4 Best Ombre Hair Dye 2023 | Amazing Ombre Hair Color Ideas and Hairstyles

Looking for some cool ombre hair color ideas? Want an at home ombre hair dye kit to get your blue or red ombre hair goals? Here’s an article for you!

Has any hair color trend been so popular in the last decade as the ombre? Almost everyone I know goes ga-ga over it. And for good reason too.

An ombre, basically, is a coloring effect where there is a gradual change in color usually from light to dark. 

The best part about ombre hair colors is that you can get an “ombre” in any shade – red, blue, purple, blonde, brown. 

Related: Best Shampoo For Ombre Hair Coloring

Related: Balayage Vs. Highlights Vs. Ombre

You can have the most professional and conventional ombre with classics like light brown to mocha or blonde to caramel ombre hair colors.

Or go wild with stuff like the rainbow-hued mermaid ombre or pink to red ombres. 

If you’re having doubts as to which ombre hair color shade to select for yourself and which ombre hair dye kit is the best if you’re planning to get an ombre at home, I’ve got you covered.

First, let’s check out some popular ombre hair dye kits available today. I’ve tested some of them out to review them for you!

Top Ombre Hair Dyes	Best For	Type Of Dye
L’Oreal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color	Brunette Hair	Semi-Permanent
LÓreal Feria Wild Ombre Hair Color	Dark Black Hair	Semi-Permanent
Got2b Unlimited Semi-Permanent Hair Color	Blonde Hair/Bleached Hair	Semi-Permanent
Splat Ocean Ombre Hair Color	Light to Dark Brown Hair	Semi-Permanent

How I tested the top ombre hair dye kits in the market?

I tested the so-called “ombre” hair dye kits in the market on the basis of the following criteria while I used them to do a strand test on my hair. I then rated them on a scale of 1-5. 

• Ombre Pattern – Most “ombre” kits in the market are just regular old hair dyes. So I checked if the dyes actually come with multiple color pigments to give you that gradual fading effect. 
• Safe/Gentle Ingredients – An ombre kit just like any other coloring kit should be ammonia free, PPD free and contain ingredients that can condition it post treatment.
• Staying Power – The ombre hair dyes shouldn’t come off in one wash. I looked at how long the dyes can stay on hair. 

Top Ombre Hair Dye 2022

L’Oreal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color for Brunette Hair

If you’re looking for a “subtle” brown to color ombre, the LÓreal Colorista is a good choice. 

I used this hair color on an unbleached section of my hair and the color came out really well. 

Although I had bought the Maroon hair color it looked a bit darker than expected. But that actually made it blend into my dark hair better.

The two tubes provided were really easy to apply (you don’t need a developer for this dye) and the color penetrated my thick hair really well. Something I was pleasantly surprised about!

However, the color bleeds a lot, especially during the application process. My shower needed a clean up by the time I was done with the hair dye. 

Though I must admit despite the dripping color it didn’t really stain my hands or face. So that was a relief.

I will have to warn you about one thing. While this hair dye might say “semi-permanent”, it is actually temporary.

It will stay between 4-6 weeks if you use a sulfate-free shampoo and take care of the color well. But if you’re using a clarifying shampoo or harsh sulfates, the color would be gone in 3 washes. Beware. 

Pros:

• The color pigment saturates even thick hair and shows up well on brunette hair
• The dye doesn’t stain hands or nails and is easy to take off
• Can stay upto 4-6 weeks easily if taken care of properly 

Cons:

• Color can “bleed” during application and showering so keep towels ready
• The color washes off easily if harsh surfactants are used
• The finished hair color shade comes out a little darker and brighter than advertised

My Ratings:

• Ombre Pattern – 3.5/5
• Safe/Gentle Ingredients – 4/5
• Staying Power – 4/5

LÓreal Feria Wild Ombre Hair Color

Okay so this was the first official “ombre” hair dye I used (and not just one that mimics the effect of an ombre) and I was very happy with how things turned out.

The hair color kit comes with a bleach and developer that you need to use on your hair first. Depending on how subtle or deep you want your hair color you can control how much you lighten your hair. 

Just wash it off earlier if you don’t want a more prominent ombre effect. 

The hair color kit also comes with a brush that helps spread dye in your hair sections in a way that helps make the pigment gradual and more like a balayage.

I found it a bit difficult to use especially when it comes to using the right amount of developer and bleach ratio. But once you get the hang of it the ombre comes out really well.

The downside? This kit comes with a very strong bleach and developer. I’m talking about lightening your hair up to a level 9 or 10. So if you have pre-chemically processed hair or damaged hair, it can severely impact hair health.

If you’re trying it out for the first time and have relatively healthy dark brown hair I say go for it. 

Just be careful to read the instructions 2-3 times to make sure you get it right. 

Pros:

• The kit comes with a bleaching kit so you can lighten dark brown hair to get a true ombre effect
• The brush helps distribute hair color in a way that enhances the gradual ombre effect
• You can control the level of bleaching to get either a deep or subtle ombre

Cons:

• The bleach is very powerful so you can damage your hair if you leave it for too long
• The strong hydrogen peroxide concentration can damage fragile, thin hair

My Ratings:

• Ombre Pattern – 5/5
• Safe/Gentle Ingredients – 3/5
• Staying Power – 4.5/5

Got2b Unlimited Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Now I’ve been wanting the “mermaid” ombre hair dye look for a while now and I was wondering how much it would cost in a salon when I found this dye kit.

And thank god I found it in time! I mean the dye kit is not very expensive, in fact it’s downright cheap and it comes with 3 colors – blue, pastel pink and light purple. 

But then I opened the box to find out that the size of the hair color tubes is teeny tiny. I mean fair enough, I just needed to do a strand test and it worked well enough for me.

If you want to use this on your complete head however, you’ll easily require 4-5 boxes.

Oh, and unlike the L’Oreal Feria this doesn’t come with a bleaching kit. There’s something called a “pastelizer” which I assume is a low volume developer.

But this doesn’t lighten hair very well. So this is a good hair dye to use if you have blonde hair and want ombre streaks or the “dip dye” look.

For full head coverage and for darker hair I’d still suggest using L’Oreal or the Splat Ombre kits. 

Pros:

• The dye is cheap and worth the value if you’re just planning to color sections of hair
• The ombre kit comes with 3 colors to give you the perfect ombre effect

Cons:

• The “pastelizer” given in the kit doesn’t lighten hair very well
• The dye tubes are very small so it won’t be enough for a full-head (or even half a head) of coverage
• The dyes get washed off easily especially if you’re using a clarifying shampoo

My Ratings:

• Ombre Pattern – 4.5/5
• Safe/Gentle Ingredients – 4/5
• Staying Power – 3.5/5

Splat Ocean Ombre Hair Color

This has got to be one of the best ombre hair colors for dark hair out there. If you really want to try a salon-style ombre at home, Splat’s got you covered.

The kit comes with two shades of hair dye and a lightening agent. I tried out Splat’s Ocean Ombre dye so this kit came with the colors Turquoise Reef and Blue Crush.

The developer did its job well and my hair strands were light enough for both the colors. Although be warned that it’s a strong bleach and that there’s plenty of peroxide in here.

So if you have damaged hair, better ditch the developer and stick to something non-threatening like the Colorista hair dye or better yet color-depositing dyes like Manic Panic.

Now coming to the colorant…the trick is to know HOW to use this ombre hair dye. 

I suggest applying the bleach till you get a satisfactory lighten level and then leaving hair alone for at least 24-48 hours to let the bleach do its job properly.

Next, use a toner to remove brassy pigments from bleached hair and only then apply the ombre. Trust me, this will do the trick.

This is also a semi-permanent hair dye so you can expect it to last anywhere from 6-10 weeks. 

Pros:

• The kit comes with 2 hair colors to give you the perfect ombre effect
• The developer ensures that the colors show up on dark hair

Cons:

• Comes with a very strong developer that can damage hair 
• The application process can be long and tiresome

My Ratings:

• Ombre Pattern – 5/5
• Safe/Gentle Ingredients – 3/5
• Staying Power – 4.5/5

Ombre Hair Color Ideas

Mermaid Ombre Hair Color

Blue Ombre Hair Color

Fiery Red Ombre Hair Color

Subtle Ombre Hair Brown To Blonde

Ash Brown Ombre Hair Color

Rose Gold Ombre Hair Color

So that was the deets on all things ombre folks! I hope you found which ombre hair color idea you want to try next. 

And I also hope my reviews of the top ombre hair dye kits help you select the right one for your at home application.

Getting an ombre is so easy now, you don’t have to go to the salon or get your hair bleached either. 

Also Read:

Best Lilac Hair Dye

Best Green Hair Dye

Best Lavender Hair Dye