Quick #AFProTip: Smoke out your pastels with a bit of an opposite shade! This mix is Neverland and a few drops of Violet Dream! Get the mix here.

Can I go pastel if I have dark hair?

Short Answer: Not without lightening your hair first!

Long Answer: If you want a light color like lavender, you may not need to be platinum to get stellar results. However, there are certain pastel shades that will require a level 10 base. Since the tones in your hair are going to interact with any color you put on top - if you have a yellow-toned, level 9 blonde base and you use a pastel blue (like Periwinkle), the blues will mix with the yellow tones in the hair to create a green. The same thing happens on non-platinum blondes with Sterling (since Sterling has a blue base).

#AFPROTIP: Something you can do is add a few drops of Purple to your mix! Purple helps off-set yellow tones to prevent a blue shade from pulling green! 

My hair isn't platinum but it is pre-lightened blonde. What pastel colors would work well for me?

Short Answer: Warm tones are the easiest, since they work well with the yellow tones already present in bleached hair! 

Long Answer: Pastel pinks will go rose gold on golden blondes and other pinks will go peach depending on the base color of the dye. In general, warm tones are going to work well on level 9 hair. Also, purple is the holy grail of colors since it acts as a bridge embodying both warm and cool tones. A pastel purple can actually help tone your level 9+ hair! Pastel aqua greens can work too, but you might need to adjust your recipe and add in a few drops of a purple or another shade to prevent it from going too grassy. In general, if you need help you can always reach out and ask us! 

How long will pastels last?

Short Answer: It varies but they won't last as long as more pigmented shades.

Long Answer: If you love pastels and don't want to go a deeper shade and let it fade, maintenance is key. Not only will you need to touch up your roots (since lightening your hair is essential) but you'll also need to recolor your hair often. Something we do around the office at AF HQ is buy a more pigmented version of the pastel shade we like and add in a few drops of it to our conditioner to keep up our color in-between applications. It should come as no surprise that the lighter your hair is to begin with, the longer it will hold color. Keep that in mind!

#AFPROTIP: Maintaining pastel hair can be a commitment but if you aren't ready for it you can always have a stylist create a balayage for you that's light enough for you to color on your own! Then, you won't need to touch up your roots every few weeks and you can do different pastel shades that suite your mood all the time! 

How can I make my pastel hair last longer?

Short Answer: Adding a few drops of a more pigmented shade to your conditioner in between applications + dry shampoo.

Long Answer: The bottom line is that the more you wash your hair the more your color will fade! The first thing to consider is dry shampoo! Grab some HERE to keep your hair feeling and looking fresh between washes. Secondly, you'll want to make sure you are using color-safe products (ie. shampoo and conditioner) that don't contain harsh chemicals, sulfates or silicones. And lastly, you can create your own color conditioner by adding in a few drops of a deeper version of the pastel shade you have to keep color vibrant in between applications! Plus, you can add a few drops of the darker shade to your OG mix to give it a bit more staying power. 

How can I see how each color will look on my hair?

Short Answer: Check our product pages! We have swatches on each one!

Long Answer: Everyone's hair is different and results will always vary so a strand test is your best friend. That said, you can check our product swatches to get a general idea of how each shade is going to look on your hair level! 

Here are the hair levels you'll generally need for each pastel shade:

There are countless mixes to create custom pastels but these are the most straightforward.

Rose Gold

What you need: Level 7+ 

Colors to use: Virgin Pink + Arctic Mist OR Arctic Mist, Poison, and Girls Night. If your hair is level 9 you can use Electric Paradise + Frosé! Get more recipes here. 

Lavender

What you need: Level 9+

Colors to use: Girls Night on platinum hair OR Arctic Mist + a few drops of Purple Rain (for a more customizable shade).

Pastel blue

What you need: Level 10+

Colors to use: Periwinkle OR Arctic Mist + a drop or two of Transylvania for an icy blue.

Mint

What you need: Level 9+ 

Colors to use: Neverland if you're platinum (add a few drops of Aquamarine to punch it up if you're closer to a level 9).

Baby Pink

What you need: Level 9+ 

Colors to use: Frosé OR Virgin Pink + Arctic Mist (for more customizable color).

Silver

What you need: Level 10+ (seriously you need to be platinum for silver hair).

Colors to use: Sterling (mix in Girls Night to help prevent a green fade).

Yellow

What you need: Level 9+ 

Colors to use: Neon Moon OR Cosmic Sunshine.

Pastel Peach

What you need: Level 9+ 

Colors to use: Arctic Mist and a dollop of Poison (the darker the base color - the more Poison you'll need).