Recommendations for pastel hair dyes

April 25, 2018 10:01 AM

So, what are your favorite pastel hair dyes? I’ve tried - and love - Joico, but haven’t read great things about their pastels. And the color intensities don’t last particularly well, same with Arctic Fox. Once I cut them down enough to make pastels, they’re gone in a few days. Even cut down, both Arctic Fox and Joico are still pretty bright.

I bleach my hair with no problem - it’s a pixie, so damage is minimal.

Ideally, I’d love very to shoot for this super pretty soft pink. So if you have ideas for that, even better.

I’d like to avoid cotton candy pink, but I don’t mind mixing colors, if some candy floss pink lasts well.

I do my own hair, mostly because I like to. And I’m not very scared of whatever the outcome is. And I get bored. I don’t even mind doing it once a week, which I’m doing now with color+conditioner. But I’d love to know if I’m missing something great.

So, that pink is the dream, especially if I can find something that will allow the same shade but different colors.

Thanks.

posted by crankyrogalsky to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

Honestly: you're going to find this washout with all pastel hairdyes. They're "pastel" because the dye makers have added a conditioning agent. Because the dye strength is diluted, you lose a few washes in the process.

I've tried a lot of different vegetable-based dyes and my consistent favorite is punky colours, but I don't think you'll get an appreciably different outcome between how long it lasts and the dyes you've been trying. Might get you some new shades, though.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:04 AM on April 25, 2018

It looks like the colour in the photo has something added to "dull" it a bit as well as a dilution. I think this might be something to explore to avoid cotton candy hair. Maybe a touch of silver or even a very neutral light brown? I'd also expect to tone with mixed conditioner/colour every single wash with pastel over bleach from what I've seen.

My partner's hair is pale lavender, but their hairdresser dyes it to a grey-mid purple and lets it slowly fade to the "right" colour.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 10:15 AM on April 25, 2018

I go for vivid colors, not pastels, but I've had a really good experience with the longevity of Pulp Riot (pro color but it seems like you can buy it on Amazon). Worth checking out at least. My hairdresser previously used Arctic Fox before switching to Pulp Riot and found that the latter faded more evenly.
posted by serelliya at 10:20 AM on April 25, 2018

I did pastel pink for a while and I think the professional formulas for pastels have really improved in the past few years. They are not diluted down bright pink, they were always intending to be lighter. They do fade a bit, particularly if you wash with hot water, but my stylist seemed impressed with how much I still had left when I came back in. You might consider asking a pro who may have a wider range of color options to play with than a civilian.
posted by chatongriffes at 10:27 AM on April 25, 2018

Ion colors last a lot longer than the many other brands we've tried. Keep the dye in your hair twice for as long as the instructions call for and apply moderate heat if you can to help the color penetrate.
posted by OnefortheLast at 10:28 AM on April 25, 2018

I have some beet juice; it hadn't occurred to me to use it for hair color. hmmm.
posted by theora55 at 10:29 AM on April 25, 2018

Previously I was using Overtone, however it's a bit expensive. Now I am using Pravana Vivids, mixed with a lot of conditioner. It depends on your hair type and color how much it lasts. I usually make it a bit brighter than I want initially and let it fade.
posted by photoexplorer at 10:54 AM on April 25, 2018

I have been hearing great things about Overtone but haven't tried it yet.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:55 AM on April 25, 2018

Viral by Celeb color shampoo is fantastic. Their pastels are true pastels. I use their lavender and extreme hot pink on my hair.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:07 AM on April 25, 2018

I follow Pulp Riot on Insta, and literally checked amazon a month ago. But now soft blush pink is available! That seems close.

Should I try brown or silver to get the smokey quality?
posted by crankyrogalsky at 11:12 AM on April 25, 2018

Overtone is incredible and the only way I keep my hair pastel.
posted by I'm Not Even Supposed To Be Here Today! at 12:07 PM on April 25, 2018

FWIW, I'm am pretty sure the pic has a filter on it making the color look more neutral.

I would try mixing blush pink with a bit of light ash brown. . . but do a test strip first! If you are super committed to that exact shade, it might be worth it to buy a weft of blonde human hair and do your dye experiments in sections on that until you get what you're looking for. Write down your mix proportions so you can remember it when you need to re-dye.
posted by ananci at 12:37 PM on April 25, 2018

This week I tried the Overtone deep conditioner in rose silver formula (half pastel red, half pastel silver) on pre-lightened hair and it faded in one day. I’ve had better luck with the vibrant and extreme intensity colors from Overtone. I also bought the rose gold so I’m going to try that next.
posted by matildaben at 5:37 PM on April 25, 2018

Just to be clear, I get my hair bleached and dyed and I maintain with Overtone. Were I in my younger doing it myself days - I might just mix punky colors into a cream conditioner after the first application.
posted by I'm Not Even Supposed To Be Here Today! at 8:24 PM on April 25, 2018

Nthing Overtone and they had a killer Black Friday coupon if you can hang in that long. They also have a good subscribe discount.
posted by getawaysticks at 4:40 PM on April 26, 2018