29 Stunning Examples of Reverse Ombré Hair

If you’re an avid Byrdie reader, it’s safe to assume you’re already familiar with what ombré hair is. (And if you’re not, here’s a quick breakdown.) Long story short, ombré is a hair-color effect marked by two, or more than two, hair colors blended to create a two-toned effect.

And while traditional ombré hair typically features natural, darker roots that fade into lighter, highlighted ends, “reverse ombré hair”—as the name implies—is the reverse. As in, the following hairstyles have totally flipped the world of ombré on its head.

“The reverse ombré, similar to the traditional ombré, can be low maintenance as far as upkeep goes,” says celebrity stylist and colorist Bradley Leake. “You can let the color grow out or trim off the ends without the high maintenance upkeep of some traditional blonding or fantasy hair colors.” Leake recommends using a color-safe shampoo and conditioner such as Color Wow Color Security Shampoo ($24) and Color Security Conditioner ($24), as it is gentle and won’t strip the hair of any hair color while leaving hair shiny, healthy, and clean.

So while you might be surprised by how easy a reverse ombré would be to pull off yourself—even if you’re slightly skeptical reading this, and we don’t blame you—we asked the experts.

Prepare to get inspired by 29 of our favorite examples of reverse ombré hair below.

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Shades of Gray

Stand out with a few stunning shades of gray—like this chic, wavy style, with the help of some extensions.

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Beautiful Burgundy

It’s no secret that we love burgundy hairstyles here at Byrdie, and we’re all over this effortless beach-wave style.

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Dirty-Blonde Roots

Keeping the natural color at the top provides the ultimate low-maintenance upkeep, so if you love a certain hair color but hate the touch-ups that go along with it, keep your roots naturalwhile still having fun with your ends, like this dirty blonde-meets-auburn creation.

“If you love your natural color and it works with the color on the ends, I say go for it,” says Swinney. “No two hair colors are alike; it’s all about customization.”

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Blonde to Black

If you can’t choose just one hair color, reverse ombré is probably for you. This blended, blonde-to-brown-to-black situation achieves both hues flawlessly.

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Colorful Tips

Blonde to purple reverse ombre hair — @FERGALDOYLEHAIR

Can’t quite commit to allover bold hair color? A reverse ombré with brightly-hued tips—like these violet ones—might be exactly what you need to ease into it.

According to Leake, rinsing with cool water is a great way to help color stay vibrant longer, locking it in.

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Blunt Bob

Woman with blonde reverse ombre bob — @WIGSBYLULUU

You really can’t go wrong with a blunt bob, ever—but we love this blonde reverse-ombré look featuring platinum roots and deep-blonde tips.

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Strawberry Dreams

We love a good pink moment, and this sweet to sultry reverse ombré—featuring peachy pink roots blended into berry red ends—is just that.

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Platinum Perfection

Woman with blonde to dark brown reverse ombre hair — @ECOUIA

Platinum blonde will always be one of our favorite, bold hair colors. And here—combined with a warmer, darker hue for a reverse ombré effect—the color has us seriously swooning.

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Making Waves

Woman with white to black reverse ombre hair — @THIS.IS.ME_SHANNON

Leave touch-ups behind with cascading, natural gray roots cascading into jet-black.

“It’s important to lower the heat setting on your hot tools to maintain color as well as try to minimize how often you shampoo your hair,” Swinney says.

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Blonde to Caramel

Warm things up with an unexpected reverse ombré featuring light, faceted blonde, and caramel tones. “To maintain vibrancy in a reverse ombré, you are going to want a color-protecting and extending shampoo conditioner. I like the RUSK PUREMIX Fresh Pomegranate Color Protecting Shampoo ($18) and conditioner ($18) for true color protection,” Swinney says.

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Red Alert

An allover bold, bright hue will always make a statement—and you can take it even further by going the reverse ombré route. We love this look that features pinkish-red roots fading into dark red ends.

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Icy Gradient

black and white curled reverse ombre hair — @FOILINGBEAUTIFUL

Going from icy white to jet black, this black-and-white gradient is a monochrome lover’s dream.

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Chic & Subtle

woman with golden reverse ombre hair — @KAMIALLURE

You might think this trend is out of the ordinary, but you can actually do it subtly. Here, a natural brown very faintly fades into darker ends for a livened-up everyday look.

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Blonde Blend

Blonde to pink reverse ombre hairstyle — @HAIRBYLINDAL

We’re always suckers for a good white-blonde moment. And this blended, reverse-ombré look with cool, strawberry blonde balayage is giving us life.

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Mushroom Tones

woman with platinum to black reverse ombre hair — @GALINOIRE

Show off a mushroom-toned reverse ombré—like this sleek gray blonde to brown blend—with a sleek style. (Try one of our fave smoothing serums for help).

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Black & White

Speaking of gorgeous gothy looks—here, an icy white meets jet black.

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Money Piece

A “money piece” is a face-framing chunk of hair that starts at the roots and continues to the ends—and we love how it complements the reverse ombré here.

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Blended Browns

This stylist used the airbrush technique to achieve a blended brown balayage, with chocolate strands blended into darker ends.

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Fired Up

These hot, fiery hues are hot on their own but even cooler with a light-to-dark effect.

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Colorful Braids

woman with ombre pink braided hair — @BEAUTYYBY.ELLE

Feeling like a risk-taker? Go for a bright and bold color up top while keeping it natural at the bottom. Bonus points for these braids that add a touch of glam with beaded tips.

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Ultra Vibrant

Get heads turning with bright orange roots, darker ends, and a reverse ombré effect that’ll have everyone asking, “Who’s your colorist?”

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Bold Orange

Platinum to red reverse ombre hair — @STADTSCHOENHEITEN_EBERN

Orange hair is actually easier to pull off than it sounds. Plus, we love how vibrant and happy this multi-shade reverse ombré feels all sleek and smooth. “I love a reverse ombré when it’s flat ironed when the application is correct. I also think braids are given a great effect by this type of hair color,” says Swinney.

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Platinum to Pink

Embrace your inner pink lady with a hair color that’d definitely make Frenchy proud. This platinum-to-pink-to-red situation is about as cool as it gets.

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Blonde to Blue

Can you say ice princess? Whether it’s a regular ombré or a reverse one, we always love the look of a natural hue combined with an out-of-this-world one. This white platinum blonde-meets-ice blue creation is unexpected yet amazing.

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Slightly Lightened

If you’re trying to work your way up into a lighter look slowly, a reverse ombré could be the perfect way to ease into a hue in a way that still looks natural.

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Rainbow Brights

Rainbow to gray reverse ombre hair with star barrette — @CHELSEABREBEAUTY

This reverse ombré look features rainbow roots and mid-lengths that fade into stormy, gray ends for something unique, fresh, and just plain stunning.

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Lavender Gorgeousness

Bored of your blonde or thinking of covering up gray roots? We’ll support your decision either way, but you might want to consider replicating this stunning lavender look with a reverse ombré effect instead.

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Touch of Lavender

Our new favorite three-in-one special: Blonde roots and brown ends complemented by a touch of lavender highlights.

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Warm Auburn

Whether you want to call this color honey, auburn, or chestnut, one thing’s for certain—the lighter blonde roots and darker ends are gorgeous together. And, of course, we can’t get enough of those perfect beach waves, either.

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