- Beauty
- Hair
ByBritt Hawes
Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images
Whenever the season changes, many of us face a common conundrum: What hair color do we want to wear? It's not always an easy choice, especially when there are so many awesome options out there. Maybe you're stuck between two choices and can't decide. If this is you, then you're in luck because you don't have to make that all-too-crucial decision. Join in the marbled hair trend, and you'll find yourself in a win-win situation.
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Marbled hair was designed with the bold in mind — and maybe the indecisive. This dyeing method takes two contrasting colors and layers one atop the other to create a unique, edgy style that will stand out from the crowd. Think high-fashion punk, and you've targeted what this trend is all about. Tom Smith, creative director of Evo,called this the "boldest offering to date" during an interview with Byrdie.
Ready for some inspiration before you take your marbled-haired journey? These pics will give you all you need to get hyped for trying the trend for yourself.
Jet black platinum blond = punk aesthetic
Leave it to the OG punk-rock queen to lead the way with this scene-inspired hair color. When she's not pitching ideas fora possible Sk8r Boi movie, Avril Lavigne is trying out new hairstyles, with marbled hair being the latest color she's opted to give a run. Lavigne's blunt, shoulder-length platinum blond hair is layered over swatches of black hair that you can just barely see sneak out every now and then. It's the perfect hairdo for someone whose looks range from Hello Kitty fabulous to girl next door-turned-rockstar.
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Umbra mermaidcore hair
Some people were born to swim against the current in life, and that includes going against what's considered the norm in fashion and hair. Take a look at what we're labeling "umbra mermaidcore hair," the perfect option for anyone who is less a fan of singing crabs and more in tune with the dark and mysterious side of the ocean. A fall of dark, wavy hair over pieces of vibrant violet makes this sea-inspired color scheme a favorite of ours.
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Peekaboo ponytail
While many celebrities seem to layer blond hair over black, reversing the order of the colors is totally doable. This is the perfect look for someone who prefers darker hair but wants a more dramatic combination that isn't quite achievable with subtle highlights. One of our favorite blond/black pairings is a smoky blond with a muted, ashy dark gray. The colors pair well together, look terrific in a ponytail, and give off a more restrained, dark-academia feel. Give this one a go if that's more of your aesthetic.
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However, if you're lifting your hair to become blond, celebrity hairstylist Kendall Dorsey recommends leaving it to the professionals. "Avoid using any hair lightening system on your own (i.e. bleach). It's risky business that you shouldn't chance," Dorsey told Elite Daily.
Miley's curly black undercarriage
If you want to find a star who isn't afraid to try out new hairstyles, look no further than Miley Cyrus. The "Flowers" singer has somehow managed to work everything from soft, brown ringlets to a platinum blond pixie cut with ease. Her most recent 'do is a curly style that falls below her shoulders. The underside of her hair looks as though it were dipped in a pool of dark ink while the rest remains the color she's become known for — icy blond.
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Black-and-white hair inspired by Cruella
Black-and-white marbled hair seems like it would be inherently punk, but this hairstyle proves that's not always the case. Sure, it does have the charm of an amazing indie rock band performing at a bar, but you can easily make it work— possibly with gray tones— for a more fairytale-inspired look. Cruella de Vil was making black-and-white hair trend way before Avril Lavigne and Miley Cyrus, so take inspiration from this Disney icon if you want to take a more high-fashion approach to yourmarbled hair. Note:We're talking Glenn Close or Emma Stone's version of the puppy-obsessed fashion designer, although the animated villainess had a sense of "fashion" all her own.
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Candy-apple red makes a splash
None of us are one-dimensional. The great thing about marbled hair is that you can use it to capture more angles of your personality than you would be able to do with just a single color. That's why we adore this version of marbled hair that's in candy-apple red and dark brown. The bright bangs are the first part to catch your eye, and we just love the way they start out visible at the front before dipping below the layers of darker hair to achieve that marbled look. It looks edgy yet also gives popstar vibes.
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Balayage blend
What makes marbled hair such a standout style is that it works with other color techniques. Take this vampiric garnet-and-black marbled style. You can clearly see snatches of ruby red peeking out from the top regions, but things get truly dazzling at the ends of the swirly strands. The bottom layer of red has a balayage appearance where it blends seamlessly into the velvet black. The effect really shines, showing there's more than one way to wear marbled hair.
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Crinkled Y2K hair
From glam berets to '90s cartoon T-shirts, Y2K fashion is on the rise once again, bringing all those who grew up during that time a blast from the past. On TikTok, #Y2K boasts well over 15 billion views, making it clear that this trend isn't going anywhere anytime soon. If you want to dip your toes into the world of Y2K, you can do so with marbled hair. Crinkled hair— a Y2K staple — works beautifully with two colors. To stay true to the trend, you should opt for a soft balance between your hair colors. The less dramatic, the better.
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Vibrant orange under dark chestnut hair
Everyone make way for the pumpkin queen! If you want to add a little spooky Halloween flair to your marbled hair, this is how you do it. We tend to see a lot of blond shades paired with black or brown in this hair trend, but having a brighter color, like fluorescent orange, tucked beneath panels of dark hair is one way to really make a statement. We are getting some serious "Nightmare Before Christmas" vibes from this hair color blend, and we're dying to see more.
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Marbled hair works on bobs, too
We've featured plenty of long hairstyles that look amazing with the marbled hair color trend, and it's easy to see that this technique complements long strands well. However, we can't end this piece without including an example of how marbled hair looks on a shorter cut. The bob is a very classy hairstyle (it's also on our list of viral haircuts to keep on your radar), but we think that adding two colors to it adds a pinch of indie zest, vaulting this cut to the next level. So if you're wearing a shorter style, you can definitely make this color trend work.
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