Short ombre hair offers a color-melting effect on a short-length cut from one hue to another. It’s a fun, modern way of adding refreshing shades to your natural locks.
Sami Skinner, a Florida-based hairstylist, shares her rule of thumb with gradient highlights. “Keep the dimension underneath,” she notes. The dimension keeps the length prominent and allows for more peaks and valleys in the texture.
Getting your hair colored may take some time. Different outcomes demand different approaches. Trust the process and trust your stylist.
This color trend is perfect for ladies looking for a lower-maintenance look. It gives you more time between appointments. Even so, this can sometimes mean a low budget.
“Easy-maintenance hair typically requires longer appointments with more time in between. So plan,” Skinner advises.
Skinner’s top suggested products for ombre short hair are from Redken. These include the acidic bonding concentrate shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in treatment.
She explains, “This product line is best for women who go through a lightening service. It can balance the pH in the hair, leaving it soft and healthy.”
Moreover, a color-depositing shampoo helps maintain the tone between salon visits.
During the consultation, let your stylist know the look you desire to achieve. They’ll give you recommendations according to that.
Scan through these images and find the most popular short ombre hair ideas you can try. Honey blonde, burgundy, platinum, or copper—the choice is yours!
#1: Mousy Brown to Light Brown Color Melt
Go for an easy-maintenance hair color with a mousy brown to light brown color melt. Ombré is one of the best techniques for natural-looking highlights and gives the illusion of sun-kissed ends that come naturally from the sun. Enjoy your beautiful-looking color that looks as natural as spending a day at the beach.
#2: Short Brunette to Vibrant Red Ombre
When dyeing your hair, choosing a single color can be hard. So you could try multiple colors! Here’s the blended brunette to bright red ombre style. This hair color suits people who love both natural and vivid red hues. It’s a fresh way to blend them.
#3: Tousled Bob Cut with Beautiful Ombré
For ladies with slightly wavy hair, a short tousled bob cut with a beautiful ombre can be a game-changer. This cut is about creating effortless movement and adding depth to the hair. An ombre technique creates a gradient effect that adds visual interest to the hair. This look works best for those who want low-maintenance but still stylish hair. To style this cut, I suggest starting with clean, damp hair. Apply a lightweight texturizing spray to add volume and definition. Then, use a small round brush to curl the ends under and create more structure. Finally, finish the look with a shine spray.
#4: Light Brown Roots to Platinum Ends
To achieve light brown roots to platinum ends, I suggest starting with pre-lightened hair is best with a light brown natural base color as well.
#5: Dark to White Blonde Neck-Length Bob
Are you someone who likes to have their hair platinum blonde? Consider doing a full head of highlights instead of bleaching your hair. This will allow for a softer grow out. Purple shampoos are great for keeping yellow out of hair. But try to avoid using them more than once every two weeks to avoid buildup.
#6: Unicorn Pink Ombre for Short Hair
This is a fun mix of light, dark, and bright pink. Adding a shadow root makes the short ombre hair color appear more lived-in and organic and makes the bright colors pop. If you are thinking about having a fun unicorn pink ombre like this, consider the commitment it will take. Ask your stylist what you can do at home to maintain these colors best! Before committing to vivid colors, ensure they fit your lifestyle and budget!
#7: Short Blonde Ombre for Women with a Round Face
Get a short blonde ombre for women with a round face to change your look. The beauty of an ombre is that it creates a depth at the roots and around the face against the blonde. This is what creates a slimming effect. Add this with a short length, which sits above the shoulder, to skim the sides of the face and enhance your face shape.
#8: Short Black to Cherry Red Ombre with Bold Ends
This fashion color is a melt of black to cherry red ombre. Don’t you love how the reds and violets blend and intertwine? This works wonderfully and gives it that pop of contrast because there is a darker base going into those bold ends. We use a heat protectant and leave-in conditioner and do deep conditioning treatments in the salon. Your hair needs to be healthy for these ombre colors. If you aren’t already a lighter brown or blonde, you’ll have to lighten your hair to achieve these fiery red ends.
It’s a lot of maintenance. Expect to enter the salon between 3-6 weeks to get it touched. If that’s not in your beauty budget, look at something not as bold as this. Use a color maintenance shampoo/conditioner and moisturizing shampoos and conditioner. Alternate between both to boost the shine and softness. Try Redken products on your hair. Colors like these love any product that is protein/moisture based. The color molecules are attracted to that hair which helps prolong your color.
#9: Sandy Blonde Ombre on Short Hair
Opt for a sandy blonde ombre on short hair. While toning, ask for a darker tone at the root area, then have it melted down to this pretty sandy color. Use Paul Mitchell Blonde Me Shampoo and Conditioner or the Blue Joico Moisturizing Deep Conditioner. Your hair will change texture after getting a style like this.
#10: Black to Silver Ombre Hair
Rock this cute two-toned short ombre hair color for a confident look. The longer bob cut retains the classic quality of this modern hairstyle.
#11: Chocolate to Toffee Ombre Hair Color
A highly contrasting combination of dark and light brunette is exciting to try! These hues would complement tan and warm undertones beautifully.
#12: Copper Brown to Copper Blonde Ombre
One of the hottest trends in the ombre world is this fiery copper color melt that looks impressive on any length – short, medium, or long! This shade works best on warm to neutral skin tones.
#13: Purple to Sapphire Ombre on Short Hair
Strong fashion colors like a wonderful sapphire hue are a bit hard to maintain, so a great way to wear this is with a short haircut like this flattering straight bob.
#14: Sun-Kissed Blonde Ombre for Short Choppy Hair
Get the cool ombre beach waves on your short hair for a great summer look! These trendy sun-kissed short ombre strands would look best on any textured wavy hair.
#15: Natural Dark Roots to Light Blonde Ombre
Soft-toned textured bob, effortless but stylish. That’s one reason to consider a chin-length bob. This bob can be dressed up or down and is perfect for any occasion or personality. The melted and blended ombre colors + healthy shine were created by OWAY’s H color.
This beautiful colorful ombre and cut create a shape to flatter the neck and collar bone while still leaving a length to frame the face.
#16: Short Black to Cherry Ombre with Fringe
This short ombre hair color is a good balance between classic and edgy. The textured bob is timeless and low-maintenance, while the bright red ombre is daring and highly committed. The simple cut makes the bold ombre color very wearable and not so shocking. If your base is a dark natural color, it’s pretty low-maintenance as far as reds go.
Use as cold as you can tolerate sealing in the color to rinse it. Bright red hair is a lifestyle! Every 12 weeks, you’ll need to bring up your grown-out ombre with some highlights. This will keep the transition point between your base and the red right around your eye level.
#17: Short Burgundy to Honey Blonde Ombré with Bangs
This is a short hair ombré with bangs – a pop of an intense red at the regrowth for vibrancy and depth. The ombre fades into a light caramel color which melts into a soft blonde onto her ends. These colors melted together so beautifully! This matched perfectly, creating wildfire ombre hair colors. The most ideal face shape would be oval, but heart, round, and square can also work wonderfully with this short hair ombre melt.
Products I love are Davines treatment oil, Davines curl building serum, and Aveda air control for a light hold with a shiny vibe. Extremely coarse and curly hair might have a harder time with this color because it wouldn’t blend as easily, but if done right, you can make it work.
#18: Short Hair with a Platinum Ombre
It’s an edgier take on a classic short ombre hair color. A semi-permanent color was used, so it washes out fairly quickly. Short hair with platinum ombre is super hot right now. Keep your ombre color and hair to this length by getting a haircut more often.
#19: Rose Gold Color Ombre
This rich rosy ombré color for short hair features an amazing combination of color with the length of the haircut. It’s a perfect way to add some flavor to a shorter style. Have a thorough consultation with your stylist, who you can trust with their honest opinion regarding your skin type and style and whether or not you can pull it off. Rosier tones tend to fade faster, so expect to come in to refresh your toner about a week sooner than you normally would keep your new ombre color on point!
#20: Black to Blue Ombre on Short Hair
If you love how bright color melts into the base, this dark ombre hair color is for you. This ombre hairstyle, it’s an excellent choice for women with short hair wanting something extra without going crazy. Jewel tones work amazingly well on all skin types and are a great choice for darker hair since they don’t require such extensive lightening. An ombre hairstyle is also an awesome way to add lots of color without dealing with roots!
#21: Mocha to Raspberry Ombre Mermaid Hair
This mocha to raspberry ombre mermaid hair is a great blend of natural hair color/root, fading into the raspberry-colored ends. It was created by stylist Madelaine Green of Manitoba.
“This ombre color is a lengthy process. The girl in this photo started at a level 4/5 dark brown (natural),” explains Green.
The hair has to get quite light to lift the brown hair light enough for the fashion colors to show up as their true color. “This can take 2-3 sessions, so be patient! One issue with lightening the hair so much is that it can get quite porous, and although the color deposits nicely onto it, it will also fade a lot faster,” she adds.
#22: Sleek Short Bob Ombre
If you want to stay light, ask for more of a root shadow in your hair rather than bringing the short ombre root down too far. Take the root down a little. Because the hair is shorter, you’ll need to bring the lighter brown higher much quicker. Don’t you love the blend from the root black to brown hair? It’s a seamless blend, and the hair sits perfectly at this shoulder length.
#23: Subtle Reverse Peach Ombre for Women with Short Hair
This reverse ombre with a subtle peach gradient slowly transitions into a more natural color. Reverse ombre is a trending combination that creates a very different color from conventional ombre hairstyles. The blonde to peach gives a slight transition. Pastels are notoriously difficult to maintain as it fades and may become brassy with each shampoo. This is fine for women who are okay with a gradual change in their hair color. If you’re not one of those women, one way to maintain the initial color would be to use a pink shampoo and conditioner.
#24: Rooty Platinum Blonde Ombre on Short Hair
Ombré hairstyles are something that will be on-trend for many years to come! This is a flawless blend of a rich brown root melting into a beautiful creamy blonde. If you want to try a brown to platinum blonde, this one shines. This gorgeous ombre color seamlessly melts into each tone from dark to light.
An ombré style allows you to be that fun blonde and a shiny, healthy brunette. If you want to be this color without the high maintenance of coming every 4 to 8 weeks, this is the style for you. Warmer skin tones should stick to a cool-toned blonde (ice * white). Cooler skin tones should stick to warm-toned blondes. If you want to try shorter ombre hair, use professional products to ensure your hair doesn’t go brassy from day-to-day lifestyle choices.
#25: Dark Brown to Light Brown Ombre on a Shorter Haircut
This light brown ombre look on a shorter haircut is effortless and chic. This color is considered somewhat low maintenance. It will make you feel lighter and brighter without getting a touch-up so frequently.
#26: Short Cut Ash Blonde Ombre Highlights
Go for a shadowed root blonde ombre short hair style. The added depth at the root creates a bolder effect than the natural tone. This look is extremely low-maintenance because the root area has a seamless smudged effect for little to no growth.
Most of the time, an ombre on short hair can be maintained with the proper at-home care and salon visits three to four times a year. This short hair with color is an ideal option for women wanting ombre highlights!
#27: Short Hairstyle with Dark Black to Metallic Ombre
Silver ombre short hair can be funky but elegant. It starts with the grey balayage, which gives it lightness on the ends and blended depth throughout the top. The ombre hair color for short hair has a beautiful dark/light contrast. As the picture shows, a little trick is finishing this ombré with a little sea salt spray. The spray added some much-needed edge and texture to this amazing ombre style. The metallic color is hard to polish off but, when done right, looks gorgeous.
#28: Chestnut to Caramel Brown Ombre on Short Hair
The short ombre color is a first session balayage working to remove the previous box color. It’s a combo of balayage and foilyage to add some extra dimension. With balayage, there are no lines as it grows out. When going lighter from any box color, it’s always a process. The same goes if your hair is super dark or coarse/resistant.
If it’s your first balayage service, it’s important to remember it can take a few sessions to build the dimension. But it will give you the lightness you desire to get the overall ombre-ish color scheme. Trust the process! It all depends on the haircut and color. The stylist should be able to place the lightener where it will accentuate your features or haircut best.
Short hair color ideas work best with professional products to maintain the tone. A good professional moisture shampoo, a professional leave-in conditioner, a heat protectant, and a styling side will help the style look the best and maintain the hair’s integrity. Brown ombre hair is a solid choice.
#29: Short Cinnamon Red to Peach Blonde Ombre
This is a warm, autumn-toned red with tones of peach and cinnamon with a rich, warm brown base. The best part of this red ombre is the warm tones. Ombré works with all hair lengths. Short, cropped hair with a shadowed root area will give depth to the root area, adding texture and the illusion of thicker hair. Medium-length hair is great for the same reason, and you can wear it in a sleek bob or curl it for some extra texture. And we have all seen the perfect ombré on long, lush hair.
This ombre color is also relatively low-maintenance if you match the darker base to the level of your natural color. If you have greys, it’s easy to touch up the root area every 5 to 6 weeks, along with a toner through the lightened ends.
#30: Short Mermaid Green to Neon Green Ombre
If you relate color to food, you could describe this as Fun Dip Ombré. The coolest part about this green and blue ombre style has to be the neon ends. Who doesn’t love neon?! This neon ombre color is high maintenance. It’s important to use cold water, sulfate-free shampoos, and heat protectants with ombre hair colors this vibrant. This color will fade, giving you a blank canvas for your next hairstyle!
#31: Dark to Light Purple Ombre on a Short Pixie
Go for a punk pixie look that combines edgy and whimsical. Dark to light purple ombre on a short pixie? Yes, please! Take this journey with a stylist you trust. The day-to-day maintenance is pretty low (put in a little product, ruffle and go), but it does require a visit to your salon every four to six weeks to maintain the color and cut.
All women can rock a short pixie with funky colors like blue to purple to silver color combinations. You need the right stylist to specialize in the ombre/cut. A good stylist can give you the color and pixie cut in the picture. Purple ombre hair color ideas for short hair might be harder to find, but it can be worth it.
#32: Brown to Golden Brown Ombré on Short Layered Hair
Brown to golden brown ombre on short layered hair is a hot color trend at the moment. This ombre color is ideal for women who have more warm tones in their hair. With lightened hair, it’s important to use a thermal protectant before applying the heat. The key to perfecting this style is using an oil or serum when finishing the style to piece out the curls, loosen them up, and make them appear softer. This also doubles as a gloss to make the hair look smooth, sleek and finished.
#33: Dramatic Brown to White Champagne Ombre
This dramatic brown-to-white champagne ombre hair color has a natural base and was kept for a more dramatic feel, making the ends almost solid blonde. Yes, you can do this with ombre short hair! Use a great beachy sea salt spray like Rockaway salt spray from R+Co. After curling, I mess it up with your fingers, and you’re done! This brown ombré is great for almost every hair type and can be done with various colors.
#34: Espresso to Beige Ombre on a Short Bob
This espresso-to-beige ombre on a short bob is stylish. The best part about the style is how well it blends. The colors, although drastically different, melt effortlessly into each other. The color has very low upkeep, especially if you have darker roots already. It allows you to let it grow out without seeing the line of demarcation as opposed to regular highlights, but it still looks sassy by adding so much blonde.
#35: Short Chin Length Hair with Ashy Blonde Ombre
Only a few women think they can achieve a lived-in look with shorter hair. But you can!! The best part about the contrast is that it gives you a low-maintenance color. It’s the ideal ombre color for women who love to get their hair done but don’t have to ability to get in so often.
Use Kenra Express 10 Minute Color on the regrowth in 4n and hand-paint the mid-shaft to ends with Kenra Clay lightener. Then leave out some previous blondes to add depth to the ash-blonde color. Process for 20 minutes, then rinse and tone with Guy Tang’s Mydentity Titanium for 5 minutes on towel-dried hair.
#36: Short Wavy Bob with Red to Blonde Ombre
This ombré is best described as red to blonde. It’s great for girls who love the waves in their hair but want to change it up by adding some color! Use Matrix Total Results Brass Off shampoo to keep it bright. Switch between it and Matix Color Obsessed shampoo and conditioner to maintain your red ombre.
#37: Short Cut with Lived-In Dark Black to Blonde Ombre
This short cut with lived-in dark black to blonde ombre is versatile. We all would rather spend more time outside than in the salon, and having a bit of a root shadow is perfect. This is also a perfect length and color for sweater weather. The length is fabulous, with higher necks and chunky sweaters. The color brightens up those grey days with the beauty of the blonde on the ends.
Every blondie must invest in a purple shampoo and conditioner like Kevin Murphy’s Blonde.Angel shampoo and conditioner. It’s great for women who only have a little time for the salon. This ombre features tones of blonde that only require a visit once every 3 to 6 months. It’s also a great color for ladies with dark hair as it keeps that beautiful natural color without overdoing the blonde.
#38: Fall-Inspired Red and Brown Ombre on a Short Bob
This is a staple fall-inspired red and brown ombre on a short bob. I always preserve the overall integrity of your hair. That being said, there are various products to maintain and build healthy hair while performing color services. Treating your hair should not stop there, however. Buy a quality leave-in conditioner to use at home. This will help your hair in more ways than one! For example, after you shampoo and condition, apply your leave-in throughout your ends before you brush it. With ombres, the upkeep is minimal. This ombre is for any woman, regardless of age, who wants to change their color and add some dimension.
#39: Straight Black to Teal Blue Ombre Hair Color
Own your boldness with a sleek bob haircut. Keep it straight and side-swept for a sizzling finish.
#40: Dark Brown to Blonde Ombre
What a great way to represent two colors in one. With this dark brown to blonde ombre, upkeep, and maintenance will be the least of your problems. And growing out is effortless too!
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