The most romantic fashion hair color, pink hair is something everyone might think of trying at least once in their lives. But what about taking the DIY route? Today, we will examine the best advice for dyeing your hair pink at home, including finding the best pigment for your skin tone and maintaining your dye job. We will delve into the best makeup and fashion tips to ensure you are flattering your pink hair consistently and elegantly.
In this article:
- How to Find the Right Pink Hair Color for Your Skin Tone
- How to Dye Your Hair Pink
- How to Maintain Pink Hair Color
- Makeup Tips for Pink Hair
- Fashion Tips for Pink Hair
How to Find the Right Pink Hair Color for Your Skin Tone
The one truism that bears repeating when it comes to hair dye? Skin tone is everything. Different hair colors flatter different skin colors – ignore this at your own peril, ladies!
Pink is a complex shade. It encompasses warm, cool, and deep shades. On the softer end of the spectrum are blush and baby pink. On the bold end are magenta and neon cotton candy pink. Deeper shades include mauve, deep rose, and violet-esque bordeaux.
Check Your Undertone
Undertones come in two general families: cool and warm. Understanding your undertone is the first step to discerning what shade of pink hair will flatter your skin most. The best pink hair pigment plays up your skin’s natural undertone.
If you have a warmer undertone with a yellow-ish tint to it, then a shade of deeper pink with flecks of yellow and orange in it will be most appealing. If you have cool pink-blue undertones, then a blush pink or violet /blue-based pink will enhance your complexion rather than rendering it pasty or flat.
Pink Hair Dye for Fair Skin
Women with fair skin might have trepidations about pink hair. Will it clash with their paler skin? Will it wash them out? The key is in the color, and fair-skinned women have some exciting options.
For a bolder look that will stand out in a complementary way, a bright pink hair dye with red undertones can be immensely flattering. It can liven up lighter hair and warm up the skin tone.
For an understated, ethereal take on pink hair colors, a blush pink is a suitable option. The best blush pinks involve a melt of white blonde and soft pink.
A barely-there pink is elegant and feminine. It is dreamy yet down to earth. A few balayaged pink sections can also be an appealing way of working pink into your hair routine in a slow and steady manner. Balayage pink looks alluring with a medium brown color and feminine with a light blonde base.
Women with fair skin and lighter hair should veer away from neon pink or magenta. These pigments can negatively play up the cool pink undertones in the skin and contribute to a pasty, unrefreshed complexion.
Pink Hair Dye for Olive & Medium Skin
Olive-skinned women, particularly those with darker hair, have the pick of pink hair dyes. These lucky women can experiment with any pink on the spectrum.
A ballerina pink will highlight a tan and create a compelling contrast. Shades of magenta and fuchsia will look fiery and lively. Subdued, warm shades of mauve, peach, and apricot gold will warm up the skin and create an elegantly breezy silhouette.
Women with olive skin look particularly radiant with flamingo and cupcake shades that encompass both warm and cool undertones of pink. These shades, particularly when color-melted with pastel blush highlights, are complex and dimensional and play up the warmth of olive and medium skin tones.
Pink Hair Dye for Darker Skin
Women with darker skin tones and darker hair rock pink hair best when it is bold and vibrant. Fuchsia, neon pinks, and magentas are filled with exuberance and the kinds of warm undertones that suit darker skin tones. They bring the complexion to life and they contrast provocatively against a darker root.
While Nicki Minaj certainly pulled off the bubblegum pink hair look, we would generally caution women with darker skin tones to be careful when going for a blush pink. The contrast can be overtly striking and can require more maintenance than a brighter, radiant color would.
If you want to go for the Barbie girl contrast, just be warned that you will need to be extra attentive with your makeup choices and wardrobe. The goal is to create a compelling contrast – not a garish one.
When it comes to women with dark brown or black hair, it is vital to have reasonable expectations. You don’t want to bleach your hair into oblivion trying to achieve a super-pastel shade of pink.
It is important to speak with your stylist to get a sense of what pink hair shades are reasonable and realistic to achieve. This might involve abandoning your dreams of cotton candy pink in favor of a warmer violet-pink or mauve shade.
How to Dye Your Hair Pink
Once you have picked the right shade of pink for your skin tone, follow these steps to dye your hair pink, if you want to DIY.
Step 1: Prep Your Hair
First things first, no bleach or dye job should be performed on weak, brittle, or dehydrated hair. The stronger the base, the better the results. This is a non-negotiable. No women should rush into a bold pink hair dye look on a whim.
We suggest preparing your hair with deep moisturizing treatments and hot oil masks in the weeks leading up to your first hair dye or bleaching appointment. Some stylists recommend a month of weekly deep conditioning treatments prior to a bleach session.
A trim can remove brittle dead-ends. Incorporate a clarifying and moisturizing shampoo into your routine to remove excess dirt build-up and to promote supple locks.
Before your first bleaching appointment we suggest avoiding washing your hair for two to three days prior. This allows the natural oils of the hair to accumulate on the roots and strands. These oils provide a shield of defense against the bleach and ensure less shock to the scalp.
Step 2: Bleaching 101
Let’s be real. Pink hair can’t be conjured up all on its own out of a boxed dye. Where there’s pink hair, there is bleach.
Women with lighter hair may only need one session but darker hair generally needs a few bleaching sessions to achieve the desired base. We caution against bleaching your hair at home unless you have light blonde hair naturally.
The TLC of a trained stylist will always produce better results and limit damage to your hair and scalp. Salons also use Olaplex, a product that reduces the destruction wrought by bleach and which provides measurable and tangible results.
When it comes to bleach, the higher the level of developer, the rapider the results and the more potent the damage. If you have light hair, a volume 10-20 developer will suffice. For medium brown hair, a volume 30 developer will be most effective. Avoid using a developer over 40, as this aggressive volume will more rapidly damage your hair follicles and strands.
We suggest conducting a strand test before diving off the bleach deep end. A strand test in a non-conspicuous region of your hair will provide you with an idea of how your hair reacts to bleach.
If you have darker hair, you will need more than one bleaching session. If your hair is in optimal and healthy condition, you can undertake the second bleaching session within the next few days. For finer hair that is more susceptible to breakage, we suggest waiting at least a week for the next session.
Step 3: At-Home Bleaching
Caution: we only advise this avenue for women with blonde or light brown hair. Women with dark brown or black hair should always get their hair professionally bleached to avoid damaged and fried hair.
If you are bleaching your hair at home, begin the process with dry, unwashed hair. Start with your strands and work your way up to the mid-length of your hair. It will be most convenient for you to divide your hair into four to six sections of 1-1 ½-inch strands.
Use a clip to pull back the sections you are not working on. It is essential that you bleach your roots last. The heat from your scalp will process and develop the bleach faster. Therefore, the bleach will need to remain on your scalp for less time than the rest of your hair.
Wash your hair after the stated time. Even if you don’t see the desired change, it is vital that you wash the bleach off. Never leave bleach on longer than the stated time.
Shampoo thoroughly with a moisturizing product. Be attentive to signs of damage like severe scalp itching and breakage. This is an indication that you should wait at least a week before bleaching your hair again.
Step 4: Toning the Hair
Hair toner is not mandatory in all circumstances but it is highly advisable for women attempting to achieve certain shades of pink. Most hair turns yellow-orange when bleached.
This is all well and good if you are dyeing your hair a warmer shade of pink such as peach, apricot, or salmon. Be aware that the color will turn out deeper and warmer than it looks on the box or on the color samples without the use of toner.
For cooler shades of blush, silver-pink, or ice-pink, a toner is absolutely invaluable. The role of a toner is to whiten the hair after the bleaching stage has been completed.
After toning, most hair colors will veer either on the side of silver or the side of white. Hair that is rendered orange after bleaching will turn more silver, while yellow hair will come out more white in tone.
A toning shampoo is a wonderful tool in creating the perfect base for your desired pink hair shade. If your hair has turned more orange from the bleach, use a purple-based toning shampoo. If your hair has turned more yellow, then use a blue-based toning shampoo.
Leave the toning shampoo on your strands for 5-10 minutes. Allow it to fully saturate your strands and soak in. Wash the toning shampoo out with cool water.
Step 5: At-Home Pink Hair Dyeing
To dye your hair pink at home, ensure you have given your strands a few days rest after the bleaching and toning treatments. Begin with dry, unwashed hair. Shampoo and conditioner can create a coating around the hair strands and will make it harder for the pink hair dye to adhere to the strands.
- Should the instructions dictate, mix the pink hair dye with a white-colored conditioner. Mix the two products together in a non-metal bow. Keep adding in dye until the color is your desired shade.
- To create an at-home color-melted look, you can incorporate different shades of pink into your hair. Prepare the different shades in different bowls, each mixed in with white-conditioner should it be called for.
- Painting the different shades into your hair can result in a beautifully blended balayage ‘do. Just be wary of what pink hair colors you are placing where so you don’t end up with a stripey, patchy color job.
- Try to place the lighter pinks on the lighter sections of your hair and the darker shades on the darker regions of your hair. This will create a more intuitive result. Worst case, a stylist can help melt the colors together more effectively if you don’t nail it the first time on your own.
- Divide your hair into sections. Generally four to six sections will suffice depending on hair thickness.
- Use a tinting brush to apply the pink hair dye. Leave the color on for the recommended time (never longer) and seal it with a shower cap for cleaner results.
- Wash the color off with cool water and follow with a color-protecting conditioner. Avoid using shampoo for at least three days post-dye to seal in the color.
- A leave-in vinegar treatment can be an effective and natural way of sealing in your pink hair color. Just run vinegar through your hair for 3 minutes and rinse out with cool water. Mask the scent with a scented spray or leave-in product.
- You can also opt for a more sophisticated gloss product. Apply right after conditioning your hair and leave in for ten minutes. This will result in high-octane shine and dimension.
Pink Hair Dye Tips To Consider
- Regular touch-ups are part and parcel of the pink hair look. While we love a shadowed, charcoal root, you must ensure that your pink hair is being regularly cared for to ensure maximum brilliance and radiance.
- For the darkest brown and black hair colors, we suggest being patient as you move through the bleaching journey. If you are wary of bleaching your roots, you can still achieve a super-desirable ombre or balayage pink dye job.
- A DIY job can certainly produce good results but we caution against this approach unless you already have bleached or very light hair. If so, you can certainly pick up a pink dye and overlay that onto your strands. For women with medium to dark hair, it is always advisable to get your hair bleached and colored at the salon. When it comes to making a dramatic change, a trip to the stylist will render more appealing results.
- If you are dyeing your hair pink at home, ensure you are protecting your skin with petroleum jelly. This will remove the dye that bleeds onto the forehead and temples.
- Visit a salon with stylists who specialize in creative colors. These stylists will have more expertise and experience. The result will be a healthy and longer-lasting bold pink hair color look.
- Identify whether your hair is damaged or simply dry. Many women use products for damaged hair when their strands are merely dehydrated. These damage-focused products deliver proteins to the strands and in the case of dry hair, these additional proteins are unnecessary. They have a counterintuitive effect and when protein is over-deposited, the hair becomes more prone to breakage. The best way to identify whether your hair is dry or damaged? Visit a salon or your colorist for a consultation.
- Embrace your faded-out pink hair. It is impossible to hold onto one color forever when it comes to pastel hair colors. The first week honeymoon stage will eventually fade into a more muted, and less vibrant tone. This doesn’t have to be a quandary if you take the changes in stride and accept the evolution as one more exciting dimension of the world of pink hair color.
How to Maintain Pink Hair Color
Getting pink hair is the first step to a shining look – you should learn how to maintain the color to keep it looking bright and well-cared-for!
Invest in Color Treatment Products
Two words sum up specially formulated color-treated products: they work. After you have dyed your hair pink, you will want to avoid clarifying shampoos, as they will strip the delicate color and leave it dull and muted.
A color-treated shampoo and conditioner will seal in the pigment and ensure longer-lasting vibrancy. Color-treated products are formulated without sulfates, which strip the hair of color.
Mix Dye Into Your Conditioner
For longer-lasting pink hair color, you can mix in some remaining pink hair dye with your conditioner to give it a renewed boost of color on a regular, weekly basis. We suggest mixing the dye in with your conditioner and storing it in a tupperware container or a sealed pot.
Massage into your scalp and use a fine tooth brush to coat your strands. Let it sit in your hair for ten minutes before washing it off. This trick will increase the longevity of your pink hair color.
Limit Shampoo Sessions
Dry shampoo will be your new best pal. Even color-safe products will wear down the color of your pink hair dye over time. We suggest limiting your shampoo sessions to twice weekly.
For women with greasy or oily hair, a dry shampoo will mask the oil and provide your hair with some volume and a pretty scent to boot. While some women are resistant to this, especially those who shampoo every day, it is an essential and simple step that will increase the shelf life of your pink hair dye.
A texturizing spray can help further boost volume and will create a more refreshed appearance.
A simple but effective tip is to wash your hair with cold to lukewarm water when you do shampoo your hair. Hot water opens the hair cuticle, which allows the color to seep out and dull. Cold water doesn’t strip the hair of the oils that keep it moisturized and supple.
Be Cautious with Heat Products
Be wary of heat products. Save the blow dryer for the weekends or braid your hair in lieu of a curler for a wavy look.
If you can’t live without your heat products, ensure you have an arsenal of heat protectant products to seal your hair from the damaging effects of high heat. Use your hair tools on a lower heat setting to prevent excessive damage.
Moisture Treatments Are Gold
Gorgeous as your new pink hair is, it can come at a cost if you neglect it post-dye. One of the most oft-overlooked steps in the pink hair maintenance routine is commiting to a regular deep moisturizing treatment. This can include a once-a-fortnight salon deep conditioning treatment or a weekly at home oil treatment.
Bleach is a common culprit of brittle and dehydrated hair, and mitigating these effects is crucial to achieving luscious and touchable hair. There are many color-treated specific hair masks on the market, available at both salons and drugstores.
Apply the mask to damp hair and seal with a shower cap. Most masks require you to let them sit for 5-20 minutes.
Regular Touch-Ups
Touch up your roots every three to four weeks. This can include light bleaching for women with darker natural hair but can also entail a simple re-dye with a pink hair dye/ conditioner blend.
Apply onto the natural, darker roots for a balayage, ombre effect. If your brighter pink hair fades into more of a pastel pink, and you like it, don’t hesitate to limit your touch-up sessions.
Some women love the faded, muted pink hair color that develops over time. If you like the charcoal root look, then you are also welcome to limit re-dyeing sessions.
Makeup Tips for Pink Hair
A pink hair color necessitates a new makeup kit, replete with new pigments and shades. Just as pink can clash with certain undertones, it can also contrast unappealingly with certain colors.
Another quirk of dyed hair is that it can change the appearance of colors you already use. A nude pink might look understated with your medium brown hair but its pink undertones may become more pronounced when paired with a pink mane.
While trial and error is an inevitable part of the process, we want to help you minimize the time spent laboring over new shades at Sephora so you have more time feeling gorgeous!
Makeup for Cool Toned Pink Hair
If your hair is a cool toned pink like blush or pastel, then you want to complement this shade with cooler makeup shades. Cool toned pink lipsticks include bright Barbie pink, blue-based reds, and soft pinks.
Some women find that a light pink color is accentuated by their pink hair and becomes kind of tacky-looking. If you prefer understated makeup, you can swap your nude pink lipstick for a beige or taupe based one for a more subtle and polished look.
For the eyes, smokey liners, black kohl, and pink-based shadows are most flattering. A lighter blush and a more luminescent shimmering bronzer will be more flattering than a golden, brown-based bronzer, which can look ruddy and flat against the cool pink hair.
Makeup for Warm Toned Pink Hair
If you have a warm based pink hair color like bordeaux, flamingo, or fuchsia, then a different set of colors will be most flattering. Orange-based reds and warm pinks are the most appealing lipstick shades.
Brown, gold, taupe, and smokey shadows in this earthy family will glow against the warmth of the hair. Deeper bronzers will flatter the warm pink hair and can bring your complexion to life.
A soft pink blush is preferable to a bold or overtly pigmented one. It keeps the look balanced and refreshed, rather than over the top.
Makeup to Fight Pastiness
Many women, especially of the fair-skinned variety, report that pink hair makes their complexion appear paler. Pink hair certainly does have the ability to make skin look washed out and pasty and that is why a thick concealer, a brightening foundation, and a shimmering highlighter can become such a salient part of your makeup routine. These products are the best line of defense against dull, tired-looking skin.
Another product that you might want to include in your beauty routine is a coverage palette that includes a green concealer. The green will mitigate the redness that fair skin can be prone to (and which pink hair can emphasize).
Banana powder and highlighters will create an appealing and luminous glow that will look positively ethereal against your new pink hair. These products also serve to brighten up the skin and create the impression of a radiant and vibrant complexion.
Some of these highlighting products may look ashy when paired against blonde or brown hair but will pair harmoniously with a pink hair color. Blush and a bronzer will help liven up your skin tone and help you cultivate a more glowing and radiant appearance.
Experiment with Eyeshadows
Both cool and warm shades of pink hair colors can experiment with fun, candy-colored eyeshadows like violet, kool-aid blue, and mint green for a whimsical and ethereal effect.
For a pop-art style, layer on a monochromatic coat of pastel eyeshadow. This results in a fearless and exuberant look that feels refreshing and unexpected. A winged black eyeliner will pop against the pink hair and can help you create a striking and fierce beauty look.
Embrace Neutrals
One of the exciting changes that come with pink hair? Neutral colors start to feel less blah and pedestrian and more polished and elegant. Why?
The contrast with the bold pink emphasizes the soft shades of makeup and creates a sophisticated silhouette. Stock up on neutrals – you might find that they excite rather than bore with your new pink hair.
Examine Your Contour
When it comes to contour, you might find that your traditional shade no longer flatters. A cool grey tone may wash you out and create a more skeletal appearance.
A warmer shade of contour can play nicely with both warm and cool shades of pink hair. If your hair is on the cooler side, you can experiment with a contour that has understated warm tones, rather than an overt golden brown shade.
Fashion Tips for Pink Hair
Dyeing your hair pink is a perfect opportunity (and excuse) to switch up your style and cultivate a new aesthetic. Pink hair can open the door to a new and experimental look and may provide you with the confidence to try a daring silhouette.
Embrace Black and White
Wear white to create a crisp contrast with your pink hair color. White is a timeless and elegant canvas that allows your hair to take center stage without being overt or overdone.
Black serves a similar purpose. It is sophisticated and elegant but creates a striking contrast that can look appealingly minimalist. The shock of pink hair will be a tempting topper to an all black wardrobe.
Go Eccentric
Textured coats and furs create an eccentric silhouette. Pink hair has a whimsical and original feel, and pairing it with an eclectic wardrobe of sumptuous furs and thick suedes creates an artistic aesthetic.
This is an especially appealing look for women trying to cultivate an urban, downtown cool look. Think Model off Duty hip meets Grey Gardens frivolity. Plus a fur coat or fringe coat can take you from day to night effortlessly and glamorously.
Pink on Pink
Dive into the fearlessness of your new pink hair. Invest in some pink clothes and embrace a monochrome dream of pink on pink on pink.
What could be more playful and assertive than a pink mane paired with a pink dress or hot pink T-shirt and jeans? This tongue-in-cheek style displays confidence and a sartorial understanding of statement making. The pairing will be expected yet unexpected and will create a riveting canvas for sparkling jewels and creative accoutrements.
Power Clashing
We love the blogosphere concept of power clashing. What’s this, you say? It is the idea that two clashing textures, pigments, or patterns can be meshed together to create an original and creative aesthetic.
Why not toss traditional norms of good taste out the window and embrace a wardrobe of clashing colors and so-hideous-they-work pattern mashing? This method is bound to get you some stares but you will open up the venue of acceptable fashion parameters and may become a style icon in your own right.
Power clashing is a fearless and brazen way of wearing your confidence on your sleeve. Clash pink with shades of orange, green, and red and fabrics like suede and pleather for a delightfully eclectic silhouette. Patterns like plaid, tartan, and gingham can create a tense but intoxicating contrast with your pink hair.
Denim Dreaming
Denim is a pretty timeless go-to for fashion lovers everywhere. The light and deep blue colors of denim pair perfectly with both blush pinks and magenta pinks. Why not embrace a denim on denim look for a laid-back and breezy retro style?
A denim jacket or a denim blouse tucked into some high waisted jeans is timeless yet innovative in its minimalist simplicity. You can create a cowboy inspired space-babe look or rough it up for a rugged downtown style perfect for happy hour and late night gigs.
Photos via @monarchhairco, Instagram
