The Blonde Hair Dictionary: Defining Every Gilded Shade Under the Sun

Zoë Kravitz has been on a hair journey of late—first, she shaved her hair into a buzzcut, then bleached it blonde, before softening the brassy hue to this creamy vanilla shade.

Emma Stone swapped her signature red hair for this pale-blonde hue that's ever so slightly peach-tinged (peep those subtle blush lowlights).

Think of this warm blonde as The Dress of colors—some will swear it's light brown, others will claim it's dark blonde, and yet a third group will tell you to stop critiquing Beyoncé altogether, because it's Beyoncé.

Amber Heard's three-inches of brown roots are made purposeful, not forgetful, thanks to itty-bitty, hand-painted blonde highlights that start at her hairline and snake their way back.

Back in the '90s, Madonna proudly showed off Marilyn Monroe-esque butter blonde curls.

In an ultra-cool, French-girl fashion, Clémence Poésy takes the concept of strawberry blonde and cranks it up to a billion.

This shade is significantly warmer than its cousin silver blonde, but has an icy edge to it.

To keep light-blonde shades from washing you out, add in some blush undertones, as seen in Julia Roberts' waves, to give a natural warmth to your face.

If you look past the Flock of Seagulls hairdo and focus only on the color, you'll see that Margot Robbie's hair has a perfectly smooth gradient of blonde, from honey at the roots to butter at the ends.

One of the coolest new hues of the season is Cara Delevingne's take on white-blonde: a platinum white and silver shade that immediately illuminates her face.

Named as such because it resembled flames licking the head, fire blonde is a mix of red, orange, and yellowish tones. It also looks fire.

Gwen Stefani's signature bright shade, with definitively warm, almost bronze-y undertones, is the epitome of Old Hollywood glam.

This hue speaks for itself: It's that lightish blonde that's the perfect shade of platinum without looking unnatural.

Ciara's mix of butterscotch- and caramel-colored highlights gives new meaning to the phrase "good enough to eat."

A subdued, creamy blonde that's also infused with platinum and golden accents? That's cause for a champagne celebration.

Alright, technically this iridescent pearl color walks the "white" line, but it still falls into the blonde category thanks to its mix of platinum blonde, light blue, and purple highlights.

This gorgeous hue is the result of blending ash-blonde tones with golden-blonde shades, making it flattering on all skin tones.

See Poppy Delevingne's bright-blonde hair? See how it looks like she's standing in a perpetual spotlight? That's the result of clean, mega-white dye, with pale-blonde toner.

Usually reserved for boy bands of the early aughts, frosted highlights are made cool again when paired with dark roots and choppy layers, à la Scarlett Johansson.

Carey Mulligan's flaxen lowlights with creamy highlights help add even more texture to her cropped hairstyle.

Charlize Theron's muted take on golden blonde gleams against her porcelain skin.

This dark-undertoned hue was all the rage in the '90s, and your mom is definitely still rocking it today.

Ellie Goulding gives blonde a heavy-metal twist with this sterling wash.

Blonde shades can go brassy fast, so make like Kate Hudson and ask for a dye with cool undertones, rather than warm, for a non-orange finish.

Popularized by Christina Aguilera during the mid-'00s, this is an unforgettable shade, and not one we'd recommend you take your stylist.

There's nothing wrong with skipping a color appointment when those dark roots make your blonde look that much better.

Sunny highlights illuminate Reese Witherspoon's sandy base shade.

The platinum micro-highlights framing Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's face give her a fresh, youthful look.

Blake Lively's sun-kissed highlights are just dark enough to trick you into thinking they're real.

This dirty blend of light brown and blonde complements Gigi Hadid's rosy, summer glow.