hair color ideas 18 Hair Color Ideas for Men to Welcome the New Year

Regardless of your gender, hair is an expression of your identity and perhaps even your culture. Because of this, hair color is a great way to celebrate your look, especially as we head into the new year. 

Contrary to whatever beliefs you have or feel like you should, hair color is for anyone that’s craving a new appearance. So, if you’re ready to switch up your look for the new year, check out 18 of our favorite hair color ideas for men. 

1. Platinum Blonde

Platinum blonde hair makes a striking statement on any hairstyle or skin tone. Pair it with a clean buzz cut for the perfect mix of high-maintenance color and low-maintenance style. DIY the look with a hair color kit like the L’Oréal Paris Féria Hyper Platinum Advanced Lightening System Bleach in Absolute Platinum Extreme Platinum. 

To keep your bleached blonde strands looking ashy, cool-toned and brass-free, use a purple shampoo like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Shampoo once a week. Follow up with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure EverPure Sulfate-Free Toning Purple Conditioner.

2. Ombré Hair

Ombré hair is known for its gradation of dark roots to light ends. With a quiff or a longer style like a blunt cut, it gives your hair upgraded styling with a relaxed color that doesn’t need constant touch-ups. We dare to say it’s an upgraded (albeit much more handsome) take on the frosted highlights sported by many a boy bands in the early aughts. 

3. Jet Black Hair 

Shiny, jet black hair is a striking look on many. For intense color, reach for a permanent hair dye kit like the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Bright Black to achieve glossy, black strands at home.

4. Salt and Pepper Hair 

If you’re going gray, know that salt and pepper hair is one of the hottest hair color trends for men. It’s refined, handsome and many would argue that it makes you more attractive. Salt and pepper hair typically includes black, gray and silver shades of hair much like the color story of the common table spices. 

To blend the grays with the rest of your hair, reach for the L’Oréal Paris Men Expert One-Twist Hair Color. With innovative one-twist technology, it’s as simple as twisting and clicking the bottle to mix the product and applying it to your hair for an easy, mess-free application. In as little as five minutes, this dye for men will blend grays for a natural-looking color. 

Editor’s tip: If you’re in between shades, always choose the lighter one. 

5. Two-Tone Hair Color 

Give multi-dimensional color a more obvious spin with two-tone hair color. This hair color trend works best with longer styles and a middle part, which allows you to create an even plane of the two shades. We recommend booking an appointment with your colorist to nail this color-block hair trend.

6. Navy Blue Hair

Navy blue has the shine and striking appearance of a jet black hair color with a bit more pop. It’s an appealing shade because it offers an upgrade to your natural hair color but the dark hue keeps it wearable. Get navy strands at home with the L’Oréal Paris Féria Midnight Bold Multi-Faceted Permanent Hair Color in Twilight Haze.

7. Highlights

Highlights are a great way to upgrade your current hair color with a little dimension that gives off the appearance of a post-vacation, sun-kissed hue. Get the look with the tried-and-true L’Oréal Paris La Petite Frost. The easy cap allows you to highlight your hair at home with custom application that takes as little as 20 minutes. 

8. Auburn Hair

Auburn, copper and any sort of variation of red hair color is at the top of the hair color trends this season and there is a shade to suit everyone. For a light copper color, try the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Lightest Auburn. This lighter hue is great for fair and pale skin tones. 

For a rich, crimson shade of auburn, try the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Power Reds - Medium Auburn / Cherry Crush. This deeper shade of red is a great option for medium and dark skin tones. 

9. Silver Hair

Many opt to go gray prematurely because the color is edgy, handsome and refined. The luminous finish of a silver hair color adds instant brightness to any hairstyle whether that be a cropped cut, an undercut or long layers. DIY the metallic color with the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Silver. 

10. Green Buzz Cut 

Embrace vibrant hair color to the fullest and sport a gradient green, cropped cut with matching eyebrows. If you don’t want to stop there, have your barber craft a design into your cropped cut to take the look even further. As you can tell, this hairstyle has many different parts, including the colored brows, which is why we recommend booking an appointment with your stylist to achieve this exact look.  

11. Pastel Blue 

Icy pastel blue mirrors the cool, winter climate and it’s a great color to sport for the new year. Complete your transformation at home with the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Smokey Blue. If you’re starting with black or brown hair, you will need to bleach your strands with an at-home bleaching kit like the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Bleach & Lightener At Home Kit, prior.  

12. Chocolate Brown Hair

Many turn to hair dye to change up their current color but it can also be used to enhance it. Give your brunette strands a warm, chocolate fusion of color with the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Créme Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Medium Maple Brown.

13. Multi-Color Printed Buzzcut

With a bleached, buzz cut as your canvas, you can use hair color to create a design on your hair. The end result is innovative, experimental and completely custom. For more intricate designs we recommend booking an appointment with a colorist that has experience with this sort of look. 

However, if you’re game to try the look at home, we recommend bleaching your hair with the L’Oréal Paris Féria Hyper Platinum Advanced Lightening System Bleach in Hyper Platinum and creating your design with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color.

14. Blackberry Hair

Blackberry hair is equal parts purple, blue and black to create a midnight hue that offers vibrance just like a navy blue shade. Transform your strands into a blackberry pool of vibrance with the L’Oréal Paris Féria Midnight Bold Multi-Faceted Permanent Hair Color in Orchid Glow. This dye kit is ideal for dark hair colors, promising a vibrant end result — no bleach needed. 

15. Turquoise Hair

The bold and vivid shade that is turquoise makes for an instantly eye-catching hair color. Whether it’s with the likings of a cropped buzzcut or a shaggy longer ‘do, the mix of blue and green tones only adds to your experimental style. Sport the look for a couple of washes with the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Turquoise. 

16. Silver Blonde

As the name may suggest, silver blonde is a spin on the silver-fox hair color trend with hints of blonde to create a natural-looking hue. Try a silver blonde hair color with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Soft Silver Blonde. 

We recommend using the aforementioned L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris EverPure EverPure Sulfate-Free Toning Purple Conditioner once a week to keep your silver hair color looking ashy and bright.

17. Copper Brown

Not quite brown and not quite red, copper brown features a mix of the two to create a warm-toned, dimensional color. Get the look in as little as an hour at home with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Medium Auburn Brown. 

18. Golden Blonde 

Golden blonde is a warm, vibrant hair color that suits both warm and cool skin tones thanks to the presence of both in the color. Give your strands a gleaming makeover at home with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Golden Blonde. Maintain your golden blonde color by adding a weekly glossing treatment into your routine like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Honey Blonde. 

Next: 7 Best Men’s Hair Care Products to Add to Your Routine ASAP

Written by: Reece Andavolgyi, Photographer: Chaunte Vaughn, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Associate Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Digital Tech: Paul Yem, Photo Assistant: Matt Licari, Makeup Artist: Jonet Williamson, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Wardrobe Stylist: Alexis Badiyi, Wardrobe Assistant: Jazmine Alzado, Model: Michael Cota