink Ombre Highlights
Pink ombre highlights are a great way to show off your fashion-forward style. Pink is definitely a hair color that is here to stay so why not try something bold and fun without all the maintenance. The ombre highlights are a great way to try something new without the commitment of all-over color. Just be sure to ask your stylist to create a custom conditioner by Evo’s Fab Pro line to prevent fading at home.
#6: Mermaid Pink Ombre
Mermaid pink ombre hair definitely makes a statement. If you’re a young woman in your 20’s and want to show off your cute and creative flair, choosing this amazingly bold color is the perfect way to go. It’s definitely not a low-maintenance color, however, as you will need to keep up with those roots. Curling your hair with a 1” barrel curling iron adds a bit more pop to this already dimensional color.
#7: Pink Rose Gold Ombre
Pink rose gold ombre is a gorgeous color to try if you want to opt for something less traditional than a blonde or brunette ombre. It adds a bit of sass and the ombre style ensures a beautiful and seamless grow out. For some added flair, curl those long locks to show off that color dimension and finish with Un.Done by Amika to create those beachy waves.
#8: Dark to Light Pink Ombré
Plum-peach colors in a glossy take is what a girl needs these days, don’t you think? It sure flatters women with a fair skin complexion. See more light pink hair colors here.
#9: Pink and Peach Ombré
What a bubbly combo! These cotton candy colors on wavy hair are to die for!
#10: Blue and Pink Ombré
What a divine creation! As if the gods have not blessed you enough with beauty, pulling off this blue and pink ombré combo is the next thing to heaven there is.
#11: Dark to Flamingo Pink Ombré
Now that’s a grand entrance right there! A flamingo pink ombré style?! You’ll be setting a trend with this hairstyle for sure.
#12: Dark to Light Rose Pink Ombré
Using a particular technique to create variations for one color is truly a skill to obtain. A glossy pink ombré hairstyle this gorgeous is a rare find.
#13: Dark to Pastel Pink Ombré
Working with one color can create numerous effects, like in this pastel pink ombre hair. Dark tones and light, pastel pink colors infuse to give you this marvelous ombré creation. This one makes a graceful grow-out if you have naturally black hair.
#14: Pink and Orange Ombré
If you’re thinking of trying two colors at once, give these peachy colors a go. It’s a no-brainer that goes from straightforward to stunning.
#15: Dark to Light Rose Petal Pink Ombré
Here’s a dark to light rose petal pink ombre by stylist Lisa Wagner of Chicago, IL.
“The model had previously bleached out hair from past color services with about a 3-4 inches of new growth. She is naturally very light, so to avoid bleaching, we altered the silver to dark charcoal using a demi-permanent color by Keune,” Wagner explains.
The pink is Blush by Pulp Riot. This look would be charcoal going into a candy pink ombré. For styling, Wagner just did a nice round brush blowout with some loose curling iron waves. “My favorite thing about this look is the grown-out grunge look. It gives some edge to the pretty pink,” Wagner points out.
These unnatural colors are more high-maintenance. You need to understand that it will take more work on your part to upkeep these vivid tones as well as keep your hair healthy. Vivid tones almost always require lightening services, and, depending on how many levels of lightness a stylist needs to lift them, the hair can take a toll on the bleaching process. Therefore, it is important to have a moisturizing/repairing and color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
At Wagner salon, they have treatments to do weekly that keep the hair healthy (Olaplex step 3 or B3 repairing conditioner). She goes on, “I suggest ladies to do one of these treatments once a week and sleep in the treatment overnight.”
Also with vivid colors, it is so important to not wash or rinse your hair with hot water. “I try to explain to my clients that the hair cuticles on a hair strand that holds color in, open, and close similar to the pores of your skin. When you take a hot shower, the hot water opens your pores or hair cuticles. Cooler water will keep that hair cuticle tight holding in the color,” states Wagner.
For any vivid colors, they will fade with time. The lighter they are, the less they last. Regular salon toning for these colors can range anywhere from every 2-6 weeks to keep the colors as vivid as they are.
#16: Pink and White Ombré
This pink ombré hue is nothing less than a showstopper. The melt from the hottest pink into the silver platinum without a transitional color is one of my favorite color effects. When done correctly, it tricks the eye to think, “is this balayage? foil? ombré?”
Color specialist Saige Jacobs of Kirkland, WA did bleach and tone with a root smudge. Not in the traditional way of shadowing a lightning service, but taking it to a new level and testing the limits of the “norm” with a natural shadow at the scalp – they decided to push to the other side of the spectrum with hot pink!
This specific color is not for the faint of heart. Jacobs explains, “We first had to get this woman to a seamless platinum blonde which can take up to if not more than a year to achieve on some people depending on their starting color, color history, and integrity. From there we toned all the remaining warmth out with a silver/violet platinum. The last step is to dry and then color melt the pink down off her scalp.”
Maintenance and at-home care are high. As your blonde is lifted to the lightest level of blonde, weekly treatments are recommended to mend and maintain the integrity of the ends.
Also, be mindful of the pink! How do you maintain the pink? A direct dye is used for this fashion color. This color molecule mainly sits just inside the cuticle. What this means is staying away from heat will be in your favor!
“Use cool water when shampooing (with a professional color-safe shampoo or cleansing conditioner) and stay away from mechanical tools for styling. Of course, this isn’t realistic for most of us – minimal heating styling would be my recommendation with a great heat protectant of course. My favorite is the glow dry diamond oil from Redken,” Jacobs suggests.
Fashion colors fade easily, and bleach and tones grow out quickly. Your visit to the salon should be every 4 weeks, no longer than every 6 weeks, for maintenance.
The haircut complements this style adding movement, body, and luster to the finished piece. The foundation of the cut should be done prior to the color, as the color is molded around the haircut. This will avoid unwanted drop-offs of pink making a blended haircut appear “choppy”. Jacobs does the haircut prior to many of my highlighting services for this reason.
#17: Dark to Hot Pink Ombré
In this dark to hot pink ombre, Arizona-based look creator Demi Lunam added depth at the root with a level 4 double calibrated ash and refreshed her balayage with lightener and 20 volume activator. Then, toned her mid-lengths and ends with a poppy punch of pink.
Lunam goes on, “I added yellow to my pink formula to give a highlighter finish. We softened up her layers and curled with a flat iron in opposite directions to give a lived-in feel. I finished with texture spray to add volume and with oil to add shine and define her ends.”
A rooty balayage is a great low-maintenance option for a low-key lady. Lunam loves looks like this because it initially packs a punch but the fade-out is just as fun! If you want to keep the pink poppin’, she suggests scheduling a toner and treatment maintenance with your stylist every 3 weeks.
This style is all about enhancing the natural texture and adding a bit of drama to let women feel like the most badass version of herself, regardless if she spends 5 or 45+ minutes on her hair.
“This look does require a lightener to achieve, so your hair will benefit from adding treatments to your regime to keep hair soft, shiny, and healthy. I love the TIGI Copyright Care Boosters in repair – shine and smooth once a week for 5 mins,” Lunam states.
#18: Dark to Cotton Candy Pink Ombré
This is a dark to cotton candy pink ombre, designed by Caitie Morgan, a hairdresser from Reston, VA. “I took her previously lightened pretty blonde hair and revamped it with a mixture of cool-toned purples and pinks,” says Morgan.
A blend of different Pulp Riot colors was used from the Raven collection to give her vivid color some dimension and depth. Morgan used a flat iron to style the curls and created a soft wave pattern. She states, “What I loved most about her look is the instant confidence boost my client got when she saw her new color. Her attitude and sass came right out, and I think the after-photos I took with her show that off.”
Any lady considering this ombré pink color has to first know that the longevity on lighter vivid colors is not long. You could be looking at 3+ hours in the salon for color that is fading by the 4th wash. That is the nature of vivid color – the lighter the color, the less longevity. What Morgan always recommends is the color deposit Viral Shampoo to use at home. These shampoos are a quick and easy way to keep your color fresh in between touch-ups.
While having hair like a unicorn is a dream come true, many don’t realize getting there can be a journey. For instance, if you have long hair full of black box dye and want to have pastel pink hair in one day without losing any length, it’s just not realistic.
To keep your hair healthy, Morgan suggests “lightening in sessions and using Olaplex treatments at home to strengthen your hair. Olaplex is a game-changer for the hair industry that has helped bring much hair back from the brink of extinction by repairing the damage from within.”
#19: Short Blonde to Pink Ombré
This shade of pink ombré on short hair offers a nice-looking contrast. It’s for that girl who is sweet but has a sassy side. It is hard yet soft. The soft beige blonde at the top isn’t something you typically see when pairing a bright vibrant color like magenta. According to stylist Paige Vanevenhoven from Yuba City, CA, this dip dye really draws the eye to the shape of the cut and the way it’s styled.
“Have fun with it,” Vanevenhoven suggests for any lady who considers this look.
“This blonde to pink ombre wouldn’t be a great choice for a reserved, subdued one. This is for the bold! Besides personality, I think the length and style are universal for the most part. I think a lot of people could pull off this style and color as long as they have the confidence to rock it,” Vanevenhoven adds.
It fades lovely into a soft pink as long as it’s not overwashed and maintained with a color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
#20: Pink and Purple Ombré
Go for a look that features modernized pink and purple ombre hair tones. According to look creator Amber Yancey from Hendersonville, NC, it still has the classic feel of an ombré but more blended around the frame of the face.
“I utilized the way the layers are in the hair to place the blend higher up, so the color placement flows. This type of color will pop more if the hair is curled or has a light texture,” Yancey notes.
Any type of creative color is more high-maintenance than natural hair color. You have to have a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo and conditioner for washing. Yancey suggests, “Wash your hair every 3-7 days. The less it’s shampooed, the longer the color will last. Dry shampoo will be your new best friend. This type of color is best for someone who can go for a few days without shampooing.”
Any hair texture can have this colored hair if the canvas is lifted to a nice butter blonde beforehand.
#21: Brown to Pink Ombré
This is a bright, blended summer pink balayage on brown hair, colored by Delaney FitzGerald from Fort Worth, TX. The color is faded into the natural hair without any blotches or discoloration.
Trying out fashion colors can be so fun! The only thing is it is damaging to the hair in the long-term if it is not conditioned regularly.
FitzGerald mentions that this look is for women who enjoy standing out and aren’t too concerned about looking “professional.”
The lighter the natural hair, the easier it is to bleach and color. “If a lady has darker hair naturally, it may take a few processes before the desired look is reached. It all depends on the amount of dedication someone is willing to have to create this look and maintain it in a healthy manner,” says FitzGerald.
#22: Red and Pink
Achieve a red to pink ombre hair color by using a darker red base blended into the light pink at the ends! For inspiration, here’s a creation by stylist Samantha Ashley Ahern of Derry, NH.
“I used ID hair color for the red base, lightened the midshaft and ends to a level 9, and used Pulp Riot for the pink on the ends. My favorite thing about this color is how lively and fun it is,” states Ahern.
This pink hair dye definitely has some versatility. It isn’t your typical red or natural hair color but it’s also not too wild.
What’s important to know about this color is that it will fade. In order to keep it looking fresh and nice, Ahern suggests getting it re-colored every 6 weeks. Taking the proper aftercare steps is key in making the color last.
“For someone who wants something a little different, wants to stand out in the crowd, and is willing to commit to keeping it up, this is a really great color! It can be customized as well. If someone wanted it brighter pink or more rose gold, there are plenty of ways to modify it,” Ahern emphasizes.