Every time we scroll through Instagram, someone else is dyeing their hair a vibrant hue. Kylie Jenner went blue [1], Lady Gaga decided on pink [2], and Zosia Mamet is looking pretty good in gray [3]. This trend is not just reserved for celebrities, though. We spotted street style stars rocking bright hair shades during Fashion Week [4], and all our friends are doing it [5], too. We think it's safe to say the rainbow hair trend [6] is going to be around for a few more seasons.
If you're thinking about dyeing your hair, you can always use hair chalk or temporary sprays to get a bold color for the weekend. We're firm believers in the mantra "go big or go home," so we enlisted the help of Lucille Javier at Sally Hershberger Salon [7] to give us a more permanent option. With Javier's help, we took model Aemilia Madden from classic blond to cotton-candy colored. The watercolor effect mixes tones of blue and purple and causes an instant happy feeling. Over the course of four hours, she was bleached, glossed, and dyed this gorgeous amethyst color. The shade lasts about six weeks (depending on how often you wash) and slowly fades.
"Surprisingly my style feels less inhibited," said Madden. "Since nothing will match my hair anyways, I can wear whatever and be more playful with my style." Thinking of a colorful transition? We've broken down the step-by-step process along with Javier's tips, from the questions you need to ask before your colorist breaks out the bleach to product suggestions for your new haute hue.
Before You Color: Research Your Stylist
This is one instance where it's totally acceptable to Internet stalk before your first date. Visit the salon website to read your colorist's biography, which should highlight his/her specialties and training history. Instagram is a good resource to see previous clients your colorist has done.
Before You Color: Request a Consultation
Don't make a drastic hair color change without meeting your stylist at least once beforehand. During the consultation, you can show your Pinterest board full of hair color inspiration. "[Bring] images of what you possibly want and images of something you really don't want," Javier recommended. Take this time to "interview" your colorist. Ask tough questions like: What technique are you best at? What is your favorite style to do? What is your weakness? Asking the right questions can help you avoid a hair color disaster.
Before You Color: Be Honest About Your Hair History
During the consultation, your stylist should ask questions, too. It's important that you're 100 percent honest. Have you colored your hair at home using a box treatment? What products do you use currently? What is your styling routine? How often do you want to visit the salon for touch-ups? All of these factors can affect how your hair will react to the bleach. Based on your responses, your colorist might make a different plan of action when it comes to creating your custom color.
Before You Color: Come in With Dirty Hair
Your natural oils help protect your scalp and strands against the bleach. So, it's best to come into the salon with second-day (or even third-day) hair. But you don't want to add any extra product to achieve the greasy effect.
Step 1: Bleach
Javier decided on a balayage, hair-painting technique to give the blond model natural highlights. "It's more natural on the root and white blond on the ends, but the color will be throughout," she said. "It will be a little bit more of an ombré effect." This technique looks subtler as the regrowth comes in. It also gives the purple hair color a more vibrant tone at the ends and a deeper shade near the roots.
Step 2: Wait
In a hair-painting technique, the colorist uses cellophane instead of foil. "Cellophane contains the bleach and prevents it from oxidizing and drying out."
Step 3: Rinse
Once the hair color has lifted, you'll get a good shampoo and conditioning treatment. Some sections might have to be rinsed before others in order to keep the bleaching consistent throughout.
Step 4: Gloss
"Semipermanent gloss is like a watercolor before you apply pure-pigment dyes, and the color lasts longer," Javier explained.
Step 5: The Color
To get this vibrant purple shade, Javier used a custom blend of blue and purple pure-pigment shades from Manic Panic.
Maintenance Tips
Over the course of about six weeks, the bright hair color will begin to fade, but there are a few things you can do to keep it as vibrant as possible. The less you wash your hair, the more vibrant your color will stay. When you do wash, make sure to use a product line that is color safe like Shu Uemura Color Lustre Shampoo [8] ($48) and Conditioner [9] ($58). If you really must wet your hair every day, try using a co-wash instead of shampoo like Purely Perfect Foundation Creme [10] ($40).
Don't forget to check out our rose gold hair color tutorial for brunettes [11], too.