Most of the time we associate long hair with the ombre trend. However, you don’t need long locks at all if you want to flaunt a fantastic gradient job. Short ombre hair also works wonderfully well, as proved by the ideas we’ve chosen especially for you. Take a look down the list and find exactly what you need!
Ombre hair has gained a bad reputation over the years. It could be the fashion of the ’90s, when blonde highlights, perfectly delimited by the rest of the hair color, stood out very strongly. Ombre has since become a clear example of what not to do with your hair.
But all that changed in 2019, when large, faded pieces of blonde on darker hair were replaced with a gradual, natural transition from one color to another. And the options in which you can try this style are unlimited.
Here are some ideas:
1. Brown to Blonde Short Ombre Hair
Let’s begin with the most classic hair color combination of all time – brown and blonde. They are the two most typical shades found in nature which is why it’s so easy to blend them in an ombre.
2. Gray and Blonde Short Ombre Hair
If you want to take a little risk and show that you have some edge, try this mushroom brown or gray that melts into a superb blonde. It works wonderfully well with dark, goth lipstick and very little eye makeup.
3. Grombre Hair
Are you curious to know what grombre hair is? Nothing easier. It’s a relatively new term that fashionistas have come up with to symbolize the symbiosis between gray and ombre. Get it? Grombre.
4. Ash Brown to Lavender Ombre
On paper, brown and lavender don’t seem to mix. However, these two shades work wonderfully well together, especially when the undertones match. This is an ash brown mixed with a desaturated lavender.
5. Brown and Yellow Short Ombre Hair
Butterscotch and sunflower yellow have been gaining a lot of traction on Instagram and Pinterest lately. This is a short ombre that begins with simple brown and ends in lovely yellow hair color.
6. Peach Short Ombre Hair
Even though it’s not such a big trend anymore, peach hair was huge a few years ago. Everywhere you went, you could see girls sporting this exact shade. Bring it back by going for an ombre style in these lovely colors.
7. Rose Gold to Hot Pink Ombre Hair
This is an interesting example because it has not two but three colors in it. The top shade is natural brown while the bottom two are rose gold and very hot pink. It almost looks like a chocolate and strawberry ice cream.
8. Cream Blonde and Orchid Pink
This is an outstanding combination of colors. It’s so soft and light that you almost can’t even see where the shades transition into one another. This is beige continuing into cream blonde and orchid pink at the bottom.
9. Burnt Orange Ombre Hair
This could very well be the perfect ombre color combination for fall! It’s a mix between auburn and burnt orange that perfectly mimics the falling leaves outside pilling on the edge of the sidewalks.
10. Pink and Peach Ombre Locks
We’ve already taken a peek at peach hair. Now let’s see what it looks like in combination with other colors. This is a very vivid orchid pink mixed bright yellow and with some peach highlights.
11. Eggplant Tips on Brunette Hair
Eggplant belongs to the purple family and is one of its most beautiful and sought-after shades. It has a dusty yet rich quality to it that makes it irresistible and which makes it work perfectly well on a darker base, such as in this picture.
12. The Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung is just one of the many celebrities who couldn’t say no to short ombre hair. She went for the classic brown and blonde combo in a choppy and messy short bob with baby bangs that, for this occasion, she swept on either side of the head.
13. The Olivia Wilde
If you look closely, you will notice that both of these actresses have similar facial features. They both have very square faces with powerful and masculine jaws. A short haircut with small bangs will soften these features and the natural hair colors will make for a more feminine look.
14. The Sophia Bush
This is how good a fantastic ombre job can look when styled into Old Hollywood side curls. Sophia Bush dazzled the red carpet with her look from long ago – one that included smoky brown eyes and scarlet lipstick.
15. The Lucy Hale
Do you remember what we said above about square faces with powerful jaws? Here’s another example in actress Lucy Hale. She also styled her pretty ombre with significantly blonder tips that sweeten up the whole look.
16. The Emma Stone
Actress Emma Stone was caught between two looks here. The Oscar-winning thespian opted for an ombre on short to mid-length hair that starts from dark roots and passes through shades of copper before ending in blonde tips.
17. Summer Short Ombre Hair
Not even hats can take away from the beauty of a well-executed ombre. In the summertime, you can protect both yourself and your hair from the heat, humidity, and harmful rays of the sun by wearing simple straw hats, for example.
18. Minimal Short Ombre Hairstyles
This could easily be mistaken for a dip-dye job – but it’s not. The secret is that ombre blends in seamlessly with the base color while dip-dye is very blunt. The slightly wavy hair style also perfectly accentuates the dye job.
19. Sleek Short Ombre Hair
Sleek hair is sometimes the best choice in terms of showcasing an ombre job. When the hair is straight, you can really see how an ombre works in terms of color and placement.
20. Curly Short Ombre Hair
On the other side of the spectrum is curly hair. The ombre is less evident here, but it’s still exceptionally beautiful especially if you choose colors that are trending – such as these brown and platinum blonde.
21. Winter Short Ombre Hair with Ash Blonde Tips
Let’s take a look at another great seasonal idea – this time, for the wintertime. This ombre consists of brunette hair mixed with a fantastic sleet gray that seems to be coming in from underneath rather than outside.
22. The Angular Ombre Bob Haircut
You can see the same color pattern here – but on a different type of haircut. This is an angular bob which means it has two very long strands in the front that stand out much like two sharp angles.
23. Milk Chocolate Short Ombre for Wavy Hair
Even if you decide to go for classic colors such as brown, that doesn’t mean it will look dull or common – far from it actually! Instead, try new shades of brown and exciting ones such as this chocolate milk mixed with hot chocolate on top.
24. Two Color Short Ombre Hair
Here’s another example of two color short ombre hair that you can use as inspiration. It starts off with naturally dark hair, has a patch of café latte in the middle, and milk blonde at the tips.
25. Rainy Gray Short Ombre
The most beautiful colors are always to be found in nature, so take a look out the window and then return to this mirror. This, for example, has been inspired by rainy and cloudy days. Therefore, it has an assortment of gray undertones on various base colors including blonde and brunette.
Make your dark brown hair all the more beautiful and stunning by adding it some caramel highlights. Check out all the different ways to add them in this dedicated article!
26. Brown and Platinum Short to Medium Length Hair
Short ombre hair can also come in this wonderful combination of sweet brown and platinum hair that starts mid-level. We also like the makeup here that is absolutely on point with matte lipstick and eyeshadow shades.
27. The Kaley Cuoco
Here’s another celebrity that looks simply stunning with a gorgeous ombre job. The Big Bang’s Theory Kaley Cuoco looks fantastic with platinum blonde hair because it highlights her beautiful green eyes.
28. Brunette and Brown Short Ombre Hair
Another classic combination is that in-between brunette and brown hair. If the ombre job is done correctly, the two colors will melt into each other seamlessly, giving the impression of rich, dark chocolate.
29. The Ashely Green
Here is actress Ashely Green wearing a brown and dark blonde ombre in a shoulder-length bob with loose curls and subdued makeup. While her hair length is a bit longer than the short category, this combo will also work great on it.
30. Gray and Peach Short Ombre Hair
Peach is an incredibly versatile color which is one of the reasons why it was such a huge trend a few years ago. This means that you can wear it combined with almost any color of your choosing, including this lovely gray.
31. Gray and Purple
Speaking of shades of gray, here’s how it mixes with purple. You can choose any shades you like, but this dark gray is perfect for the wintertime. Create some beach waves while your hair is still wet for some added volume.
32. Purple Sunset Ombre Hair
It’s very clear why this is called a purple sunset. This coloring job looks absolutely stunning – it’s as if the sun is going down at the end of the day through a surreal purple sky. We especially like the rose-pink middle part.
33. Dark and Green Short Hair
Here’s a great example of melting done right. You can see how the two strong colors, brunette and green, melt into each other very high up in the hairline instead of just abruptly ending so that the other can begin.
34. Pine Green Hair
Speaking of green hair, here’s another shade to try out. This is pine green on a very dark base cut into a jaw length, choppy bob. It’s perfect for long summer nights at a music festival or even a cold winter day.
35. Lilac Tips on Short Ombre
This long bob has a wonderful transition between brown and lilac that includes a patch of caramel blonde. Consult with a specialist if you want to copy the look because this is not a hairstyle that you can get on your own.
36. White and Unicorn Short Ombre Hair
Here’s a wild combination for you. Meet unicorn hair mixed here with white platinum blonde. This is the perfect combo between edgy and sweet that will make anyone look like a sassy angel.
37. The Jaw Length Blue-Green Bob
The ombre trend is so beautiful and versatile that it can even be used on hair as short as this jaw-length bob. Use half or three-quarters of the locks for the ombre if you want to breathe new life into your hairdo.
38. Mustard Yellow Short Ombre Tips
Mustard yellow hair and a mustard yellow shirt? Can anyone pull that off? Of course! This gorgeous ombre meets dip-dye is every colorista’s dream come true. It’s as matchy-matchy as you could possibly imagine.
39. Café Latte Short Ombre Hair
Café latte is not just the delicious type of coffee that came to us all the way from Italy. Now it’s a shade of blonde as well, one that combines a very soft and sweet brown with warm blonde and which will look great on tanned skin.
40. Brunette to Wine Short Hair
As opposed to popular belief, wine is not a dark shade of pink. Instead, it belongs to the purple family and can be worn in a variety of ways. Admire it in this picture when paired with a simple brunette.
41. Dirty Blonde and Lavender
Just looking at this model can make you almost smell the lavender fields in the South of France. It’s such a watered-down color that you can wear it at the office as well even if you have a stricter dress code.
42. Asymmetrical Short Ombre Hair
This asymmetrical long bob has been making the rounds for a while and you can make it even more glamorous with a fabulous yet classy brown and blonde ombre. Go for a slight side part to keep things interesting.
43. The Kylie Jenner
Here is Kylie Jenner with the same marvelous dark brown and golden blonde combination as above and a fantastic choppy long bob. This is a picture from her shorter hair days.
44. Gorgeous Short Ombre Hair
This deep side part is the secret to every gorgeous Instagram shot. It makes one look carefree and wild, sultry and sexy. Add some cat eyeliner and red lipstick, and you’ve got yourself a vixen look that’s worth every minute in front of the mirror.
45. Warm Short Ombre Hair
This artistic bob is one for the books. It’s very blunt and asymmetrical and gives the illusion of geometry and volume. The color is warm and rich and can be the perfect look for autumn because it replicates the colors of the falling leaves.
46. Bright Red Short Ombre Hair
To copy this look, you need to start with dark cherry or dark burgundy on top of your base color. Let that melt into sour cherry in the middle and only then go for the bright red for the tips.
47. Square Bob Haircut
This type of square bob is perfect for edgy girls who are not afraid to add a little spice to their styling lives. It’s also a brown and chai tea blonde ombre that has baby bangs cut to perfection.
48. The Miley Cyrus
Back in the days before her wild spree, Miley Cyrus used to sport an ombre as well. She went for the good girl brown and blonde combination which she then famously changed to a platinum blonde pixie cut.
49. Ginger Finger Waves Haircut
We say ginger but, in fact, this is more of a non-natural orange color which you can get out of a box right at home if you’re a fan. The hairdo consists of 1920s finger waves that will make you think of flappers of the Jazz Age.
50. Muted Raspberry Short Ombre Hair
We are positively in love with this color. It’s called muted raspberry and we think it would be perfect for prom or even a garden wedding where you would be surrounded by flowers colored in similar tones.
What is the difference between balayage and ombre?
What does ombre mean?
Ombre is a hair dye style. Its name comes from the French “ombre” which translates to “shadow”, meaning a kind of creation of “shadows” and lights along the length of the hair. This style involves a gradient along the entire length of the hair from dark to light. The transition should not be sudden, but it doesn’t need to look natural in the end. It is a style used to achieve a beautifully dramatic effect.
The results of this style can be truly spectacular if made by a stylist experienced in this technique. The disadvantage of this ombre style is that it is an extremely pretentious dye style.
What is balayage?
Balayage is a technique for dyeing and obtaining light strands in the hair. Balayage also comes from the French “balayer” which translates to “sweep”. This technique involves applying a lighter dye or brush bleach to the hair in a natural motion similar to a painter’s touch.
“Painting” starts from the top to the root, leaving the hair from the root as close as possible to its natural, original color. The result obtained by using this tinting technique is a very natural one. Many people refer to this effect as a caress or “kiss” of the summer sun on loose hair. Balayage only involves creating certain portions of hair with this effect, but not the entire hair as in the case of ombre.
Conclusion
Ombre is, without a doubt, one of the prettiest and easiest ways to change your hair, be it long or as you now know, short in length. It’s also a very versatile option as besides natural, you can also go for unconventional hair shades as well as two or even more color combinations.
Now, we only have one question left: which of these short ombre hair ideas are you planning on getting to make it your own?
Also, don’t hesitate to take a look at the following:
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