Best Shades for First-Time Hair Dyers

@violentinside in Purple AF and Transylvania Taking that first dip into vivids might sound a bit scary…but it definitely doesn’t have to be! AF dyes are totally safe for your hair (vegan, cruelty-free, and they deep condition!) so you never have to think twice before you take the plunge. Whether you’re going for the coveted purple hair with Purple AF, a deeper red with Wrath, or a classic ginger with Ginger Flare, we have ALL the tips to make your first time experimenting with hair dye well worth the wait. So let’s get started with those first timer tips, shall we? Before you get started with hair dye, you’ll need to know the color of your current hair and what shades are going to work for you - aka your hair level! If you’re thinking, WTF is a hair level anyway? Don’t worry! We’ll break it all down for you. Simply put, it’s the current color of your hair, and it fully impacts how the color will take to your strands. Hair level ranges from a deep black at level 1 all the way up to a white platinum shade at 10+. Your own natural hair color will fall somewhere along this gamut of options, and if you need some help finding it, this blog has it fully covered for you! Hair Dyes that Work for Your Hair Level Your best strategy for a first time dye is sticking to the most pigmented and deeper shades, and not pastels or lighter colors. We know that pretty pastel is everyone’s envy, but they shine best on pre-lightened hair, so if you’ve never had your fun with bleach, you'll want to choose the semi-permanent colors that don’t require this step. The best part of using strong, pigmented shades is that they take easily to almost any hair base - giving you the best chance of an amazing result on your first attempt with color. The next part of your hair color master plan is to choose the right pigmented shade for you. We’re about to dive in with color inspo, and spill all the deets on which AF shades will work for our brunette, blonde, or red haired Foxes! Best Hair Color Shades for Brunettes Brunettes usually line up on the hair level range between 4-6, so the best colors to dress those tresses would be the deeper, warmer shades of the AF rainbow. You’ll rock a gorgeous tint of your chosen color on level 4 hair, without having to use any bleach! And when the sun hits…O.M.G. 😍 ✨AF Pro Tip✨: The deeper the brown the more likely the color will show up subtly. A strand test is your best bet to see exactly how the colors will translate to those locks! Ritual offers a deliciously dark purple that will look beautiful over a brown hair base. This shade is daring enough for brunette’s taking the first step into hair coloring, but it’s also classy enough to graciously take center stage at any and all events. If you’re a brunette and like the idea of going red, try stepping into the warm glow of Wrath. She’s a red cherry shade that offers brown-haired Foxes a risk free route to switch up their style. Thanks to her warming tones, Wrath compliments your brown hair level perfectly. Another stop off on the purple section of the color spectrum and we find a bold, true purple. Purple AF is an intense all-out look but one that definitely works on a brunette base. If you’re interested in greens and blues the good news is your brown shade can take these cold colors too. Check out Poseidon, Aquamarine, and Phantom Green. Ready to pull off the look of your dreams? Best Hair Color Shades for Redheads If you’re a Fox with natural red hair, well we’re in AWE! Red is one of our fave hair colors, but if you’re looking to switch it up, you can experiment with a whole range of new colors too. But, there is a small catch. Redheads often find that their hair holds its natural pigment more firmly than other hair colors. (Hair can be stubborn like that). The hair color might not take in the same way as with blonde or brunette bases, but do a strand test first and you’ll get your answers. If the strand test works as intended, you’re all set to give your new shade the go ahead. Of course, there is also the option to lighten your hair first using Bleach, Please, our hair lightening kit! We get that bleaching might feel scary given it’s your first time dyeing your hair - but Bleach, Please is an easy DIY method to ease yourself into it. Just make sure you use gloves and follow all our instructions (like avoiding your roots!) for a smooth transition into lighter locks. If you’re not down to go that route, we still have some shades that we think would look ah-mazing on you! Purple AF is a shade that will definitely work over your natural red hair and give your tresses a whole new dimension. If you want to go a little darker on the spectrum, Poseidon offers a blue hue, which when poured over natural red hair can appear a little purplish in color. It’s a shade that will totally WORK IT on our red-heads. If you want to enhance those fiery locks, try on Poison, Ginger Flare, or Sunset Orange! Because of their orange and auburn tones, they absolutely STUN on a red hair base. Virgin Pink poured over red hair can give a light, natural ginger, too! Who knew!? Best Hair Color Shades for Natural Blondes Natural blonde hair is at the lighter end of the hair level range, falling between 7 and 10+ on the spectrum. To break that down just a bit more, 7 is a dark blonde, 8 is blonde, 9 light blond, and 10+ platinum! Sunset Orange will come through slightly differently depending on how light your blonde hair is. For Foxes with medium blonde hair, you can expect a deep-red orange. For lighter blonde hair expect a stronger hue, delivering more of the red undertones of this stunner. Phantom Green shows up wonderfully on lightened hair, however if you have medium to darker blonde hair, this shade will still look unreal and deliver a more subtle emerald nuance to your strands. Aquamarine is a delightfully intense blue shade that will have you dreaming of mermaid hair and crashing ocean waves. The good thing about using a blue shade like this on blonde hair is that it will hold the color for a while, so you can take time to enjoy that new shade to its full potential. Once you're ready to move to a new hair color, the blue can be gradually faded out with sulfate-free shampoos. Once it’s faded you can transition to a new hue, you can find complementary colors on the color wheel and cocktail up some stunning hair color combos! Because purple is a complimentary shade on the color wheel it works wonderfully well over blue. Purple AF, Periwinkle, and Girls Night are some of our fave purple shades to work over the top of faded out Aquamarine. Certain shades of green including turquoise or teal, can create a vibrant and mermaid-like appearance when combined with blue hair. Phantom Green and Neverland can deliver a rich green hue over a faded blue shade amplifying that sea-maiden siren vibe. A final tantalizing option for covering faded blue hair is to go pink! Try Virgin Pink over blue if you want something that really pops with a bubblegum pink shade. Whether it’s your first time dyeing, or your one thousandth, keep those looks comin’ and tag us at @arcticfoxhaircolor. We LOVE to see it! @bluepixiie in Aquamarine @emma.cairo in Virgin Pink @honeybeecolorcollective in Wrath, Ritual, Poison @yadeemua in Purple AF and Sunset Orange