What better way to brighten up your day-to-day life than by jumping on the rainbow hair colour bandwagon? The look has become extremely popular and more mainstream now that many celebrities have become renowned for their rainbow hairstyles, including Cardi B, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Kylie Jenner, to name a few, with celebrities frequently showcasing dying dark hair bright on the red carpets and social media.
There are many acceptable variations with this trend, including pastel rainbow hair, pink and blue – or go crazy and include all the colours of the rainbow in one hairstyle.
To ensure that your rainbow hair lasts as long as possible, make sure to use a colour-protecting shampoo. CHOICE tested 28 colour care shampoo brands and the one that caused the least amount of colour change was Nourish Naturals Coloured Hair Shampoo.
Here we run through some celeb fave rainbow hair colour ideas. What’s your favourite?
10. Half and Half
Can’t decide between two colours for your next hair dye or aren’t sure if you want to fully commit to one? Then the new half-and-half trend is for you. Take after Lady Gaga and Dani Thorne by dying each half of your hair a different shade. Or copy Nicki Minaj, who has more than once just dyed half of her hair a vibrant colour and left the other side blonde.
To create this look at home, pair together any two hair dyes, such as from the Lime Crime collection, and dye each half separately.
Buy here: limecrime.com
Review: The full coverage color is amazing. Not only does it smell really good, it covers amazingly and has a great color range. I use this on myself and clients when I do their hair. Take it from me, a professional cosmetologist. Brianna E.
9. Colourful Highlights
For those afraid of commitment, hidden rainbow highlights, which add just a touch of colour, are a cool choice. Follow in the footsteps of Ariel Winter, Nicole Richie and Bella Thorne by picking a hue that complements your natural hair colour, and add a few highlights. All the fun, without going too over the top.
The perfect hair dye to create temporary colourful streaks is L’Oréal Paris Colorista Spray, which ensures that you can control exactly where you want the hair dye to go on your hair. The range comes in all kinds of gorgeous colours from teal to rose gold to lavender.
Buy here: priceline.com.au
Review: If you want fun coloured hair for the day this is a good choice. this actually lasts about 2-3 washes. very affordable. looks amazing on blonde hair. however, i used to get highlight so my tips are still bleached and it took a few weeks for it to fade off those parts it wasn’t that obvious but it was there Tiffanie F. 4 stars
8. Ombré Colours
Can’t choose just one colour? Why not opt for a mix? Release your inner unicorn with colourful ombré hair and make a statement with a combination of complementing colours, such as a mix of pink and purple like Irene Kim or purple and blue as Taraji P Henson did in 2015. Or simply mix all three – pink purple blue – for a strikingly seamless ombré like Hannah Stocking.
To easily recreate these looks at an affordable price, try L’Oréal Paris Colorista Washout hair dyes that retail for only around $16.45. It comes in a perfect range of colours that blend well together.
Buy here: priceline.com.au
Review: This is a great product. The colour I used was a peachy-pink and it was quite faithful to the colour on the packaging. It was easy to use, and thankfully not messy. The vibrancy of the colour will depend on your own hair’s colour, so if you have darker hair, it simple won’t look as good. But it washed out well and I would use again Alana Schetzer 3 stars
7. The absolute ends
A major trend amongst social media influencers, especially those with longer hair, is colourful dip dye, where instead of going for a blonde balayage, you choose bright hair colour or pastel hair colour to feature on the ends of your natural or dyed hair. Both Bella and Gigi Hadid have done so with pink dye, while Kelsey Calamine and Bella Thorne opted for even brighter colours.
L’Oreal even gives a how to guide to getting this effect, suggesting starting with a gentle bleach, such as L’Oreal Paris Colorista Effect Ombré, before topping off with colour. (Note: this product is a permanent dye)
Buy here: woolworths.com.au
Review: It works but be patient if you have dark hair. Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy 4 stars
6. Bright Colours
A statement style for the bold is colouring your whole head of hair in a vibrant bright colour. Kylie Jenner is known for her many colourful hairstyles and wigs featuring a new bright colour almost every week. Rita Ora also knows how to make a statement with out-there colours while Iggy Azalea changed up her hairstyle multiple times in her new music video “Started”.
The best bright hair dyes are Arctic Fox Hair Colour which boasts a wide selection of shades in a semi-permanent formula for around $27.95.
Buy here: beautopia.com.au
Review: Very pigmented dye, beautiful colour mixed with sunset orange and diluted with arctic mist to make a pinky/orange colour turned out more magenta and is fading nicely to a Rose Gold colour. Tamika L. 5 stars
5. Colourful pixie cuts
One for those with short hair, colourful pixie cuts show how having a crop doesn’t mean you have any less possibilities for hair flair. Katy Perry, Lena Dunham and Ruby Rose constantly change up the colour of their pixie cuts, opting for a range of fun combinations and eye-catching shades from pastel rainbow hair to vibrant tones.
Try semi-permanent Schwarzkopf Live Colour Ultra Brights, a bargain at $4.99.
Buy here: chemist warehouse.com.au
Review: Lasts and lasts! I’ve been camouflaging my greys with ultra brights magnetic purple for a few years now, and always get compliments. No lavender blonde for me! Gypsy Chick. 5 stars
4. Pastel Colours
If you’re looking for a more subtle look, pastel shades of rainbow hair may be perfect for you. The lighter shades of pale have recently becoming a major trend, with many celebrities opting to try something different than bright vivid hues.
Go for a pastel pink like Khloe Kardashian to change up your blonde hair, or follow her sisters Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner and head towards a mint green.
However, the most popular pastel choice at the moment is lilac, which is Kelly Osbourne’s signature look and has also been tried by Zayn Malik and Jourdan Dunn. Recently Ashley Tisdale has gone #PurpleForThePlanet – more mauve, actually – to protect 30 species in 30 days.
To create the perfect pastel, the hair dye brand DARE has come up with the DARE ‘pasteliser’, which can dilute any of their other hair colours to create the perfect pastel for you. It only costs $19.95, making it an affordable way to design your perfect colour.
Buy here: hairhousewarehouse.com.au
Review: Dare is the only product I use to colour my hair. It doesn’t dry it out and it doesn’t bleed. I can do amazing combinations with it. Tracey O’Hara 5 stars
3. Blue Hair
Forget the Smurf look of years gone by. An underestimated hair colour is now a hot trend due to celebrities embracing various shades of blue. Rising 17-year old music artist Billie Eilish has become known for the hair colour which emphasises her gorgeous blue eyes. Others who have chosen a hair hue fit for a mermaid include Kylie Jenner, Hilary Duff and Hailey Bieber.
To achieve a gorgeous blue for your own hair, try one of Lime Crime’s gorgeous semi-permanent blue shades.
Buy here: limecrime.com Blue smoke hair color (steel blue) $23.68
Review: I’ve had this color about four months and it is such a stunning shade and it is very long lasting but when it does fade it still looks very pretty Emma R. 5 stars
Buy here: limecrime.com anime hair color (candy blue) $23.68
Review: Bright, long lasting colour. Love this stuff! I refresh my colour every month or so. My hair is naturally a med/drk blonde so I don’t need to pre-bleach. Smells great too. Heidi F 5 stars
2. Rainbow Hair
The most colourful hair choice of them all, rainbow hair has become a standout pick for attention-seeking celebs, whether it’s to make a statement at Coachella like Hannah Stocking or just to brighten up the everyday as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj have. Other celebrities who have showcased this unique look are Bella Thorne, Georgia May Jagger and Blac Chyna.
For a style like this, it’s probably best to go professional.
Try DD&Co in Sydney or Chumba in Melbourne, which offers a $347 special for uniquely crafted coloured hair.
1. Pink Hair
From celebrity Instagram posts to the cover of Vogue, the top hair colour look over the last few years has been to think pink. The trend has veered towards more baby and pastel shades than shocking pink but the list of celebrities who have embraced this cosy colour includes Maisie Williams, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Lucy Hale. Even the boys are getting in on the look: check out Jonah Hill. Australian model Fernanda Ly is known for her signature pink hair, which is a striking feature in her magazine editorials and covers.
If you’re going to go for a lasting pastel pink, then you may need to go through the process of bleaching your hair first to make sure that the colour shows up.
For a less permanent and damaging option, you can also purchase vegan and semi-permanent Manic Panic hair dye in Cotton Candy for $26.95 from Hairhouse Warehouse and DIY in the comfort of your own home.
Buy here: hairhousewarehouse.com.au
Review: Cutest colour around, lasts a little less than i expected and reaplication has to happen quite often but the colour is adorable, a very light bright pink that really pops in the sunlight, one of my favourite manic panic colours i have tried so far. Kit F. 5 stars
