What happens when you mix a combination of pastel blues, greens, pinks, lilacs and more? Opal hair, that’s what. Iridescent, pearlescent, mother of pearl… It might have more than a few different names but one thing stands true whatever you want to call it… This is a look you’ll want for sure.
Check out these amazing 10 opal hair looks:
1 – Pastel Opal Blends
It’s pretty and pastel and perfect all wrapped in one deliciously stunning package, muting down rainbow or mermaid hair until the shades and flashes of colour are barely noticeable.
Clearly this is a look you’ll want to perfect with a hand-painted technique to get those feathery light touches in… You’ll also want to find yourself a good hairstylist.
2 – Mermaid Opal Hair
Dying different sections of your hair in various shades of pastel pops might seem like something to terrify the hell out of you but when you want a hair thats as three-dimensional and beautiful as this, sometimes you need to think outside the box.
Obviously it’s a look that works very well on light, icy blonde tones but that’s not to say you can’t rock the look on slightly darker hair too.
3 – Short Opal Hair
Starting with a pearly base, or a super icy-white shade of blonde, adding different thin streaks of pink, lilac, greens and blues will make the hair appear to change colour in the light.
The subtler the streaks, the subtler the look but there’s nothing to stop you from going all-out and bright, with a whole head of pastel shades if you wanted to.
4 – Cute + Curly Opal Hair
You could even use this look to fade out a pastel or mermaid look. Adding silvery, white hues into the mix will help to create that opal hair / mother of pearl look.
This is a high-maintenance look and if you’re thinking of giving it a go for yourself, you should be aware of how high-maintenance it is.
5 – Long Opal Fishtail Braid
You’ll need to keep your roots touched up if you’re not already blessed with icy-blonde hair, and that’s before you try to keep up with colour re-touches.
They’ll fade and grow out and although it won’t be noticeable in the white backdrop, it will be noticeable against dark roots which will spoil the look.
6 – Simple + Straight Opal Hair
Where did the look start? Well, the stylist was Aura Friedman and the salon was Sally Hershberger Downtown Salon. We think this one from @rossmichaelssalon is just as beautiful:
Creating a well-blended mix of pastels and metallics, she managed to achieve a look just like… Well, opal. Or mother of pearl. Iridescent hair.
7 – Mother of Pearl Hair
The pearl shade you’re hoping to achieve before you add the pastels is a colour just before you hit grey. Lightening treatments are necessary and the good news is, you can almost replicate this look by leaving your toner on for too long.
When it hits those purple shades in with the white and silvery-grey, add the other pastels and muted metallics and you’ll have a look very similar. Not the same obviously but very similar.
8 – Light to Dark Opal Ombre
The opal hair look isn’t designed to hit you in the face with bright and vivid flashes of colour. The colour is meant to be just noticeable, only when the hair naturally moves or in different light changes.
If you’re achieving this look at home and you’ve gone a little too far with the colour trying to copy the opal hair trend, wash it thoroughly with some silver shampoo and you’ll help to mute it down.
9 – Pearlescent Pastels
Another great trick to achieve these beautiful pastel pops of colour is to mix your brighter colours with conditioner before applying it to your hair.
Instead of the bright and obvious shades, your dye will be muted to a powdery, pastel finish, just perfect for this opal hair trend.
10 – My Little Pony Opal Hair
There’s something so pretty about this look and it reminds us of everything we remember and love from our childhood – Care Bears, My Little Pony, all the good stuff…
When your hair brings back such happy memories as these, it would be a shame not to take a million and one selfies to mark the occasions!
So what do you think? Have you been inspired by any of these opal hair looks? Have you decided to take the plunge and try it for yourself? We’d love to see what you come up with! Share your pictures with us by tagging #cherrycherrybeauty. We’d love to give you a little feature.
