Whether you have naturally blonde hair or you're ready to brighten up your brunette locks, adding highlights is a great way to elevate your look. Now, there are plenty of trendy shades out there, but I’ve been eyeing one hair color in particular: ash blonde. This cool shade features silver and gray tones that complements the brightest blonde to the most platinum locks around. Curious to trying it out yourself? I compile a list of 20 ash blonde highlight ideas—plus, a few helpful tips from professional hair stylists and colorists on how to maintain your new pieces.
20 Ways to Rock Ash Blonde Highlights Right Now
From icy blonde to money piece
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Published Sep 26, 2024
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Meet the Experts
- Adrienne Dara is a hair educator, brand ambassador for Redken and owner of Adrienne Dara Hair Salon. She specializes in toning, bold blonde colors and dimensional brunettes. She also teaches aspiring stylists and salon owners through her online educational platforms: The Lightening Library and The Lightening Library Lab.
- Joseph Huckabee is a hair colorist at Suite Caroline Salon in NYC. With advanced training in New York City and Berlin, he’s known for his expertise in creating both lived-in and transformative color. His work has been featured on screen and in magazines, as well as on runways in Paris and New York.
- Michelle Cleveland is a celebrity hairstylist, extension artist and educator at the Hair Addict salon in New Jersey. She has studied and trained in advanced cuts and color in London, Miami, and New York and has multi-certifications with Vidal Sassoon, Toni & Guy and Wella.
- Kathy Galotti is a celebrity hair colorist, educator and consultant. She has over 30 years of experience in the industry, specializing in highlights, color transformations and consultations. Her clients include Emmy Rossum, Cynthia Nixon and Hoda Kotb.
A Quick Guide Before Your Appointment
- Will ash blonde highlights work with my hair?: If you have blonde and/or bronde hair, these highlights would work best for you. Korab suggests those with black, dark brown or red hair avoid trying this shade out unless you’re prepare for pre-lightening first. “The approach to ash highlights differs based on the base hair color. Ash highlights blend easily on blonde hair and enhance cool tones with minimal lightening. But for brunette and black hair, pre-lightening is needed to lift the color to a light enough shade for ash tones to show and create contrast and dimension,” explains Korab. “Each hair color needs a customized approach to ensure the ash highlights are vibrant and complementary while preserving hair health.”
- How to choose the right shade: Experts recommend consulting with your hairstylist to find the right tone that works for your current hair color and/or skin tone. “Cooler ash tones typically suit people with fair or cool skin tones, while slightly warmer ash shades complement medium or neutral skin tones,” says Korab. “Discuss the desired look—whether you prefer a subtle, natural effect or a more pronounced highlight—since this will influence the shade and placement of the highlights. Evaluate the health of their hair, as healthier hair can accommodate more dramatic changes, while damaged hair may need a gentler approach.”
- Level of maintenance: It really depends on your natural hair color. The highlights may be easy to maintain for blonde hair, but might be a big upkeep for those with darker locks (especially if you want to avoid your dark roots from showing up in-between appointments).
How to Get Ash Blonde Highlights At Home
Due to the intricate technique, the experts don’t recommend attempting ash blonde highlights at home. “This is definitely not a DIY at home type of service and as a professional colorist I would advise anyone looking to achieve this look to make the investment into a professional salon before attempting this at home,” says Cleveland. “With over 25 years in the beauty industry, I can tell you it almost always ends up costing the client more money paying for a corrective color service after a DIY attempt.”
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Courtesy of Adrienne Dara
1. Ash Blonde Natural Lights
According to Dara, this look gets its name from the shine it gives off throughout the hair. She explains, “You will notice that while the dimension is obvious, the transitional points from the natural base into the blonde are fluid and seamless.” In order to achieve the color, a stylist will use a foiling technique to focus on the curve of the head and the direction in which the hair naturally falls. “This is foil work as opposed to open air balayage. The application is fine within each section and a stylist will reserve between 3 to 4 hours to ensure there is time to be detail oriented and exact in the placement,” she says.
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2. Ash Blonde Tips
Taylor Swift will always be known for her blonde hair and full bangs, but I didn't forget when she rocked subtle ash blonde highlights at the 2016 iHeartRadio Awards. Take a closer look and you'll find the singer sported the signature shade along her hairline, the tips of her fringe and along her ends to give her natural base a pop of color.
3. Classic Ash Blonde
If you’re looking to go for the classic technique, Huckabee suggests taking this visual to your next appointment. It’s a low-maintenance look that doesn’t require too much upkeep and offers an organic grow out. “This look is ultra-cool for winter blondes and smoky brunettes. The cool tones bring a bit of mystery to a client’s essence,” he shares.
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4. Fine Highlights
Julianne Hough's bob never steers into chunky highlights territory—making this a great color idea for those easing their way into brightening their locks for the first time. The fine pieces blend seamlessly throughout, adding a nice subtle contrast to her short 'do.
5. Icy Ash Blonde
Here's your sign to get in your silver fox era with this icy ash blonde combo. The base leans towards silver, but your roots and highlights will gear towards the classic ash blonde tone, which adds smokiness and definition to an all-around cool shade.
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6. Money Piece
FYI: Money pieces will never go out of style. These face-framing highlights are Ciara’s staple, along with her dark hair that coexists perfectly with the bold pieces.
7. Ice Blonde
Huckabee might’ve found the coldest highlights to try out. “When cool tones are done right, they can look very glamorous. [This look] is a bit more muted, but it feels very soft and effortless,” he explains.
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8. Muted Blonde
Tyra Banks is a prime example that you can mix up your warm and cool tones to create a gorgeous color. Her ash blonde highlights scattered throughout her glossy silk press is the recipe for an off-the-runway (and *super* dimensional) masterpiece.
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9. Platinum Ash Blonde
There's blonde and then there's platinum blonde. Look, this striking shade will require some upkeep and touch ups frequently to prevent color fading. However, it's totally worth it to see ash tone come to life throughout your locks like Pom Klementieff above. The highlights provide some dimension to a bold cool tone.
Stefanie Keenan/VF24/Contributor/Getty Images
10. Ash Balayage
Aside from foils, the balayage technique is a great option for those with darker hair. A stylist will apply paint-like strokes to add softness and movement. The ash blonde highlights, as seen on Serena Williams above, blends her dark and light sections much more seamlessly using this traditional method.
Julian Dakdouk/Parkwood Media/Contributor/Getty Images
11. Lived-In Highlights
Beyoncé is known for her honey blonde hair, but more recently she’s been rocking icy blonde or these ash blonde highlights. Cleveland says this live-in approach creates dimension throughout your style. Also coined ‘Summer on the Beach,’ you can sport gnarly waves without even stepping foot on a sandy tropical vacation.
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12. Shadow Roots
Root shadowing was a big trend in 2021 and it continues to be a popular technique for blondes. Use Amanda Seyfried as a reference next time you're at the salon. The actress rocks the ashy shade near her roots, which blends seamlessly into her lighter locks.
13. Bright Blonde
Korab has perfected ash blonde highlights—and here’s proof. The cool-toned mixed with a subtle, smoky undertone is a great option for current blondes. She shares, “This color typically features a blend of light blonde shades with a silvery or grayish tint, giving the hair a modern and refined appearance. The ash tones are ideal for achieving a natural-looking, low-maintenance blonde that complements various skin tones and adds depth and dimension to the hair.”
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14. Greyish Ash Blonde
This version of ash blonde highlights proves you don't have be ultra-blonde to jump in on the trend. If you're a brunette, request more greyish tones throughout each section to brighten and add depth to your dark tresses.
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15. Cool Ash Blonde
Cara Delevinge has ash blonde highlights down pat. The cool tone of the base mixed with darker roots and brownish ends just complements her fair skin.
16. Multidimensional Blonde
You have ash blonde highlights, but why not add some brown and red tones into the mix? This look requires precision, so Korab recommends using the foil or balayage technique to apply highlights evenly throughout hair. Add some curls throughout and you have yourself a multidimensional look.
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17. Pale Ash Blonde Highlights
Galotti looks at celebs like Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga as inspiration for achieving pale ash blonde highlights with striking platinum locks. "In order to achieve a beautiful ash blonde color, the hair must be bleached to an almost white tone as a highlight, or bleached overall and tone to platinum or gray," she says. "The more extreme the change, the higher volume of bleach is needed."
Courtesy of Kathy Galotti
18. Platinum Highlights
Galotti says this trendy look uses a combination of ash and platinum blonde over a light natural base to create this striking finish. She adds, "Ash blonde hair is one of those elusive tones of hair color, so it works best if you have blonde or light brown hair naturally."
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19. Ash Brown
If you're sporting a warm tone already, this look should be on your radar. Jennifer Aniston always provides major hair inspo, so let your stylist try to recreate her signature shade: ash brown locks with pops of blonde streaks to brighten the look.
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20. Buttery Blonde
Jennifer Lawrence was a red carpet winner with just her buttery blonde color alone, but seeing a hint of the ashy shade sprinkled throughout was a nice touch to her golden luscious locks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Dye My Brown Hair Blonde Without Bleach?
“Yes and no. The first part would be defining if your hair is natural without any color. If your hair is color-treated, then you would have to use a lightener to lift through the color. If your hair is natural without any color on it, then you could potentially use permanent color to lift the hair,” explains Dara. “However, keep in mind that when lifting with permanent hair color, it’s more difficult to achieve an ash hue. With lightener, you are stripping the hair of pigment, therefore allowing you to lift past the point of warmth.”
How to Maintain Ash Blonde Highlights
The experts recommend investing in shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair. If you have blonde or platinum locks, consider purple shampoo whereas brunette or darker hair should use blue shampoo to prevent color from fading and strengthen strands in-between touch ups. When it comes to styling, use moisturizing creams, oils or sprays to improve shine, hydrate strands and overall maintain your highlights' vibrancy. A few reccos include Oribe Cleansing Cream, Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask and Redken Acidic Color Gloss.
