19 Strawberry Blonde Hair Color Ideas for 2023
Strawberry blonde hair is like abstract art — everyone sees it differently. The shade isn’t quite red or blonde and you might even tilt your head thinking, What exactly is that hair color? when you see it in the wild.
Simply put, strawberry blonde is a light reddish copper that’s close to a golden blonde. Lilybeth Vargas, the founder of Dúo Hair and an extension specialist, has a more dynamic definition of the color: It’s made up of “tones that mimic the warm hues of the sun, the flames of a fire, or the oranges and yellows of a sunset,” she says. “It has a glow and a softness.”
It’s undoubtedly gorgeous, but it can also be pretty high-maintenance if it’s not your natural shade. Tiffanie Richards, a master/celebrity colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon in New York City, says that in order to achieve it your hair needs to be lifted to a light-medium golden blonde before a strawberry color is deposited into it. “You typically cannot achieve the color with just a single process unless you are naturally within the blonde family,” she adds.
If you’re thinking of trying the look, Richards recommends showing photos of the hue you’re aiming for to your stylist. “There are so many types of strawberry blonde and this is a color that people tend to be extremely picky with,” she says. Not sure what iteration of strawberry blonde you want? Read on for 19 examples of our favorite inspiration.
- Lilybeth Vargas is the founder of Dúo Hair and an extension specialist in New York City.
- Tiffanie Richards is a master/celebrity colorist at Louise O’Connor Salon in New York City.
- Stephanie Brown is a master colorist at IGK SoHo in New York City.
- Rita Hazan is a colorist, salon owner, and founder of the Rita Hazan New York hair-care line.
- Chad Kenyon is a celebrity colorist based in Los Angeles.
- Raphaël Mauriello is a senior colorist at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa in New York City.
1/19Madelaine Petsch: Rusty papaya
Madelaine Petsch’s hair combines papaya and the deep complexity of a rusty penny, Richards explains. “The vibrant orangey-strawberry allows the pink in her cheeks and lips to pop. When hair color picks up the natural tones in your skin, it creates the healthiest glow possible within the face,” she says. For deeper skin, Richards suggests darkening the rust tone ever-so-slightly to match the natural warmth in your skin.
Keep in mind that “shampooing too often is another culprit of stripping the cuticle of color,” says Richards. If you’re a frequent gym-goer and feel like you need to wash, she recommends wetting your hair and using conditioner as shampoo. If you still feel you need an extra boost of freshness, apply a dry shampoo like this one from Batiste.
Getty Images2/19Emma Roberts: Rosy
This hue works well on Emma Roberts because it perfectly balances rose and gold. "Having a good mix of gold within a strawberry color allows it to appear more natural, while leaving a bit of the original color at the root area," says Richards. "Too much of a strawberry hue on the mid-lengths and ends tends to look extremely fake on a naturally ash-colored root.”
To maintain this color, Richards suggests using Overtone Conditioner in the shade Ginger. “You can use this as is or mix a bit of your normal conditioner with it to make it more sheer,” she says. “Pigmented conditioners are typically the best option for refreshing color at home because what you see in the bottle is exactly what you're going to get.”
Getty Images3/19Viola Davis: Auburn base
Any strawberry blonde color needs to be anchored by a deeper shade. Here, Viola Davis has deep auburn roots that blend into strawberry blonde tones toward her ends. "This color is great on her skin tone because it compliments her warm undertones and brightens up her eyes," says Stephanie Brown, a master colorist at IGK SoHo in New York City. She adds that it also works well with the texture and short length of her hair as it has slight variations in color. It gives off an ombré-like effect (dark at the roots and lighter toward the ends) which keeps it simple and pretty.
Getty Images4/19Leslie Mann: Reddish honey blonde
It's hard to imagine Leslie Mann with a color that isn't strawberry blonde. The golden coppery tones in her ombré hair enhance the honey base, creating a warm hue. "She has a neutral skin tone with little pink undertones. The strawberry blonde color works well on her because it makes her skin lightly flushed like she’s wearing blush,” says Brown. “The reddish color also complements her blue eyes and makes them [stand out].” Texture-wise, the red ombré works in her favor as it adds dimension, making her hair appear fuller.
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Getty Images5/19Ola Ray: Apricot blonde
Colorist Rita Hazan calls this "apricot blonde," but it definitely falls in the strawberry blonde family. The darker base against Ray's skin combined with the golden tones in her hair balance the overall shade. The result? More depth and dimension. "She has a lot of beautiful hair, so it’s important to maintain and keep it hydrated with a product such as the Moroccanoil Protect and Prevent Spray," says Hazan. "It conditions the hair while preventing her color from fading."
Getty Images6/19Queen Latifah: Chocolate strawberry blonde
Here, Queen Latifah lets the strawberry blonde complement the dark base she's working with. "At the roots, you can see a rich, almost chocolate base color with toffee, caramel, and honey swirling about into warmly conjured perfection," says colorist Chad Kenyon. The variation of dark, medium, and light colors plays nicely as well. "This multi-tonal warmth helps push light toward her face. I approach hair color from the perspective of a makeup artist. For me, it’s all about illumination."
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7/19Nicole Kidman: Copper candy blonde
From the roots to the ends, Nicole Kidman’s rich copper candy blonde hair is the same shade throughout. "She has a very pale skin tone and this shade of copper enhances it," says Raphaël Mauriello, senior colorist at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa. "I would recommend this color for a client with green, blue, or hazel eyes."
Getty Images8/19Kiernan Shipka: Dark strawberry blonde
This shade is on the darker end of the strawberry blonde spectrum. It’s particularly flattering on Kiernan Shipka because of the depth, which doesn’t read too brassy or too orangey. When it comes to dyed hair, color-safe shampoos and conditioners (and better yet, sulfate-free formulas) are a must. “Reds tend to lose color and fade quicker,” notes Brown, who recommends Hot Girls by IGK, Olaplex No. 4 and No. 5, and SheaMoisture Moisture Retention shampoo and conditioner. As for masks, try a super-moisturizing one like the Allure Readers’ Choice Award-winning Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair deep conditioner.
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Getty Images9/19Elisabeth Moss: Sunny delight
Here, The Handmaid's Tale star had a sunny, more orange shade of strawberry blonde, which makes for a great transitional color. "When going from brunette or red to blonde, this color is the most achievable without damaging your hair for a one-shot makeover," says Richards. "Her eyebrows work well on her skin tone because her colorist or brow specialist did an amazing job matching them to her hair." Having dark or ashy-toned eyebrows could clash with this hair color and skin tone.
Getty Images10/19Laura Dern: Highlights throughout
The Big Little Lies star has a hair color similar to Leslie Mann’s, but this one is more of a highlighted look rather than an ombré. “As we get older, some people choose to go a little lighter with their hair color because darker colors tend to accentuate fine lines,” says Brown. Strawberry blonde, on the other hand, is still light but has more depth and color than classic blonde. “I think this is a great change for Laura, as it works really well with her skin tone,” she adds. “It brightens her up, doesn’t wash her out, and makes her eyes stand out.” Since she has thicker hair, the thin highlights work well to add definition.
Brown emphasizes the importance of protecting color-treated hair before heat styling and recommends Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray and Kevin Murphy Heated.Defense.
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Getty Images11/19Amy Adams: Golden red sheen
“Amy’s eye color in this photo appears to be almost 3D, largely due to the fact that her strawberry blonde is a golden color with glimmerings of brighter blonde on the ends that frame her face,” says Kenyon. “My eye is first drawn to the textured bits of her hair, but if you look closely, the smoother bits and the top are equally delectable.”
12/19Beyoncé: Gilded maple
This throwback photo of Beyoncé from 2013 goes to show that hair colors are much like fashion trends — everything eventually comes back into style. “This shade has rich amber colors created by the extreme gold and warmth, placing it into the medium-dark strawberry blonde family,” says Richards. “Her naturally warm skin thrives from the golden tones. The warm, subtle, amber brings out the pink in her cheeks and makes the light brown in her eyes pop.”
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13/19Sydney Sweeney: Venetian sunset blonde
Have thinner hair and looking for dimension? Try this Sydney Sweeney-approved shade. It has more depth at the roots with a little Californian balayage on the lengths to balance the contrast. This makes her hair look fuller, says Mauriello. “It accentuates the lengths and ends with bleach to keep maximum contrast and it’s deepest at the base,” he says. “Like the sun, put some natural golden tones on the lengths.” Another benefit of this shade is that it pairs well with her skin tone and green eyes.
14/19Phoebe Dynevor: Golden chili
Golden amber and chili red come together in this hair color worn by Phoebe Dynevor. "These two tones bring out the warm undertones in her skin,” says Richards.
“This is probably the most versatile strawberry blonde for skin tones and hair textures,” Richards adds. “It’s going to look great on just about anyone. Truly.” Count on this shade for the perfect balance of vibrancy, tamed a little bit by the deep golden undertone.
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15/19Molly Bernard: Sweet tea ombré
Brown calls Molly Bernard’s color here “sweet tea ombré” and notes it works well on long or short hair. “But I think if it’s longer, the darker part should come down a little farther for more dimension,” she says.
Her tip for maintaining the color as long as possible? “Don’t shampoo your hair too often and try to use cooler water. When you do shampoo, use one for color-treated hair,” she adds. Her recommendations include IGK Good Behavior Shampoo, Uberliss Hydrating Shampoo, K18 Peptide Prep pH Maintenance Shampoo, and Shu Uemura Color Lustre Shampoo.
16/19Kristen Stewart: Shaggy strawberry blonde
It’s all about balance with Kristen Stewart’s shaggy strawberry blonde hair. Mauriello notes how her darker eyebrows and edgy haircut bring an optimal contrast to her light golden hair. “I would recommend this shade of strawberry blonde for those with pale skin, but not golden skin tones because this rich copper shade will appear dull,” says Mauriello, who suggests using Julien Farel Vitamin Restore Non-Foaming Shampoo and Treatment to moisturize hair and help maintain maximum brightness.
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17/19Jessica Chastain: Rich copper
Jessica Chastain’s iconic red hair gets a strawberry blonde refresh in this photo. “It’s glamorous and sexy with her long, wavy style,” says Mauriello. “The copper is so rich and bright that it’s difficult not to like it.” Gather it into a high ponytail like the actress does here for an eye-catching updo.
18/19Ariel Winter: Peach Bellini blonde
Ariel Winter’s hair color “complements her porcelain skin tone as it creates contrast,” says Vargas. “The deep gold makes the hazel in her eyes shine brighter.”
As for how to style it, Vargas suggests picking up your curling wand. “All curled hairstyles would complement this color because they would show the highs and lows that create the dimension.”
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19/19Rosé: Candlelight quartz
“Rosé’s colorist captured the perfect shade of light strawberry blonde for her skin tone,” says Richards. “While [the hint of red] is ever-so-slight, it makes an impact.” Just note that while this color works well on Rosé, it won’t have the same effect on everyone. “This pale, warm, pinky-tone blonde will appear as a creative pastel pink on darker skin,” says Richards. “The lightening that needs to happen to achieve this look is also extreme and can be damaging.”
In general, to keep hair healthy after dyeing, Richards suggests using hair masks. “Red tones are infamous for being the quickest to fade. Having properly hydrated hair will prevent this and help keep the cuticle of the hair closed, which will retain pigment,” she says. “One of my favorites is Vitamino Color Mask by L'Oréal Professionnel.”
