Believe it or not, pink can be a fairly accessible hair color. A light pink isn't a million miles from a strawberry blonde shade, and some of the celebrities on this prove it can be almost subtle. And yet, if you so choose, pink can also be a transformational moment for your hair—its boldest shades, like cherry and hot pink, make a statement.
If you're in the market for pink hair, of any kind, look no further. We've put together a guide to pink hair inspiration, courtesy of your favorite celebrities—because when it comes to a non-conventional color, who could do it better?
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart is the master of cool hair, particularly when it comes to the grow-out process. In this case, for example, she has several inches of dark hair at the roots, with light pink and blonde towards the tips. It might look a bit messy for some people's taste, but it's edgy and cool.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is never afraid of trying new colors, even it's just for a few days or weeks. In this case, the dark roots help retain a sense of her naturally dark hair. If you didn't want to dye brown or black hair a bright light pink (which can take time and a lot of upkeep), experiment with extensions or a wig.
Marion Cotillard
I would have sworn that this was a wig on Marion Cotillard, but sources including British Vogue indicate that this is actually a hair dye. Honestly, major kudos to her: if the bowl cut isn't speaking to you, focus on the light gentle pink color and complementary makeup as inspo.
Rachel McAdams
This photo is from 2007, and is very indicative of the type of hair popular at the time: bright, bold highlights offering major contrast. A more modern iteration would make the pink a bit more cohesive and more evenly dispersed throughout the head, but pink highlights are still pretty cool.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry has had a fondness for bold hair colors, and this (from 2018) is no exception. If you want to permanently dye your hair any bright color, go see a skilled hairstylist: you need a decent amount of hair volume to make a single color look full and rich.
Avril Lavigne
This is an exceptional way to experiment with a bright fuchsia pink—one chunky highlight at the front of your face. If you want to opt for a temporary dye, that works well and will give you a brief sense of how it looks in your hair. If that works, try a semi-permanent dye before making the full commitment to permanent.
Auli'i Cravalho
Pink hair looks great on pixie cuts—and, as an added bonus, there's less hair to dye! Auli'i Cravalho shows off a very gentle pink on the top of her head, leaving the sides blonde. Then she matches her makeup to the hue, which makes her whole look very romantic.
Pink
If you like bright pink but don't want that much of it, let the aptly named Pink show you the way. (No need to go full-on bright pink spikes, which the singer loved in the early 2000s!) Putting the fuchsia at the base of the hair keeps it feeling subtle, almost unnoticeable unless you're wearing it up.
Natasha Lyonne
Pink hair can look great on curly hair, as seen here on Natasha Lyonne. This is almost a coral color (and looks great with her coral-esque earrings) which feels bright and vibrant. Smartly, this is a color with enough brightness and contrast so it doesn't match her skin tone too closely.
Cardi B
If you don't want to dye your hair fully pink, just opt for one side! Seriously, Cardi B looks great here, but she's got a naturally daring style (and matches her whole outfit to the color). If your hair is blonde, imagine how cool it would look with some heavy highlights on one side.
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani was the queen of pink hair in the '90s (and this won't be the last we see of her on this list!). This magenta is as bright as it gets—it's basically neon. This is, in no uncertain terms, a commitment, and requires a similarly maximalist makeup look to go with it.
Florence Pugh
After Florence Pugh debuted an awesome shaved head, she didn't stop there. These pink frosted tips are surprisingly amazing; they lighten up the cut and look incredibly thematic to her outfit. Plus it's only about an inch of hair that's dyed, so it would be easy to change it back.
Karol G
Singer-songwriter Karol G has made pink hair an important part of her aesthetic. This ombre is a really nice look, and a very "gentle" application of pink color. Because the hair starts out light blonde and gently transitions on the way down, the overall effect is softer.
Katy Perry
It's such an ingenious look: to start with dark roots, concentrate a bunch of light bubble gum pink highlights at the top of the head, and then keep it light blonde underneath. It's like a reverse ombre! It's also so subtle that you might not even see the pink from far away.
Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne works with rich, vibrant hair colors. The dark brunette complements a vibrant color, like this strawberry with streaks of orange at the front. For someone with less volume, adding in a diversity of colors like this will help the hair look bouncier and fuller.
Helen Mirren
The '10s were a popular time for rainbow hair (also known as mermaid hair). Dame Helen Mirren is the coolest of them all. Her long pixie is a perfect cut for a bubble-gum pink color—both daring and not too intense—and an even brighter lip shade to make the look cohesive.
Jessie J
Dip-dye hair for the win! You can opt for a bright pink no matter your hair color, but fuchsia looks particularly awesome when paired with brown or black hair, as we see on Jessie J here. The dark color is already rich and luscious, and it transitions to an equally rich color.
Giselle
Japanese singer Giselle has a gorgeous range of colors in her hair here. You've got the dark roots at the top, some blonde throughout, blush colored highlights, and even a touch of rose. This is what I mean when I say that a range of colors makes the hair look so dimensional.
Lucy Boynton
Strawberry-colored hair is so pretty—and also thematic, given the similarly hued Evian logo in the back! Lucy Boynton has major synergy here, also because she's wearing a lipstick in a nearly matching color. When you go with a bright hair color, matching makeup is a must.
Michelle Williams
Rose pink is a deeply romantic shade (Michelle Williams is at the Met Gala here and in a whimsical lace dress, so it's all part of a highly effective theme). The deeper, darker eyeshadow and lashes helps the look from feeling overly "twee," so bear that in mind.
Mary Charteris
A little "chaos pink" inspiration for you here! Mary Charteris has a cool, casual vibe, so this variety of pinks in her hair is in keeping with her aesthetic. Also, worth noting: curls and waves can be really cool-looking when dyed pink, because the color looks different and picks up the light in different places as the hair "coils" around itself.
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper won our hearts in the '80s with her outre hair styles, and she has been serving up cool looks for decades now. You've got a mix of deep pink and lighter pink in places here, which feels very rock and roll—especially with her trademark red lipstick.
Hailey Bieber
Pink lemonade hair color really had a moment in 2018, and Hailey Bieber (trendsetter that she is) was all over it. As usual, having visible roots really helps to "ground" the look and help it look more everyday instead of costume-y. A blunt haircut like this does the same thing.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Cotton candy pink hair color: isn't it magnificent? Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has the panache to pull this off, and it's particularly stunning against the stark blackness of her dress. With very curly hair, the effect is light and voluminous, like cotton candy itself.
Hayley Williams
Technically, this is only half pink, but who cares? Hayley Williams looks deeply cool here with her color-blocked, bifurcated hair and perfectly matching eye and lip makeup. Also, the mini-swoop of her hair on top, where the pink mixes with the orange, is the perfect casual touch.
Kandee Johnson
Kandee Johnson has a rich range of colors in her hair here. You may need extensions, clip-ons, wig, or wigs to obtain the same intensity of color, but can you just imagine having such vibrant hair? And, in a fun choice, Johnson keeps the rest of her look relatively neutral.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato's hair looks so cool here. It's a rich magenta, but my favorite part is their grow-out. The overall vibe is, "Yes, I'm cool, and I can absolutely pull off this color, but I'm not so precious about my look that I'm getting it dyed every couple weeks."
Xuân-Mai Phạm
Watermelon hair is stunning. It's a gentler version of a strawberry color, while still looking intense and eye-catching. If you choose to make your hair all one color, making strategic use of layers, as Xuân-Mai Phạm does here, helps to add body and dimension.
Pink
Just a touch of pink on Pink! Seriously, this is such a low-stakes way of adding the color into your hair. You don't need to have shaved sides like Pink does; you could achieve the same effect by adding some gentle, romantic pink to the tips of your hair.
Erika Alexander
All-pink braids with different colors in each? Yes please! Erika Alexander looks incredible here; I love that the bright fuchsia is directly in front, where it can be most visible, and then echoed throughout. Bonus points for that gorgeous light pink eyeshadow.
Karol G
Karol G is giving us perfectly frosted pink hair (which she echoes in her makeup, too!). Using a little water-soluble gel can achieve that shiny effect without going full-on "crispy." This combined with the waves in her hair make the color shine more fully.
Gwen Stefani
For me, it'll never get cuter than this ombre on Gwen Stefani. It incorporates the very light blonde that has become her signature color, then it blends into a very light fuchsia color (proof that the hue can be extremely "gentle"). It's so romantic.
