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Purple is an eye-catching hair color that can make a bold fashion statement. However, pairing it with the right hair color is key to pulling off this vibrant look. So does purple go well with dark hair? The short answer is yes, purple can complement darker hair beautifully with the right tone and technique.
In this article, we’ll discuss how purple works with different shades of dark hair like black, brown, and dark red. We’ll cover blending techniques like ombre and balayage as well as all-over purple. We’ll also look at factors like skin tone and eye color and offer some styling tips to make purple and dark hair work together seamlessly.
How does purple look with black hair?
Purple is a perfect match for jet black hair. The depth of inky black hair provides the perfect contrast against vibrant purple tones, making them really stand out. This is why you’ll often see punks, goths, and other alternative style icons pairing purple with black hair.
Some popular ways to mix these colors include:
All-over Color: Dyeing all your black hair a rich purple shade creates maximum impact. Eggplant, plum, and violet all pop against solid black hair. For a softer effect, pastel purple or lilac can work too.
Highlights: Vibrant purple highlights and streaks blended throughout long, dark black hair is a trendy look. Concentrating purples on the ends or at the front around your face frames your features beautifully.
Ombre: Fading black hair into light or dark purple at the mid-lengths and ends creates a striking ombre effect. Darker purples like burgundy give a subtle contrast, while bright purple makes more of a scene.
Tips: For a temporary change, you can dip dye just the tips of your black hair purple for a fun and edgy look. After a while, the vivid color will fade back to black.
Does purple complement brown hair?
Brown hair and purple make an elegant color combination. Rich chocolates, caramels, and chestnuts provide a warm, natural base that allows purples to really pop. Like with black hair, vivid shades of purple stand out best against dark brown hair. Pastel purples can work with medium to light brown shades too.
Some ways to mix brown and purple hair include:
Balayage: With balayage, your stylist hand paints purple pieces to sweep across sections of your brown hair. This creates a soft, blended effect compared to chunky highlights. Yellow-toned browns show off light purples like lilac beautifully.
Babylights: Subtle, face-framing purple babylights around your hairline and crown warm up brown hair nicely. The thin ribbons of color blend with brown seamlessly.
Color Melt: Color melting purple and brown hair combines balayage and ombre techniques. The purple shades diffuse from mid-lengths to ends for a seamless blend.
Root Smudge: Smudging or dabbing deep purple colors along your roots and hairline results in a naturally grown out effect against brown hair.
Does purple work with dark red hair?
The bold colors of purple and dark red hair perfectly complement each other. Dark reds like burgundy, wine, and garnet create depth and dimension that allow vibrant purples like eggplant, lilac, and violet to stand out.
Here are some ways to mix purple and dark red hair:
Partial Highlights: Concentrating purple highlights on just the top or bottom half of your dark red hair allows both colors to share the spotlight. Face-framing highlights around your hairline also pop.
Underlights: Get subtle pops of purple with underlights – thin purple streaks woven through the inner layers of your dark red hair. Underlights create hidden depth without overpowering.
All-Over Color: You can go for bold impact by dyeing all of your dark red hair a vibrant purple shade. Or mix them by dyeing the top half purple and keeping the bottom red.
Lowlights: Dyeing the underneath sections of your red hair a deep purple adds striking dimension. The purple lowlights peek through creating visual depth and interest.
How do skin tone and eye color affect this look?
Your individual coloring impacts how harmoniously purple hair pairs with your dark locks. Here are some tips for getting the best look:
Skin Tone:
– Cool skin tones with pink, red, or bluish undertones are complemented by both warm and cool purple shades.
– Warm peachy or olive skin tones look best with jewel tone purples rather than pastels.
– Darker skin tones glow against rich, deep purple hues like eggplant. Avoid lighter purples that can wash out.
Eye Color:
– Warm purples like lilac and mauve flatter brown and amber eyes.
– Bright violet and purple shades intensify blue and green eyes.
– Hazel eyes suit both warm and cool purples depending on the mix of green, brown and gold.
Take your individual coloring into account when deciding on purple tone, depth, and concentration. Consulting a colorist helps get the perfect purple to complement your dark hair and complexion.
How should you style purple and dark hair?
Styling and maintenance is key to keeping purple and dark hair looking vibrant. Here are some top tips:
– Use sulfate-free shampoo to keep purple color from fading quickly from your dark hair. Keratin shampoos also help smooth and protect.
– Wash less frequently, just 2-3 times a week, to preserve your purple color. Use dry shampoo between washes.
– Rinse hair with cold water at the end of showers. Hot water opens and expands the hair cuticles, causing color to escape.
– Air dry when possible. Heat from blowdrying and hot tools accelerates fading. Let your hair dry naturally as often as you can.
– Use a color-protecting conditioner or hair mask weekly to hydrate hair and lock in purple pigment.
– Avoid chlorine and saltwater that can strip purple color quickly. Wet hair beforehand and rinse after.
– Get a gloss or touch-up every 4-6 weeks to maintain vibrant purple against your dark hair.
Fun ways to wear purple with dark hair:
Here are some trendy hairstyle ideas to show off your perfect purple and dark hair combination:
– Straight and sleek, especially with all-over color or ombre.
– Soft romantic curls and waves to show off highlights and balayage.
– Messy braids like fishtail, dutch, or waterfall braids.
– High ponytails to put purple ombre ends on display.
– Half-up, half-down styles to mix purple highlights throughout dark hair.
– Braided top knot buns to show off undertones.
– Headband braids to pull back hair and accent purple money pieces around your face.
Conclusion
In summary, vibrant purple hair color absolutely complements and livens up dark hair beautifully. The depth and dimension of black, brown, and dark red hair provides the perfect base for purple tones to really stand out. Hair coloring techniques like ombre, balayage, highlights, and all-over coloring allow you to seamlessly blend purple shades with your natural dark shade.
When choosing a purple hue, keep your skin tone and eye color in mind, as well as how bold you want the effect to be. Proper maintenance and styling helps keep the colors looking rich. With the right application and tone, purple is a fun, trendy way to diversify your dark hair color.
