18 Cute Multi-Colored Hair Ideas to Try in 2024

Need some multi-colored hair ideas? See tons of cute color combos that look great together and add a little colorful dazzle to your ‘do in our guide! 

We found examples of rainbow colors including trendy jewel tones like amethyst, aquamarine, and emerald to soft pastels like blush pink, minty green, and periwinkle blue. Get some inspiration with our big list of multi-colored hair ideas! 

The Multi-Colored Hair Trend

• Multi-colored hair ideas range from soft tints to bold, vibrant hues
• Use balayage, ombre, split color, highlights, etc. to add color
• Bleaching produces the brightest, purest color results

Multi-colored hair is one of the trendiest things in the world of beauty and fashion right now. Sure – natural blonde, brown, red, and black are gorgeous options, but why limit yourself to colors that occur in nature? 

The multi-colored hair trend is all about expanding your horizons, picking colors you love, and rocking them with confidence. If you’ve been itching to step out of the box with your color, hopping on the multi-hued trend is precisely the shake-up you need. 

There are no rules, only guidelines, when you’re adding multiple vibrant colors to your mane. You’ll still use color wheel hair theory to find your best color matches (and we’ll talk more about this later on), but the key here is picking colors and shades that you adore. 

• Want in-your-face, bright and bold color? Opt for vibrant hues that grab attention, like punchy magenta, bright yellow, electric blue, siren red, or grassy green. 
• Looking for polished tones that are bold enough to notice, but carry an air of sophistication? Jewel tones will be perfect for you, so check out crystalline shades like amethyst purple, emerald green, or deep sapphire blue. 
• Prefer soft, muted tints that won’t dominate your look? You’ll love pastel shades like blush pink, lilac purple, baby blue, or minty green. 

We’re seeing lots of multi-colored looks lately from each of these 3 categories. Whether you’re drawn to bold, vibrant colors, sparkling jewel tones, or ethereal pastel tints, you’ll love the refreshing change of pace from basic, natural colors. 

One of the things we love *so much* about the multi-colored hair trend is how versatile and dynamic it is. You can choose the colors you like best and decide how bold or soft you want them to look in your hair. 

Vibrant colors are definitely not “one size fits all.” You’re in the driver’s seat and you get to choose the shades you want, the color placement, and how bold or muted you want the results to be. 

You can choose the same colors as another person and still end up with delightfully different results! It all depends on where you place and apply the color, how much your hair lifts before the dye, how long it processes, and the technique used to apply the color. 

We’ll cover some helpful color tips later in the guide, but for now, let’s take a moment to obsess over some of the most gorgeous multi-colored hair ideas we’ve come across!

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18 Cutest Multi-Colored Hair Ideas to Try

With so many color combos and options at your fingertips, the only thing you need is a little inspiration to make it happen! Check out 18 of the cutest multi-colored hair ideas we’ve seen this year. 

From soft, blended pastel tints to edgy, bold hues that scream with vibrance and energy, there’s a color combo for everyone. Which one will be your next colorful look?

1. Lilac, Aquamarine, and Platinum Blonde

Bold pastels are one of our favorite multi-colored hair ideas – they’re pastel shades, but brighter and slightly deeper in tone for a more powerful color punch. Lilac, aquamarine blue, and hints of pink dress up a stunning platinum blonde for something delightfully different. 

2. Muted Pastel Ombre

If bright, in-your-face shades are a little much for you, try a muted pastel ombre! Washed-out denim blue, cool blonde, and subdued bubblegum pink will rejuvenate your mane and make you excited to style it in the mornings. 

Read Next: What Is Ombre Hair Color?

3. Unique Rainbow Tones

Lime green, raven blue, magenta, violet, and neutral black tones come together for a unique rainbow of color in this look! If Roy G. Biv just isn’t your style, laying strips of high-contrast, bold colors next to each other like this is a cool and unexpected option. 

4. Barbie Pink With Violet Root Melt

This multi-colored look screams girly, feminine, and all things fun! A vibrant pink covers an ultra-light blonde base with violet color melting in gradually from the roots. If pink and purple is your favorite color combo, this is such a cute way to rock it! 

5. Green to Red-Orange Ombre

A short pixie cut is so fun to try different multi-colored hair ideas on! Try a grassy green color in front with a smooth gradient transitioning into a bright red-orange tone. We like the diagonal line of transition in this look! 

6. Prismatic Muted Color Tint

To keep your color a little softer and more subdued, opt for a tint that takes on a washed-out effect that still pops. Dusty pink, soft yellow, and mossy green tint the pale golden blonde base color nicely without being overwhelming. 

7. Periwinkle, Violet, and Pink Ombre

Who can choose just one vivid color? With 3-color looks like this periwinkle, violet, and pink ombre, you won’t have to! Cool blue and purple gradually fade into a bright, slightly warmer pink tone so you can rock this combo with cool or neutral undertones. 

8. Cafe Noir With Bold Pops of Color

Deep brown – almost black – is a great foundation for vibrant color. Like blonde, it creates a great contrast that really draws the eye to the bold colors, which include magenta, sapphire blue, and deep green in this look. 

9. Soft Pastels With Peekaboo Blonde

Cool undertones look best with cooler colors, like this baby blue, pink, lilac, and platinum combo. The pastel tones dominate the style with a small strip of platinum blonde peeping out to keep the colors looking pure with a little contrast.

Read Next: What Is the Peekaboo Hair Trend?

10. Ruby and Amethyst

A beautiful ruby red color with pink undertones shares the spotlight with a subdued amethyst purple color in this pretty example. Chunky strips of color alternate throughout the look so you see equal amounts of each shimmering jewel tone. 

11. Purple and Seafoam Green Ombre

Let your inner mermaid out for a bit with these cool, jewel tones that remind us of the ocean. A metallic, shimmery seafoam green dominates the color with cool amethyst roots making a gorgeous color gradient. 

12. Kaleidoscope Color

This trendy color is applied in a pinwheel pattern for the coolest kaleidoscope appearance at the crown. Pops of bright pink, magenta, blue, and yellow blonde add lots of interest and look amazing on shorter lengths for some extra pizzazz. 

13. Blended Color Splash

Warm and cool colors coexist in this cute multi-colored look – perfect for neutral undertones and anyone who loves staying ahead of the trends. Orange, silvery blue and hot pink color is the main event while a deeper brunette root anchors the look. 

14. Soft Pink-Blonde and Pale Seafoam Green

Bright colors are great, but we’re kind of obsessed with the way paler, more subtle tints transform your look without relying on vibrance and color saturation. The palest pink graces the roots of this look with soft seafoam green taking over from the midshaft down. 

15. Flawless Violet Rose Ombre

It takes a skilled stylist to seamlessly blend a rich violet root color into a vibrant rose pink from the midshaft to ends. This color combo really pops and brings so much brightness and light to a shoulder-length style.

16. Electric Blue and Ultra Violet

Electric blue and bright violet are two cool, bright colors that instantly grab your attention. If your undertones are cool, this strobing color is the perfect choice! Strips of prismatic blue and purple add tons of energy to this cute color combo. 

17. Neon Pink and Pale Platinum Split Color

Transform short hair with a vibrant split color – you get lots of contrast and the chance to sport two different hues with less time spent in the stylist’s chair! In this example, the hair is lifted to a light platinum blonde first. One side is saturated in neon pink while the other gets pale pink tint to mirror the bright shade on the other side. 

18. Peekaboo Rainbow Color

Show off a rainbow of colors in the secondary and bottom layers of your hair with peekaboo color! Long layers will keep the peekaboo color visible 24/7, but you can place the color differently to achieve true peekaboo color that only shows when you want it to. 

Color Tips and Things to Consider

• Lift to the lightest blonde (level 10) for vibrant color. You can apply vivid colors over your natural or current hair color, but the results are going to be more subtle. The darker your hair, the less noticeable your new colors will be. For the most vibrant, high-saturation effect, your hair needs to be bleached to a level 9 or 10 before dying. If you plan to DIY, here’s our guide on bleaching your hair to pure white at home. 
• Check that your hair is healthy enough to bleach and dye. Speaking of bleaching, your hair absolutely needs to be in healthy condition before you lighten or dye it. Check your hair for signs of damage – split or frayed ends, breakage, or a dry, straw-like texture – before you finalize your colorful plans to avoid irreversible damage. If you bleach and dye already-damaged hair, you could experience hair fall, more breakage, a mushy, gummy texture, or even a “chemical haircut.” 
• Make sure the colors suit your complexion. While we all want to rock our favorite colors when we go for multi-colored dye, it’s a good idea to keep your skin tone and undertones in mind so the colors don’t clash. Warm undertones are golden, peach, or yellow and look best in warm colors (shades of red, pink, orange, brown, yellow, and neons). Cool undertones are blue or pink and look best in cool colors (purple, blue, green, and pastels). Neutral undertones are olive to yellow with equal warmth and coolness, so they look best with a mix of warm and cool colors but can rock either. 
• Pick colors that look good together. We said there are no rules for multi-colored hair, but you’re going to love the results more if the colors are complementary and look good together according to color wheel hair theory. Try to use all warm or all cool colors in your look. If you want to mix warm and cool for a more neutral tone overall, stick to the 2:1 ratio (2 cool colors to 1 warm color or vice versa). 
• Decide on the perfect color placement. Where do you want your colors? Are you going for an all-over look with no natural hair color showing through, or adding lots of colorful highlights or peekaboo color with your current color? We love pairing glam color techniques like balayage and ombre with unexpected colors. Split color (half and half) and dip-dye techniques look great, too. Decide where you want your color placed so you can communicate your goals to your stylist! 

Choosing Multi-Colored Hair Ideas That Suit You

From brilliant, prismatic color that reminds you of a kaleidoscope to a soft palette of pastels with muted or metallic tones, you’ve got tons of options when you decide to try a more colorful look. 

Your preferences are key here, so a list of your favorite colors is an excellent starting point. But it’s not necessarily going to give you the flattering, complimentary results you want. What will ensure a gorgeous color combo that suits you, however, is paying attention to your undertones and the color wheel.

As long as you’re matching colors that suit your undertones (warm, cool, or neutral), you’ll see that your new color scheme flatters your complexion, reduces the appearance of any redness or yellow undertones, and gives you a healthy overall look.

Picking favorite colors that don’t suit your undertones won’t be a tragedy, but it can exacerbate skin issues and redness by clashing with your complexion. 

If you must add in a shade with a different color temperature than your undertones, minimize the impact by adding in 2 shades that do suit your undertone. For example, if you have warm undertones but love cool pastels, you can try an icy pale blue with warm pink and orange.

This is also a great technique for neutral undertones that can wear both warm and cool hair colors. Getting a new color is always fun, but choosing to try out 2+ new, vivid shades is pretty thrilling!

The process of browsing and picking out colors, considering new cuts and styles to show off your new hues, and the suspense of waiting for your salon appointment and seeing your results (or for the timer to ding if you’re doing it at home) genuinely feels like an adventure. 

Here’s to having the bold confidence to try new trends, rock unexpected colors, and get creative with your mane! With your artistic sense of style and the helpful tips and inspiration in this guide, you’re all set to end up with the gorgeous color combo of your dreams.