30 Purple Ombre Hair Color Ideas

If you love trendy color techniques and bright shades that break apart traditional hair rules, a purple ombre hairstyle can take your look from bland and boring to bold and vibrant this season. From the lightest lilac to deep eggplant that almost looks black, purple ombre looks great against any natural or dyed base color, but you’ll want to select a shade that compliments both your existing hair color and skin tone. Scroll down to see 30 of our favorite purple ombre hairstyles and to read tips about which will look best on you.

If you’re going for a subtle purple ombre look (which is totally possible), you’ll want to choose a shade of purple that is as dark or light as your base color. For a deep chocolate brown or  natural black base color, this means going for a deep shade like this ultra-dark violet. Although these colors don’t look too different, you’ll still have to lighten your dark hair before going purple, which can take time and effort, especially if it’s been recently dyed.

A medium-dark reddish brown base color and these bright purple tones make for a really interesting color dynamic in ombre style. Both warm and cool shades of purple make this a busy look that’s best suited to women with neutral undertones in their skin.

Light pinkish-purple ombre looks incredibly chic with this platinum white base color. These two light colors together look nice against fair and medium complexions, and their mix of warm and cool shades mean they’ll also look nice against a variety of skin tones. If you’ve already got platinum hair, these purple ombre highlights can be yours without any additional lightening!

Another lovely example of a subtle purple ombre on dark hair, this deep eggplant shade creates a dark and luxurious looking style. If you’ve been looking for ways to switch up your dark hair without going for a drastically lighter look, this style has the perfect blend of sultry dark colors.

Bright magenta and a darker, cool purple are mixed together in the ombre sections of this hair color, meaning it can work well for neutral skin tones. The combination of purple ombre and a natural light brown base color is quite bold and unexpected, making it a great color choice for a summer spent bouncing from one sun-filled activity to the next.

Dark and moody purple roots look trendy and chic with an icy shade of periwinkle ombre. Although purple-on-purple ombre might sound like overkill, the dusty tone throughout this purple ombre style helps to give it a dramatic, almost Victorian feel.

Long curls provide a great canvas for any ombre color, but the pictured style demonstrates how rich purples really pop against dark roots and deep skin tones. We love this color when worn with gold accessories, which can include earrings and mae-up with shimmery golden pigments.

Beginning an ombre color higher up around the face helps to frame and highlight your features and creates a more natural looking ombre. Because the purple will be right up against your face, choosing a color that compliments your complexion is very important. This vibrant jewel-tone looks incredible against medium and deep skin with yellow or olive undertones, and does a bang-up job of bringing out green or gold flecks in your eyes.

Fair-skinned ladies will find that very light and pastel purples look best against their faces, but be careful not to choose a color that’s too similar to your skin. If you’ve got cool skin that can look bluish in certain light, a warmer shade of lilac will help to bring out peachy tones in your cheeks, while fair but warm-skinned ladies look nice wearing this dusty, greyish lavender shade.

A mixture of vibrant magenta and violet shades turns this golden blonde hairstyle into a fun art project. If you’re looking for a carefree way to put some new life in your blonde hairstyle, this purple ombre color looks funky and unexpected, and will become more subtle and pastel as it fades.

For a bigger purple contrast against a dark base color, this dusty lavender ombre provides the right mixture of shade and dimension. Because the ombre begins lower down, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about how this lavender looks against your face.

A bright shade of magenta at the tips of hair is a great accent color for dark brunettes will warm, reddish undertones. By adding just a few inches of purple at the end of long hair, you leave yourself with more options for future styles and colors if repeated lightening is hard on your hair.

Dark, dirty blonde roots and a heather purple ombre create an incredibly sophisticated looking color palette. If you want a purple ombre style that looks salon-perfect rather than hippie-DIY, this is the perfect look for you.

This medium, jewel-tone purple creates a bold pop of color against natural black hair. The overall look is sleek thanks to an expertly applied ombre that works with hair’s natural shape instead of looking too abrupt or dip-dyed.