Blake Lively is one of Hollywood’s most popular and recognizable actresses. She is known for her glamorous blonde hair that she often wears in soft, beachy waves. But is blonde actually Blake Lively’s natural hair color? Or does she dye her hair to achieve her signature golden locks?
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Blake Lively’s natural hair color and hair history. We’ll look at what color her hair was pre-fame, when she started dyeing it blonde, and how she maintains her blonde hair today. We’ll also examine other hair colors she has experimented with over the years for various acting roles. Read on to get the definitive answer on what Blake Lively’s natural hair color really is!
Blake Lively’s Hair Pre-Fame
To determine Blake Lively’s natural hair color, it’s helpful to look back at photos of her as a child and teen, before she became famous.
Lively was born in 1987 and grew up in California. In early childhood photos, her hair appears to be a light golden blonde shade. As she entered her teen years, her hair darkened to more of a dirty blonde or light brown color.
Below are a few photos showing the evolution of Blake Lively’s hair from a young age to her teen years:
| Age | Photo |
|---|---|
| 5 years old |  |
| 12 years old |  |
| 16 years old |  |
Based on these early photos, it seems clear that Blake Lively was born a blonde. However, her natural blonde hue darkened over time to a light brown as she entered her late teens. This natural progression is common for many blonde-haired babies.
When Blake Lively Began Dyeing Her Hair Blonde
Blake Lively stayed with her natural light brown hair color through her high school years. But when she began her acting career, it seems she started dying her hair to return to a light blonde shade.
Her first major acting role was playing Bridget in the 2005 movie “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” Photographs from the movie’s premiere show Lively with golden blonde hair, a lighter color than her natural teen hair.
Lively’s breakout role came in 2007 when she was cast as Serena van der Woodsen in the hit TV series Gossip Girl. As Serena, she sported long, flowing blonde locks for the duration of the show’s six seasons.
Gossip Girl clearly cemented Lively as a blonde and she has stayed that way ever since through various acting roles. Below is a photo timeline showing how Lively’s hair rapidly lightened once her professional acting career began:
| Year | Event | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants premiere |  |
| 2007-2012 | Gossip Girl seasons 1-6 | |
| 2018 | A Simple Favor premiere |  |
It’s clear that Lively’s preference is to be a blonde. Most likely starting in 2005, she began utilizing professional dye jobs to lighten her hair from her natural brown to various golden and platinum blonde shades.
How Blake Lively Maintains Her Blonde Hair
Over the past 15+ years as an A-list actress, Lively has perfected her blonde hair routine. To maintain such light locks, her colorist uses bleach and toner to regularly lighten her roots.
Lively sees colorist Rona O’Connor every 5-6 weeks for a touch up. O’Connor uses Olaplex bonding treatments to prevent damage during the lightening process.
To keep her hair looking shiny and healthy between appointments, Lively relies on hydrating hair masks and oils. Some of her hair care staples include products from Frederic Fekkai, Kérastase, and K18.
According to O’Connor, Lively strictly avoids chlorine by not swimming in pools. This helps prevent her color from fading or turning brassy. Her golden blonde shade requires diligent upkeep and salon visits to look so consistently light and bright.
Other Hair Colors Blake Lively Has Experimented With
While blonde is definitely Lively’s staple hair color, she has dabbled with some darker shades over the years, often corresponding with movie roles.
For her role as Adaline Bowman in The Age of Adaline (2015), Lively went temporarily brunette. Photographs from the movie’s premier reveal she dyed her hair a deep chocolate brown hue.
Lively also went dark for her role in The Rhythm Section (2019), trying out a black hair color. In promotional photos from the film, Lively is shown with jet black hair styled in a pixie cut.
Most recently for her 2022 film The Adam Project, Lively changed up her look once again with a reddish-brown hair color. Though still lighter than her natural hue, this auburn shade was a dramatic change from Lively’s usual platinum blonde.
Here are some photos of the different hair colors Lively has tried out for movies over the years:
| Movie | Hair Color | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| The Age of Adaline (2015) | Brunette |  |
| The Rhythm Section (2019) | Black |  |
| The Adam Project (2022) | Reddish brown |  |
Though she always returns to blonde for her public appearances, it’s clear Lively enjoys transforming into a brunette or redhead for the occasional acting role!
Blake Lively’s Hair Evolution Over the Years
To summarize Blake Lively’s hair history, here is a quick timeline overview:
– Born with light golden blonde hair
– Hair gradually darkened to light brown as a teen
– Began dyeing hair blonde in 2005 for her acting career
– Famous for her long, blonde Serena locks on Gossip Girl from 2007-2012
– Continues to dye hair platinum blonde as her signature look
– Occasionally goes temporarily dark for movie roles
It’s remarkable to look back at photos of Lively over the past 15+ years to see her hair evolution. While dark for her natural color, blonde is absolutely her color now.
Lively has set herself apart from other celebrities by sticking with a consistent, glamorous blonde vs. frequently changing colors. Her flawless hair has become part of her brand. And with the help of her colorist, she manages to maintain shiny, healthy, envy-worthy golden locks.
While it takes work to keep her hair so light, Blake Lively has proven over the years that blonde is beautiful!
Conclusion
So what is Blake Lively’s natural hair color ultimately? Based on photographic evidence, Blake Lively’s natural hair color is a light brown shade. However, the actress has become world famous for her blonde hair, which she began dyeing lighter early on in her career.
Blake Lively is naturally a brunette, but no one can imagine her as anything but a blonde nowadays! Through rigorous touch-ups every 5-6 weeks with her longtime colorist, Lively maintains her signature bright, golden blonde hair color that she has become known and admired for.
Though she occasionally tries out darker shades for movie roles, Blake Lively always returns to her beloved blonde. And with her glossy, healthy hair as proof, this star does blonde better than just about anyone in Hollywood!
