You’ve spotted pastel pink bobs on your Instagram feed and lavender waves on the red carpet, but scrolling through endless celebrity photos without knowing which shades suit you or how to recreate them at home is frustrating. The pastel hair celebrity trend continues to dominate 2026, with stars rocking everything from baby blue mermaid vibes to rose gold tints, but translating those magazine-worthy looks into something you can actually achieve yourself feels like guesswork.
This guide breaks down 13 celebrity-approved pastel hair looks you can try right now, complete with the exact shades, undertones, and techniques behind each style. You’ll discover which base colours work best for each look, how to achieve these colours at home using vegan and cruelty-free products, and practical tips for maintaining that fresh-from-the-salon glow between touch-ups. Whether you fancy Kim Kardashian’s cotton candy bob or Megan Fox’s smoky blue jeans shade, we’ve matched each celebrity moment with actionable steps that work for real hair in real bathrooms—no salon appointment required.
1. Smart Beauty celebrity pastel looks at home
You can recreate the pastel hair celebrity trend without booking expensive salon appointments or spending hours in a stylist’s chair. Smart Beauty’s vegan and cruelty-free formulas deliver the same dreamy shades you see on red carpets, from soft pinks to ethereal blues, all while protecting your hair with plex-enriched technology that strengthens strands during the colouring process. These products transform your bathroom into a professional colour lab, giving you complete control over your shade, timing, and results.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
The current celebrity pastel movement celebrates soft, dreamy aesthetics that blend fantasy with wearability. Stars wear these shades with confidence and playfulness, treating their hair as a canvas for self-expression rather than following rigid beauty rules. This approach makes pastel hair feel less like a costume and more like a natural extension of personal style, which explains why the trend has staying power beyond fleeting fashion moments.
Shade, undertone and base colour
Most celebrity pastel looks work best on pre-lightened hair that sits at a level 9 or 10 blonde, creating the perfect canvas for true pastel tones. Your hair’s underlying undertone determines which pastel shades will look most flattering, with cool undertones suiting lavenders and blues while warm undertones complement peaches and rose golds. Smart Beauty’s range includes options for varying base colours, from platinum blonde to light brown, ensuring you can achieve your desired pastel without unnecessary damage.
The lighter your base, the truer your pastel will appear, but even darker blondes can achieve beautiful tinted effects.
How to get this look at home
Start with Smart Beauty’s semi-permanent or demi-permanent formulas if you’re testing pastel waters for the first time, as these allow colour to fade gracefully over several weeks. Apply the product to clean, towel-dried hair following the kit instructions, focusing on even saturation from roots to ends for consistent colour payoff. The plex technology in these formulas means you don’t sacrifice hair health for colour, making repeated application safer than traditional dyes.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Extend your pastel’s vibrancy by washing with sulphate-free shampoo and cool water, which prevents premature colour stripping and maintains the delicate pigment molecules. Schedule colour refreshing sessions every three to four weeks depending on your hair’s porosity and how quickly your shade fades. Smart Beauty’s products fade to softer, pretty tones rather than brassy or muddy colours, giving you flexibility to either refresh with the same shade or experiment with a new pastel entirely.
2. Kim Kardashian cotton candy pink bob
Kim Kardashian transformed the pastel hair celebrity trend when she debuted her millennial pink bob in spring 2024, proving that even the most iconic brunettes can pull off playful pastel shades. This look became an instant sensation because it paired high-fashion edge with unexpected softness, showing how a dusty pink shade can look sophisticated rather than juvenile. The sharp, chin-length cut added modern contrast to the dreamy colour, creating a balance that felt both fresh and wearable.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Kardashian’s cotton candy bob radiated confident femininity with a hint of rebellion, departing from her signature dark locks to embrace something lighter and more experimental. The blunt cut and centre part gave the look polish and structure, preventing the soft pink from feeling too sweet or costume-like. This styling choice demonstrates how pastel shades become more versatile when paired with sharp, geometric cuts rather than romantic waves.
Shade, undertone and base colour
The shade sits in the cool-toned pink family with dusty, muted undertones that prevent it from looking too bright or artificial. Your hair needs to reach a level 10 platinum blonde base for this true millennial pink to show accurately without any peachy or orange cast. Cooler-toned blondes will find this shade particularly flattering, as it complements their natural colouring without clashing.
How to get this look at home
Apply a semi-permanent dusty pink dye to pre-lightened hair, leaving it on for the full processing time to achieve maximum colour saturation. Smart Beauty’s vegan formulas deliver this exact shade family while protecting your hair’s integrity, making multiple applications safer than traditional dyes.
A blunt bob cut makes pastel pink look polished rather than playful, adding instant sophistication to soft shades.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your pink every three weeks to maintain the dusty tone, as this shade tends to fade to a softer, icier pink that still looks intentional. Use purple-toned shampoo occasionally to prevent any warmth from developing as the colour oxidises.
3. Megan Fox blue jeans smoky pastel
Megan Fox shocked fans by swapping her previous pink hair for an electric blue shade that stylist Dimitris Giannetos called "blue jeans," proving the pastel hair celebrity trend extends far beyond soft pinks. This transformation showed how a smoky, muted blue could look edgy and sophisticated rather than costume-like, especially when paired with Fox’s signature sultry styling. The shade became instantly iconic because it balanced fantasy with wearability, sitting somewhere between vivid fashion colour and subtle tint.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Fox’s blue jeans colour radiated cool confidence and modern edge, perfectly complementing her dark features and creating striking contrast without overwhelming her natural beauty. The smoky quality prevented the blue from looking too primary or childish, giving it a grounded, wearable appeal that worked for both red carpet events and casual settings. This look demonstrates how pastel blues become more versatile when you choose dusty, greyed-out tones rather than bright sky shades.
Shade, undertone and base colour
The colour sits in the cool blue family with grey undertones that create a faded denim effect rather than a bright aqua tone. Your hair needs to reach platinum blonde for this shade to read as true blue rather than green, as any underlying warmth will shift the colour towards teal. Fox’s stylist achieved this using box dye, proving you don’t always need professional products for professional results.
Smoky blue shades work best on cool-toned skin, creating harmonious contrast without clashing.
How to get this look at home
Apply semi-permanent blue dye to pre-lightened hair, focusing on even saturation to prevent patchy results. Smart Beauty’s vegan blue formulas deliver similar smoky tones while protecting your hair with plex technology.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your blue every four to five weeks, as these shades fade to pretty silvery tones that still look intentional. Use blue-toned shampoo weekly to maintain vibrancy between colour applications.
4. Megan Fox bubble gum pink waves
Before Fox went blue, she rocked a candy-floss pink shade that defined the pastel hair celebrity trend for months in 2024. Stylist Dimitris Giannetos created this playful transformation using Manic Panic’s Amplified semi-permanent dye, proving that box dyes can deliver salon-worthy results when applied correctly. The soft waves and longer length made this pink feel romantic and feminine, contrasting beautifully with Fox’s dramatic features and edgy personal style.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Fox’s bubble gum waves projected pure playfulness mixed with her signature sultry confidence, showing how pink hair doesn’t have to feel girly or juvenile. The loose, tousled styling kept the look effortlessly cool rather than overly precious, proving that texture matters as much as colour when creating wearable pastel looks. This approach made the bright pink feel like a natural extension of her personality rather than a temporary costume.
Shade, undertone and base colour
This shade sits in the warm pink family with peachy undertones that create a vibrant, candy-like effect. Your hair needs level 10 platinum blonde as a base to achieve this true bubble gum tone without any orange interference. Warm-toned complexions find this shade particularly flattering, as it echoes their natural colouring.
How to get this look at home
Apply semi-permanent bright pink dye to freshly lightened hair, ensuring complete saturation for even colour distribution. Smart Beauty’s plex-enriched pink formulas deliver similar vivid results while protecting your hair structure during the colouring process.
Bright pinks require lighter bases than dusty shades, so pre-lightening becomes essential for true colour accuracy.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your pink every two to three weeks as bright shades fade faster than muted tones. Wash with cold water only to preserve maximum vibrancy between colour applications.
5. Hilary Duff baby blue mermaid hair
Hilary Duff embraced the pastel hair celebrity trend with an ocean-inspired baby blue shade that brought mermaid fantasies to life in 2023. This aquatic transformation showed how blue pastels can feel playful without looking artificial, creating a soft, ethereal effect that worked beautifully with her California lifestyle. The colour proved that cool-toned pastels suit a wide range of complexions when you choose the right shade intensity.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Duff’s baby blue hair radiated whimsical, beachy energy that felt perfect for summer while remaining wearable year-round. The soft, aquatic tone complemented her casual, approachable style, proving that pastel blues don’t require edgy styling to look intentional. This look demonstrates how lighter blues create a softer, more romantic effect compared to deeper denim shades.
Shade, undertone and base colour
This shade sits in the cool blue family with slight green undertones that create a true aqua effect reminiscent of tropical waters. Your hair needs a level 9 or 10 blonde base to achieve this delicate baby blue without the colour shifting towards teal or green. Cooler skin tones find this shade particularly flattering as it creates harmonious contrast.
Baby blue shades require precise timing during application to avoid over-processing, which can lead to unwanted green tones.
How to get this look at home
Apply semi-permanent pastel blue dye to pre-lightened hair, checking colour development every five minutes to achieve your desired intensity. Smart Beauty’s vegan aqua formulas deliver similar ocean-inspired tones while the plex technology protects your hair’s structure throughout the colouring process.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your baby blue every three to four weeks as these shades fade to pretty silver-blue tones that still look intentional. Use blue or purple-toned shampoo weekly to maintain vibrancy and prevent any warmth from developing as the colour oxidises.
6. Lavender haze lilac hair trend
Taylor Swift’s song title perfectly captures the dreamy, ethereal quality of lilac hair that swept through the pastel hair celebrity trend in 2024 and continues into 2026. This soft purple shade brings romantic softness to any look, creating a fairy-tale effect that works surprisingly well in everyday settings. Celebrities from fashion influencers to musicians have embraced this tone for its ability to look both fantastical and wearable, proving that purple pastels transcend niche styling.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Lavender hair projects mystical femininity with an artistic edge, appealing to anyone who wants colour without committing to bold brights. The smoky purple tones create subtle drama that reads as intentional rather than accidental, making this shade feel more sophisticated than bubblegum pinks. This colour choice signals creativity and confidence, showing you’re willing to experiment while maintaining wearability that works for professional settings when styled properly.
Shade, undertone and base colour
This shade sits in the cool purple family with blue undertones that prevent it from reading as warm pink or mauve. Your hair needs a level 9 or 10 blonde base to achieve true lavender without any brassy interference, as warmer bases shift the colour towards dusty pink. Cooler-toned complexions find this shade particularly flattering, creating harmonious contrast that enhances natural colouring.
Lavender shades work beautifully on fair to medium skin tones, creating soft contrast without overwhelming your features.
How to get this look at home
Apply semi-permanent lavender dye to freshly lightened hair, processing for the full recommended time to achieve proper saturation. Smart Beauty’s plex-enriched purple formulas deliver this exact smoky lavender family while protecting your hair throughout the colouring process.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your lavender every three weeks as these shades fade to silvery tones that remain beautiful. Use purple-toned shampoo twice weekly to maintain vibrancy between colour applications.
7. Peach and coral pastel glow
Warm-toned pastels like peach and coral create a sun-kissed, golden-hour effect that brings life to the pastel hair celebrity trend without the coolness of pinks and blues. These shades gained momentum on red carpets throughout 2024 and 2025 because they complement a wider range of skin tones than cooler pastels, creating a flattering warmth that mimics natural highlights. Celebrity colorist Mark DeBolt notes that peach makes skin and eyes glow whilst making hair look exceptionally healthy, which explains why stars gravitate towards these sunset-inspired shades for major events.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Peach and coral shades project warmth and approachability with a bohemian edge that feels fresh and modern. These tones work beautifully for anyone wanting pastel colour without the stark contrast of cooler shades, creating a soft, blended effect that reads as expensive highlights rather than obvious dye. Stars wear these shades with relaxed, beachy waves that enhance the sun-kissed quality.
Shade, undertone and base colour
These colours sit in the warm orange-pink family with golden undertones that create a peachy glow. Your hair needs a level 9 blonde base minimum to achieve true peach tones without muddiness. Warm-toned complexions find these shades particularly flattering as they echo natural colouring.
Peach tones create the most natural-looking pastel effect, blending seamlessly with your base colour as they fade.
How to get this look at home
Apply semi-permanent peach dye to pre-lightened hair, focusing on mid-lengths and ends for a blended effect. Smart Beauty’s vegan coral formulas deliver these sunset shades whilst protecting your hair structure throughout the colouring process.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your peach every four weeks as these shades fade gracefully to blonde without awkward tones. Use sulfate-free products to preserve warmth and prevent premature fading.
8. Rose gold tint on blonde hair
Rose gold represents the most wearable entry point into the pastel hair celebrity trend for blondes who want subtle colour without dramatic transformation. This warm, metallic pink shade adds just enough interest to blonde hair without the commitment of bolder pastels, creating a sophisticated glow that reads as expensive rather than experimental. Celebrity colorist Guy Tang championed this shade for its ability to give blondes a fresh spring update that enhances rather than disguises their natural colour.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Rose gold hair projects effortless elegance with a hint of playfulness, perfect for anyone wanting to test pastel waters without bold commitment. This shade works beautifully in professional settings because it reads as a subtle tint rather than obvious colour, giving you versatility across different environments. The metallic quality catches light beautifully, creating dimension that makes your hair look fuller and more expensive.
Shade, undertone and base colour
This colour sits between dusty pink and peachy blonde with warm metallic undertones that create a burnished effect. Your hair needs a level 8 or 9 blonde base for this tint to show properly without looking muddy or orange. Warmer-toned blondes achieve the most flattering results, as the rose gold complements their natural colouring.
Rose gold looks like expensive highlights rather than obvious dye, making it perfect for conservative environments.
How to get this look at home
Apply color-depositing conditioner in rose gold to damp blonde hair, leaving it on for ten minutes for subtle tint. Smart Beauty’s semi-permanent formulas deliver more intense rose gold if you want stronger colour saturation whilst protecting your hair with plex technology.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your rose gold every three to four weeks using color-depositing conditioner between full colour applications. Use purple-toned shampoo occasionally to prevent any brassiness from developing as the metallic tones fade to blonde.
9. Half and half pastel gemini hair
Split dye hair takes the pastel hair celebrity trend to its most creative extreme, dividing your head into two distinct colour zones that showcase contrasting shades. This bold styling choice gained mainstream appeal when celebrities started pairing complementary pastels like lavender with mint or pink with blue, creating eye-catching looks that photograph beautifully. The technique works particularly well with pastels because the soft tones prevent the contrast from feeling too harsh or costume-like.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Half and half hair projects fearless creativity mixed with artistic confidence, appealing to anyone who refuses to choose between two favourite shades. Stars wear this look with sleek, straight styling that shows off the clean colour division, creating a graphic, editorial effect that demands attention. This approach treats your hair as wearable art, making it perfect for creative industries and fashion-forward individuals who want their appearance to reflect their personality.
Shade, undertone and base colour
Choose two complementary pastel shades that share similar undertones to create harmony despite the contrast. Your hair needs a level 10 platinum base across both sections for accurate colour representation. Mixing cool tones like blue and purple creates cohesion, whilst pairing cool and warm shades creates maximum contrast.
Split dye looks require precise sectioning and separate application to maintain clean colour boundaries.
How to get this look at home
Section your hair down the centre parting, securing each side separately to prevent colour bleeding. Apply two different semi-permanent pastel dyes to each section, wrapping them in foil to maintain separation during processing. Smart Beauty’s vegan formulas let you mix and match shades safely whilst the plex technology protects both sections equally.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh both colours simultaneously every three weeks to maintain balanced vibrancy across both sections. Wash with lukewarm water and alternate which side gets shampooed first to prevent cross-contamination between colours.
10. Pastel rainbow unicorn hair vibes
Multiple pastel shades combined across your hair create the ultimate fantasy colour statement that pushes the pastel hair celebrity trend into its most magical territory. Rainbow unicorn hair blends several soft tones like pink, lavender, blue and mint into one cohesive look that feels whimsical without appearing costume-like. Celebrities and influencers wear this multi-tonal approach with confidence because the soft pastel palette creates harmony despite using multiple colours, proving that you can have everything when done correctly.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Rainbow pastel hair projects pure creativity and self-expression for those who refuse to limit themselves to a single shade. Stars wear these multi-coloured looks with sleek styling that shows off each distinct colour zone, creating a living artwork effect that photographs beautifully across social media platforms. This approach appeals to artistic personalities who want their appearance to reflect their bold, unconventional spirit whilst maintaining the softness that pastels naturally provide.
Shade, undertone and base colour
Choose three to five complementary pastel shades that flow naturally into each other, typically mixing pinks, purples, blues and greens for a cohesive rainbow effect. Your hair needs a level 10 platinum base throughout for accurate colour representation across all sections. Sticking to all cool-toned or all warm-toned pastels creates better harmony than mixing temperature families randomly.
Multi-colour pastel looks require precise sectioning and separate processing to maintain distinct colour boundaries without bleeding.
How to get this look at home
Section your hair horizontally into four or five panels, applying different semi-permanent pastel dyes to each zone whilst wrapping them in foil to prevent colour transfer. Smart Beauty’s vegan formulas let you safely combine multiple shades whilst the plex technology protects your hair throughout this intensive colouring session.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh all colours simultaneously every three weeks to maintain balanced vibrancy across all sections. Wash with cold water only and use colour-depositing conditioners that match your specific shades to extend time between full colour applications.
11. Pastel braids and wigs like Amandla and Jackie
Braids and wigs offer the perfect commitment-free entry point into the pastel hair celebrity trend for anyone hesitant about permanent colour or concerned about damaging their natural hair. Amandla Stenberg rocked stunning blue braids that showcased varying tones from bright to pastel, whilst beauty influencer Jackie Aina transformed her look with a gorgeous lilac and blue ombré wig. These approaches prove you can experiment with pastels without touching your actual hair, giving you unlimited flexibility to switch colours whenever inspiration strikes.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Stars like Stenberg and Aina demonstrate how braids and wigs bring pastel fantasies to life without the maintenance headaches that come with permanent dye. These temporary solutions project playful confidence because everyone knows you chose the colour intentionally for creative expression rather than committing to months of upkeep. Braids showcase multiple pastel tones beautifully because the structured plaits create dimension that highlights each shade individually, whilst wigs let you switch from natural hair to full pastel transformation in minutes.
Shade, undertone and base colour
Choose pre-coloured synthetic braiding hair in your desired pastel shades, mixing different tones within the same colour family for dimensional effects. Wigs work best when you select light blonde bases already dyed in pastel colours, avoiding the hassle of colouring them yourself. Cool-toned pastels like lavender, blue and mint photograph particularly well in braided styles.
Braids and wigs eliminate all processing damage whilst giving you instant access to bold pastel looks.
How to get this look at home
Purchase coloured braiding extensions from beauty supply shops and have them professionally installed, or select a pre-styled pastel wig that matches your desired colour. Quality wigs require proper care but let you alternate between natural hair and pastel looks whenever you fancy a change.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Maintain braided extensions for six to eight weeks maximum before removal to protect your natural hair’s health. Store wigs on proper stands and wash them with colour-safe products to preserve vibrancy between wears.
12. Ruby Rose cotton candy pastel pixie
Ruby Rose proved that short hair amplifies the impact of the pastel hair celebrity trend, sporting cotton candy coloured tips on her edgy pixie cut that blended playful femininity with androgynous cool. This combination showed how pastel shades work brilliantly on cropped styles because the shorter length displays the colour more intensely whilst requiring less product and maintenance than longer hair. Her styling demonstrated that you don’t need flowing locks to rock pastels, as short cuts actually make these soft shades look more intentional and fashion-forward.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Rose’s pastel pixie radiated bold confidence mixed with playful edge, proving that pink hair doesn’t require traditional femininity to work beautifully. The cropped cut gave the cotton candy tips a punk rock aesthetic that felt rebellious rather than sweet, showing how styling context completely transforms how we perceive pastel colours. This approach appeals to anyone wanting colour without the maintenance burden that comes with dyeing longer lengths.
Shade, undertone and base colour
This shade sits in the bright pink family with cool undertones that create a true candy-floss effect on the pixie tips. Your hair needs a level 10 platinum blonde base on the sections you want coloured for accurate pink representation. Short hair sections lighten more easily than long lengths, making this look simpler to achieve than similar colours on extended hair.
Short hair shows pastel colours more vividly whilst requiring less product and processing time than longer styles.
How to get this look at home
Apply semi-permanent bright pink dye to the pre-lightened tips of your short cut, processing for the recommended time. Smart Beauty’s vegan pink formulas deliver these vivid tones whilst the plex technology protects your short hair’s structure throughout the colouring process.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your tips every three weeks as short hair shows regrowth faster than longer styles. Wash with cold water and sulfate-free products to maintain maximum vibrancy between colour applications.
13. Subtle peekaboo pastel for newbies
Testing the pastel hair celebrity trend without committing to full-head colour becomes simple when you add strategic hidden sections that reveal themselves only when you move your hair or style it differently. Celebrities like Debbie Ryan pioneered this approach by placing pink tones underneath darker layers, creating a surprise element that feels both playful and professional depending on how you wear your hair. This technique lets you experiment with pastels whilst maintaining a natural appearance for conservative environments, giving you complete control over when and how much colour shows.
Celebrity inspiration and vibe
Ryan’s peekaboo technique demonstrated how hidden pastel sections create intrigue without overwhelming your overall look, perfect for anyone wanting colour without constant visibility. This styling choice projects creative confidence balanced with practicality, showing you value self-expression whilst respecting different social contexts. The hidden placement means you control the reveal, tucking it away for work meetings or displaying it proudly during weekend outings.
Shade, undertone and base colour
Choose any pastel shade that appeals to you, as the hidden placement makes colour choice less critical than with full-head applications. Your underneath sections need level 9 or 10 blonde for accurate pastel representation. Both cool and warm tones work equally well since the colour appears in controlled amounts rather than dominating your entire look.
How to get this look at home
Section the underneath layer of your hair horizontally across the back, applying semi-permanent pastel dye only to these hidden sections. Smart Beauty’s vegan formulas deliver vibrant hidden colour whilst the plex technology protects these frequently overlooked areas.
Hidden pastel sections let you experiment with bold colours whilst maintaining professional versatility in conservative settings.
Upkeep and fade friendly tips
Refresh your hidden sections every four to five weeks as they fade slower than fully exposed hair. Wash with lukewarm water and avoid scrubbing the coloured sections aggressively during shampooing to extend colour life between applications.
Your next pastel hair move
The pastel hair celebrity trend continues to inspire fresh transformations in 2026, giving you endless creative possibilities whether you want subtle peekaboo sections or full rainbow unicorn vibes. Your perfect shade waits somewhere in these 13 looks, matched to your personality, lifestyle, and willingness to commit to colour maintenance. Start by identifying which base colour your hair currently sits at, then choose pastel shades that complement your natural undertones for the most flattering results.
Most successful pastel transformations begin with proper lightening that creates the perfect canvas for true colour representation. Explore our lighten and tone system to achieve the platinum base these celebrity-inspired shades require, using vegan formulas with plex technology that protect your hair throughout the process. Once you’ve created your ideal canvas, the pastel possibilities become endless, letting you recreate any celebrity look that caught your attention whilst maintaining the hair health that makes colour truly shine.