Classic Ash Blonde

“Ash blonde hair is blonde hair that falls on the cooler side of the spectrum, with hints of blue, gray, green and violet tones,” says hair color specialist Laura Estroff.

Cinnamon Ash-Blonde Mermaid Hair

Ashy mermaid hair is a staple, and no one does it better than Jordyn Woods. Her beach-y medley incorporates braids and spirals in a mix of cinnamon and ash-blonde tones for the perfect siren look.

Icy Ash

Kim Kardashian’s take on blonde is the perfect example of an icy ash. Keeping the roots dark adds an element of smokiness that further emphasizes the coolness of her look.

Ash-Blonde Locs

Chloe Bailey is a well of hair inspiration. Here, her ash-blonde locs cascade around her face, descending into loose spirals that brighten her entire look.

Wheat-Meets-Ash

Sophie Turner’s hair, courtesy of Sonya Dove using Wella Hair, is a glamorous blend of wheat and ash tones. If you’re looking for something a little brighter, talk to your stylist beforehand and bring in a photo to show them what you like and don’t about a color. Communication is key.

Cotton Candy Ash Blonde

Here, Saweetie figured out a pink shade that doesn’t feel too warm. It’s giving cotton candy.

Platinum Ash

In order to get an ashy blonde, your colorist must lift your hair past any orange or yellow tones as much as possible. Ideally, lifting to at least pale yellow is best. Here, we get a beautiful platinum ash look with roots as bright as the rest of the color.

Just remember: Lifting to a platinum shade can cause strands to feel extra dry. To restore moisture, use a weekly conditioning treatment to keep hair silky and strong.

Ashy Bronde

Cool-toned blonde and brown hues converge in Lily-Rose Depp’s uniquely bronde hair color. We love how glossy her strands remain, proving that ashy hues needn’t be dull or muted.

Pearly Ash

Gigi Hadid’s iconic blonde hair may usually keep to a classic, buttery blonde hue, but the model has experimented with other shades. This pearly ash-blonde has an ethereal look that’s as timeless as it is fashion-forward.

Ash-Blonde Undertones

Jennifer Lawrence has an ultra-cool blonde color with slight ash-blonde undertones. It’s almost icy at first glance, but not quite there.

Toned Balayage

As for toning, you’ll need neutral and cool shades that cancel out whatever color the hair lifted to. For instance, if you have yellow tones, you need to put in violet to cancel it out, Klein says.

When toning ashy blondes, Klein mentioned adding gold into the toner so the hair stays bright and reflective. It’s easy to make the hair dull when toning to this color, so additional bright golden highlights definitely help keep things balanced.

Old Hollywood Blonde

Julianne Hough’s blonde is icy cool, with only a little bit of ashiness at her roots. She also has a bit of warmth near the front, which helps add a hint of extra dimension.

Rooted Blonde

Whatever the base color, ash-blonde works best when lifting to a level that is tonable, Klien says. When lightening a natural brunette like model Soo Joo to a near-platinum shade, Klein says it’s important to make sure you’re protecting the integrity of the hair and not over-processing it.

Gray-to-Ash Highlights

Sometimes going this light can be damaging, which is why the Whittemore House Salon created a protective developer called Liquid Cashmere made from nourishing oils. Expert hair colorist and co-founder of Whittemore Salon, Victoria Hunter, says clients end up shocked at how silky and smooth their hair is after being color-processed.

Buttery Ash

Olivia Holt got this icy ash color done by Redken ambassador Matt Rez. Her textured lob looks so great in this cool tone; we’re seriously in love.

Warm Ash

French actress Pom Klementieff’s hair is usually more silver-toned, but we’re in awe of this slightly warmer ash hue.

Neutral Ash

Back in 2016, Taylor Swift rocked a fantastic neutral ash-blonde shag. The tones of her hair beautifully complement her features.

Light Blonde Base

Klein notes that having a light blonde base, like Dakota Fanning’s softer blonde shade, is well suited to this hue. That way, the overall tone stays consistent over time when lightening the hair and in-between services.

Dark Roots

This cool-toned color features natural roots that balance out bright blonde tips. Hunter is a fan of this kind of soft, seamless style, noting that darker roots give the hair more depth around the face. Plus, she says it’s nice to always make the ends very light so they don’t “feel drab.”

Subtle Ash

Cara Delevingne is a modern blonde icon. We think this cooler ash style with shadowed roots suits her complexion and blue eyes amazingly.

Textured Ash

Blonde hair techniques are typically high-maintenance, and it’s generally said to be a commitment no matter what. (Three months is typically the max amount of time you can wait in between touch-ups.) However, there are still many techniques that won’t require frequent salon visits. We’re big fans of this darker ashier tone with edgy visible roots. It’s all kinds of smoky perfection.

Natural Ash

Moving through a few versions of bright to dark blonde over the years, Kirsten Dunst has always kept to a relatively neutral ash-blonde tone. (With the exception of a few subtle face-framing highlights worked into this slicked-back ‘do, of course)

Muted Ash-Blonde

Go the muted route with an all-ash look featuring cool lowlights that bring out the ashiness of the lighter blonde. Lowlights can also help bring back a bit of the warmth an ash tone purposely lacks. Always consider what will look best for you, which can sometimes include a warmer undertone.

Cool-Toned Curls

One of the most low-maintenance ways to try ash-blonde is by integrating the tone as highlights. We love how the addition of a brighter shade here works to further emphasize those beautiful, defined curls.

Caramel Ash

Ash-blonde is often described as icy blonde, and it’s cooler in tone. Colorist Sarah Klein at Nine Zero One Salon, who has worked with a bevy of celebrity clients, echoes that ash blonde tends to reflect more blue and gray hues than a traditional or warmer blonde. Still, as Beyoncé proves, ashy tones don’t require compromising a sunny glow.

Face-Framing Highlgihts

A few face-framing ash-blonde highlights add a touch of brightness to brunette strands. When it comes to this style, purple shampoo is a must. It keeps hair from turning brassy.

Multidimensional Ash Braids

Amandla Stenberg has served many artful iterations of ash-blonde braids over the years, but this extra chunky set is particularly stunning. Each braid features a mix of ashen hues, from platinum and silver to wheat, taupe, and mushroom, to create a gorgeous blend.

Bright Ash-Blonde

There’s a pretty platinum undertone to Lucy Boynton’s look that manages to brighten up a regularly cool ash hue. It’s a lived-in look we love.

Dimensional Ash-Blonde Lob

Ash-blonde doesn’t have to be one tone. In fact, it looks even better blended with highlights. Savannah James shows off a dirty ash-blonde bob that serves as perfect inspiration for a dimensional shade of cool-toned blonde.

Lived-In Ash-Blonde

If you’re looking for a masterclass in ash-blonde, just turn to colorist Halley Brisker. He’s created a few incredible ash-blonde colors that are both cool-toned and easy.

Ashy Fringe

Tia Mowry’s bright beige lob is stunning on its own, but the shadowed root lends an anchoring element we find refreshing. Plus, the ashy dimension gives her curtain bangs a fuller look.

Grunge Ash-Blonde

It’s true that ash-blonde hair can feel relatively edgy. Lean into the grunge by going all out with the tone.

Gray Ash

This take on ash blonde verges on gray, playing up silvery, mushroom tones. The brightness achieved here is mesmerizing.

Silver Ash

Ash can serve as a wonderful transition shade for anyone maturing into silvery crowns and roots. Blythe Danner’s silver-to-blonde transition looks soft and blended thanks to an allover ashy tone.