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Kelsey Rzepecki
Updated on December 31, 2021
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Lately, bleached blonde looks and bright highlights seem to be taking a backseat to a more natural dirty blonde hair color. A color that many women have spent their whole lives trying to hide at the salon is now making a serious comeback. Want this look too? This article is full of ideas and inspiration!

Benefits of Dirty Blonde Hair Trend

According to hair colorists, a dishwater blonde hair color will be unique to each person, making it a flattering color that looks good on anyone. Dirty blonde color traditionally weaves together various dark and light hues of blonde hair. The color is carefully chosen to fit each person’s unique, natural shade. Whether you have a light, medium, dark blonde, or even a brunette base, you can get a pretty dirty blonde hair color.

A benefit of the dirty blonde trend is that you can tailor it to a shade that best suits your skin tone and to your desired level of maintenance.

Another benefit of the style is that you can give your hair a break from the damage that comes with bleaching and overall color while still getting a face brightening effect from the golden highlights.

This once-unattractive mousey-beige has been transformed into a unique statement. Our hair color trends evolve with our age and women everywhere of a certain age are embracing their natural hue, dishwater and all. It’s not surprising that this low-maintenance, natural “no hair color” look coincides with the “no makeup look.” With the whirlwind of colors that we’ve seen lately, there seems to be a desire to get back to basics.

30 Dirty Blonde Hair Ideas

So, where to start for inspiration? This color is everywhere you look. Here are twenty blonde hair color ideas to inspire your next visit to the salon:

1. Dirty Blonde Hair with a Money Piece

Light Brown with Creamy Blonde Highlights

Instagram / @kainandecanine

Adorn your dirty blonde hair with a few tones lighter blonde money piece. It does a superb job at brightening the skin tone and looks damn good on ladies with blue eyes. Don’t forget to stock up on purple shampoo to keep brass away.

2. Blonde Color Melt

Contrasting cool, warm, and dark blonde highlights creates a dramatic, yet natural, effect. This color melt of darks and lights give hair dimension and appears overall lighter or darker in different settings and light.

Blonde Multi Colored Waves

Instagram / @venalove

3. Dark Dishwater Blonde

This dark dishwater blonde hair is more brunette than blonde. This may be an ideal hair color for those in the process of growing out their natural hair to blend existing, grown-out highlights.

Long Bob With Caramel Highlights

Instagram / @donovanmillshair

4. All-Over Cool Blonde

If you want to go on the cooler side, try an all-over light, silvery, cool blonde that is a refreshing take on the classic honey blonde. This neutral, pearly tone compliments cooler skin tones.

Beige Blonde Lob

Instagram / @kristincavallari

5. Natural Color Waves

Compliment your natural color with some relaxed waves and a touch of blonde at the tips. Jennifer Aniston, who somehow always manages to top the list of celebrity hair goals, has the similar shade of golden dirty blonde hair.

Tousled Hair With Caramel Balayage

Instagram / @ashleydawnhair

6. Icy Blonde Shaggy Bob

Icy blonde pieces and shaggy curls give your hair a dirty blonde style some dimension and movement. We love short and long blonde bobs, because they always look classy!

Bob With Layers And Highlights

Instagram / @buddywporter

7. Golden Bronze Blonde

This has an ombre effect with dark bronze-colored roots, melded together in the middle, seamlessly blending into a lighter golden blonde.

Two Tone Hair With Layers

Instagram / @kccarhart

8. Dark Roots and Icy Cool Ends

This icy color melt starts with dark roots and ends with a choppy long bob for ultimate dimension and movement. Beach waves hairstyles look gorgeous with such interesting shades of blonde.

Wavy Ombre Lob

Instagram / @mizzchoi

9. Beachy Waves with Blonde Highlights

Get bohemian cool style with some lighter pieces throughout, while keeping color and style low-maintenance. Many Victoria’s Secret angels like Gigi Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and actresses like Cara Delevingne have all perfected light dirty blonde color.

Long Hair With Face Framing Streaks

Instagram / @romeufelipe

10. Dark Locks with Caramel Highlights

Lighten up your long hair with highlights in warm caramel and some loose waves. By the way, caramel highlights suit almost all hair colors. Keep it in mind while looking for new hair ideas to try!

Mermaid Hair With Chunky Highlights

Instagram / @eunicekimhair

11. The Perfect Balance of Blonde and Brunette

If you’re having trouble deciding whether to go blonde or brunette, now you can have the best of both worlds. Let’s call it “Blondette”, girls!

Shaggy A Line Lob

Instagram / @hairbynoora

12. Cool Dirty Blonde Balayage

This ashy color gives your natural tone a cool, trendy boost. Ash shades always look trendy and cute, so if you need some inspiration, you can always scroll through this article.

Dirty Blonde Medium Waves

Instagram / @hairbyalexfough

13. Perfect Melt

A couple of golden highlights work like magic on warm dishwater blonde hair. This is a great example of how fabulously highlights enhance natural hair color and refresh the look.

14. Dirty Blonde Balayage Babylights

This color melts seamlessly from medium blonde roots to light blonde at the tips. Color so natural, you’d swear she was born with it! Looks awesome with both wavy and straight hair.

15. No-Fuss Dirty Blonde Style

A blend of painted highlights and balayage give hair a lived-in look for no-muss, no-fuss, low-maintenance style.

16. Dirty Blonde with Subtle Highlights

Give your long hair a lift with just a touch of blonde a couple of shades lighter than your natural color. Such subtle sun-kissed highlights add surfer summer vibes to any kinds of haircuts and styles!

Long Locs With Highlights

Instagram / @rafaelbertolucci1

17. Subtle Dirty Blonde Angled Bob

Give your bob subtle dimension with very natural color shifts of just a shade or two. Some razored ends and a slight curl give it movement.

Auburn Bob With Balayage Highlights

Instagram / @prettylittleombre

18. Dark Roots with Honey Highlights

Get a natural face-brightening effect by adding strategically placed highlights in a honey blonde hue. Add a thin layer of honey highlights on the surface of your hair to naturally blend into your darker brown hair or blonde for an all-over, flattering, sunkissed look.

Layered Hair With Balayage

Instagram / @andyjamespaints

19. Long Dirty Blonde Hair with Highlights

Dirty blonde hair with highlights looks really gorgeous, isn’t it? Steal this idea and accentuate the beauty of your natural light brown hair by adding those stunning sun-kissed ribbons.

Long Middle Past Hairstyle with Face Framing Highlights

Instagram / @carlie.salontrend

20. Short Dirty Blonde Hair

You can never go wrong with light dirty blonde ombre- it looks stunning on any hair length and works well with both warm and cool skin tones.

Cool Blonde Hair Color

Instagram / @hairbyfaithmariee

21. Perfect Dirty Blonde Bob

Spice up your bob with a medium blonde base color and paint the ends with a little lighter blonde. Flip your ends up for some dimension and movement.

22. Dirty Blonde Balayage

Looking for a low maintenance dirty blonde idea for long hair? Scroll no further! Make your natural dirty blonde hair stand out by adding sun-kissed framing highlights and styling your locks into loose waves for a beachy vibe.

Light Brown to Blonde Hair with Money Pieces

Instagram / @hairby_jennabell

23. Icy Waves and Angled Style

Keep your style cool with some ash blonde and a chic angled bob. Add some flat iron waves for movement and dimension.

Angled Beige Bob

Instagram / @mikaatbhc

24. Light Dishwater Blonde

Looking for a style that provides all the perks of platinum blonde hair without going all white? This is definitely your option! Vanilla highlights blended with lowlights will do just fine.

Platinum Blonde Hair with Lowlights

Instagram / @hairby.hailey

25. Sunkissed Long Locks

Get a summer look all year long with such a sandy shade of dirty blonde! Just a touch of color where the sun naturally hits your locks is all you need for a just-came-from-the-beach look.

Straight Dirty Blonde Hair

Instagram / @stylebyfi

26. Brunette with Dirty Blonde Ends

Brunettes can take advantage of this dirty blonde trend too. The gradual transition from dark to light gives dimension and visual interest.

27. Sexy Dirty Blonde Waves

If you have natural dirty blonde hair color, you might love this awesome dirty blonde balayage idea. Striking contrast between the roots and the ends plus messy waves make this dirty blonde hair look really hot.

Dishwater Blonde with Brown Shadow Roots

Instagram / @badash.hair

28. Dishwater Blonde with Platinum Highlights

Achieve incredible volume and depth without sacrificing the lightness of your long tresses, all thanks to the platinum highlights on dark blonde hair. Then, get lowlights to make those really pop.

Blonde Hair with Highlights and Lowlights

Instagram / @saloncamaj

29. Dirty Blonde with Dark Roots

The strong contrast between the dark roots and the dirty blonde ends brings all those exceptional depth and dimension. It’s a perfect idea for girls with olive skin tone or those transitioning to their natural dark hair color.

Blonde ColorIdea for Olive Skin 

Instagram / @daisydidthat

30. Dirty Blonde Layers

No doubt, dirty blonde hair is a great choice if you strive to achieve a more natural look. Don’t forget to ask your stylist for a few bright ribbons at the bottom to add a sun-kissed vibe.

Dark Blonde Hairstyle for Brunette

Instagram / @dnchair

The beauty of natural dirty blonde hair is that each person can tweak the shade to their preference. From warm to cool skin tones and hues, the spectrum of blonde hair is always evolving and it can be simple to transition from light to dark once you get started.

Light Brown with Creamy Blonde Highlights Blonde Multi Colored Waves Long Bob With Caramel Highlights Beige Blonde Lob Tousled Hair With Caramel Balayage Bob With Layers And Highlights Two Tone Hair With Layers Wavy Ombre Lob Long Hair With Face Framing Streaks Mermaid Hair With Chunky Highlights Shaggy A Line Lob Dirty Blonde Medium Waves Dirty Blonde to Honey Blonde Ombre Dirty Blonde Beach Waves Wavy Chamomile Blonde Locs Long Locs With Highlights Auburn Bob With Balayage Highlights Layered Hair With Balayage Long Middle Past Hairstyle with Face Framing Highlights Cool Blonde Hair Color Messy Razor Cut Bob Light Brown to Blonde Hair with Money Pieces Angled Beige Bob Platinum Blonde Hair with Lowlights Straight Dirty Blonde Hair Straights Hair And Copper Coloring Dishwater Blonde with Brown Shadow Roots Blonde Hair with Highlights and Lowlights Blonde ColorIdea for Olive Skin  Dark Blonde Hairstyle for Brunette
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