Ireland Baldwin & Nicole Richie both have purple hair: who works it best?

Nicole Richie

Purple is the new blonde, y’all. Nicole Richie went lavender earlier this week. If you were thinking she may have copied Kelly Osbourne, that’s partially the case. Nicole did it on a dare from Kelly and Instagrammed the results. Kelly’s had the purple for a few years now, and she loves it more than your housewife hair. I think that Kelly’s hair looks good in certain lighting but not on the red carpet (especially when she goes matchy matchy with her clothes).

Now Ireland Baldwin has followed suit. Who knows if she’s thinking of Kelly and Nicole at all, but here are the results.

Ireland Baldwin

Ireland might actually be experiencing “breakup hair.” E! Online just broke news that she split from surfer Slater Trout after dating for a year. Ireland says, “I am focusing on work and school now.” Her Instagram account reveals that she’s trying to get into college while still pursuing modeling. I don’t think the agencies are big on purple hair these days, so yeah … this is breakup hair. I think Ireland looks good in her Instagram pictures, but these photos of her grocery shopping reveal an awkward daytime transition. The color suits Nicole a bit more because she’s pixie like and makes me think of Tinkerbell. Tink would look cute with purple hair too.

Nicole Richie

Ireland Baldwin

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Ireland Baldwin on Instagram & Nicole Richie on Instagram

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102 Responses to “Ireland Baldwin & Nicole Richie both have purple hair: who works it best?”

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  1. Belle Epoch says:

    Is this the start of a new trend? Hair the color of Easter Eggs? Will turquoise be next?

    • Evelyn says:

      I ombre’d a friends hair turquoise once, it looked awesome!

    • kimbers says:

      It’s really 90s of them to have colorful hair, but niether pull it off.

    • Aud says:

      I’m 34 and up until recently had my hair red/purple/turquise/hot pink, whatever color I felt like at the time. I loved it.

    • V4Real says:

      Kelly Osborne rip-offs. Somehow it worked for her but these two, not so much.

    • Penny says:

      It’s a sad, sad world we live in when hair color becomes a headline. Get it, headline??? 😝😝😝

    • Gen says:

      I lived in Japan for almost 2 years…when women got older and I mean, like when they were grandmother, they would dye their hair purple. I did not like it on older women but I must admit, I liked it better on them than on Nicole and Ireland.

    • Dio Asilvera says:

      Oh please these 2 girls copy of Kelly Osbourne but they don t have the personality to wear purple hair specially that Nicole whatever give me a break

  2. Cleveland Girl says:

    I must be getting really old. I think they both look really stupid.

  3. QQ says:

    Nicole by a mile

  4. Jag says:

    I think they both look fine. Wish there were a great, really dark purple to use that was temporary, because that looks better, in my opinion. But I’m partial to royal purple, so take that into account.

    • foxyw says:

      Check out Manic Panic. As long as your hair isn’t already heavily treated with chemicals (perms, bleaches, etc.), it will wash out.

      • MorticiansDoItDeader says:

        Their classic line doesn’t wash out easily and you have to bleach your hair first if you want a vibrant color. They have a temporary color line that’s a gel based styling product, although I have no idea how well it works. It wasn’t around when I was using the line in high school.

  5. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    Smurfs.

    • Justalark says:

      Yes! That was the first thing that popped into my mind, too. (Not sure they’d appreciate the comparison, though…They probably think they’re being edgy!)

  6. minime says:

    IMO, none of them look good in purple hair. Purple is just not a good hair color and specially this whitish purple is so Carnival like.

    • Erinn says:

      It looks like a unicorn mane or something. It’s an odd shade.

    • Decloo says:

      I honestly think anything is an improvement over Ireland’s white blond hair. She always looked so washed out. She needs a better, darker blond with some contrast to her fair skin.

  7. Eleonor says:

    Nicole Richie looks painfully thin these days, I hope she’s ok.

  8. blue marie says:

    Nicole looks better but.. I don’t really like either. If Ireland does modeling gigs, will they have to strip her hair and make it a basic color? Or no?

    • Anna says:

      From what I’ve seen Ireland doesn’t really do runway modelling where the trend still seems to be basic hair.. But print modelling has turned more towards “unconventional” hair and I’ve seen a lot more models with bright coloured hair.. So I think this might work for a while for Ireland

  9. paola says:

    None of them. Plus they’re making look Kelly Osbourne as inspirational.

    I had a purple My mini Pony when i was little, I loved it dearly.

    • Esmom says:

      Seriously, the last thing Kelly needs to validation for her hair color choice. Hers is worse than these two, imo. I’m too old for a Mini Pony but I had this tiny scented doll that came in a giant purple plastic lollipop and its hair looked exactly like Kelly’s. Fun for a kid’s toy but for a grown woman, not so much.

  10. bns says:

    I have never understood Nicole Richie’s fashion icon status.

    • Esmom says:

      I’m with you. Same with Kate Bosworth. I think both achieved it with a lot of serious self promotion.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      Me either. I don’t find her attitude or her look appealing at all.

  11. Lucy2 says:

    I think it looks bad on both.
    I still don’t see Ireland as a model. College is a good idea.

    • Sea Dragon says:

      Agreed. She doesn’t have that “it” about her.
      She seems like just another pretty teen, popular and known because of her parents fame and connections. My guess is that her star will fade as quickly as it was manufactured.

    • emmie_a says:

      I don’t see Ireland as a model at all. If her last name wasn’t Baldwin I doubt she’d get much if any work.
      She seems to loves attention – I think she did the purple solely for that reason.

      • Laine says:

        Ireland is finding her place in the world. There’s no need to trash her just because she’s the daughter of a celebrity. She’s not out drugging herself up, throwing eggs at the neighbor’s house or driving like a maniac endangering other people. She may or may not become a model. That’s for the experts to decide. And she’s actually not a clone of her mother – she’s her own person! Imagine that!

        OMG! – ooooooh – she dyed her hair! – Who cares. she’s 18. That’s what they do.

      • Monkey Towz says:

        She is SO young & who didn’t go thru numerous hairstyles/colors at that age? I don’t find IR beautiful but I think she will grow into her looks. Maybe she could work for an entertainment show after attending college.

        ETA, Ireland will probably keep this color for a few months tops, whereas Kelly Osborne has been clinging to this tired look for years now.

  12. Penny says:

    Nicole already looks like a little old lady to me (anorexia will do that). She didn’t need to add a blue-rinse to the mix.

    In contrast Ireland is fresh and healthy and casual so it looks fun and youthful on her.

  13. MrsBPitt says:

    Am I the only one that thinks Ireland is very boring looking…she’s a very nice looking girl, but NOT model material, IMO…I don’t think any human being looks good with purple hair. Maybe its the old lady in me, but YUCK!

    • bleusky says:

      That’s pretty much what I was going to say. I keep comparing her to her mom, and Ireland just doesn’t measure up. If it weren’t for nepotism and her already having a famous name thanks to her parents, I think she’d struggle as a model.

      Purple hair is okay in theory, but you can’t just wear anything with it. I’m too used to seeing it with a full on goth look.

      • BendyWindy says:

        I agree. I was just coming to post that for a child of two beautiful people, she is awfully plain. Regression to the mean is a real thing.

      • claire says:

        She was partying it up Oscar night with models. It was painfully clear in the photos, with her next to actual models, that she is not in any way shape or form model material. She needs to give that dream up.

  14. delphi says:

    Sheesh. I had purple hair back in 1996. They are SO behind the times.

    /sarcasm

    Then again, I was also 16 and it was done with Kool-Aid, and my mother threatened to shave my head if I didn’t wash it out in time for my driver’s license picture…:-/ Just like babydoll dresses with Doc Martens, this easter egg hair trend should’ve stayed in the 90s.

    • M.A.F. says:

      Oh, god, using the Kool-Aid. Ahhh, good times good times.

      I still have my Docs though. Never giving those up. I’ll be 80 and rocking those shoes.

    • Nina W says:

      You’re mistaken, it was 1985 and my mother had a cow. Sadly bleaching my hair to achieve the color resulted in my hair dissolving so it was not a success.

  15. SamiHami says:

    A well placed streak of color here or there can be fun and cute. This all over crazy color craze should die a quick death.

  16. shannon says:

    Nicole is not a pixie, she’s anorexic. There are women who truly are tiny and pixie – like but let’s not call this something it’s not. She needs help before she has a heart attack.

  17. GlimmerBunny says:

    I love purple hair. I had pastel pink hair a while ago and I’d love to try purple too. I think it suits both Ireland and Nicole!

  18. Quinn says:

    This particular shade of lavender isn’t flattering on either- but Ireland pulls it off better. Perhaps because she doesn’t have the smug, mean-girl face that makes me want to smack Nicole Ritchie- who just needs to grow up and go away.

    • M.A.F. says:

      I don’t like that shade at all on anyone. It just means you haven’t had time to re-dye your hair.

  19. eliza says:

    This purple hair craze must die.

  20. M.A.F. says:

    Eh, whatever. I had purple hair when I was in college and I loved it. And it’s not as if these ladies have actual jobs where they need to have a more proper hair color (?) so they can do whatever they please.

  21. Aria says:

    In the last picture she is the spitting image of her mother. Unfortunately I think she’s more like her dad personality wise. I hope I’m wrong.

  22. Cupcake says:

    Nicole wins!! Ireland Baldwin actually looks terrible, and not celebrity terrible, like really really ugly terrible.

  23. Meme says:

    Both are boring talentless attention ho’s. Ireland needs to stop trying to happen because she’s not going to happen.

  24. judyjudy says:

    Are those stirrup pants???

  25. Jayna says:

    It looks bad on all of them. The color does nothing for them, doesn’t enhance their looks, and to me is so absurd. It isn’t an edgy look to me like very deep colors are when dyed. It’s a silly trend that I wish would go away, this lighter purple color on hair. I don’t get it, because I have yet to see once where it is “cool.” So stop trying to make it a thing.

  26. PrairieGirl says:

    Not a good look for anyone. I blame Kelly Osborne.

  27. Rose says:

    I think it looks stupid all together but sensible on Ireland. When I see an adult with a crazy hair color I automatically think where do they work. It might be the professional in me.

    • prettylights says:

      Agreed, I think the same thing. In middle school I died two pink stripes in my hair with kool aid. My mom said she only let me do it because she thought the other kids would make fun of me, but they thought it was cool actually, ha ha. So she made me wash my hair a lot before school pictures came up to get it out.

      That’s the only time I died my hair an unusual color. It was fun…but I was in middle school. I can’t imagine being 29 as I am now and showing up to my office job with pink or purple hair. To each their own though – I think it looks great on other people. Ireland is young enough that she can pull off the crazy hair for a while.

    • BRE says:

      Agreed. Even though I see people with a little strip of funky color and think it would be cool, I’m 37 so WAY past the age where I can get away with it. Ah well, I will wait till I’m 80 and die it pink, by that age you can do whatever you want

  28. TheCountess says:

    Better on Nicole.

    But still a trend that needs to die in a fire.

  29. Penelope says:

    Ireland looks like both of her parents, and not in a good way.

    No one rocks the purple hair, but Nicole’s is best.

  30. serena says:

    I don’t like them on Nicole, I think they make her look hideous. Same with Ireland, but she has the ‘young’ card to play so it’s fine.

  31. Meggin says:

    Better on Nicole. Ireland just looks ridiculous. Not that I am a fan of purple hair in general though!!

  32. kay says:

    i don’t believe doing what you want with your hair or clothes should have age expiration dates embedded.
    good on both of them for doing what they want and not sparing a care for what others think.
    hurrah for individuality.
    and no, the fact that kelly osbourne has purple hair does not mean she owns it.
    to each their own.

  33. DIANE says:

    Nicole doesn’t bother me. She doesn’t seem like a bad person. This other one, though…the latest in an unending line of rich b*tches with celebrity parents who will do anything to have their photos shoved in our faces every bloody day. Now we’re gonna have to hear Ireland this, Ireland that ad nauseum. Who cares? What is she, like 18? What do I have to learn from her? And really, she ain’t that good looking. Another one who without the famous name would be flipping burgers in a paper hat somewhere.

  34. Tastykakes says:

    I love it but I have purple hair off and on myself. My hair is blond and to my waist. I do a gradation with a pale lavender from lower than middle down, maybe the bottom third, then a slightly deeper purple for the bottom few inches. When my hair is up in a bun, you can’t see it at all, best of both worlds! It’s fun for a lift but it does wash out quickly. I’m 35, age does not determine what hair shade I should or should not have. Life is far too short to give a shit what a stranger thinks of my hair.

    • kitty-bye says:

      I Love bright colors! Nicole appears to have thin hair?

      Age shouldn’t dictate fashion nor hair. I just went through bright pink, magenta, copper for 6 months, but during the spring-summer I usually have blonde with bright colored tips for fun. I have tried Manic Panic, SFX, Punky but not the pretty Pravana or Directions that is often quoted as used to get these Lilac colors.

      I love having rainbow tips peek out of my hair bun.

    • gg says:

      I’d love to put crazy colors in my hair but I work at a law office and that wouldn’t go over well.

    • Milkmilk says:

      This this this this. Luckily enough I work at a company that doesn’t care if their programmers have colored hair. My boyfriend rocks a mohawk and we’re both in our 30’s.

  35. Juls says:

    Wasn’t Ireland on a break of taking selfies?

  36. meh says:

    Nicole has like NO hair. The purple just emphasizes how thinning it is. Bad choice.

  37. Mrs.Martin says:

    Ireland is not ugly ….but she’s nothing special . There are better looking tall blonds out there

  38. Naddie says:

    I love this hair color, it looks a little bit better on this Ireland girl, but none of them can pull it off.

  39. dahlia1947 says:

    It looks terrible on both of them! I think the only one who pulls it off nicely is Kelly.

    • Nina W says:

      Kelly does not pull it off, it looks terrible and I have a hard time taking her seriously as a fashionista when she looks like she’s one of my grannie’s cronies. Frankly my granny pulled off the blue hair far better than Kelly.

  40. sam says:

    I think they all look great! Beautiful colour!

  41. TommyAnnE says:

    I had purple hair in the nineties and even died Bunny to match. People laughed. And all my towels and sheets and even the bathtub turned purple. I trailed purple everywere I went. Then bunny threatened to run away because she didn’t like looking like an easter egg, and that was it. Now, well, at least I no longer clash with the Red Carpet.

  42. mimi says:

    May the odds be ever in their favor.

  43. Ginger says:

    I’ve been wanting to dye my hair a dark purple for years but can’t because I hold a conservative job. Instead I color it a deep burgundy. Recently I’ve thought of coloring it a dark purple underneath so it blends and I can have fun when putting my hair in pony tail on my off time. BUT now that I see all of these celebrities coloring their hair purple and it’s a “thing”. Forget it! I do love Kelly’s purple hair and I think it suits her personality. I don’t like it on Nicole…it doesn’t look right. Ireland can pull it off since she’s still quite young but she looks better blonde. Still, I say have fun with it if that’s what they want to do.

  44. Sara says:

    Oh my! Not a good look!

  45. Megs283 says:

    Man, I really want purple hair!!! It would not go over well with work, husband, my life…

  46. lisa2 says:

    I think they all look ridiculous.

    YES I am officially old. But I’m comfortable standing in that position.

  47. Milkmilk says:

    I dyed my hair bright colors in high school in the 90s. I’m now 31 and I have ombre brown to lavender tips right now. It looks absolutely amazing. Being older doesn’t mean you have to act old.

  48. ParisPucker says:

    *yawn*

  49. janet says:

    Trying so hard to be original and trendy and they end up looking foolish. The osbourne gal does it lavender or grey (ugly as sin). I find it funny that she comments on the stars Oscar dresses and she looks awful. That black goth outfit with the grey/purple hair…..hideous.,