50+ Ways to Wear Blonde Hair with Dark Roots in 2023

Get to the root of this color trend.

All Things Hair | July 28, 2023

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Short platinum blonde hair with dark roots is re-trending! This is a good thing, ’cause let’s face it: the time has come in quarantine where our dark roots are taking command. Some may see dark roots on blonde hair as an issue, but we see it as a stylish way to wear two-toned hair and a way to make a statement with your look.

Ways to Wear Your Blonde Hair with Dark Roots

Getting blonde hair is truly a commitment and sometimes life gets in the way. We’ve all skipped a hair appointment (or two), and believe us when we said it’s not the end of the world. Lazy girls with blonde hair should rejoice because rooty looks are having a moment! Here, are some ways to pull it off.

1. Glitter Roots

young woman wearing glitter roots on dark roots blonde hair — Pour some glitter on your rooty issue and turn it into a fun hairstyle.

This is a fun look for those that actually want to have lots of fun with the blonde hair dark roots trend. Put your roots on display, and own it with glitter! To achieve this, apply mix some glitter and gel in a bowl, and apply to your roots.

2. Voluminous Teased Hair

young lady with blonde hair and dark roots on voluminous hair — Pump up the volume of your hair to draw attention away from your dark roots.

Let’s say it’s just been a couple of days since your missed hair appointment, and you’re doing everything in your power to hide your roots. There’s definitely a way to go about this without having to worry that people are looking at you and it’s volume, volume, volume. Lift up your hairdo with TRESemmé One Step Volume 5-in-1 Volumizing Mist to make your missed appointment look like a stylish move.

TRESemmé One Step Volume 5-in-1 Volumizing Mist

3. Elegant Low Ponytail

young woman showing back view of her ponytail hairstyle on blonde hair — Make your blonde hair with dark roots look as if it’s meant to be that way with an elegant ponytail. Photo credit: Allyson Alapont

Imagine having to attend a function after you skipped out on your root touch-up hair appointment. The ponytail hairstyle always comes to the rescue. Pair your two-toned hair color with a chic low ponytail hairstyle with an elegant twist.

4. Polished Mid-Ponytail

woman posing with blonde hair dark roots on polished ponytail — Transform your off-duty mid pony into a polished look that can be worn anywhere, with dark roots and all! Photo credit: Dvora

Turn your off-duty mid-ponytail hairstyle into something more sleek and polished. If you have super long hair, check out three ways you can update your ponytail. No matter your hair length, though, don’t be afraid to draw attention to your roots with a glossy finish by using a shine serum or gel.

5. Curly and Rooty ’Fro

young woman with blonde hair dark roots on curly afro hair — Wear a voluminous ‘fro to hide or accentuate your roots.

On most curly hairstyles, blonde hair with dark roots gives off an ombré effect. If you’re looking to hide your roots though, opt for lifting the hair at the roots for volume. This technique not only gives you a big and amazing ‘fro hairstyle but also blends your color in nicely.

Style your afro with Dove Amplified Textures Define N’ Moisture Styling Gel, designed to nourish your curls, waves and coils while keeping flyaways at bay.

Dove

Dove Amplified Textures Define N’ Moisture Styling Gel

6. Ash Blonde

ash blonde hair with dark roots — Low-key waves for days! Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Wavy and casually beachy, just the way we love it. Recreate these loose curls using a 1-inch curling iron. Make sure to leave the tail end of each strand out of the curling iron to create this laidback texture.

7. Blown Out

blown out blonde hair with dark roots — Great for ladies who like to take more time between appointments. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

A sweet blend of chocolate and caramel is upgraded by a smooth blowout. Smooth out the ends of your hair by concentrating the blow dryer on the ends for a few extra seconds. You can also run a hair serum through your hair for some extra shine!

8. Caramel

caramel blonde hair with dark roots — Highlights make the look.

A light brown ombré gives a dark base more dimension. This caramel-colored blend is reminiscent of a latte in the best way. The great thing about a style that has roots of this length is how low maintenance the style is! You won’t have to run back to the salon every 6 weeks for upkeep.

9. Golden

blonde hair dark roots golden — A sweet and straightforwardly mid-toned look, except for a deeper base.

Nuanced warm blonde highlights brighten up complexions with yellow undertones. Choosing blonde highlights with dark hair is all about finding the right tones for your complexion. Your colorist will be able to help you create a color blend that flatters your skin tone!

10. Ashy White

blonde hair dark roots ash white — Cool-toned blonde with a dark root is fab. Photo Credit: Roisin Murphy

TIGI

Bed Head by TIGI Dumb Blonde Reconstructor Conditioner

And by the same token, ash blonde melds perfectly with an ashy brown base. Keep this white vibrancy by washing with Bed Head by TIGI Dumb Blonde Reconstructor Conditioner.

11. Criss-Cross Pigtails

criss-crossed blonde hair with dark roots — ‘Gram-worthy, by all respects.

Braids flatter a streaky blonde, and this viral look has us wanting to brush up on our braiding skills. One of the best ways to show off your fresh color is by creating a braided style. This will highlight your fresh highlights like no other style will!

12. Baby Blonde

baby blonde hair with dark roots — Personally, angelic yet street-smart is #goals. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

This cherubic take on blonde hair/dark roots is subtler, and especially fetching on fairer skin tones. Not for the faint of heart, this light shade of blonde hair color does require quite a bit of upkeep. Talk to your stylist about caring for bleach-blonde rooted hair before you take the plunge!

13. Honey Curls

honey curled blonde hair with dark roots — Warm and flattering, especially on textured hair. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

Medium skin tones, on the other hand, are flattered by mid-tone golds and kinds of honey. This mid-tone blonde hue blends perfectly with dark roots for a subtle yet impactful color story.

14. High-Contrast Caramel

blonde hair dark roots caramel — An intense ombré should always be healthy-looking.

This full-on caramel ombré is a surefire way to try out a lighter look with less of commitment. Keep your roots intact and focus the blonde color on your ends for a low-damage style that requires minimal upkeep.

15. Golden Honey Lob

golden honey blonde hair with dark roots — We love this rich and multi-faceted blonde.

Be the queen bee of your hive with a shiny and glossy highlighted golden blonde. This classic golden blonde color flatters paler skin tones. Soft, feminine, and beautifully glossy, consider this rooted blonde style if you’re ready for a change.

16. Platinum Ringlets

curly platinum blonde hair with dark roots — A lower-maintenance way to wear platinum.

Another youthful take on ombré features a dark brown root, a golden mid-shaft, and white blonde ends—all done up in perfect spirals. Style your fresh blonde color in these voluminous curls to show off your new hue.

17. Copper Top Knot

copper topknot blonde hair with dark roots — Where are my beauty bloggers at?

Why rock one trend when you can do two with ease? Doing hair up in a trendy half-updo such as a top knot squeezes more mileage out of an ombré. It’s also a great way to show off the contrast of colors in your rooted styles.

18. Dishwater

dishwater blonde hair with dark roots — Ashy highlights keep things crisp. Photo credit: Allyson Alapoint

The stereotypical dirty blonde shade cleans up with a tighter root and cooler-toned streaks. Prepare to return to your colorist frequently for fresh toner to keep your blonde hair cool and ashy.

19. Sunny Blonde

sunny blonde hair with dark roots — Like lemonade, only more refreshing (and long-lasting!).

A bright, summer blonde if we ever saw one, from the natural roots to the sunny, sand-dune lengths. This bright hue is a perfect match for a natural blonde color! Fake it till you make it with this sunny blonde shade.

20. Slicked Back

slicked back blonde hair with dark roots — Use a medium-hold gel for touchable control. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

A gelled lob works perfectly with dark roots and blonde hair, highlighting each shade without looking tacky. This way of styling your hair also offers a high-shine finish to your hair which is the perfect way to draw attention to your fresh color.

21. Smudged

smudged blonde hair with dark roots — Spread out your touchups with a natural-looking ombré.

One of the most natural ombré shades we’ve seen, this look features some subtle smudging past the cheekbone area. Determining where exactly the roots will transition to blonde will affect the way your face shape is perceived and can flatter your unique bone structure instantly!

22. Grown-Out and Natural

grown out and natural blonde hair with dark roots — The middle part gives it an extra kick. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

We kinda dig this deliberately grown-out blonde. The mega-texture plus the baby-light shade add to its overall punch. Keep your hair routine relaxed and low-maintenance with this grown-in look.

23. Blunt Bob

blunt bob blonde hair with dark roots — A statement-making look that’s also a nod to 2012’s dip-dye version.

The same goes for this somewhat grungy bob, which takes an extremely rooty situation and spins it into a favorable, pretty-in-punk look. Let your hair air dry for a truly undone texture.

24. Frosted

frosted blonde hair with dark roots — Focus the lightest streaks near the hairline for maximum face value.

Yep, this Early Aughts trend is still hanging by a moment, and we can totally get behind it when worn in this more natural version. Sleep with your damp hair in a messy bun on the top of your head and take your hair down in the morning for these super messy curls.

25. Drippy

drippy blonde hair with dark roots — Various brown shades blend beautifully in this warm ombré. Photo credit: Dvora

A brown-to-blonde ombré can also work on shorter, straighter lengths and still look natural, provided the highlights are thinner and a bit higher. Your colorist will be able to create color and dimension tailored to your hair length and thickness!

26. Feathered

feathered blonde hair with dark roots — A cool blonde works really well with pink or blue undertones.

It’s only logical that the shade of blonde way popular in the ’70s only looks twice as good with an equally groovy hairstyle. Create the illusion of feathered bangs by blow-drying your hair in curls that fall away from your face.

27. Long and Light

long and light blonde hair with dark roots — Straight hair, don’t care.

Another high-contrast look, fans of the classic ombré will easily fall for this black-to-blonde rendition. These two very different shades provide a high-contrast color story that makes a major statement.

28. Bronde

bronde blonde hair with dark roots — Keep it simple and sweet with a low-contrast medium brown. Photo credit: Dvora

We’re never not loving a versatile, easy-to-maintain brown blonde! This in-between shade adds a certain softness to your style that flatters a range of skin tones. Style this color in loose waves for an overall soft style.

29. Soft Bob

soft bob blonde hair with dark roots — Delicate ends meet their match in a quiet ash blonde. Photo credit: Dvora

A whisper-fine bob gets the illusion of more fullness with a wheat-blonde ombré. We can’t get enough of this smooth transition from brown roots to blonde ends with equal portions of each color.

30. Peachy

peachy blonde hair with dark roots — Pair with some mirror shades for full-on trend awareness. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

A tad subversive, chocolate brown roots look more laid-back with peachy-pink ends that hit right at the collarbone. When paired with longer curtain bangs, this creates a face-framing flattering style.

31. Peek-a-Boo

blonde hair dark roots pixie — Give that pixie some exposed roots.

A platinum pixie gets a grungier effect when its black roots are left exposed just a tad. Use a hair gel to comb your hair up and away from your face and to add instant volume to your style. Comb the sides down to recreate the look above exactly.

32. White Braids

white braids blonde hair with dark roots — Fairy princess or warrior woman? You decide.

Nexxus

Nexxus Humectress Moisture Restoring Masque

Slay like a modern-day queen of dragons with a white-hot jumbo French braid (that shows your earthier roots). Prevent damage in these super-lightened strands by using an intensive hair mask. Nexxus Humectress Moisture Restoring Masque works to bring moisture back to strands and treat chemically-damaged hair.

33. Textured Lob

textured lob blonde hair with dark roots — An easy-wear length in a showstopping shade. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

Skater-chic, if there ever was such—from the grungy texture to the exposed roots. Let your hair air dry and lay off the hot tools to create this natural lived-in look. Use a salt spray or texture spray to add even more texture to your style!

34. Rope Twists

rope twisted blonde hair with dark roots — A lob length is twice as fun when paired with rope twists. Photo credit: instagram.com/braidsnation

Natural hair in protective rope twists can also play with a black-to-blonde ombré. A twist style like this one is the perfect way to test out a rooted blonde hair color without doing any damage to your natural hair.

35. French Girl

french girl blonde hair with dark roots — Badgyals, unite! A sexy, sooty, screen-siren blonde is what we’re craving for this year.

Everything about this sexy, dark brown-to-ash-blonde look screams chic seductress. This Hollywood-inspired color story has movie star written all over it. The smudged roots are effortless and chic!

36. Side Spiral

side spiral blonde hair with dark roots — A great wedding or formal-night option too. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

A side-swept look with a quiet ombré is low-maintenance and easily flattering. Pull your hair over one shoulder and use a few bobby pins to secure the style in place. Use a curling iron to add some loose curls that will cascade over your shoulder and show off your blonde color.

37. Center Part

center parted blonde hair with dark roots — Another viral look, and one that looks sleek on and off social media.

Another throwback look we love? The sleek center parts of the 90s, surprisingly work well with a high-contrast color. We are all about the center part these days and love how this looks with stick straight hair.

38. Smooth Curls

smooth curls blonde hair with dark roots — Something about these luscious curls just spells m-e-l-l-o-w.

Diffuse that hairline via a zigzag part for more oomph. This is the secret to adding instant volume to your hair without using hot tools or any hair products. This technique is ideal for when you are in a rush!

39. Full Pixie

smooth pixie blonde hair with dark roots — Punky and spuky in equal measure! Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

Satisfy your pixie and undercut cravings in one look, and keep the roots peeking out a bit to give your scalp a reprieve from that bleach. Short and sweet, this chic style is edgy and cool at the same time.

40. Silky

silky smooth blonde hair with dark roots — BRB, screenshotting. Photo credit: Allyson Alapont

A straight, perfectly blown-out finish is the best foil for an already impeccable ombré. Use a shine serum to add a glossy finish to your fresh color. Opt for a center part to add even more of an edge to your style!

41. Long and Grown-Out

long and grown out blonde hair with dark roots — Back when we all had thick, lush, early-2000s locks.

Naturalistas, rejoice: This very rooty (and semi-staticky) take is bringing us back to our simple college years. Slept-in and laid-back, this style is the epitome of an “I woke up like this” look.

42. Streaky

streaky blonde hair with dark roots — Like a dishwater blonde, but darker and warmer.

…And so do these bright caramel highlights, which seem to nestle into a straight, espresso-brown base just right. How beautiful does this color story look with darker brows? Talk to your stylist about dyeing your brows while you’re already getting your hair color done!

43. Pinkish

pinkish blonde hair with dark roots — Can’t complain about a sultry pink blonde look! Photo credit: Allyson Alapont

There’s something so cheerfully L.A. about a nutty base and washed-out pink ends (or maybe it’s those literal rose-colored glasses?). Use a side part to add some instant volume to your style at the roots!

44. Loose Bob

loose bob blonde hair with dark roots — Use a texturizing spray and air-dry for more grit. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Or: What growing out a blonde bob should look like, if only we were all this self-aware. Easy, undone, and beautifully textured, this is the way to wear a short-mid-length style.

45. Coiled

coiled blonde hair with dark roots — Keep all your blondes warm to maintain a streamlined look.

Dove

Dove Curls Defining Mousse

Highlights, lowlights, grown-in roots plus a 3C/4A texture—yet it all works. Give your curls the boost they need with a pump of mousse. We love Dove Curls Defining Mousse for adding definition without leaving a crunchy finish.

46. Perfect Bun

perfect bun blonde hair with dark roots — Ideal for both gala nights and I-don’t-want-to-wash-my-hair-days, in equal measure.

A super-correct topknot is ideal when you want to show off the nuances in your blonde (but also want to skip a wash or two). Use a comb or hair brush to gather your strands straight up into a true top knot.

47. Two-Tone short platinum blonde hair with dark roots

two-toned blonde hair with dark roots — Go left to right with your ombré and watch people’s heads turn. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Bored of a traditional ombré? We hear you—and so does this clever take on the trend, which, gasps, goes for a vertical gradient. #mindblown By pairing this color with a set of textured bangs, you will nail that rocker chic look.

48. Loose Waves

loose waves on blonde hair with dark roots — Use a medium-barreled curling iron for best results. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

Beautifully on-point, whether you’re dolled up in Sunday’s best or are totes in the Netflix and chill zone. We can’t get enough of this versatile style and love this blend of warm brown and blonde hair colors.

49. Lazy Waves

lazy waves on blonde hair with dark roots — We love this wash-and-wear look for anytime you need a blowdryer break. Photo credit: Suzanne Cohen Photography

Let your hair air-dry naturally to urge in those second day bends. On day two and three use dry shampoo to add some texture to your style. Dry shampoo will also absorb any oil in your roots!

50. Classic short platinum blonde hair with dark roots

blonde hair darks roots ombre — Can’t go wrong with a classic.

One for the books is the drippy ombré—which features blonde hair with dark roots, in a messy, low-key wave—which has been everyone’s go-to for the past half-decade when approaching the short platinum blonde hair with dark roots look.

51. Chunky Short Platinum Blonde Hair with Dark Roots Bob

chunky bob blonde hair with dark roots — Fullness at the ends of the hair is a blessing; emphasize it with loose, zigzaggy curls. Photo credit: indigitalimages.com

Cut hair to jaw length, and style with a flat iron to get that rich-girl kink in your lengths. Bend your curls in alternate directions to create this undone air-dried inspired style.

52. Tight Highlights

tight highlights on blonde hair with dark roots — Note: In a dark roots blonde hair situation, the higher you go with your highlights, the more upkeep you’re signing up for. Photo credit: Dvora

Take your streaks up higher, particularly near the hairline, if you want a blonder look. Super subtle roots give this a naturally blonde look. This is one of the best formulas for creating a look that’s super natural!

53. Sun-Streaked

sun-streaked blonde hair with dark roots — Blonde hair with dark roots, caramel version: Play with some brightness around the eyes to open up your features.

As natural as a rooty, caramel-highlighted look can get. We love how this color combination looks paired with grown-out curtain bangs and super long straight strands.

Are you thinking about trying out one of these styles? Be sure to grab a picture and tag us over @AllThingsHairUS!