Neapolitan hair is a modern multi-tone hair colouring technique that blends three colour ways together to reference neapolitan ice cream, combining chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
This deliciously unique hair trend is growing in popularity for several reasons: its high-contrast aesthetic, versatility across all hair types and its ability to add dimension to the hair. It also lets you express your personality perfectly. The premium but playful hair trend is the perfect choice for individuals who are looking to make a unique statement with a professional colour customisation.
What is Neapolitan Hair?
This dessert-inspired hair colour combination is perfectly visualised through the three separate contrasting shades. Brunette represents the rich chocolate, creamy blonde for the vanilla flavor and pink hues inspired by the sweet strawberry flavour. This beautiful three-tone blend side-by-side perfectly fits the name.
How to achieve the perfect Neapolitan Hair Colour?
Achieving this perfect deliciously sweet look relies heavily on the method of colour distribution, contrasting bold blocks of colour against blended highlights. Choosing the right shades of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry that compliments your skin tone for the most flattering finish is also crucial. The salon colouring experience will begin with a consultation to discuss your specific hair with your stylist, this specific style requires a strong focus on technical accuracy to ensure sections look clean and deliberate, so the colouring process requires a lot of attention. The natural or darker hair sections are often left untouched to act as the “chocolate” base layer, stylists then lighten to the desired vanilla and strawberry colours.
10 Stunning Hairstyles to Showcase Your Neapolitan Hair
Straight and sleek
This style features straight vertical lines with a glossy mirror-like finish. The neapolitan palette is applied to melt together seamlessly through clean and defined lines. To achieve this look, your stylist will use a colour blocking technique to blend the colours together. Alternatively, peekaboo layering with brunette on top and lighter colours peeking through for more movement looks gorgeous.
Naturally straight hair works best for this style to ensure the cut looks clean and intentional. This style is also suitable for both thick or thin hair, as it helps both hair types to either break up visual weight in thick hair or alternatively, add visual weight through movement to thin hair.
To achieve the sleek straight finish, it is essential to blow-dry your hair downwards with a paddle brush and use a flat iron once dry in sections, keep the heat on low to ensure your lighter colour doesn’t fade. Finish the look with a shine serum for mirror-like shine.
This style works really well for this trend because it relies solely on straight untextured hair, which makes it the perfect blank canvas.
Romantic soft waves
This style features soft waves with the neapolitan palette applied with a dimensional approach. This aesthetic is focused on creating warmth with the ice cream colours, focusing on a warmer blonde and softer pink hues strategically placed throughout the midlengths.
This is a highly versatile style within this colour trend making it adaptable to many hair types. Medium to thick hair is most suitable to naturally create volume. Naturally wavy hair best maintains the curl pattern once you have left the salon.
To style, we’d recommend using a curling want or iron in small sections. Wrap the hair around the barrel focusing on wider sections of the wand to avoid tight ringlets, then brush out the twisted curls to achieve romantic soft waves.
This works really well as a softer take on the hair trend to show off your personality without screaming from the rooftops. It’s elegant while still catching everyone’s attention.
Shaggy Textured Look
This style features dynamic, choppy layers cut to create a shaggy textured finish. This style prioritises choppy, uneven movement, often being paired with a soft face framing fringe. The Neapolitan palette is typically applied as chunky highlights or peekaboo panels to playfully demonstrate the colourway in a unique fashion.
This style is adaptable to many hair types with the layering technique helping to break up weight in thick hair or add visual movement to thin hair. With naturally wavy hair, this style creates extra movement and adds to the textured look.
Styling for this cut is fairly simple as the cut thrives on the messy-lived in look. Texture spray can also be applied to define your layers and achieve the intentional shaggy textured look.
This style works really well with this trend creating choppy layers in nostalgic 80’s fashion with an extra Y2K twist with the delicious looking colourway. It is perfect for someone looking for a unique and nostalgic hairstyle.
The Neapolitan pixie-bob (the bixie)
This style features a combination of the bob and pixie cut perfectly described as the bixie, it takes the length of a short bob with the edgy cropped sides of the pixie style cut. It’s the perfect in-between length for something different if you aren’t quite committed to the pixie length. The Neapolitan colour way is typically applied with vertical paneling demonstrating the vibrant colours with a choppy but clean technique.
This style is most adaptable to thin, straight hair, as it thrives with the cropped blunt edges. Thicker hair risks overly weighted ends or triangular shaped hair that occurs with thick blunt ends.
Styling this cut is similar to the straight sleek styling suggestions, to create the crisp blunt ends you can take a flat iron to the ends in a vertical manor or alternatively to add a cutesy flick to the bixie you can angle the flat iron outwardly at the very ends and add some small movement.
This cut perfectly adapts the colour way through the vibrant colouring and works amazingly with this trend as a shorter option.
Micro fringe panel cut
This style has two key features: firstly, a micro fringe, also known as a baby fringe, is defined by its shorter length. Secondly, the Neapolitan palette is applied using the paneling technique, which is solid sections of coloured panels contrast. This style is perfect for adding natural movement and instantly draws attention to the facial features.
This style looks best on thick hair to ensure the micro fringe sits perfectly. The cut relies heavily on a clean, crisp and structured fringe, lightweight styling putty can help keep the fringe in place without making it feel too heavy, and keep it perfectly in place all day, with the help of the flat iron to create the chosen shape.
This works perfectly with this trend with an even more modern twist in the micro fringe adaption.
Curly and wavy variations
If you’re just looking to add a pop of colour to your naturally curly hair, then this trend could be for you. The Neapolitan palette can be applied using the peekaboo layering or the paneling technique. Typically applied to naturally brunette hair acting as a base, the blonde and pink sections are strategically throughout.
This style is best suited for curly or wavy hair as the style perfectly complements your natural curl pattern. This style can be adapted to straight hair; however, avoid using too much heat as this can fade the colours quicker and requires additional maintenance.
Styling should be done in adaptation to regular curl routines with a good heat protectant spray before you apply any curling tools. Split the hair into even sections, wrapping the section around the barrel of the curly tool, then removing from the heat and twisting in a downward angle. Comb the curly out to create perfect bouncy curls.
This works so well with this hair colour trend as it allows a simple pop of colour added to your curls without any dramatic length changes.
Slicked back and sleek sections
This style features slicked back sleek hair with the Neapolitan palette applied in a paneling technique with a dramatic pulled back look as the hair is styled backwardly to show off facial features in a dynamic structured way.
This is best suited for thicker hair as this is stronger in holding heavier products such as gel that is used to get the slicked back look, while maintaining the sleek finish.
Styling should be done from wet hair brushed back with the hairdryer applied to the root of the hair for added volume. Once your hair is dry apply a styling gel for a strong hold so your hair maintains the slicked back sleek finish without any movement all day.
This provides a more sophisticated look with this colour trend and works perfectly to add visual dimension to your hairstyle.
Layered airy mid-length
This style features lots of carefully positioned layers to create an airy, feel. The Neapolitan palette is applied seamlessly with faceframing strands and peekaboo layers – the brunette base layer starts from the root, with the lighter layers positioned underneath peeking through for airy movement. This is also specifically featured within mid-length hair.
Thin or textured hair is most adaptable with this hairstyle to create the movement that makes the hair feel airy. Layers thrive in textured hair helping them create natural movement.
Styling should include a texturising salt spray to help define the layers. Straighteners will also help to enhance the length of the hairstyle.
This style works perfectly with this hair trend if you’re looking for a change to freshen your hair up without too much bleach damage or any dramatic length changes.
Side parted volume updo
This style features a few aspects that create movement and definition with a playful take on the colour trend. The up-do adds visual volume to the hair and can be a much more suitable style if you’re someone who tends to throw your hair up in a claw clip half way through your day.
The Neapolitan palette can be used with either the peekaboo technique for a fun surprise or the paneling technique, both draw attention to the delicious colour combination.
This is highly versatile to your hair type; it can both break up thick hair and create visual weight through the updo variations.
Begin your style by applying volumising mouse or texturising putty to the roots of your hair before drying, focusing on the roots to create the volume. Using bobbles and hair grips your updo is up to you. Finish by using hairspray to ensure your hair stays in place all day.
This works so well with this trend as it’s easily adaptable to different updo styles. Whether you’re looking for a half up half down, a bun, ponytail or a clawclip the options are endless.
How to Care For Your Neapolitan Hair Colour: Maintenance Tips
Maintaining this hairstyle is important to ensure you protect the colour’s longevity and keep that vibrant look, as well as protecting overall hair health. Following is some practical advice for you to use and keep your ice cream inspired style.
Shampoos & Conditioners
It’s strongly recommended to invest in quality hair care, such as shampoos and conditioners that are formulated specifically for colour-treated hair. Try to avoid any harsh products or any heavy conditioning agents as this could lead to your lighter vanilla & strawberry sections looking dull or bleeding together. It’s also wise to take an interest in the ingredients whilst shopping for hair care products, opting for sulphate free options will help you to keep your hair cuticles nice and healthy, meaning you can enjoy your style for even longer!
Avoid Colour Fade
It’s no surprise that the lighter flavours are subject to naturally fading quicker than the chocolatey base. Reducing direct heat styling exposure and washing your hair with cool water can minimise the open cuticle bleeding. Use a heat protectant and shine serums will help to maintain vibrant boundaries while sleeping and during daily wear.
Regular Salon Treatments
Your hair stylist is about to be your best friend because regular salon treatments are essential to maintain clean multi-tone transitions with this style. I also highly recommend booking targeted glossing services or deep hydration treatments to refresh the blonde and pink segments. It’s encouraged to focus on professional root maintenance and tone balancing rather than DIY home corrections to avoid muddy overlapping.
Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid over-washing with clarifying shampoos that strip the pastel strawberry pigment instantly and put that at home box dye down! Trying to overlap the professional sectioning lines with at home box dye will ruin the block placements. It is also encouraged that you keep a regular maintenance window to avoid regrowth, which can make the overall pattern lose its balance.
Neapolitan hair vs other multi hair trends
The Neapolitan trend is highly versatile and a wearable fashion-forward statement look, making it stand out against other multi hair trends. Now the key difference with pastel hair is that the standard pastel look requires full-head of bleach, whereas the Neapolitan colours lean on low-tension brunette roots to anchor this style.
You should avoid all over unnatural monochrome shades as these can be harsher instead, block colouring hair, which introduces a balanced combination of wearable chocolate brown with playful vanilla and pink panels.
Book an appointment with RUSH
Now if you have loved reading about this dreamy ice cream scoop style colouring then its time for you to book a professional colour consultation at your Nearest Rush Salon. Having expert technical guidance can help you to map out the perfect balance of colour blocking hair sections based on your current hair type, base colour and daily lifestyle. Book your appointment today.
FAQ's
What is Neapolitan Hair Colour?
This hair colour is directly inspired by the much-adored Neapolitan ice-cream, combining brunette, blonde and pink panels side-by-side to reflect the three flavours within the ice-cream; Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry.
Is the Neapolitan Hair Trend Suitable for Naturally Dark Hair?
Yes. it absolutely is, in fact you already have the perfect shade of chocolate and by leaving your natural base alone your stylist only needs to bleach the blonde and pink panels. This is much more suitable, so you don’t have a full head of bleach.
Can I Achieve Neapolitan Hair At Home Or Do I Need A Salon?
I strongly urge you to put the box dye back on the shop shelf and book an appointment with a stylist. A professional hairstylist can cleanly block out each colour section with salon-grade products to ensure your hair stays healthy and undamaged, using box dye to maintain your colour is also not a good idea this can result in colours bleeding together and looking muddy and undefined.
