50 Fresh Hair Color Ideas For Dark Hair

Start scrolling to be amazed by the many ways you can bring new life to dark locks! These hair color ideas for dark hair will prove useful for all ladies – especially if they are looking to dye short hair or if they are searching for that perfect bold color or just for more interesting ways to wear highlights. All this and more, all below!

1. Blunt Bob with Brown Highlights

Blunt Bob with Brown Highlights - a woman wearing a light pink blouse — Source

2. Brunette Hair with Light Brown Highlights

Brunette Hair with Light Brown Highlights- a woman wearing a black t-shirt — Source

3. Dark Hair with Ombre Blonde Highlights

Dark Hair with Ombre Blonde Highlights- a woman wearing a black blouse — Source

4. Dark Bob Hair with Wavy Blonde Highlights

Dark Bob Hair with Wavy Blonde Highlights- a woman wearing a white t-shirt — Source

5. Brunette Hair with Purple Highlights

Brunette Hair with Purple Highlights- a woman wearing a black face mask — Source

6. Dark Hair with Dark Red Highlights

Dark Hair with Dark Red Highlights- a woman wearing a black t-shirt — Source

7. Dark Brown Hair with Copper Highlights

Dark Brown Hair with Copper Highlights- a woman wearing a floral blouse — Source

8. Dark Hair with Copper Frontal Strands and Highlights

Dark Hair with Copper Frontal Strands and Highlights- a woman wearing a brown blouse — Source

9. Dark Bob Hair with Dark Purple Highlights

Dark Bob Hair with Dark Purple Highlights- a woman wearing a green blouse — Source

10. Dark Bob Hair with Wavy Caramel Highlights

Dark Bob Hair with Wavy Caramel Highlights- a woman wearing a white t-shirt — Source

11. Brunette Hair with Smoky Topaz Highlights

Brunette Hair with Smoky Topaz Highlights- a woman wearing a white blouse — Source

12. Black Hair with Ashy Purple Highlights

Black Hair with Ashy Purple Highlights- a woman wearing a dark gray jacket — Source

13. Dark Hair with Ombre Pink Highlights

Dark Hair with Ombre Pink Highlights- a woman wearing a light pink blouse — Source

14. Dark Hair with Purple Frontal Strands

Dark Hair with Purple Frontal Strands- a woman wearing a black jacket — Source

15. Dark Hair with Braided Ombre Gray Highlights

Dark Hair with Braided Ombre Gray Highlights- a woman wearing a black barber's cape — Source

16. Dark Bob Hair with Wavy Plum Purple Highlights

Dark Bob Hair with Wavy Plum Purple Highlights- a woman wearing a gray t-shirt — Source

17. Dark Brown Hair with Ombre Orange Highlights

Dark Brown Hair with Ombre Orange Highlights- a woman wearing a blue green blouse — Source

18. Ashy Gray Strands and Purple Undertones

Dark Bob Hair Ashy Gray Strands and Purple Undertones- a woman wearing a black face mask — Source

19. Brunette Hair with Textured Ombre Brown Highlights

Brunette Hair with Textured Ombre Brown Highlights- a woman wearing a black sweater — Source

20. Dark Hair with Electric Blue Highlights

Dark Hair with Electric Blue Highlights- a woman wearing a light blue blouse — Source

21. Dark Brown Hair with Red and Copper Highlights

As you’re already accustomed, we’ll start off this list of hair color ideas with the prettiest ways to style up that short crop. While highlights might not be incredibly visible on short trims such as buzz cuts or very short pixies, take an example from this pixie haircut with long bangs. Notice how the red and copper highlights are specifically applied on the bangs for an elongating effect.

Dark Brown Hair with Red and Copper Highlights- a woman wearing a red t-shirt — Source

22. Dark Brown Hair with Ashy Brown and Blonde Highlights

Once the hair has grown out and is more on the short to medium length, you can play around more with your hair color and apply highlights or lowlights throughout all the locks, not just the longer parts. We also love the ashy hues used in this photo that create a stunning effect in the subtlest of ways.

Dark Brown Hair with Ashy Brown and Blonde Highlights- a woman wearing a fade green shirt — Source

23. Dark Hair with Caramel Overtones

We’ve seen how you can tone done your hair and make it seem darker, so now it’s time to see how you can lighten it up. The easiest and prettiest ways to do so is by adding caramel lowlights to your dark tresses. Focus on adding some face-framing caramel strands to light up your facial features.

Dark Hair with Caramel Overtones- a woman wearing a black denim sleeves — Source

24. Brunette Hair with Peekaboo Highlights

Alternatively, you can skip both lightening or darkening the hair and instead, play around with it! Go for a funky look by adding peekaboo highlights in your favorite color. The best thing about peekaboos (and the source of their name) is that they are “hidden” under the hair and you can choose to show them off or hide them – depending on the social setting.

Brunette Hair with Peekaboo Highlights- a woman wearing a face mask — Source

25. Dark Hair with Blonde Frontal Strands

As the hair grows ever longer, start exploring even more hair color ideas for dark hair, including ones that are very simple and yet effective. Case in point, the fact that you can only dye your frontal strands of hair, those framing the face, and make it seem as if you went for a full head dye job. If the contrast between butter blonde and dark tresses is too much for you, go for tamer shades such as chocolate brown or caramel.

Dark Hair with Blonde Frontal Strands- a woman wearing a white tank top — Source

26. Black Hair with Blue Black Tips

A modern classic in terms of dyeing your hair, we also recommend coloring just the tips of the hair. It is the simplest way to change your look and can also make for the fastest (and least painful) removal once you get tired of the color. While there are many shades to pick from, we suggest trying out navy blue tips subtle and yet striking look.

Black Hair with Blue Black Tips- a woman wearing a black face mask — Source

27. Medium-Length Brunette Hair with Plum Red Highlights

You’ve already seen several hair color ideas for dark hair that use highlights but continue scrolling as we’ve dedicated a whole section just to them! The first look? A beautiful combination of wavy raven locks with luscious plum and purple highlights that start few and subtle on top of the head but which go full-on as you reach the tips.

Medium-Length Brunette Hair with Plum Red Highlights- a woman wearing a blouse — Source

28. Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair with Caramel Highlights

You can’t discuss highlights without touching on the subject of ombre and balayage, so in this photo, admire the beauty of some well-executed balayage highlights. As a characteristic of this dyeing technique, the color of the highlights melts from ashy brown to ashy blonde as it progresses towards the tips of the hair.

Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair with Caramel Highlights- a woman wearing a black jacket — Source

29. Dark Hair Color with Blonde Highlights and Brown Overtones

Ombre and balayage are all about natural-looking transitions, but this look is in direct opposition as the colors are bold and make for a strong contrast. Observe the dark hair base that can still be seen on top of the head and then focus on the cold white-blonde highlights and tips. To make for a somewhat tamer transition, the stylist also added brown overtones at about mid-level.

Dark Hair Color with Blonde Highlights and Brown Overtone- a woman wearing a white t-shirt — Source

30. Ombre Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair

We’ve mentioned it a bit earlier, now we’re showing you an example of how beautiful an ombre hairstyle can look on dark hair. You’ve got the dark hair color base that then melts into an ashy brown, then several tones of ash gray, before melting into light ash blonde and ending in almost pure white tips.

Ombre Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hairs- a woman wearing a black turtle neck — Source

31. Dark Brown Hair with Highlights in Many Shades of Brown and Caramel

One of the more frequent hair color ideas for dark hair – but just as pretty nonetheless – is to add highlights in shades and colors that are closer to the base color. It’s also important to add hues that have the same base so that you will play around with the same warm overtones and undertones.

Dark Brown Hair with Highlights in Many Shades of Brown and Caramel- a woman wearing a black blouse — Source

32. Layered Dark Hair with Ashy Blonde Highlights

Once you’ve added ashy blonde ombre highlights to your hair (or any other colors, for that matter) be sure to show them off not just through the hairstyle but also thanks to the haircut. Consider layering the hair as this will help add volume to your locks and also bring out those highlights.

Layered Dark Hair with Ashy Blonde Highlights- a woman wearing a black tank top — Source

33. Dark Hair with Red Ombre

The next part of this article will be dedicated to the bold and daring that long for strong, statement colors. To give you a taste of what is to come, we present you with this dark brunette hair that’s been given new life thanks to the red ombre ends. You can either wear your locks wavy or straighten them to draw even more attention to the dye job.

Dark Hair with Red Ombre- a woman wearing a white barber's cape — Source

34. Hidden Two-Tone Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair

This photo shows you a variation of peekaboo highlights, almost a combination between them and two-tone hair. Basically, the hair on top is left in its natural, darker shade while the hair underneath (starting from the nape of the neck) and the pieces of hair just above the ear were dyed a warm gray/ashy white blonde hue.

Hidden Two-Tone Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair- a woman wearing a black turtle neck — Source

35. Ashy Dark Brown Hair with Purple Highlights

Here begins our journey through the wonderful world of unconventional hair color ideas for dark hair! First up, a pretty and easier to wear variation that combines purple highlights with cold undertones with some ashy brown highlights, all applied on dark, wavy hair.

Ashy Dark Brown Hair with Purple Highlights- a woman wearing a checkered long sleeve — Source

36. Raven Hair with Multicolored Highlights

Ladies with raven hair will find it a bit harder to dye their locks due to their strong base color. But if they decide to go for it, they should definitely consider this cool idea that adds literal strands of color. The lady below went for bold pink, purple, and blue, but you can also add warmer or tamer colors.

Raven Hair with Multicolored Highlights- a woman wearing a black shirt — Source

37. Gray Ombre Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair

Hop onto the gray trend that is still going strong and go for ombre gray locks! See how stunning it looks when combined with a dark brunette base color – and it can look just as good on significantly longer locks as it does on mid to shoulder-length hair!

Gray Ombre Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair- a woman wearing a gray tank top — Source

38. Raven Hair with Blue Highlights and Overtones

Another idea specially targeted at raven locks – bring out that stunning color by adding navy blue, dark imperial blue, or any dark-toned shade of blue to your tresses. When expertly applied, they can blend in with the base color and make it seems as if they are natural reflexions of the hair.

Raven Hair with Blue Highlights and Overtone- a woman wearing a face mask — Source

39. Pastel Highlights and Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair

Pastel hair is most often than not associated with blonde hairstyles. However, dark-haired ladies shouldn’t hesitate to try them out either, especially if they opt for a more smoky or ashy pastel shade. The lady in this photo looks festival-ready with her pretty pastel lavender hair, especially thanks to the double, half-up buns hairstyle.

Pastel Highlights and Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair- a woman wearing a black long sleeve — Source

40. Black and Green Hair Color Inspiration

Here’s another way to wear half-up, top knot-style buns and also another great way to color those very dark locks of hair. Dark green or forest green will look stunning on dark hair and the placement is all up to you – either go for an all-around the head or just a colored tips look.

Black and Green Hair Color Inspiration- a woman wearing a white t-shirt — Source

41. Dark Gray Brown Hair with Purple Hidden Highlights

Yet another variation of the peekaboo highlights introduced earlier on this list. Instead of completely hiding them, consider leaving some of the highlights at the ends of the hair visible. The two shades of purple highlights here are also prettily accentuated by the loose braided half-up hairstyle.

Dark Gray Brown Hair with Purple Hidden Highlights- a woman wearing a white tank top — Source

42. Ashy Dark Brown Hair with Subtle Multicolored Highlights

There are so many colors here, that we will only be drawing attention to shades of light blue on the left and the pretty pinks on the right. There are also blondes, browns. and even some gray highlights there. With so many colors, one would have expected a very clashing result. However, the colors are all on the same base and are expertly applied to subtly fall into one another.

Ashy Dark Brown Hair with Subtle Multicolored Highlights- a woman wearing a white blouse — Source

43. Neon Green and Yellow Peekaboo Highlights

These colors might remind one of the neon markers they used back in school. While this is not far from the truth, neon colors were and continue being a cool and hot trend. The best thing about this particular style is that these are peekaboos – so they can be hidden away when need be.

Neon Green and Yellow Peekaboo Highlights- a woman wearing a white blouse — Source

44. Fire Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair

There’s no hiding this hair color idea, but who would even want to? The hair beautifully resembles a flame as it falls from dark red to fiery shades of the same color before ending in oranges and yellows – quite like a real, inverted flame.

Fire Hair Color Ideas for Dark Hair- a woman wearing a black blouse — Source

45. Shoulder-Length Dark Hair with Green Blue Highlights and Purple Overtones

The first thing that will pop up when looking at this hairstyle is the interesting petrol blue-green color of the highlights. But we want to draw attention to a more subtle element: the purple overtones of the hair that help tye together the look.

Shoulder-Length Dark Hair with Green Blue Highlights and Purple Overtone- a woman wearing a white t-shirt — Source

46. Blue-Tinted Dark Locks

This is not a blue head of hair, contrary to how it might seem at a first glance. Instead, this is a dark head of hair that was tinted and highlighted with several shades of dark blue – including midnight and imperial blue – to really bring out the waviness and lusciousness of the locks.

Blue-Tinted Dark Locks- a woman wearing a black jacket — Source

47. Orange Dip Dye Tips on Dark Hair

For those who might not be familiar with it, dip dye is a coloring technique where you literally color the tips of the hair by dipping them in dye. Here the short hair was given a fiery look by going for a vivid orange-red color with some lighter orange locks thrown it for good measure.

Orange Dip Dye Tips on Dark Hair- a woman wearing a black tank top — Source

48. Deep Purple Magenta Rainbow Hair

Most commonly, rainbow hair will have the stylist mixing and adding several hair colors into the same hairstyle. However, know that you can also get rainbow hair in just one hair color. Case in point, this photo shows you a deep purple with magenta overtones rainbow on dark hair.

Deep Purple Magenta Rainbow Hair- a woman wearing a gray tank top — Source

49. Dark Hair with Dark Seafoam Green Tips

Among the many beautiful ways to highlight the tips of the hair, we couldn’t miss the chance to present this seafoam green idea. The smoky seafoam green is versatile enough to be worn as a summer as well as a winter hair color.

Dark Hair with Dark Seafoam Green Tip- a woman wearing a gray shirt — Source

50. Hidden Deep Maroon Purple Hair Highlights

These highlights were “hidden” just on the left side of the head but besides the placement, we were also most intrigued by the color itself. Lo and behold, the beauty of deep maroon-purple highlights – just a step away from pastel pink on brown – on a league of their own.

Hidden Deep Maroon Purple Hair Highlights- a woman wearing a black blouse — Source

Conclusion

This was it, our list of the prettiest, most interesting hair color ideas for dark hair that range from more subtle variants to picks for the bold and daring looking for a statement color. Which one of this was your favorite or what would You want to try out from this list?

Adina Mazilu

As a Foreign Languages graduate, my passion for writing and translating came naturally from a very young age. I was always an artistic person but after college, this hobby turned into a job and then into a business. With a huge passion for beauty and fashion, my areas of interest became more and more clear. For the past few years, I have been writing about my main topics of interest which include, among others, hairstyles. Now, my most ardent wish is to expand my professional horizons and keep writing about my passions and delivering top-quality content to my readers, regardless of where they are living.