Confession time: I never associated strawberry blonde hair with, well, grown-ups. As a former strawberry blonde child whose locks gradually turned dark brown as I got older, I always thought of strawberry blonde as a "transition" hue—for toddlers or those whose hair colors haven't fully developed into their final form.
Well, I can admit when I'm wrong—and I'm pleased to confirm that strawberry blonde hair is officially all grown up. Whether you're a natural redhead, a blonde from birth, or none of the above, the below strawberry blonde looks are anything but kid-like. (Yep—years later, and I'm suddenly inspired to return to the strawberry blonde strands of my youth.) We asked the experts all about this hue and how to maintain its sweet color.
Meet the Expert
- George Papanikolas is a hairstylist, colorist, and Matrix Brand Ambassador.
- Monaé Everettis a celebrity hairstylist, author, and speaker with over 18 years of experience in the beauty industry. She is the creator of "The Monaé Life Academy" and theTexture Style Awards, the first hair competition of its kind, celebrating all hair textures.
Below, find 29 strawberry blonde hairstyles that will make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about the hue.
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Strawberry Beach Waves
We're always suckers for tousled beach waves—especially where balayage is involved. This sunrise strawberry blonde situation features extra-saturated ends for next-level coolness and a vibrant mix of red and orange hues throughout.
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Light Contrast
This multidimensional mane faintly blends light variations of blonde and strawberry blonde. With lighter, face-framing highlights contrasting against more vibrant apricot throughout, this style is basically what our subtle strawberry blonde dreams are made of.
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'70s Vibes
Who invited Donna from That '70s Show? With Farrah Fawcett-esque, layered bangs and an of-the-moment strawberry blonde shade, this look is truly giving us life.
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Light & Fresh
A lesson in subtlety: You might just miss the cool, red roots if you're not looking closely. This strawberry blonde hue and lightweight cut are totally fresh.
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Sexy & Tousled
The sexy bedhead of our dreams—with a side of strawberry blonde. We're obsessed with these tousled curls and the cool, trendy color to match.
"Always remember to work with a healthy head of hair before lightening," says Everett. "Once you lighten your hair, you can never make the hair healthier than its starting (health) point."
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Dreamy Apricot
A shiny, dreamy apricot shade feels fresh year-round. (Want your hair this shiny? Get our best DIY tips.)
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Golden Blend
No upcoming vacation in the books? Get the second-best thing: hair that looks like you just made a trip to the beach. Bright blonde highlights will make it look like you just spent hours in the sun.
Papanikolas says that strawberry blonde highlights can work with any shade, but ideally it "looks good on warmer hair colors to give it harmony."
"If your hair is naturally ashy, then lifting it one to two shades first will bring out the underlying warm and balance out the strawberry highlights," he says.
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Peachy Keen
This sweet-as-a-peach strawberry blonde color has us dreaming of summer beach days with a drink in our hand.
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Face-Framing Highlights
We always go gaga for chic layered bobs, and this style is no different. But TBH, what we love the most about this look is the bright, face-framing highlights accompanied by a warm, strawberry blonde hue all over.
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All the Volume
How gorgeous are these voluminous curls? The good news is you can take your natural, bouncy curls to the next level too—spiral perms are back, too—with multifaceted strawberry blonde highlights throughout.
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Knotless Braids
Looking to jazz up your usual braids? Switch things up with some strawberry blonde strands. According to Papanikolas, if you are brunette or dark blonde, your colorist will lift you to the desired strawberry tone during the lightening process.
"This keeps the maintenance low. If they bleach past this tone, then you will require toners to maintain the strawberry hue—most toners last about 20 shampoos, so glosses will need to be refreshed about every four to six weeks," he says.
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Long & Silky
Long, color-treated hair that actually looks healthy? Yes, it's possible—and we can't stop staring at these silky locks with a stunning strawberry blonde base and highlights. Everett has her own formula for achieving this color:
"For strawberry blonde hair my go-to is a combination Biolage Color Balm in Clear and Biolage Color Balm in Saffron Red. I mix a 2/3 Clear and 1/3 Saffron Red, and it creates a gorgeous strawberry blonde," Everett says. "I love its conditioning properties and the fact that the color shampoos out over time."
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Creamsicle Vibes
Who knew creamsicle colors could look this chic? This strawberry blonde blend is everything our bold, beauty risk-taking side could ask for.
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Shady Lowlights
Make those bright strawberry blonde highlights pop with darker, shady lowlights throughout. (And those gorgeous, tousled, next-day waves? We've got a guide for that.)
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Natural Roots
Any hairstyle that requires fewer salon visits and touch-ups is a "yes" for this busy bee. Here, we learn gray roots against allover strawberry blonde is a surprisingly chic (and, presumably, cost-efficient) combination.
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Blonde Balayage
To be perfectly blunt: You can't go wrong with a sweet strawberry-blonde balayage complemented by red roots, choppy layers, and tousled waves.
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Shades of Copper
Make the chop with a blunt-end bob—and go for a warm copper tone with strawberry blonde highlights if you're feeling even more daring.
Adding a wave to the hair helps show off dimension, and a texture spray like Matrix's Miss Mess Dry Finishing Spray ($20) gives touchable, piece-y texture.
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Blunt Bangs
Bangs are having a major moment right now, and we can't get enough of the trend. This blunt fringe is no exception, especially because strawberry blonde highlights are involved.
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Red Hot
Hair color changes are always intimidating, but one thing's for sure: A fiery, saturated strawberry blonde hue is ultra-cool and surprisingly versatile.
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Bright & Fresh
Don't be afraid to go for the bold. We're all about bright hair colors always, but there's something about this almost-neon strawberry blonde blend that's extra dreamy (and making us want to call our colorists right this second).
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Fresh Chop
If you're suddenly feeling the urge to chop your hair off, you're not alone. This strawberry-blonde bob with tousled layers is goals.
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Ombré Beauty
If your natural color is feeling stale, freshen things up with a bold new hue. This ombre strawberry blonde creation has lots of copper and auburn for a warm, flawless finished product.
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Bouncy Volume
These beautiful, bouncy curls are made even more gorgeous with subtly tinted strawberry blonde highlights throughout. According to Everett, when coloring your hair, you should expect to touch up the color every other month.
"When your hair has been lightened, it will begin to pick up yellow and orange (warmer tones) as time goes on. When your hair has been darkened, the tone will fade and lighten," she says. "Conditioning Color Balms are perfect for keeping the tone you desire."
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Lighten Up
Natural redhead? Take things to the next level by brightening things up with blonde highlights on top for a reverse ombré effect. (Recommended: adding single front mini braids to tap into the '90s trend, too).
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Cinnamon Spice
Add a touch of spice with ginger-topped, bouncy curls. (Getting curl envy, too? Find our best tips for getting this kind of next-level volume.)
According to Papanikolas, if your colorist lifts your highlights to the perfect strawberry color, then it's important to use conditioning products to keep the hair soft and strong after chemical lightening. "If your colorist needs to use a toner, then it’s important to even out the porosity so that your toner will not only last but also adhere evenly to the hair," he says.
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Extra Blonde
If you're feeling seriously daring, take things platinum. These bright strawberry blonde cornrows might just be the major hair moment you're looking for.
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Pink Lady
Rose gold, rosé, or strawberry blonde? Whatever you want to call it—soft pink highlights are always a blonde's best friend.
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Bouncy Curls
There's nothing like a good balayage—especially when the hair is this stunning to start with. This dark strawberry blonde hue is simultaneously saturated and subtly natural-looking. (It's the best of both worlds.)
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Strawberry Champagne
Mimosas, anyone? This chic, choppy mane has hints of peach and champagne, too, for a final product with both warm and cool tones. The bottom line: Strawberry blondes definitely have more fun.
15 Shimmering Shades of Strawberry-Blonde
FAQs
What is the best highlights for strawberry blonde hair? ›
Copper is a blend of red and bronze tones and looks great when paired with a strawberry blonde as it will highlight the red in your hair. It is an artificial color but has become popular because it is incredibly versatile and can be added to the hair in many ways, making it look natural.
How do you get strawberry blonde highlights? ›Balayage
With this highlighting technique, the lightener is freehand painted onto the hair without foils involved. Once the bleach lifts your natural color, your colorist will tone the highlighted pieces with a strawberry blonde color. The results will be flawlessly blended strawberry blonde strands.
Who should wear it: Strawberry blonde looks wonderful on women with fair, cool or neutral skin tones. A light, warm red counteracts the cool tones in pale skin. To really create a stunning look, make sure you pick a wig should have a mix of warm and cool tones for a creamy, coppery sheen.
What colors look best on a strawberry blonde? ›FAQ: Strawberry Blonde
Strawberry blonde hair goes well with turquoise, green, gold, violet, blue, peachy, brown, beige. Stylists recommend to pair colors with warm or golden tone with strawberry blond hair.
Strawberry Blonde
Enhancing this hue adds a youthful glow to any lady, and it's easy to maintain to boot. A gloss every six weeks or so will keep the reddish hues vivid and fresh.
The First Time You Color
Once you have a golden blonde and red blonde shade, you can mix them with whatever level developer is recommended for you, it will most likely be a level 20.
The hexadecimal color code #f1e4d6 is a very light shade of brown. In the RGB color model #f1e4d6 is comprised of 94.51% red, 89.41% green and 83.92% blue.
Is strawberry blonde a cool or warm color? ›The super light, pale, icy shades—think platinum blonde hair—are cool. Golden, strawberry blonde, or honey blonde hair is warm, while neutral shades fall somewhere in the middle, think those wheat-y or buttery blondes, says Celene.
Does strawberry blonde need bleach? ›While you can achieve a strawberry blonde color with tons of dimension using highlights or balayage, doing so will require a visit to the salon and most likely, bleach (if you're starting with dark hair) and permanent dye or toner.
What color clothes go with strawberry blonde hair? ›Strawberry blonde hair usually has some very characteristic pink highlights that means any shade from the Autumn palette looks great on them: warm colours such as beige, camel, salmon or turquoise, or a mixture of them, will bring harmony and warmth to your features.
Is strawberry blonde more red or blonde? ›
Strawberry blonde therefore belongs to the red hair group. 'Strawberry blonde is the lightest shade of red hair. Other tones in this color group include mahogany, copper and Irish red. When somebody says they have strawberry blonde hair, they're stating their shade of red.
What's the difference between ginger hair and strawberry blonde? ›It's the most common mistake to assume that they are the same. Ginger is a more vibrant and intense orange tone, whereas the strawberry blonde tone is also considered to be copper tones but it's much softer and lighter. Ginger hair is the sole colour that has a natural copper tone.
What color jewelry goes best with strawberry blonde hair? ›Gold metals go well with:
Red, auburn, strawberry blonde, and other red-tinted colored hair colors.
Strawberry blonde is a gorgeous hair color. It is a beautiful blend of blonde with red tones. Celebrities like Jessica Chastain, Blake Lively, Nicole Kidman and more have rocked this hair color and have put it into the style spotlight.
What is the new haircut for 2023? ›“For 2023 it will have an updated feel with more layers and softer cropped fringes, like a '70s or 90s-esque curtain bang, and copious amounts of movement made easy from internal layers – perfect for that on trend cool girl,” he says. Or, if you can't decide between a bob and a pixie, combine both.
What shade of blonde makes you look younger? ›Caramel, honey, gold, copper, and strawberry give a healthy brightness that makes us look and feel younger. (Framing your face with lighter shades draws the eye away from any complexion concerns, as well.)
What hair color is in for 2023? ›An overall 2023 hair trend you'll be noticing? Light-to-medium brown shades. “People will be taking their color deeper this year,” says hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein, “even if it's just a darker, more blended shade of blonde, or a creamy mushroom brown.”
Does strawberry blonde fade quickly? ›Anderson recommends this shade, brown base with blonde and subtle red highlights, for light skin tones. There is a bit of maintenance with this one: “After a few washes and sun exposure, the color will fade very quickly,” Anderson tells TZR.
Is strawberry blonde hard to maintain? ›It's easy to maintain. Unlike most Blondes or Coppers, Strawberry Blonde is much easier to maintain. It requires no Toning or no need to regularly pump up the intensity. Sure, with regular washing some of the Copper may fade, but Strawberry Blonde gets its character from being a diluted, Golden Copper Blonde.
What shampoo to use for strawberry blonde hair? ›Tressa Watercolors Maintenance Shampoo - Use on Strawberry Blonde Hair - Vibrant and Healthy Strands - Safe for all Hair Types - Free of Sulfates, Salts, Peroxide and Parabens - Warm Spice - 8.5 oz.
Is strawberry blonde considered pink? ›
Strawberry-Blonde: Definitely in the red family, this is the subtlest of the reds. That cheerful blend of blonde with the earthier red makes this a luminous version that any redhead should be proud to wear. Sometimes mistaken for orange or pink rather than red, strawberry-blonde is as sweet as it is beautiful. 2.
What color season are strawberry blondes? ›People with "Spring" coloring are usually natural golden blondes or auburn or strawberry blonde red-heads although very fair blue/ aqua eyed brunettes are sometimes Spring. Springs have extremely light skin color and pale or very clear- pale eye color.
Is strawberry blonde a type of blonde? ›Adjective. An uncommon hair colour that is a combination of blonde and red. Strawberry blonde hair appears blonde in dim light, but when exposed to sun or a bright light, the hair may assume a slight tinge of pink or red color.
What is the hottest hair color for a girl? ›Blonde is Crowned the Sexiest Hair Colour of 2021!
When asked which hair colour they think is sexiest, almost a third of people said they have no preference. However, of those who did have a colour preference: Most say that blonde hair is the sexiest (31.5%)
Amy Adams is a classic strawberry blonde. Naturally blonde, she has played with richer, fiery reds but seems most comfortable somewhere in between.
Should strawberry blondes wear gold or silver? ›Gold color: for yellow-blonde, gold, and strawberry-blonde hair, gold color jewelry work well. In this case, wearing gold-tone jewelry highlights your hair.
Will purple shampoo help strawberry blonde hair? ›Purple shampoo should only be used “for blonde to light brown highlights,” says Brown. “It is for hair that has unwanted yellow tones.” People with darker hair or redheads can use purple shampoo, but their tones won't be altered or changed, says Kell.
Can you highlight strawberry blonde hair? ›Yes, it's possible—and we can't stop staring at these silky locks with a stunning strawberry blonde base and highlights. Everett has her own formula for achieving this color: "For strawberry blonde hair my go-to is a combination Biolage Color Balm in Clear and Biolage Color Balm in Saffron Red.
Should redheads get blonde highlights? ›Whether you have strawberry blonde or auburn hair, highlights can take your red hair to the next level. Highlights are also a simple way to mix up your hair color without dyeing the full head at once. Natural redheads can opt for highlights just as easily as faux redheads.
What goes good with strawberry blonde? ›Goes Great With: Light to neutral skin tones. "This color has warm/golden tone, " says Ishikura, who recommends pairing strawberry blonde hair with "soft colors such as browny, beigey, pinky, peachy."
What highlights go with red hair? ›
"However, while blondes are often fighting yellow and gold tones, redheads should absolutely be embracing these tones. If the base color is red, we really want to use soft gold and copper highlights to make the red look multi-tonal and soft."
Is strawberry blonde flattering? ›It's very flattering for your skin Tone.
Strawberry Blondes mix of Golden and Copper Tones will warm and brighten your skin and bring dimension into your Colour, so you can say goodbye to your flat washed out Colour. You can also vary your flavour of strawberry to your skin tone.
It's the most common mistake to assume that they are the same. Ginger is a more vibrant and intense orange tone, whereas the strawberry blonde tone is also considered to be copper tones but it's much softer and lighter. Ginger hair is the sole colour that has a natural copper tone.
What hair color is considered the most attractive? ›Blonde is Crowned the Sexiest Hair Colour of 2021!
When asked which hair colour they think is sexiest, almost a third of people said they have no preference. However, of those who did have a colour preference: Most say that blonde hair is the sexiest (31.5%)
Does Blonde Hair Make You Look Younger? It does indeed! Warm blonde tones such as honey, gold, caramel and strawberry blonde can take years off your face.
Does strawberry blonde hair count as red hair? ›Strawberry blonde therefore belongs to the red hair group. 'Strawberry blonde is the lightest shade of red hair. Other tones in this color group include mahogany, copper and Irish red. When somebody says they have strawberry blonde hair, they're stating their shade of red.
How would you describe strawberry blonde hair? ›strawberry blonde - pale yellow hair with a hint of ginger. Synonym: gingery blonde. golden blonde - light brown hair with golden highlights. Synonyms: dark blonde, honey blonde, sun kissed.
What color does not go with red hair? ›Avoid pastels since these colors tend to wash out those with red hair. Also avoid most oranges, yellows, and burgundy-reds. (Yellow is the wild card color— on some it looks unbelievably good and others it washes out.) Never be afraid to be bold with the colors you wear.
What colors show up on red hair? ›Olive green, kelly green, and emerald jeweled-tones all make red hair dazzle. Just be sure to stay away from yellowy-greens and always go for more of the saturated greens.
What is brown hair with red highlights called? ›Auburn encompasses the color maroon, but so too do chestnut and burgundy. In contrast with the two, auburn is more red in color, whereas chestnut is more brown, and burgundy is more purple; chestnut hair is also often referred to as "chestnut-brown".