

“Wrath” is more of a true red that fades into a pinkish color, while “poison” has a slightly more orange base. (Many reviewers actually credited Arctic Fox’s scent - which reportedly smells like grapes - as one of the reasons why they use this dye over others.) There are two red shades - “wrath” and “poison” - which will add multi-dimensional hints to dark hair. The ammonia-free formula conditions hair while depositing color and, unlike many hair dyes, it doesn’t have a harsh smell. This Semi-Permanent Dye With Rave ReviewsĪrctic Fox has earned rave reviews on Amazon - their semi-permanent hair dye line has over 45,000 perfect five-star ratings. Bolstered with plenty of positive reviews from real shoppers, these hair dyes prove that redheads might actually be the ones having the most fun. That being said, if you have particularly delicate hair or are sensitive to the smell, Adams says there are plenty of solid ammonia-free options on the market.īelow, I’ve rounded up a wide selection of red hair dyes that yield effective results on dark hair - including a recommendation from Adams himself. While ammonia has a reputation for being harsh, “ when correctly used with the right developer, proper application, and accurate timing, there will be minimal damage, if any at all,” notes Adams. “In terms of effectiveness, hair color that contains ammonia is usually going to yield a more desirable result in terms of tone and delivering a nicer final color result,” Adams says. Meanwhile, more subtle copper and auburn shades can be accomplished without bleach.Īnother thing to consider: Should your hair dye contain ammonia? If you’re looking for bright, long-lasting red hues, WELLA colorcharm Top Artist Oliver Adams believes that a formula with ammonia is the way to go. If you can’t make it to a salon, you can bleach your hair at home - but it’s best to read up on the process first to ensure you do it safely. That doesn’t mean lighter, bolder reds are off the table, but in order to achieve them, Vergani says it’s necessary to lift the natural base color first. “Clients with natural dark hair look better with dark shades of red- for example, burgundy, dark burgundy, wine red, dark cherry, or reddish brown colors such as auburn,” he states. When starting out with a dark shade of hair, Mirko Vergani, colorist at Fabio Scalia Salon in SoHo, New York recommends sticking to darker red hues. The best red hair dyes for dark hair add rich color in shades of ginger, true red, and burgundy - and they’re available in permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary formulas. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.While most of us aren’t born as natural redheads ( less than 2% of the world’s population is, by the way), we can always color our hair - and there are tons of great options for those with brown or black strands. We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. So if it's time for a refresh and a salon visit isn't in the cards, scroll on for some great hair dyes for dark hair to get things rolling. And make sure to leave yourself enough time for the application and for the color to develop.

To keep the mess to a minimum, I find that puppy piddle pads are great for covering your work surface and catching any rogue splashes of hair dye. It's no secret that hair dye can be messy. However, there are one-day spray-in accent options available in a range of fun colors like bright purple and blue that will work on dark hair. If you have dark hair, getting permanent blonde or rainbow pastel hair requires many, many steps and over-treating your hair can be damaging so that kind of serious transformation might be best left to the pros. You'll need to refer to the color examples for that. And keep in mind that the model on the box might not be the color you'll get (especially if you're going lighter). To play it safe when it comes to permanent dye at home (especially if you're just starting out), stick with a shade two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color. Now, there some things you might want to leave to the professionals, like bleaching your hair, but if you understand what you're doing and you proceed with caution, you can change many things up at home. If you just can't get to the salon or you're keeping an eye on your budget and want to take matters into your own hands when it comes to your hair color, the best hair dyes for dark hair are powerful enough to color even black hair but gentle enough to not seriously damage it.
