The rainbow hair trend isn’t going anywhere. It’s constantly changing and adapting – mainly because it’s endlessly adaptable. No matter what the length, color, or texture of your hair is, there’s a way for you to rock different hair colors in one look. It doesn’t even matter which hues you like best, there are styles and palettes that will complement your eye color, your skin tone, your wardrobe – you name it!
Funky Rainbow Hair Styles
So what will it be? Will you DIY some mermaid hair or head to the salon for an old-school ROY G BIV hairstyle? Here are 20 fun ideas to fuel your imagination!
1. Romantic Pastels
Rainbow hair color doesn’t have to be eye-popping and super bright at all! If you’re a fragile princess, you might want to opt for these charming pastels including the three major rainbow shades. Pastel rainbow is definitely a trend to stay!
Instagram / @bangmyhair
2. Hidden Rainbow Hair Color
We love how this lady wears her vibrant rainbow hair color: her hair rainbow shades are hidden under the natural dark hair color, but it takes seconds to turn her look into something out of this world. An excellent idea for women, who want to combine their natural color with a rainbow.
Instagram / @thelab.oratory
3. Rainbow Balayage
Looking for a compromise between rainbow hair color and an office-approved look? Go no further: you can steal this amazing idea for your next trip to your hairstylist. Keep your natural color up top, so you can easily twist the base rainbow strands into a bun for an office style.
Instagram / @rebeccataylorhair
4. Dreamy Purple with Highlights
We adore this unbelievable pastel purple with rainbow highlights. Smooth color transition and texture do a perfect job in creating this cool look, making this short colored hair an ultimate attention-grabber.
Instagram / @theodoraraptis
5. The Most Daring Rainbow Look
What can be more daring than an ultra-short crop, you can ask. A small neon rainbow on it! Bright colors are what you need if you find your usual short crop boring. This tiny rainbow mohawk hits different, without any doubt.
Instagram / @rubydevine
6. Rainbow Pixie
This girl has chosen orange, yellow and tan for her rainbow hair look. If you love this tropical bird color scheme, grab this rainbow hair color idea for your next visit to the salon.
Instagram / @razorchicofatlantasalon
7. Rainbow Hair with Bangs
If Alice had a hairstylist in Wonderland, she would definitely go for this look. The choice of rainbow hair shades is pretty unusual: strawberry red, magenta and dusty blue, but they create a breathtaking combination.
Instagram / @hairbyashleyfillip
8. Bold Yellow & Red Balayage
Here’s another idea of a hidden rainbow hair color. However, this time it combines just two shades. Vibrant red and yellow hit the spot if you’re looking for something to turn heads.
Instagram / @georgeeblancoo
9. Neon Rainbow Look
This lady decided to go bright and chose eye-popping neon shades for her rainbow style. Yellow, green, orange, and pink – these juicy bright colors are fun and eye-catching. A perfect choice for a shoulder-length inverted bob, indeed.
Instagram / @hair_by_love
10. Rainbow Ombre
This fairy prefers to wear all the colors of the rainbow at a time, and she’s absolutely right. We love how multicolored streaks complement the purple base. And yes, take note that loose messy waves are a great way to make this rainbow hair color even more spectacular.
Instagram / @kayla_boyer
11. Color Meets Subtlety
There’s no rule insisting that your particular rainbow has to be blindingly bright. You can keep it subtle without holding back on the color. Keep your base dark or chestnut brown like in this example and fill in your rainbow with the colors you like.
Instagram / @guy_tang
12. ’90s Nostalgia Hair
This is the rainbow hair daydream of every Lisa Frank-loving, Caboodles-carrying, Manic Panic-abusing ’90s girl on the planet. Those colors are electrifying, and they’re pretty on-trend, especially that to-die-for turquoise.
Instagram / @hairgod_zito
13. Pretty Pastel Hair
There are several ways to get rainbow hair in pastel hues. Here it looks like this lovely girl has created a soft green and purple base. The other pastels simultaneously pop and blend in, but they don’t look washed out. As a result, the yellow, pink, and blue catch the eye.
Instagram / @bottleblonde76
14. Every Shade of Green
Sticking to one color of the spectrum might seem boring, but clearly, it doesn’t have to be. The colors of this girl’s hair are versatile, and the combination creates a really gorgeous effect. All those shades of green are creatively blended and show just how well a bold neon rainbow hair color can work.
Instagram / @rainbowrage
15. Mermaid Ombre Tips
Mermaid hair can use any hue, as long as it’s somehow reminiscent of the sea. That usually means blues or greens, as you see here. The fade from white blonde to turquoise and cobalt is soft but clearly pops against that pale hair. Pro tip: you can easily mimic this with hair chalk.
Instagram / @rainbowrage
16. Tie-Dye Design
You will need a lot of rainbow hair dye for this look. A lot. There is a different color everywhere and the blending is unbelievably on-point. Devote a huge block of time and some serious patience to this task, whether you do it yourself or let someone else have the honors. With the right skills, you’ll end up with some stunning tie-dye locks.
Instagram / @rainbowrage
17. Hair with Girly Flair
If you love pink and purple, give your colorful hair a rock star edge. Notice how the purple is vivid, even sharp, but the pink is as delicate as a ballet slipper. This is the hair you want if dichotomy is your bag.
Instagram / @taytailx
18. Candy-Coated Locks
This is an altogether different take on rainbow-colored hair. The rainbow itself takes a backseat. Those gorgeous purple, hot pink, and electric blue locks draw all the attention, but they transition beautifully down to the lighter colors. Love the way they peek through.
Instagram / @rainbowrage
19. Magenta with Multicolored Tips
The matte magenta is really giving us Rocky Horror Picture Show vibes, which is no bad thing. The rainbow tips are like a surprise, a little explosion of colorful confetti. Protip: If you don’t want to go through the intricacies of achieving rainbow tips, add extensions to your arsenal of hair accessories.
Instagram / @lilmissvizz
20. Waterfall of Rainbows
These streaks are exceptionally stunning. The style looks simple, but take a second glance at this hair color. See the way the rainbow itself seems to fall vertically? The streaked colors are all interwoven, and the visual effect is ridiculously impressive and extraordinarily pretty.
Instagram / @rainbowrage
21. The Girl on Fire
This is the hottest rainbow ombre hair ever – literally and unequivocally. This hair is a work of art. The colors blend seamlessly, the bleeding is perfect and purposeful, and these shades look breathtaking together. Copy this hair and you will burn so brightly – everyone will be afraid to touch you.
Instagram / @colordollzbytoni
22. Colorful Undercut
Undercuts are hot no matter how you slice them, but the colorful touch on this one is especially hot. If you already have pale highlights or streaks, none of this is very difficult. Although you’ll need every color of the rainbow, you won’t need much dye.
Instagram / @tesartistry
23. Peacock Plumage
While the gorgeous mix of blue, green, and turquoise with purple underneath is reminiscent of peacock feathers, there’s also a really sexy Joker vibe happening here. The curls are adorable, but should you choose to steal the style as well as the colors, it’s versatile with or without them.
Instagram / @brandifuckineh
24. Cotton Candy Tresses
This girl is truly a unicorn. The pastel rainbow ombre is visually breathtaking. Her hair literally looks good enough to eat. Starting with a platinum base is essential for hair like this. It looks like the baby blue fades into soft yellow here, but you could also stick with blonde ends.
Instagram / @colordollzbytoni
25. ‘Locked and Loaded with Color
If you want to take the tie-dye look to the next level, mimic this psychedelic Rainbow Brite. There are some really dynamic textures here – from curls to dreadlocks, from primary colors to vivid neons. Love it!
Instagram / @thatjoeybaby
26. Braids for Days
If you want to get really serious about mixing rainbow hair and luscious ‘locks, this is the goal. Each braid is a masterpiece of color, technique, and design. The eye is constantly drawn to a new hue or twist.
Instagram / @magavilhas
27. Punk Rock Pony
Any My Little Pony would die to have a mane like this. This is scene hair with a more sophisticated edge, which keeps it safely away from too-cute territory. The way the colors blend is simply everything – the highlighted, streaky look is the candy-colored icing on the cake.
Instagram / @rainbowrage
28. Tie-Dyed Hair with a Twist
Tie-dye hair is different from the standard rainbow style because there’s generally a focus on different colors – like the aqua and magenta here. That’s also why it’s one of the most popular hair color ideas since it lets you personalize your rainbow ‘do a little more. Since with this look you still need an abundance of dye, you may just want to focus on a few central colors.
Instagram / @modernsalon
29. Hard Rock Rainbow
Break out the rainbow hair dye for this look, not to mention some sharp skill with the scissors. This hairstyle is somehow evocative of the ‘80s, perhaps because of the edgy, angled cut and the artistic asymmetry. If Joan Jett ever decided to take a walk on the rainbow side, it would likely look like this.
Instagram / @spectrumskulls
30. Multicolored Crop
From root to tip, this ‘do is mesmerizing. It looks almost like a kaleidoscope. The bright, throbbing colors stand out beautifully on the close-cropped part of the hair, and do you see the diamond shape hidden under that longer shock of colorful locks? That’s talent!
Instagram / @beserk
Whether you do it with chalk, a wig, or dye, rainbow hair is vibrant, vivid, and statement-making. This isn’t the hair to wear if you’re any kind of shrinking violet. If, on the other hand, you’re looking to make a change or show off your just-as-sparkling personality, then why not to try a rainbow dye job, some glistening mermaid hair, or a pretty unicorn ‘do?
Featured Image via Instagram
