Your Ultimate Guide to Purple Hair Dye

Purple covers a broad spectrum of shades. Delicate lavenders, lilacs and mauves. Bright fuchsias and orchids. Deep plums, violets and indigos. This incredible variety means there’s a perfect purple for everyone, and finding yours depends largely on your natural features and personal style.

What purple hair dye is best for my skin tone?

Skin tone plays a big role when choosing the right purple hair colour. You want a tone that complements your complexion and enhances your natural features – not one that makes your skin appear washed out.

Here’s a quick guide to what purple shades pair best with different skin tones and undertones:

• Pale skin: Soft, pastel purples tend to suit pale skin tones best, with shades like Lavender, Lilac and Wisteria giving an ethereal beauty. However, deep aubergines and plums can also work well, creating a striking contrast against fair skin.
• Medium skin: As medium skin is the most versatile, it carries vibrant, saturated tones well, including our own Violet and Deep Purple shades. Overall, rich, jewel-toned purples complement these complexions the best.
• Olive skin: With olive skin’s green/yellow undertones, warmer, red-leaning purples offer the most flattering results. Think burgundy, mauve, maroon and our Plum shade. Some ashy or grey-based purples may not complement every olive undertone, so warmer mauves, plums and berry-inspired shades are often a flattering starting point.
• Dark skin: Bold, highly saturated purples are the ideal choice here. Ultra Violet, electric purple, vivid magenta-purple tones – the contrast delivers a dramatic pop of colour. Deep plums and burgundies can also provide a rich, luxurious result.
• Warm undertones: If your skin has golden, peachy or yellowish undertones, red-based purples like plum, berry, magenta and orchid match the warmth of your complexion, while cool, blue-heavy purples tend to clash.
• Cool undertones: Conversely, those with pink, rosy or blue-based skin are the ideal audience for blue-based purples such as lavender, lilac, wisteria, and icy silver-purples like our Antique Mauve colour.

Remember that this is only a recommended guide. The broad diversity of purple hair colours means many shades show up well on multiple complexions. So feel free to experiment with different shades of purple until you find those that enhance your natural features and suit your own inimitable style.

What purple hair dye works with my natural colour?

Does your natural hair colour lean more to the light or dark side? This will also influence what shades of purple are available to you if you wish to apply it directly to your untouched base.

If your hair is on the darker end of the colour spectrum (Level 1-3), we highly recommend using a hair lightening kit before dyeing your hair purple, especially if you’re interested in applying a lighter or fluorescent tone.

However, some darker, deeper shades of purple can still show up on dark brown hair, or at least leave a subtle, sleek tint.

Dyeing blonde hair purple

A pale blonde base (Level 9-10) is the perfect canvas for every shade of purple hair colour. As it’s already light, purple shades can show up true to tone with little to no lightening. This allows you to make the most of tones like:

• Pastel purple hair
• Lavender hair
• Lilac hair
• Silvery-purple hair
• Wisteria hair
• Mauve hair

Be aware that because purple and yellow are at opposite ends of the colour wheel, a yellow or brassy blonde can skew purple into a muddy or grey colour. A toned, cool blonde base gives the cleanest result.

Dyeing brown hair purple

How dark your brown hair is will determine what shades of purple you can apply effectively without pre-lightening. If you have light brown hair, vivid purple tones can work, including:

• Bright violet hair
• Fuchsia hair
• Magenta hair
• Orchid hair
• True purple hair

These shades tend to blend more seamlessly with the warm undertones in light brown hair. For darker brown bases, only the deepest shades of purple will show up strongly, such as:

• Dark violet hair
• Burgundy hair
• Plum hair

Dyeing black hair purple

If you choose to dye your naturally black hair purple without any pre-lightening, even the darkest shades will likely appear as a subtle tint or shimmer of purple, rather than a complete colour transformation. For more all-over, true-to-tone results, we highly suggest using a hair lightening kit before dyeing.

However, if you prefer a black hair colour with purple undertones, you may be interested in trying our Black Amethyst shade – part of our Rich Naturals range.

Now you’ve had a chance to consider what shade of purple is perfect for your skin tone, style and natural hair colour, here we’ll run down our step-by-step instructions for dyeing hair purple at home:

1. Before fully dyeing your hair, perform a strand test and a skin patch test. This allows you to preview how your chosen colour will look and check for allergic reactions.
2. If you have a naturally darker base, consider pre-lightening your hair to achieve a more true-to-tone result (especially for softer, more delicate purple tones).
3. Wash your hair with our Pre-Colour Shampoo to remove residue and give your hair the best foundation to absorb your chosen purple.
4. Prepare your application area – apply Vaseline, baby oil or petroleum jelly around your hairline and ears, put on protective gloves, and cover your clothes in dark towels or a salon cape.
5. Transfer your purple hair colour from its pot to a mixing bowl, as this gives you more control during application.
6. Divide your hair into sections using clips, then work your colour in from root to tip using a tint brush for complete, even coverage throughout.
7. When fully covered, wait 15-30 minutes for your colour to develop, or the time based on your strand test.
8. Rinse your hair away from your eyes with cool or lukewarm water, continuing until the water runs clear.
9. Gently towel-dry, style and enjoy your freshly coloured purple hair!

How do I lighten purple hair dye?

For very pale, pastel purple hair – even paler than our Lavender, Lilac or Wisteria shades – we recommend mixing your chosen colour with one of our hair toners or conditioners.

All Directions semi-permanent hair colours are fully mixable, giving you the freedom to lighten our purples to create completely custom shades. Our Antique Mauve colour is particularly effective for lightening purple hair colours due to its purple base.

How do I get purple hair dye off skin?

If any purple dye transfers onto your skin while colouring, wipe it away quickly using a soft cloth or cotton pad dampened in warm water. The faster you act, the less chance the pigment has to settle into your skin.

For more stubborn purple stains, try using micellar water, a gentle facial cleanser or a cleansing oil to break down the colour. Gently massage it in small circular movements, then rinse with warm water.

How do I get purple hair dye out of clothes or carpet?

Should purple hair dye get onto your clothes, first rinse it under cold running water, working from the back to lift it from the fabric. Then apply a liquid detergent or stain remover to the area, wait a few minutes for it to settle, then put your clothes in the wash.

For stains on carpets, upholstery or other soft furnishings, gently blot the affected area with a clean cloth, then dab it with a mix of warm water and either a mild detergent or diluted white vinegar. Avoid rubbing the area too firmly, as this can cause the stain to spread further.

You want your purple hair colour to stay perfect for as long as possible. By its very nature, semi-permanent purple hair dye won’t last forever – but there are things you can do to keep your purple vivid and vibrant for longer:

• Wash your hair with Pre-Colour Shampoo before application, as this gives hair the best pH balance to absorb purple colour
• Wash your hair no more than 2-3 times per week – limiting your number of washes helps preserve your purple tones
• Use cool or lukewarm water when washing – this can help reduce colour bleeding and minimise pigment loss compared with very hot water.
• Switch to a Colour-Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner, which are specially formulated to maintain colour vibrancy while ensuring soft, shiny hair
• Minimise heat styling, as regular application of intense heat causes purple pigments to fade sooner
• Protect your hair from the elements – frequent exposure to intense sunlight, chlorine in swimming pools or seawater affects your colour’s longevity and vibrancy

How long does purple hair dye last?

Directions purple hair colours do not have a specific longevity on the hair, as this depends on several factors:

• Lighter, paler shades of purple such as lavender or lilac fade faster than deeper, more lustrous purples like violet and plum
• The thickness of your hair will impact how effectively it can absorb your chosen purple colour

Following our suggestions in the previous section, such as washing less frequently with cool or lukewarm water, maximises the longevity of your purple hair colour, no matter how soft or delicate it is. Plus, we encourage our customers to top up their colour once it fades, so your look stays fresh and fierce.

Does purple hair dye damage hair?

Not when you choose Directions. Directions semi-permanent hair colours are formulated with conditioning ingredients to help leave hair feeling soft and looking vibrant after colouring.

Avoid permanent purple hair dyes if you value the health and softness of your hair. As these typically contain harsh chemicals like ammonia, peroxide or PPDs to achieve a permanent colour, they tend to make hair more brittle and susceptible to damage.

One of the biggest advantages of Directions is that our colours are fully mixable. This allows you to blend our purple shades together or with others in our Vivids and Rich Naturals ranges for your own custom colours.

While we encourage you to experiment to your heart’s content, here are some colours that blend the best with our purple tones:

• Purple & blue hair dye: Blue cools and deepens purple hues, creating indigo, blue-violet and “galaxy” tones. For icy, moody or twilight shades, blue is purple’s perfect companion.
• Purple & red hair dye: On the other hand, red warms up purple towards a burgundy, berry or wine-like flavour. This turns a cool, synthetic purple into a richer, jewel-toned result.
• Purple & pink hair dye: A combination that blends beautifully, purple and pink come together to create magentas, orchids, fuchsias and more. A popular mix for flattering, playful tones.
• Purple & grey/silver hair dye: Grey or silver hues add “smokiness” and shine to purple, for moodier, editorial shades such as dusty lavender, smoky mauve and ash-purple.
• Purple & black hair dye: Black deepens purple into vampy aubergine, blackberry and dark plum. However, use sparingly – black can quickly dominate purple, so a little goes a long way.

We suggest you avoid mixing purple with yellow, orange or green hair dye. As these sit roughly opposite purple on the colour wheel, they tend to neutralise purple when blended, producing muddy brown or grey tones.

When mixing colours at home, remember:

• Use a mixing bowl and tint brushes to combine colours
• Measure your ratios carefully to get the best outcome
• Perform a strand test to try out your custom shade
• Mix a maximum of 2-3 colours at once

What hair colours go well with purple hair dye?

Purple is a popular option for multicolour, split-dye effects because it effortlessly complements a wide range of other shades. Whether you’re looking for a subtle dimension or a striking contrast, here are our favourite purple pairs:

• Purple & turquoise hair dye: Arguably the most iconic pairing, the blue-green of turquoise or teal sits near-opposite purple, giving a vivid, high-contrast "mermaid" or peacock effect that's bold without being jarring.
• Purple & green hair dye: Similarly, an emerald green delivers a jewel-toned, luxe contrast against purple, while a lime or neon green is a prevalent alt/punk pairing.
• Purple & pink hair dye: As they're neighbours on the colour wheel, purple and pink hair colours are the choice for cohesion over contrast.
• Purple & blue hair dye: Another neighbouring tone, blue and purple blend almost seamlessly for cool-toned, oceanic or space-like finishes.
• Purple & orange hair dye: A fiery, high-energy contrast, orange’s place at the opposite end of the colour wheel helps provide a very autumnal or sunset effect when paired with purple.
• Purple & yellow hair dye: One of the loudest and most playful options, yellow is purple’s true complementary colour, so this is often a match made in heaven.
• Purple & black hair dye: A sharp, dramatic and gothic contrast, purple appears even more saturated and spectacular next to a rich, darker tone.

What happens if you put purple hair dye over red?

There is no hard-and-fast answer, but you almost certainly won’t get a true purple. Instead, you’ll get some flavour of red-violet as the red pigment will mix with the purple introduced.

A deep, saturated violet or plum dye has enough pigment to combine with the red into a rich burgundy or magenta-purple. However, a light or pastel lavender will lose the fight to the pre-existing red; at most, it may be slightly muted or have a faint cool cast.

Is it the end of your purple reign? If you want to speed up your transition to another colour, here are some tips to get purple hair dye out of your hair faster:

• Wash your hair more often with warm water, as this opens your hair cuticles so the dye can escape quicker
• Use a deep conditioner while washing – leave this on for 10-20 minutes before rinsing, and this can noticeably fade your colour
• Consult a professional colourist, who will offer tailored advice on removing your purple hair colour

Please avoid using bleach or colour strippers at home unless advised by a professional – these can dry out your hair and lead to uneven results when the purple lifts.