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30 Stunning Short Hair Color Ideas – Bring Life to Your Look

Short hairstyles are definitely on trend and coloring your short hair can bring life to your look. From the pixie to the Bob, we’re seeing a bunch of ideas to get a different look that’s celebrity-level.

But a hairstyle will never be complete without a great hair color to make it stand out and for you to get noticed. Whatever your style is, colors for short hair will only make it pop and even create a great mix with the haircut you already have.

short hair color
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Best Short Hair Color Ideas for Women

The first thing you need to know is color is not something you can easily do at home, especially if you’re going for something really elaborate. Ask your hairdresser or look for an expert that you can ask all your questions to.

That color trend you love can be your next style if you do it correctly, no matter how short your hair is. Let’s take a look at some short hair color ideas that are going to make you shine!

1. Flaming Red Fauxhawk

short red hair color for women
Spaskov/Shutterstock.com

Set a daring fauxhawk on fire by coloring it in a flaming hot red shade. The sides are shaved to expose the skin with a longer top that is hand-tousled to fall over the forehead. This short hair color look is the best one for fair skin tones.

2. Neon Yellow Hair

short lime hair color
Victoria Wonka/Shutterstock.com

This look is perfect for girls who want to show their wild side. The hair is chopped to a jaw-length bob and is dyed in a vivid neon yellow shade with a little neon green here and there, adding dimension to the style.

3. Orange Bob with Blonde Face-Framing Highlights

short orange hair with blonde streaks
New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Bring life to your boring look with this stunning short hair color idea. The jaw-length bob is colored in a fiery neon orange shade. Add light yellow-blonde highlights all around the hairline to stand out from the remaining hair. 

4. Purple, Blue, and Green Pixie

short hair highlights
Spaskov/Shutterstock.com

Can’t decide on a single color for your short hair? Incorporate a bit of every shade to create this short unicorn mane. Add purple, blue, green, turquoise, and lavender hues to a side-parted pixie cut.

5. Deep Mahogany

women's short burgundy hair
Nataliia Martseniuk/Shutterstock.com

Try out this monochromatic hair color for short-haired ladies who want a less dramatic look. The bob is cut to shoulder length with layered front bangs. It is then dyed in a deep mahogany shade to complete the look.

6. Salmon Pink Gradient Pixie

short peach hair color for women
Eugenia Porechenskaya/Shutterstock.com

A pixie cut with a light and dark gradient hair color will surely turn around some heads. The dark salmon strands at the top and front tone down into a light pink salmon hue. The side-swept bangs cover an eye for a chic appeal.

7. Green Bob with Magenta Micro Bangs

short hair color with dyed bangs
Darya Lavinskaya/Shutterstock.com

This stunning idea will bring life to your look in a flick. The curly bob is dyed in a dark olive green shade that tones down into an emerald green hue with contrasting deep fuchsia micro bangs. This gothic look will make you stand out in public.

8. Balayage Bob

Balayage brown color for short hair

Ombre and balayage are both popular coloring routes, but balayage creates the softer, more blended effect. Whether you have curly and layered hair or straight and blunt cut, it’s a great way to accentuate the texture of your hair. In some cases, it can add volume to your layers and make your short hair look fuller and healthier.

9. Platinum Blonde

Platinum color blonde short hairstyle

Katy Perry did it with a pixie and Cara Delevingne tried it with a long bob. And as edgy as this color is, it will get you what you want: all eyes on you. If you’re going for it, keep in mind that it is always best to find a hair color that matches or flatters your skin tone.

The plus for girls with short hair is that this color would look better this way than with long locks because it will give you a healthier look.

10. Fine Caramel Highlights on a Brown Bob

girl classic colors for short hair

When it comes to hair color, this is a no-brainer for both stylists and clients who want their features to be enhanced without the need to dye all their hair.

Highlights can go anywhere from soft brown to blonde, depending on your natural color, and it will instantly create the illusion of volume and will direct the light straight to your face. For an effortless look, make sure the color you’re adding is similar to your natural one.

11. Warm Brown Pixie

Natural color with short hair

Do you love your natural hair color but you think there’s too much damage and you can’t see it anymore? Dyeing it with a very similar tone is an option that’s very trendy.

Colors for short hair can be tricky, so if you want to eliminate the risk, go for the ‘nude’. That way you don’t have to worry about the color matching your eyebrows and the maintenance will be easier.

12. Dark Burgundy Curls

Dark color short hairstyle for black girl

If your natural color is dark and you can’t be bothered with the whole bleaching process, then red is your way to go. It’s great for enhancing an edgy pixie or bringing life to a straight bob. And you can go as soft or bold as you want.

13. Contouring

Contoured Short Hair Color Framing the Face

You’ve heard about this makeup technique, but did you know you can actually contour your hair? This method uses a careful placement of color around the face and plays with lights and shadows to accentuate your best features and enhance your skin tone. The colors used here are normally very similar to yours, so it would look like you woke up like this.

14. Black Hair

Black hair color on a blunt neck-length bob

Colors for short hair can be a tricky deal and you can be scared to try them, so you need to know there’s nothing wrong with dyeing your hair black. It can add some strength to your pixie look or can be a temporary but gorgeous solution while your hair recovers from damage.

15. Dark Green Hair

short green hairstyles

Short hairstyles sometimes need a pop of color to make a real statement. Purple, green, blue and orange are only some of the options you can try if you’re brave enough to do it. If you’re looking for something really strong, an ombre with two different shades of one tone would be amazing, as well as some highlights if you don’t want a big change.

16. Gray Pixie with Dark Roots

Gray color short haircut for girl

Gone are the days when this hair color was considered a sign of aging. Some stylists are even saying gray is the new blonde. This hairstyle is best recommended for bob or lobs, but if you’re going for it with your pixie try it with a very bold haircut to create a great contrast.

17. Lavender Gray Hair

Lavender-gray curly pixie with short tapered sides

Are you a fan of candy colors? Then you should definitely try them on your short hair! The lavender gray looks silvery along the shorter sides and more violet through the lifted curls on top. Pastel pink or blue look really cool and trendy on bobs and pixies with bangs.

18. Platinum Pixie with Blue and Purple Streaks

Unicorn Rainbow Color on Short Hair

Have you taken a look at Instagram newsfeeds full of long hairstyles with great rainbow colors? Good news, you can have unicorn hair in your short locks!  There are different ways you can achieve this style, but the main goal is to get the colors to look like they’re blending perfectly but don’t look washed out. Be careful with this one and ask a professional.

19. Auburn Bob with Copper Highlights

Ginger Orange-Red Color for Short Hair

Yes, redheads are still on trend and they will probably never go out of style. This short hair color, which looks more orange than red, is better for girls with a very pale skin tone (remember how pretty it looks on Emma Stone). Ask your stylist for a consultation on which shade will work best.

20. Magenta Asymmetrical Bob

Dark Pink Color on Asymmetrical Bob

Dark pink hair makes full coverage on the bob. It is interesting and edgy but requires regular touch-ups as the color fades very quickly.

21. Rainbow Underlights on a Wavy Pixie

Rainbow Color on Short Pixie Hair

The rainbow hair is another choice among women with short hair. It does require some bleaching because all of the colors of the rainbow do need a light and proper base for their vibrant colors. If you are wearing a pixie, you can try and focus the rainbow style only to the lower portion of the hair.

Make highlights in all the various colors like red, orange, yellow, blue and green. The rest of the hair that will come over will cover most of the colored hair, leaving the ends visible and interesting.

22. Dusty Rose Pink Hair

short hairstyle with colors

This undercut pairs a closely shaved side with longer hair on top. The top is styled forward in sculpted, rolled waves. Dusty rose pink covers the top and side, with a pale lavender line along the part.

23. Blueberry Undercut

Deep blue slicked-back undercut with turquoise sides

This undercut has a slicked-back deep blue top and a closely buzzed turquoise side. For a softer shade, try light blue hair.

24. Coral Pink Bob

Rose Gold Balayage on Short Hair

The combination of pink and orange as hair color might sound terrifying for someone, but if you choose the right shade and technique you can get a unique look. This hair color for short hair requires you to have a bit longer hair so the bob or the lob will do the work since you need to make it wavy or curly.

25. Purple Balayage Waves

short purple balayage look

Balayage highlights can be done on short hair too, and purple is a wonderful color for it. Ask your colorist to paint the balayage through just the top layer. The hairstyle can be worn straight, or if you want to accent the color more, go for the curls or waves. The natural hair color will stay under and the balayage will be presented through the curls.

26. Silver-Blonde Bob with a Dark Underlayer

Short silver-blonde layered bob with a dark brown underlayer
Eugenio Marongiu/stock.adobe.com

Silver-blonde layers sweep across the forehead and crown, while a dark brown underlayer frames the ear and nape. The short layered shape keeps both tones visible from the side.

27. Black Pixie with Deep Red Bangs

Black spiky pixie with deep red side-swept bangs

Long, deep red bangs sweep across the forehead against a short black base. Spiked crown layers add height and make the red panel stand out.

28. Blonde, Copper, and Auburn Angled Bob

Sleek short bob with blonde, copper, and auburn color blocks

Pale blonde, peachy copper, and deep auburn panels wrap around this sleek, angled bob. The long side bangs display the color changes clearly across the front.

29. Black Bob with Turquoise Face-Framing Panels

Black rounded bob with turquoise face-framing panels and micro bangs

Turquoise panels frame the face against a glossy black rounded bob. Short blunt bangs and the angled front lengths give the color placement a precise outline.

30. Sandy Blonde Bob with Mint Green Highlights

Sandy blonde angled bob with mint green highlights

Fine mint-green ribbons run through a sandy blonde angled bob, especially around the front and part. The pale green blends softly with the blonde while remaining visible against the darker roots.

Hopefully, these trendy hair color ideas for short hair will catch your eye, and you should try one to have a different look.