AF Blog — Phantom Green

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.

Fox Fam, ask and you shall receive! You wanted to know how and IF you can color your hair without bleaching and I’m here to set the record straight 🌟 😘

I'm going to be covering ALL the bases (literally), as we dive into getting the shade you want… Without bleaching, of course! If you’re just giving your hair a break from bleaching or newly entering into the world of color and you want to start somewhere simple, this is the place for you. Let’s jump right in 🤸‍♀️

First, let’s talk about our bases! 👩‍🦳

Light Brown - Dark Blonde

Generally, you can get a SUPER gorgeous light coverage or tint at this level using our more pigmented colors. Here is where you’ll find a list of our most pigmented shades 😉 our swatches show examples of how each color may turn out depending on your level!

Brown

With brown hair, it’s best to use warm and rich colors like Purple AF or Wrath!  Since these shades are deeper and contain a highly pigmented formula, the dye has the ability to really settle on the hair and ever so slightly within the hair cuticles. This will help to achieve a gorgeous tint! With semi permanent color you won’t have to worry about any dye damaging your hair's natural color. Even though the shade settles, it will wash out over time. Need color removal tips? Here’s some helpful information on how to fade your color.

Black/Deep Black

Black hair is typically too dark for any color payout, but this is common across the board. In order to achieve any vivid color, you’ll want to consider pre-lightening. Our Bleach, Please Lightening Kit has all that you need to easily bleach your hair at home! 

Gray

Since unbleached and/or gray hair can vary in how well it takes color, it’s not easy to say EXACTLY how the color will turn out but in general, if you stick with darker and more highly pigmented colors you should get at least a tint of color to gray hair!  Typically, gray’s are more coarse than your natural hair and gray hair follicles create less oil, this makes the hair more dry and harder for color to penetrate but we have SO many gray haired Foxes who look GORGEOUS in pinks, purples and blues. Fresh gray roots are also non-porous which can make it resistant to color, so you may have to leave the color on longer and add heat to open the hair’s cuticle.

Dark Gray

When I think Dark Grey, I think salt & pepper hair. If your hair is more of a dark gray, the color might turn out a few shades darker and more subtle than it would look on lighter shades of gray (as seen above), and unbleached hair does tend to lose color faster as well, so just a heads up! You can usually achieve a light ‘stain’ on salt & pepper roots! 

✨ AF Pro Tip ✨ Our dyes are conditioning and made with no harsh chemicals that are known to damage your hair, so leaving it on longer is completely okay! 

PAUSE… I have to get something off my chest. I cannot stress enough how important it is to perform a strand test. As everyone's hair is different, results can always vary! 💗 Strand tests are the best way to know for certain.

Okay okay, PROCEED ✌️🤪 Now that we have an idea of what we’re going for, we can get to the colors! We have lots to pick from 🎨

Sunset Orange

@blakejael

Aquamarine

Ritual

  @sarah_carollyn

Wrath

@queenbcyn

Virgin Pink

Here is a video of us applying Virgin Pink on multiple bases for you to see! 

Phantom Green

  @makeup.by.veny

Poison 

Purple AF 

@makeupbyaad

Ginger Flare

Here is a video of us applying Ginger Flare on multiple bases for you to see! 

Did you select your next color yet? I know it may seem impossible to choose when they all look THIS good but the best part of semi permanent colors like ours, is that you can change up the color often without risking your hair's health. Fun, isn’t it?! 💖😍

Now that you’ve got your color picked out, let’s walk through some tips that you can add into your application process to ensure that you get the most out of your color: 

• Apply the dye to freshly washed and dried hair (shampoo ONLY. No conditioner) ✨AF Pro Tip✨  It's best to shampoo 12 - 24 hours before coloring!

• Leave the color on longer if you’d like. Our dye contains no harmful chemicals, so essentially you’re using a conditioner 💧

• You can also feel free to add heat to the process (about 10 min) to keep the cuticle open while processing. This will help the color really settle 🌈

• After you color and it’s time to rinse, be sure to rinse your hair in cold water (as cool as you can handle it but you may need a detachable shower head) until the water runs clear 

• If you haven’t before, feel free to use a color sealant to lock in the shade

Post Care: 

• Try to avoid washing your hair too often. Dry shampoo in between washes will save you 😜

Not sure what a color might look like on your hair? Check out our Fox Fam Facebook Group which is a great place to request pics from other members of the Fox Fam so you can see some results first-hand!

Let us know what you want to see 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! 🦊  

@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! 🦊