Hey babes. Do you like those smokey dusty shades of purple and pink hair that you are seeing lately? Are you afraid to try it because of the level of commitment it takes to make it happen and to keep it up? Me too. So I did the scared-y cat version and created a lovely dusty purple on my hair that lasted all of 4 washes. And now I am ready to do it again!

I have been asked this question many times…..“Can I dye my hair blue/purple/pink/red without bleaching it first?”

I’d like to answer that question with a metaphor. Can you draw with a blue crayon on brown paper? Or a red crayon on black paper? a pink crayon on yellow paper? The answer is yes. But your crayon colors will be muted.

The reason is that when using a veggie dye like Manic Panic, Special Effects, or Pravana, you are just covering the hair with a reflective coat of color molecules. Your true hair color will still be there, lurking underneath like the paper with crayon marks on it.

If we all had white paper for our crayons, our pictures would be bright and bold. But as I learned as a child, you can create different moods by using crayons on different colored paper;)

This is why people often have their hair bleached prior to a veggie dye. To create that blank white slate….But as we all know, bleaching our hair is costly, high maintenance and damaging.

So, applying this rule to my hair, I decided to put veggie dye over it without bleaching it first. I mixed up some Special Effects Virgin Rose with Pravana Violet and Pravana silver and applied it to my mostly natural hair (I have a light ombre-highlight that I do on myself occasionally.) The results were great!

Things to consider when coloring your natural hair with veggie dye

The lighter the hair, the more you will see the color. With darker hair, your color may only show as a cast in certain lights, which can still look super cool.

Highlighted hair, either natural or pre-colored, looks super cool when you put bright colors over it, because you get that mix of dusty and bright, and it fades out nicely.

Veggie dye will not last long in your natural hair. The darker and brighter the color you use, the longer it will stay.

Apply the color very thick! trust me on this one. If you are afraid you don’t have quite enough color to cover all of your hair, mix in some conditioner. Apply it to your dry hair and follow the directions on the package!

The great thing about veggie dye is that you can’t over-process it. It has no chemical process…..Just adds color!

For more DIY hair color, check out the do’s and don’ts of DIY coloring!

If you are a DIY hair-cutter who is curious about DIY home-hair coloring, I highly recommend using DIY hair color by Madison Reed, which Resorcinol-Free.

If you purchase a Madison Reed Radiant Color Kit, you will receive not only the colors of hair colors your choice, but also the necessary tools to apply it. The entire line is designed for the DIY hair colorer! And if you need to tone in between coloring, be sure to check out their Color Reviving Gloss to refresh and revive your hair.

Also, I recommend a shopping stop at Beauty Store Depot for all your other DIY hair cutting and coloring tools to fill your toolkit!

Need a custom DIY hair color consultation to help troubleshoot your hair color at home?

$30 buys you a one-on-one online consultation with HTHG regarding your color and how to get it where you want it. Click here.