Betta fish hair is an even more eye-popping color trend

We’re no stranger to channeling the underwater world in beauty looks, lest of all for vibrantly dyed hair. (There’s a reason the trend is often called “mermaid hair,” after all.) But the latest hairspiration turning heads is… betta fish hair?

For those of us who didn’t grow up with aquariums or who didn’t obsessively read up on water-dwelling creatures because she wished to live under the sea like Ariel (confession: The latter is me), the betta, aka the Siamese fighting fish, is known for its extravagant color displays. Now, in real life, those colors serve as a warning: These fish are super combative and have to be stored separately (hence the “fighting” designation).

But to colorist Roxie Darling of Hair Story Studio, the betta’s in-between color gradients kicked off a spark of inspiration. As she explained to Refinery29, “I recently observed the organic flow of color in their bodies. I thought there was a way to make that translate into hair, since hair is also a natural, moving fiber.” And the result is a truly one-of-a-kind dye job:

Wait wait wait, can we see that from a few angles?

Seriously, how perfect is that? The soft flow from the desaturated yellow to the concentrated blue; the tendrils of morphing color streaking through in a deliberate, but unfussy way; the unexpected color creations where the blue and yellow mix to a pale green. This is the perfect two-tone dye for people seeking even more whimsy in their candy colors, and who embrace the unpredictable fading out process. And, it’ll grow out with your hair, unlike more rigid multi-tone hair dye trends.

We’re totally in love with Darling’s daring dye job and the lucky model who got to keep this seaworthy look. Hey, now we’ve got the perfect photo to show our stylist, or to help us do this DIY at home.

(You don’t have to dye your eyebrows to participate in this look, though.)

Is split-dyed hair the next big color trend?

Sand art hair is the latest vibrant hair trend — and it’s taking things to a new level

(Images via.)