25 Examples Of Magenta Hair That Will Seriously Inspire You
Magenta isn't a shy color, and it's not for everyone. But if you're looking to add a bit more bold into your world, the bright-pink, purple-tinged vivid hair color could be your next big hair hue.
It's important to note the shade of magenta you end up with after your coloring session will depend on what color your hair is before you start. If you have dark locks, the hue will be a dustier, more subtle version, while light tresses will produce a bolder, more neon effect. If you have deep-chocolate hair and want the brighter finish, your locks will need to be lightened prior to the magenta infusion.
You should also know that magenta is a lot of fun, and so, so versatile. You can go all-out magenta, or just add a bolt of bright to your existing hair hue. The shade can be light or dark, and you can mix it with other colors to create your perfect vision of total mane domination — like this symphony of curls drenched in shades of both dark and light. And this is only the beginning of your magenta mane inspiration.
Pure magenta magic
Are you bold enough to go 100% pure, all-out, nothing but magenta? From roots to tips, this look is all about the hair hue and how fab you look wearing it. You'll also notice a few subtle variations of the color, just enough to add in a little bit of depth and dimension to the overall look. One of the bonuses of going totally bright right from the start? Magenta has a beautiful fade factor — as the color starts to wane, you'll be treated to an array of softening pinks.
Just a hint
If you love your dark tresses, fear not, because there's a magenta look for you, too. Raven locks are highlighted with dark shades of purple throughout, but the front? That's where the pink happens. Starting lower on the crown, delicate strands of magenta begin weaving their way down the hair length. Just below the cheekbones, the thin ribbon widens into a bolder width of magenta, offering a face-framing detail that can't be ignored. And why would you want to? It's gorgeous.
On the side
What goes great with magenta? Ink-black, with a little bit of dusty purple thrown in for good measure, and great style. From root to tip, a bolt of the bright color slices through midnight locks for a show-stopper finish. Dark locks would need to be lightened to create this purely pink effect, but if you're not up for the time in the salon chair, you can always try a clip-in hair piece — they make them in magenta, too!
Fiery edges
Magenta mixes with purple and red hues to create a fiery finish on the ends of long locks. Keeping tresses their natural brunette color around the face helps eliminate any concerns you might have about which shade of magenta might be the perfect match for your skin tone, since the bright hue isn't directly framing your complexion. It also allows you to be creative with your ponytails and upsweeps — all dark in the front, all fire in the back.
Ultra neon
They say blondes have more fun, but that's just because they haven't tried magenta yet. The light, bright neon hue is the result of applying a pure magenta color on top of very blonde or platinum tresses. The color is virtually undiluted, like using a pink highlighter on a white piece of paper. As the color fades, you can go back in for a touch-up to keep it bold, or you can let it mellow into paler shades of pink.
Melted magenta
Call it an ombre or a gradient, but call it yours, and call it in shades of pink. A red-magenta around the crown melts into dark, then medium, then light magenta as the mane's length descends. The palest of dusty pinks is the finishing hue. When hair is worn down in waves, the full spectrum of color is clearly visible for admiration and appreciation. When you pull it up into matching space buns, though, all that magenta becomes a delicious, blended swirl of delight.
Magenta, but make it redder
For when you prefer your magenta be more like a raspberry, with a bit of watermelon on the side. When you put magenta next to darker colors, it's usually the pinker tones of the shade that shine through. When you put it against red, though, it's the reddish tones that tend to pop. A deep raspberry color takes center-stage, but bold shots of magenta are added in both thin and thicker ribbons of color. At the very bottom, as the darker red disappears, you'll see more of the pink tones taking over.
Combine colors
Magenta goes with a lot of different colors, but pairs especially well with purple. If you just want to go for it, go all the way with this combination of colors lighting up every strand of hair on your head. Or, you could leave a hint or your natural dark tresses underneath, just for a little contrast and to show off your bold transformation. You can tousle the colors together in beachy waves, or use a flat iron for a straight finish that shows the division of hues.
Half and half
Cruella had it all wrong, or at least half wrong. While she opted for the classic white and black split-hair look, you can one-up her with a magenta version. Long locks are divided right down the middle. One half touts an ebony finish (either natural or dyed dark), while the other goes vivid with a very bright magenta. It's the old light-dark contrast, but upgraded for the fashionista with a rebellious bold streak. And not an ounce of villainess to be found.
The blended bob
While there are a lot of long-haired magenta profiles to admire, this if your reminder that short hair can do magenta, too. In this case, a dark mane is heavily highlighted in various tones of the pink shade, with some of the brunette left visible. The final effect is a soft blend of colors that remind you of a dark-chocolate, raspberry-filled truffle. Compared with the straight lines of the cut, the soft and sharp contrast is positively delicious.
Money-piece magenta
Take your money piece to the next level by using magenta as the color of your currency. A money-piece hair style adds a contrasting color around the front of the mane, adding face-framing detail that grabs a little extra attention. A dark mane has a bit of grape threaded through lengths around the sides and back. In front, though, it's all about the magenta, streaming from the roots to the tips. Who says green is the color of money?
Pastel fairy
A bouquet of pastel hues woven together is a fairy style. The more you look, the more colors you'll find, and you'll definitely find a pretty pastel version of magenta as the dominant hue in this mix. A bit of purple, a touch of silver, and a little natural brunette all blend together with the magenta tone in a choppy, layered bob that offers a wispy, whimsical finish. This is the magenta inspiration for anyone who wants stand-out hair hues, but done with a whisper instead of a shout.
Blonde loves magenta
While you often see brunettes with magenta touches, they don't have exclusive rights to the fabulously bold shade. Blonde and magenta have an ongoing love affair, too, and look spectacular together. A white-hot blonde base flips for the addition of pink along the layered tips in front, and along several inches at the bottom of lengths. There's even magenta tipping the edges of the fringe for an extra infusion of color. You can add a little or a lot — even just the bangs if you want.
Under cover
Want to wow with a super-secret special surprise? Try a layer of magenta underneath a different hair color. It could be that you have a beautiful hair hue (like silver-gray) that you're absolutely in love with, but you can't resist the allure of a darker red-magenta. Just lift the top layer up and add that bold hue to the bottom layer. When you want to show off the magenta, style your locks in a partial up-do to reveal all the pretty pink.
Fringe benefits
It's all in the front, and it's all magenta. If you have bangs, you either love them, or are contemplating growing them out. Before heading toward months of bobby pins and barrettes, try breathing new life into your love of fringe with a bit of magenta. You can color just your bangs, plus a few other face-framing strands if you want, leaving the rest of your mane its current hue. As a bonus, your bangs will only look cuter each time you trim them, the magenta going from full color to French-manicure tipped.
Magenta in a prism
Rainbows may be more your style, and magenta is one of the colors you'll find in the pot of gold. Known as prism color, a silvery blonde base is strategically highlighted in all the colors you'll find when the sun shines through a crystal at just the right angle. Along with the magenta, you'll see a bit of red, yellow, green, and blue. It's the perfect solution if you're trying to decide on magenta or another hue for your next mane move — you can have them all.
The layered look
When you add magenta to a layered hair cut, you get something a little extra special. The vivid hue starts off strong and solid at the top of the crown, but then bends and moves with the layers. Your hair pro is the best person to create this look, as they can paint the color on to work with the different lengths, extending the magenta downward for some, and leaving it closer to the top of the head on others. The finished look is all movement and texture.
Sunset mix
When you're a total hair girl, watching the sun set with brilliant colors spreading across the sky is pure mane inspiration. What would it be like to duplicate those shades in your own tresses? It might look something like this, with warm tones of burnt orange, dark lilac, and soft magenta entwined together. When the colors are applied to a coily coif, they blend together in the most natural way, melting into each other just like they would in the sky.
Dusty magenta
While you could wait until your bold magenta hair color starts to fade to achieve a dustier version of the hue, you could also just own the gorgeous tone from the get-go. This soft shade is still magenta, and has all the head-turning power of the color, but with a softer looking finish. The color is a little darker around the crown and in the bangs, but adds highlights in a lighter tone to break up the solid and add some depth in the length.
Ribbons and streamers
The precise placement of magenta can create some stunning mane profiles, but it also looks rather pretty when it's just randomly woven through lengths. Jet-black locks contrast beautifully with a dark-magenta tone, especially when all tousled together. Ribbons of hair are pulled from the mane and highlighted by painting the length with the bold pink color, which fades as it nears the crown. P.S. This is the perfect style to use clip-in magenta extensions if you don't want to actually color your hair; they blend right in.
On the dark side
Silver hair is the trend that didn't go away, and we're all glad for it, especially since it looks so very cool when laced with magenta. A pewter tone sets the stage for a darker, deeper silhouette, with tiny slivers of silver light woven through. To cap off the scene-stealing look, magenta is painted on along the edges of the hair, with a focus on face-framing strands and layers. Applying the bright hue on top of the silvery color results in a darker tone that complements the dark base.
Muted magenta
Magenta usually appears with a bang, making its presence known in a vivid shout of color. But it can also be more subtle, simply walking into the room and talking softly in muted tones. Paired with its regular partner hue, both the purple and the magenta shades in this quiet riot of color are pastel in nature, blending seamlessly into each other. Add in some low-key waves, and you've got a look that soft and sweet, but also bold and spicy.
Try tri
If at first you don't succeed, try tri — a tri-colored look, that is. Magenta combines with purple grape and pink pastel colors to create a mane silhouette worthy of not just a double-take, but a triple-take. While the darker purple works with the natural dark-brunette shade underneath, tresses do need to be lightened for both the pale of the pink and the vivid of the magenta. What makes the whole vibe come together is how the three colors melt into one another, instead of having distinct borders.
Grade-A gradient
Go directly to the head of the class with an A+ gradient that is all sorts of magenta from the crown to the tips. Naturally dark tresses remain at the top of the crown (grow-out is so much easier this way), but gradually pick up a dusty magenta shade at eyebrow level. From there, the pink hue gets bolder and brighter as it travels down lengths, ending in a vivid wash of magenta. You'll also see the various tones woven into each other to act as lowlights and highlights, making the gradient transition flawless.