Beginner's Guide to Hair Color

@sophiaxnova in Purple AF Is TikTok making you want to dye your hair? Welcome to the club! If you’re thinking about pulling the trigger on that new color but have no idea where to start, you’re in the right place. We’re about to dish all our tips for your first time so that you can get that flawless color you’ve been dreaming of. Vegan and Cruelty Free Formula The biggest and most common concern with first-timers is worrying about hair damage. Especially if you have virgin hair. And we get it! All the hair dyes in the AF color range are formulated without any harsh chemicals and packed with so many deep conditioning properties they’re basically a colored conditioner! So not only can you leave it on as long as you want, you’ll also come out with soft locks full of color! Semi-permanent dyes are the perfect solution to trying out bold colors minus the fear of settling down with one shade forever. AF hair dyes start with our signature full throttle bold color and then naturally fade out slowly over time with no additional processes. AKA you can try out new colors with the confidence that they won’t damage your strands, and they’ll still look ah-mazing as they fade. Semi-permanent hair dyes definitely don’t have to be scary! @eclipse.lunxr in Virgin Pink Starting with Vivid Hair Dye When you’re first starting out with vivids, you need to keep in mind how light or dark your natural hair is to ensure you get the best results. For example, if your hair is light brown, deeply pigmented shades like Wrath, or Purple AF were made for you, Fox! Avoid pastel colors or the lighter blues and greens, unless you bleach and lighten your natural hair base first. Need more inspo before you take the leap? We got a list of important questions you need to ask before you dye your hair, just to make sure you’re ready to jump into the world of color! @queenbcyn in Wrath Picking your new hue One way you can crack the color code is by considering your skin’s undertone to help narrow down your choice and lead you to a new shade that will accentuate your natural features. Your skin tone is the surface level color of your skin that can change due to the season or sun exposure, we all notice our skin tone change a bit in the summer months, right? 😎 Your undertone on the other hand, is the underlying tone of your skin that is ever-present and doesn’t alter with the seasons. Knowing your undertone can help narrow down your choice of color (unless you want to rebel and go with whatever shade you’re feeling). Start by finding out which of the three categories of undertones you fall into: cool, warm, or neutral. Cool undertones have a pink or bluish hue to their skin. Warm undertones have a yellow, golden, or peachy hue, while neutral undertones mirror the color of their surface skin. To figure out your undertone, use the Vein Method, Jewelry Method, or White T-Shirt Method as all are proven ways to see how your skin tone compliments and reacts to colors - and yes you can totally do them right at home! The white t-shirt method is as simple as it sounds - throw on a white t-shirt and go outside in natural light. Pay attention to how your skin contrasts with the white shirt. If your skin looks rosy or pink, you have cool undertones. If your skin looks golden or yellow, you have warm undertones. If you don’t really see a change, you have neutral undertones. The vein method might be the easiest one! If your veins appear purple or blue, you have cool undertones. Green or love mean you have warm undertones, and a mix of blue and green are neutral undertones. If you can’t really tell, you likely have neutral undertones as well. The jewelry method is probably the most fun! It’s simply the way jewelry looks on your skin. If you prefer silver jewelry against your skin you have cool undertones. If you prefer the way yellow gold jewelry looks on your skin, you have warm undertones.If you look great in both or don’t have a preference, (lucky you) you likely have neutral undertones. And of course, we wouldn’t be your hair bestie if we didn’t have a full rundown on picking colors that go with your undertone right here! In short, all our cool toned babes look best in Aquamarine, Poseidon, Periwinkle, Neverland, Girls Night, Purple AF, and Ritual. @tayreichel in Neverland, Aquamarine, Periwinkle, and Arctic Mist Diluter Warm undertones stun in reds, oranges, yellows, or colors with warmth like Electric Paradise, Wrath, Sunset Orange, Poison, and Virgin Pink. @sophia.vog in Wrath, Poison And for our neutral undertone Foxes..well, you can literally go for any AF color. @jingleheartart in Cosmic Sunshine and Neon Moon Our second method for picking a hair color is by using color theory and the color wheel. The color wheel is a visual tool to explain and visualize the relationship between colors (That much was obvious, right?). The color wheel will help you better predict how specific colors will mix together and how to avoid results that just don’t hit the heights you want to scale with your new hairdo. For example, complementary colors are two shades that live opposite each other on the color wheel such as, violet and yellow, red and green, orange and blue. When you are coloring for the first time it is best to pick a hue that is opposite your natural hair color on the wheel in order to get an optimum result! Consult the AF color wheel here to find your inspo! @imperial.hairstudio in Aquamarine, Virgin Pink, Violet Dream, Sunset Orange, Cosmic Sunshine For unbleached hair, you can also check a prediction of how deep the color will show up based on your natural hair base. If you want to go lighter and even work up to a pastel shade, you’ll need to lighten your hair up with a little bleach. You can look at the hair level charts on the AF product pages for a guide to how light you’d need to be to get your desired shade. Lightening it up gradually over time is the best way to go about it, especially if you are starting with really dark hair that borders on or around black tones. Our lightening kit, Bleach, Please is a safe option for healthy at-home lightening if you are going down this route. Before you know it you’ll be setting off sirens with your new delicious hair color. @sheaella in Girls Night and Periwinkle So now you have done your research and found a complimentary hue and got your hair to the right base level, it's time to dive right in and get that new color on, right!? Erm... not quite! The Strand Test, Your BFF We always, ALWAYS recommend doing a strand test to see exactly how your shade will show up on your beautiful head of hair. Strand tests are SUPER important tools to help you see how the color will show up on your hair. Even if you are blonde and have light hair, the natural tone of your hair will affect how color shows up so it's important to test it first. Everyone’s hair is different, and the Strand Test gives real world results of the color application. (The strand test never lies). To start testing, shampoo and fully dry your hair, without conditioning. Find a 1 inch strand of hair in a hidden area and apply some of your chosen AF hue. Wrap the test strands in foil and let them process for at least 30 minutes before rinsing in cool water, drying your hair, and checking the outcome. You can always repeat the test as needed, if the shade was not what you were looking for. Once you are happy and all set with your color, it's time to apply the shade to your locks. Naturally, we have some great tips and tools to help you get this process right! The Hair Dyeing Process Get ready to apply that delicious new color by either shampooing and drying your hair first, or even applying the color to hair that has not been washed for a day or two. This will allow natural oils to remain in the hair and can help the hair dye absorb into the strands better. We love to see that new vivacious color soak in. While dyeing your hair use our alligator clips to separate your hair into sections to allow the color to be applied thoroughly and evenly. Ohh snap! @onedreamparis in Virgin Pink If you are applying multiple colors the sectioning clips can be a lifesaver! For mixes, you can also use AF mixing bowls to measure out and mix up a perfect storm of color. It just makes it a little easier to get the exact ratios you need. Before you apply the color and allow it to process for at least 30 minutes, you should take a couple of precautions to prevent staining your skin. First, apply vaseline around your hairline to prevent staining on your face or neck, because, well, that’s not a great look. And finally, wear our reusable gloves while you apply your color and rinse it off, to prevent the hair dye from staining your hands and making it look like you have been in art class. Whoop! 30 minutes later and you’re done! Your gorgeous new color can be unleashed into the world. Hair Color Maintenance Keeping your new hair color looking fresh can be done in more than one way! Remember, our dyes will still look super pretty as they fade - BUT the less you wash your hair the slower the fading process is. Opt for our Vacay Volumizing dry shampoo in between wash days to stretch your clean hair as long as possible, and don’t forget to throw in a few drops of your chosen hair color to your conditioner to keep that color looking fresh! Our 4 oz bottles are perfect for that touch ups! Of course, a big part of success with hair dye is not only choosing the right hair dye color, but maintaining your new color afterwards. Throw in a color safe shampoo and conditioner into your wash day routine (like our Resurrected Duo) to keep that color alive and long-lasting. You can also grab an extra 4 oz bottle of your chosen color and add a few drops into your conditioner as needed for that extra oomph if you see your color starting to fade. ✨AF Pro Tip✨ Pool Party is your pre or post shower bestie when it comes to deep hair hydration for the softest, most luscious locks. She can even double as a styling cream for that coveted wet hair look. Did we mention she smells absolutely delicious? Want to share your new hair color and make us green with envy? Tag us @arcticfoxhaircolor and show us and the Fox Fam what you and your new color are made of.