AF Blog — Blue Jean Baby

@iamzoeyluna in Transylvania 

Keep your look top-class this fall

You can embrace the change, or you can dread it. But you can’t deny it: summer is over, baby. We’re working on ditching our late sleep-ins (dry shampoo for the win!), have restocked our coffee supplies, bought the organizers, and are getting used to the sound of the alarm. But how has our Fox Fam been falling back into a routine? Let’s just say that leaves aren’t the only things that are changing color!

Lustrous, rich hair tones can make even the most boring schedules feel brighter, and with the onset of busy days, we’re seeing a rise in the deep, dark tones. They can be low-maintenance while still being high-impact, and they give the rich feeling of thicker hair that autumn styles show off the best. On top of that, blends and color combinations keep the looks as interesting as you are.

Whatever your day-to-day looks like this fall, we’re excited to see everyone in dark mode.

New you, new hue

Good news, stargazers: Venus is out of retrograde💫! As (we’re sure) you already know, this means it’s a great time to start fresh with whatever’s been blocked for you lately. Romance can get kicked into high gear, work and creativity will start flowing, and we can’t think of a better sign that it’s time for a brand-new look.

Part of your 2023 back-to-real-life glow-up should be a hair color that you’re stoked to show off — not to mention the noticeably hydrated and healthy hair that comes with using our AF deep-conditioning hair dyes. We’ve mentioned a few times lately that we are really digging the transition from summer ‘cools’ to autumn ‘warms’, and that means going for a darker tone than what you rocked during the sunny season. Plus your hair will be totally in step with Fall 2023’s palette, making your hair the perfect accessory and always on-point.

There’s something else that a darker tone gives to your updated ‘do—aside from all that lovely confidence that comes with a makeover, that is. Going to the dark side of the color wheel gives the gift of a low-maintenance mane. 

In our previous blog on warm hair colors, we explained how a simple warm color can add depth to your hair that will give you a thicker, fuller-looking style without needing extra time with your diffuser. When you combine your warm-color lowlights with a time-saving volumizing shampoo you’re going to have a full look all day.

✨Remember that changing your look doesn’t have to mean changing your beliefs, and that’s why as much as we love watching your evolution, we’ll never be anything other than vegan and cruelty-free. Dye away, and with AF dark hair dyes, you’re dyeing for a cause.

To Bleach or Not to Bleach?

Real talk: Summer puts your hair through the wringer with chlorine, salt water, and sun damage. Keep in mind that even though we pack our potions to the brim with hair-helping ingredients, you can choose to skip the bleaching step now and again. You can also be creative and use it only in sections. Our influencers have found some truly jaw-dropping ways to only color parts of their hair—and still stun. Money pieces are a great example of a simple switch-up that can change your whole look, without changing your entire head.

@_negatronn in Iris Green and Neon Moon

@tavujesus in Frosé

@lazybonesbeauty in Cosmic Sunshine

AF’s Bleach, Please is as gentle as a lightener can get, and even has added goodness to keep your hair healthy while it works. And yes, AF’s range of hair color dyes produces a truer color match when they are used on lighter hair. But if you’re looking for a tint without putting your hair through the bleaching process, you can opt for a beautiful color undertone that will come through even on darker or already dyed hair. 

For an idea on how your color will turn out with your natural or current base color, have a look at our guide to using AF hair dyes on unbleached hair. If you like how these look, we’ve grouped all the colors here for easy shopping! 

Pro-tip: Knowing your hair’s color level will be key to planning your look, and we can help you with that, too! Just cruise by this gem of an explainer which breaks it down for you.

Of course, the only way to get the strong, intense pop of color you see on some of our most colorful influencers is to lighten your hair first.

@christystarmua in Aquamarine and Periwinkle

@violentinside in Purple AF and Transylvania 

Stir it up for some killer color

Remember: going dark doesn’t mean melting into the surroundings, and it certainly shouldn’t mean you’re stuck with one color! Blend your pastes for a unique shade, or combine multiple colors into your locks for a truly standout fall look. In our last blog, we talked about this fall’s trending hairstyles, and there was a lot of mention of color accents and how to use them. 

 In particular, the money pieces and the peekaboo styles work best when the color is applied precisely (and only!) where you want it. Because we want our Fox Fam’s hair dreams to come true and your looks exactly as you envisioned them, we recommend that you use our gentle-on-hair alligator clips to keep your sections secured and under control while you work.

Here are the results of perfectly applied color.

@yadeemua in Ginger Flare

@wonderingminds_420 in Ritual and Electric Paradise

@onedreamparis in Virgin Pink

How to Darken Your Current Shade

Looking for a darker shade that isn’t a total change of color? Easy peasy! 

There are two ways you can do this:

1. The first method will neutralize the color you have and deepen it slightly. Take a quick look at our color wheel blog (honestly, just bookmark it already) to find out what the opposite color is to the one you already have! Once you’ve got that, simply mix in a drop or two to your current color, and voila.
2. Method number two is using a darker shade of the same color to help deepen the tone. Let’s say you have Aquamarine, you can add a bit of Blue Jean Baby to darken it. Again, the color wheel blog has a wheel that shows where all the AF colors fall on the wheel so it’s a snap to find out which one you need.

 To keep the blending simple and the colors separate while you apply, our tint bowls are going to be some of your besties.

Peep these dark hues on our Fox Fam!

As always, we look to you, our boldest and bravest Foxy trailblazers for our inspiration. After all, we can talk about change, but you are the gorgeous bunch that does it, flaunts it, and shares it with the world! Here are some superb examples of falling into the dark for autumn.

@makeupbytiffanybanks in Poseidon covered in Ritual

@lil.mishroom in Cosmic Sunshine, Sunset Orange, and Purple AF 

If you’re thinking of going green, stay tuned! Next week we’ll give some precise mixing tips for gorgeous green hues that need a little bit of alchemy to get just right.

So lovelies, as you traipse into autumn vibes this year, remember that you can go dark and shine! Treat your hair right by using AF conditioning hair dyes, and for the love of gosh, share your hair journey with your Fax Fam by tagging @arcticfoxusa on your socials!

Cuts and colors leading the trends for fall 2023

Y’all have already been killing it in your selfies and TikToks, we’re seeing long, we’re seeing short, and we’re seeing everything in between. This fall looks to be THE SEASON for embracing your own unique hair look, and the confidence on display is honestly inspiring. 

From platinum to plum, the Fox Fam is a rainbow of wearable color this fall. We’ll walk and talk you through the coolest hair colors—and tell you exactly how to get them for yourself! On top of the hues that are making our fall a little hotter are the cuts that we see topping the requests lists again and again. So read on, because we are stoked to share our hot leads and pro tips with y’all.

We’ve been taking notes

We’ve got our eyes on a few different look-makers and from short to long, we’re dialed in on the coifs filling up our feeds, from influencers to red-carpet royalty. From all our trend-watching, we have two words for you: layers & body.

Lucky for us, we have our Foxy influencers who are going to show us how to use AF Hair Dye to use color to get the best-looking layers and the most bodacious body. 

☝️Tip: However you express yourself with your hair, we always recommend that you use our bowls and brushes to help keep your color where you want it. They have grippy bottoms so they stay put—because while you look amazing in color, your countertop… not so much.

Hair trends that are everywhere this fall…and how to make them yours

When you’re talking to your stylist about your next look, ask for a “hush cut”! It’s a way to bring extreme layers and stylish bangs to your hair, at almost any length. This is the way to show off your AF colors, as the layers give your hair the movement that will highlight your lowlights, peekaboos, and tips. A hush cut is a layered look that is designed to give your hair feathery lightness and long curving pieces that look amazing with colors blended throughout. Think a “wolf cut” but grown out into an elegant and feminine style.

For those of you who are all about length, supermodel cuts feature layers that frame your face and allow your hair’s natural bounce and movement to steal the show. Think big and naturally bouncy supermodel hair that is designed to always look effortlessly beautiful, no matter which shoulder they’ve just casually tossed it over. Body, waves and lots of lift through the layers. Hint: it’s the perfect style for strong color accents. 

Not sure which color accent you want to go for? Luckily for our creative Fox Fam, there are a ton of options! With the lux look of money pieces, cheeky peekaboos and trendy tips, feel free to mix and blend your current faves from root to tip.

@arisa_hair in Aquamarine and Phantom Green  

@raekanoa in Poison and Ritual 

For a stylish way to keep long layers out of your face, sweep half of your hair up while leaving two money pieces in front for a sweet, soft look. Pin the upper half back with a big, bold clip and …peekaboo! Peekaboos are flirty and sweet on blonde hair, especially when you choose Virgin Pink, Violet Dream or Frosé for the underlayer. For a punchier style, go Girls’ Night or fan-favorite Purple AF.

A shorter take on layers with natural movement is the lob, or “long bob”. Taking the traditionally shorter bob and letting it hang past your chin gets you this look. To give it the 2023 treatment, texturize it! The textured lob gives you layers to play with and provides choppier front pieces to show off the natural curl in your coif—as well as your makeup ;). So go with layers and let them curve around your chin and shoulders. For the ultimate frame job, add Birkin bangs, the 70’s-inspired light fringe that falls to your eyebrows without being swept to the side.

If you want it a little shorter, take the bob to chin length. This fall the bob and the lob are both on proud display, and both look great with solid colors, especially this year’s blockbuster shade, Barbie blonde. Get it by using Bleach, Please, (pink convertible not included).

@gontscharowaa in Sunset Orange

Braided hair lifts your look to the next level, and for braids devotees who want to decorate their tresses with their fave fall colors, goddess braids are the go-to. This divine style is a bohemian way to transition from summer to fall. With braids that are less tight and more gentle on scalps than other braids styles, they feature loose curls that are practically begging to be decorated with pops of color. For intense color that shows up in updos or loose, make sure to use Bleach, Please first!

Whether you go short, long, or somewhere in between, it’s pretty clear what stands out with these trends: extreme layers will keep a classic look modern, and be a fun way to play with color.

More colors that make true statements

You can never go wrong with a cool Copper and deep Auburn this time of year - it’s giving ‘forest in autumn’ and we’re here for it! For a true Auburn, mix AF’s Ginger Flare with a drop of Purple AF, and if you want a deeper auburn shade, just add more Purple AF. Get your cool copper on with two parts Sunset Orange and three parts Cosmic Sunshine with a drop or two of Purple AF. For a light leaning copper, go lighter on the purple and heavier on Cosmic Sunshine. 

If you love rich colors but prefer a jewel tone, then Blue Jean Baby, Phantom Green, and Purple AF are the hues that you’re going to fall for!

These are some of our ideas, but if you’re ready to take the plunge on a killer color combo, we recommend that you check out the wildly helpful color wheel explanation we laid out for you in August. The whole post is loaded with great info, plus tips on which color combinations complement this fall’s color palette (and you!) best.

Over the next two weeks we will be diving into the best ways to freshen up your look while still caring for your strands, particularly for those who want to go and/or stay dark.

Whatever color you choose this fall, keep the cut up-to-date to truly do your AF colors justice! Let your inner supermodel loose or braid your way to our Fox Fam hall of fame. However you do it, shine your beautiful light and—as always—share your hair change journey with the Fox Fam on your socials by tagging @arcticfoxhaircolor.

@berlinstacy in Arctic Mist Diluter, Virgin Pink, Sunset Orange, Cosmic Sunshine, Iris Green, Aquamarine, Purple AF, Violet Dream, and Poseidon 

What is the Color Wheel?

The color wheel is a visual tool to explain and visualize the relationship between colors. When it comes to coloring hair, the color wheel is your personal hack to understand how colors will combine or cancel each other out when you’re creating your dream shade!

Understanding the color wheel will help you better understand color theory so you can better predict how specific colors will mix together and how to avoid results you weren’t expecting.

Color Definitions

When speaking to the color wheel, there are a few terms to know.

Primary Colors - What we learn in Kindergarten! Red, yellow and blue. These colors cannot be made from any other colors.

@erez_ivan in Poseidon 

Secondary Colors - Two primary colors mixed together that create orange, green, and violet.

@kunailuv in Sunset Orange, Cosmic Sunshine, and Purple AF 

Intermediate Colors - One primary and one secondary color mixed together: blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, and blue-green.

@lilygraceglam in Blue Jean Baby, Purple AF, Violet Dream, Poseidon 

What Are Complementary Colors?

Complementary colors are two colors that live opposite each other on the color wheel. For example: violet and yellow, red and green, orange and blue.

When mixing these colors, you will get a brown shade. We receive a lot of questions around natural shades from the Fox Fam, so this color wheel hack is good to know in case you want to go back to natural color OR to avoid mixing colors or applying over faded color that might yield a muddy result.

Knowing complementary colors can also be great in creating looks that are bold and contrasting, especially for split dyes or layering colors.

@ashley.smit17 in Space Cowgirl, Aquamarine, Virgin Pink, Violet Dream, and Purple AF

@hairwaytoheavennn in Poison, Phantom Green, and Space Cowgirl

What Is Your Base?

When choosing a color, it’s important to consider how your base shade will affect the final outcome. Using the color wheel and color theory, you can have a better educated guess on what might happen or how to plan to get the result you’re looking for.

Starting From A Natural Base

Your natural hair color will affect the outcome of your look. Learn all about hair levels here and which AF colors will work best for your natural base. 

Starting From A Processed Blonde

Most Arctic Fox hair dyes will look and perform best on hair that’s a level 9 or higher, for some, that will require processing. Using the color wheel to figure out the tone of your blonde will help determine which colors to choose to get the results you want. Most natural hair colors that are bleached to blonde will start with an orange undertone and may reach a yellow/brassy color at the lightest. There are multiple ways to cancel out unwanted yellow/orange tones. One option is to use a commercial toning product found at your favorite beauty supply store. A second option is to use the color wheel and “tone” with AF colors. If your hair is leaning toward the yellow side, pre-dye using Arctic Mist Diluter and Purple AF to create an extremely diluted purple color. If your hair is leaning toward the orange side, you might try pre-dyeing with Arctic Mist Diluter and Poseidon to create an extremely diluted blue. 

@salinesimon in Arctic Mist Diluter and Aquamarine

For example, if you want a Poseidon to appear as a nice true blue, but are starting out with yellow undertones, your color might pull green. Since we know that violet is opposite the color wheel from yellow, mixing in a little bit of Purple AF may help counteract those yellow tones.

Starting From A Faded Color

If you’re a DIY dye queen, you might already have a faded color on your hair. Using color theory, you can get to the next color seamlessly without creating a muddy mess!

This video by Stella Cini is a great example of how to use color theory to get your desired color or read this blog by Thuy Pham on how she shifted her hair from green to purple.

AF Colors Charted

Each of our colors have specific undertones. Knowing where our colors fall on the color wheel, can help you make decisions on which dyes to mix to get the results you’re looking for.

@nadine.xoo in Cosmic Sunshine and Sunset Orange 

@chjango_john.n115 in Violet Dream, Cosmic Sunshine, Sunset Orange, and Virgin Pink

@angelicabarragan3 in Space Cowgirl and Neon Moon

@_kenzurrito in Poison, Purple AF, Periwinkle, Aquamarine

If you haven’t heard the good news yet, here it is… SUMMER HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! 🥳☀️ Question is, have you decided on how you’re going to color your summer yet? Maybe you’re stuck between a couple of really great shades and just can’t decide? Well I’ve come prepared with some summer mixes, just for you 😉 

When I think of summer, I think HOT 🔥 So let’s crank up the heat with these orange and red focused mixes first. Sunset Orange is a wonderful base for this, so let’s get to mixing in some other shades.

Sunset Orange + Poison + Cosmic Sunshine 🥵 

@theeglamnaija

Sunset Orange + Wrath 🧯

@a.dragon.soul

Sunset Orange + Violet Dream  🌶️ 

@evelina.forsell

Unreal, right?! Why don’t we cool things down a bit with a few blue mixes 💧 Let's dive right in (pun intended 😏).

Poseidon + Aquamarine 🌊

@jessicamoralemusic

Aquamarine + Periwinkle + Transylvania 💙

@billiedawningle

Aquamarine + Phantom Green 🐚

@arisa_hair

Arctic Mist Diluter + Aquamarine 

@salinesimon

When you think back to how you colored your summer, what shade is going to forever bring you that summer nostalgia feeling when you see it? Is it blue? Is it pink? Maybe it’s green! ✨

The beauty of ‘color your summer’ could mean a lot of things but color expression is definitely one of them 🎨 You may be wondering “well, when I think of summer, I think of a beautiful sunset to end the perfect day with my favorite people”. To be completely honest, I couldn’t agree more. So let’s settle things down with a couple of sunset inspired mixes! 🌅 

Electric Paradise + Poison 🌺

@tamaracamps

Cosmic Sunshine + Frosé ☀️ 

@itslauren.jpg

Periwinkle + Purple AF 

@_gumshoe_

After a long day of laughter, heat and good vibes; It’s time to reminisce on the core memories you’ve built and get ready to make more during those long summer nights 🌌 Nothing says “summer nights” more than this last mix.

Using equal parts Periwinkle + Sterling with just a few drops of Blue Jean Baby and BOOM… You’ve created a masterpiece. 👩‍🎨🎨✨🤌

So how will YOU color your summer? 🌈 Let us know in the comments! And as always, if you have questions on how best to use any of our products, feel free to reach out to us at support@arcticfoxusa.com. Stay foxy! 🦊 

@rubyhair3 in Wrath, Virgin Pink, Electric Paradise, Sunset Orange

Want to start getting creative with your AF shades and don’t know where to start? Well take a deep breath because you are exactly where you need to be 💕 The last thing we want to do is overwhelm you, so allow us to ease you into some information and a few of my favorite beginner friendly mixes to achieve a custom shade! 

Pro Tip ✨: It is important that before applying a mix of shades to your hair that you perform a strand test to be sure the outcome on your hair is what you’re looking for. It is much easier to adjust the shades in the bowl than it is after you’ve already colored your hair ☺️

Let’s first go over the 5 things to ask yourself before you color your hair and understanding the best AF colors for your undertone, as this is the best place to start, if you’re unsure. Now, if you aren’t familiar with the color wheel, here’s a full explanation on how to easily understand the magic of mixing! Once you’ve got an understanding of this, you’re ready to go.

Purple AF: Purple is a VERY versatile color simply because it’s a combination of warm and cool tones, made with red and blue. Just about any color or mix can include Purple AF for added depth and can also be used for color correcting, fixing brassy tones, adding to blue dye to counteract green results OR you can add a few drops to your conditioner to create your own purple shampoo! Moral of the story, if you’re a custom color addict like us or you’re just beginning your custom color journey, purple is a must-have so let’s jump right in!

For a deep cobalt hue, use a half-and-half ratio of Purple AF and Poseidon, or for a more pigmented shade use Aquamarine instead of Poseidon!

Adding in less purple will achieve this gorgeous blue, so I’d recommend starting with a base of Poseidon and adding in small amounts of Purple AF until you’ve reached your desired shade. 

However, for a more purple leaning shade, I’d recommend a base of Purple AF and slowly incorporating your Poseidon for a “blurple”! 

Now, if you didn’t know already, purples look SO good with other purples and Purple AF is the perfect shade to punch up our other purple shades. For example, here is a base of Girl’s Night + Purple AF for a vibrant indigo:

@ashley_the_fairy_color_mother

More Purple AF mixes: 

Basically, Purple AF is a necessity when it comes to mixing and can also be used to cover leftover green, red, orange, or blue tones that simply won't budge 🍇  💅

Pro Tip ✨: If you haven’t noticed it by now, when mixing, we suggest using the lighter shade as your base and adding the more pigmented shade in smaller amounts to not overpower your lighter base shade. This allows you to control the colors easily! 

Ritual: This color is a gorgeous burgundy all on its own, but today we wanted to showcase some of the awesome mixes you can create with this versatile tone! Whether you’re looking for a deep, dark red, or a soft, smoky pink, the possibilities are limitless. 

Base of Poison and added in Ritual for this hot look 🤤

Believe it or not, this mix of Sunset Orange, with a bit of Cosmic Sunshine and a drop of Ritual created this must have ginger shade 🤩

A moment for Ritual alone because she’s stunning 👏

🤤 Okay okay okay. We still have so many mixes to get to! 🏃‍♀️

How about a base of Ritual and Wrath for when you’re feeling a merlot moment? I’ll cheers to that 🍷

More Ritual Mixes: 

Note: Arctic Mist is not a dye, toner, or lightening product. This diluter will have no effect on the hair if applied by itself - it’s meant to be mixed with other colors to create custom shades.

Up next… Aquamarine! 

Aquamarine is one of our most pigmented blues with aquamarine/teal undertones. If you’re looking for an easy to mix shade, this is it! Starting strong with one of my favorite Aquamarine mixes: 
Aquamarine + Phantom Green 🌱: The jewel toned green can be achieved by combining two super pigmented shades! Starting with Phantom Green, slowly incorporate small drops at a time of Aquamarine for an unreal shade, guaranteed to turn heads.

I mean, c’mon! …

If you’re wanting more of a blue mix, we have this Poseidon + Aquamarine mix, which is a base of Poseidon and slowly incorporates Aquamarine until you get to your preferred custom shade.

For an extra deep blue, try Blue Jean Baby + Aquamarine 👇 Lots of Blue Jean Baby and small add-ins of Aquamarine. 

Maybe you want something on the lighter/softer side? PERFECT because this next mix is just that and it’s gorgeous! 

Diluted Aquamarine and Neverland (base of Neverland + drops at a time of Aquamarine + Diluted using our Arctic Mist Diluter) 

You could also try adding in a bit of Iris Green to your Aquamarine + Neverland mix (without diluter).

One of the last shades that I’d like to showcase is Sunset Orange. It may not seem like it at first, but Sunset Orange is a surprisingly versatile shade and can be used in lots of different mixes for custom colors! As you may or may not know, she is BRIGHT and on her own, this shade is a jaw dropper. However, let’s unveil some of these mixes, shall we? 😏 Buckle up, Fox Fam.. She’s coming in HOT!

Sunset Orange + small drop of Cosmic Sunshine.

Sunset Orange + 2 drops or so of Cosmic Sunshine

Sunset Orange + Purple AF for a rich red

Looking for an even spicier red? How about a base of Poison + Sunset Orange added in? 

Sunset Orange + Electric Paradise? Yes, please! This mix can be used to achieve that peachy vibe 🍑

I hope you enjoyed these simple custom mixes and we can’t wait to make more of these! 

Let us know your favorite color recipes with Sunset Orange, Ritual, Aquamarine and Purple AF in the comments!

Need more inspo pics before making a decision? Check out our Instagram for tons of inspiration! And of course, if you ever have any questions or need help mixing up the perfect custom shade, send us an email at support@arcticfoxusa.com. We’re always here to help 🫶 

 Happy coloring, Fox Fam! 🎨