The Best Celebrity Ombre Hairstyles

If you’ve never gone ombré with your hair before, then this is something you definitely need to try. Ombré shades became trendy a good few years ago, and it doesn’t seem as though they’re going to get less popular any time soon.

What exactly is ombré?

It’s a French word that means shaded in English. It refers to hair that is usually darker at the top, but turns lighter from mid-shaft down to the ends.

Not sure if the look would suit you?

It suits just about everyone! Here are some beautiful celebrity ombré hairstyles to give you some inspiration.

Jourdan Dunn

The ombré look tends to be easiest to pull off on long hair.

Why?

Because the shades that you pick will have more space in which to transition into each other.

Of course, that’s not to say that the ombré look can’t be pulled off on shorter styles too, which is exactly what Jourdan Dunn has done.

Want to know the secret to achieving the perfect ombré look on a shorter cut?

Dunn’s hairstylist says that the key is to add ombre highlights in too, starting just a couple of inches below the roots. 

This will reduce any harshness when it comes to contrasting colors, making the transition look just as smooth as it would have done on long hair. 

Whitney Port

Whitney Port knew exactly how to rock the ombré look quite a few years ago.

If you ever watched The Hills or The City, then you will likely remember her long, blonde, ombré locks. Port continued on with the ombré look after the shows were done filming, with the shading getting even more flawless as the years went on. Port agrees with this herself, saying that her ombré hair has “just progressively got better”. 

This ombré style is one that looks quite natural, with a light, sun-kissed vibe. It’s ideal for summer too, although you could go for icier shades if you wanted to give this look a try in the winter.

Ciara

While Whitney Port’s ombré hairstyle is quite subtle, Ciara’s is all about contrast and drama.

Ciara is a celebrity that has never been afraid to experiment with her hair, but the ombré look is one that she returns to time and time again. This means that she has had ombré colors on a variety of different cuts, in a variety of different shades, such as:

• Black and golden-blonde on long, wavy locks
• Dark brown and a sun-kissed blonde on long, wavy locks
• A medium-brown and a dark, honey blonde on a layered, wavy bob 

Ciara has moved through these looks quite gradually, giving her hair time to adjust to being lightened. This is definitely the way to go if you have dark hair and want to move to a lighter shade without causing too much damage.

Jessica Biel

Are you a natural brunette?

If so, then you probably agree that making the move from dark to light can sometimes be quite intimidating.

This is where the ombré look becomes so useful, giving you the chance to get used to this change gradually.

Jessica Biel is a natural brunette, but added a warm, honey blonde to the ends of her hair. The transition is quite gradual but there is still a high amount of contrast, giving the shade an alluring and striking effect.

Hilary Duff

Many don’t realize that Hilary Duff first went ombré back in 2011.

However, this wasn’t blonde – instead, Duff went for an ombré bronde, with a darker brown at the top and a dark blonde at the bottom.

Although the style was quite flattering on the actress, she went back to blonde soon after, and hasn’t returned to being a brunette ever since.

Of course, the ombré was something that she didn’t leave behind…

She has chosen ombré shades in a number of colors over the years, most recently with dark blonde at the roots and a lighter blonde at the ends.

This all changed quite recently, after the birth of her second child. Duff decided to go fully platinum blonde, and only time will tell if she returns to ombré once again. 

Hailey Baldwin

Hailey Baldwin first started dyeing her hair when she was 14, and has since then tried just about everything you could imagine. From pink to gray, Baldwin is no stranger to experimenting with color.

While Baldwin has managed to pull off pretty much all of those looks impeccably, her ombré styles have been some of her finest.

With a natural brown at her roots, Baldwin opts for anything from blonde to light pink for the ends, giving her hair a beautiful contrast.

You may have noticed how bouncy and shiny Baldwin’s hair looks too, and are probably thinking…

How does she manage to keep her hair so healthy when she dyes it so often?

Baldwin books herself in for regular hair treatments at the salon, and uses at-home treatments in between salon sessions. At those salon visits, Baldwin makes sure that any dead or split ends are cut off, as this keeps her hair looking and feeling healthier. She also regularly applies coconut oil through her hair, to keep it hydrated, moisturized and protected. 

Leighton Meester

Gossip Girl fans may still associate Leighton Meester with all of those preppy headbands, but the actress has had many hair transformations since then. 

Meester has gone for ombré a few times over the years, with her first foray into this world being in 2014.

It was soon after Meester had cut her hair into a long bob, going for a deep red shade. She happened to also have some blonde highlights running through her hair, and left these in her ends to give her style an ombré look.

A couple of years later, she went for ombré again, but this time with more of a beachy vibe. She stuck with a brunette around her roots, with this turning into a light blonde towards the ends. She kept it quite wavy and messy too, which added to its boho attitude.

Ashley Benson

Ashley Benson first gave the ombré look a try a few years ago, with a darker blonde at the roots and a light blonde at the ends.

This was after having completely blonde locks, and the ombré gave her just the right amount of edge and contrast.

She has returned to these shades numerous times since then, with the ombré being her go-to style.

In fact, Benson has gone back to ombré once again, but with a shade that is slightly more unconventional…

This time, her blonde roots transition into a bright pink. It’s almost neon, but not quite, and looks incredible with her wavy long bob. 

Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung is another celebrity who has been a long-time fan of ombré.

She was first spotted with an ombré look in 2015, with the contrast being quite minimal. Since then, she has experimented further with this style, but always tends to keep her hair either wavy or curly when going ombré.

Wondering if wavy hair is better suited to the ombré look than straight?

Yes, most would agree that ombré tends to work better on wavy or curly hair.

Why?

Because when your hair is straight, the transition between your hair shades becomes so much more obvious, giving it a contrast that can often look quite harsh. Any imperfections will also be much more visible.

On the other hand, curls and waves make the transition appear much more gradual, giving your hair a much more natural look.

One of Chung’s most recent ombré looks was on quite a short bob, with her hair falling just above her chin. It is actually quite difficult to truly pull off an ombré style with hair this short, but Chung achieved it perfectly. Again, she kept her hair tousled and wavy, which would have helped to hide the harsh contrast in the middle of the shade transition.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker’s ombré hair is pretty much the actress’ signature look. It is a style that she is known for, and is one that so many try to replicate.

What makes Sarah Jessica Parker’s ombré so special?

The fact that it looks so natural and subtle. Of course, it does help that her hair is quite long, as well as wavy, both of which lend themselves extremely well to the ombré look.

Although the exact shades that the actress has gone with over the years has varied slightly, she has always stuck to shades of blonde and brown.

Most recently, her ombré locks start off with a dark brown, before gradually turning into a lighter ash blonde. This really flatters her face, lighting it up in all the right places.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway fans love the actress’ thick, luscious hair, with her locks always looking beautifully healthy.

This gives Hathaway the chance to experiment with quite a wide range of styles, and she has chosen ombré a few times now.

The actress does like to keep her look quite natural, so stuck with brown for her roots. This then turns into a warm honey blonde at the tips, with her hair falling just above her shoulders in a long bob.

Tempted to go for a bob too?

Make sure that you cut your hair before you dye it ombré.

Why?

Because the transition of your ombré shades will be chosen based on your cut, so that the colors can properly flatter your face. If you cut your hair after dyeing it, you will interfere with this.

Just like many of the other celebs on this list, Hathaway goes for a wavy texture with her ombré colors, helping the style to look even better.

Lauren Conrad

The second star from The Hills to appear on this list, Lauren Conrad is no stranger to the ombré look.

She has gone for this style many times now, and while she does get quite creative when it comes to hair colors, Conrad tends to stick with blonde when she opts for ombré shades.

However, Conrad is quite conscious about minimizing damage to her hair, understanding how detrimental frequently dyeing your hair can be.

So, Conrad sometimes uses a little trick to achieve the ombré look – one that doesn’t require any hair dye at all…

Conrad makes use of light blonde hair extensions, placing these into her hair underneath her natural, darker blonde shade. 

This then gives her the ombré effect, as well as some extra length and volume that make her hair so much more fun to style.

Jamie Chung

Jamie Chung is a natural brunette, but, a few years ago, wanted a way to lighten up her look in time for summer.

So, she decided to go ombré.

What color did she choose?

Chung stayed with her natural shade at the roots, with this turning into a dark honey blonde at the tips. The contrast beautifully framed Chung’s face, and Chung kept her hair slightly wavy while she was rocking this look.

Of course, in order to keep her whole look in-line with her new hair, Chung also updated her makeup colors too. Instead of going for boldness and drama, Chung stuck to pastel shades, from pinks to peaches. This accentuated the sun-kissed blonde in her hair, keeping it all looking natural rather than harsh.

If you have a similar natural hair color to Chung and want to give the ombré look a try, make sure that you choose a very experienced stylist. Going from dark to light can sometimes result in a shade that is more orange than blonde, which is something that an experienced stylist will know exactly how to avoid.

Ombré hair can be as subtle and natural or as bold and dramatic as you want it to be. Whether you are looking for a small change or a complete transformation, ombré should definitely be on your must-try list when it comes to hairstyles!