How do I choose the right hair colour for me?

When it comes to choosing the right hair colour for you, our colourists know the three elements that combined will create your perfect look...

1) Your complexion

The colour of your skin tone is actually one of the most important aspects of choosing the perfect hair colour. The correct colour will compliment your skin and make it appear even more beautiful, while the wrong colour might make your skin look dull and dreary.

2) Your eyes

To really enhance and intensify your eye colour, we might recommend a contrasting colour. For instance - if your eyes are blue, a caramel or golden blonde tone will make them appear even bluer. If they are green, a fiery or soft red tone could be the perfect colour for you.

3) Personal style

Once the hair colour has been narrowed down to suit your complexion and eye colour, your personal style should be considered - and this is where you know best. Do you want to be noticed or blend in? Do you need to be more daring or does your outfit say enough? Make sure the shades you and your hair stylist choose is one that will make you feel confident and yourself.

What NOT to do after colouring hair: three ways to make your dye last longer

If you’ve just had your hair dyed there are a few easy tricks you can do to preserve your colour and make it last longer.

Take lukewarm showers

It might sound unappealing but one of the first things to try is to take lukewarm showers, which are way more gentle on dyed hair. Hot water can actually re-open the hair cuticle allowing all that gorgeous colour to escape.

Avoid the sun

Staying out of the sun is another tip for keeping dyed hair healthy. It accelerates colour fading as UV rays can penetrate the hair cuticle and bleach out the dye.

Add a shower filter

Another easy way to preserve colour is to put a filter on your shower head.

This can cut down on your hair’s exposure to minerals like iron and lime, and even some chlorine, which combined is way too harsh for hair dye on a regular basis. It could make your hair feel softer, too.

The best purple shampoos to make your hair colour last longer

If you’ve got dyed hair then preserving your colour at home has never been easier — especially for bottle blondes.

This is where you need some purple shampoo in your life. Delicate, clean blonde hair colour in particular can tend to fade faster, lose shine, and can look brassy or yellow very fast.

So what is a purple shampoo?

It contains purple pigment to neutralise brassy and yellow tones on lighter hair. It’s purple because on the colour wheel it’s the direct opposite colour of yellow, so essentially they cancel each other out. So purple shampoo on dyed hair with yellow tones can “colour correct” your hair’s hue, restoring it to a more natural tone.

Are purple shampoos just for blondes?

No - they can also be used to boost grey or brunette hair with golden highlights.

How and when should you use purple shampoo?

To use a purple shampoo, wet the hair and lather on the formula. Once applied evenly, leave it on for two to four minutes depending on the amount of brassiness or yellow in the hair. When rinsing the shampoo out of your hair, use cool water, which will help close the cuticle and seal the colour.

Start by using purple shampoo once a week and build up if needed. Purple shampoo helps keep colour fresh, but it’s important not to over-use it. If you start to notice too much purple tone in your hair, it’s time for a break!

Here’s our pick of some of the best purple shampoos out there.

Click on the images to BUY NOW and you can pick up the L’Oreal Serie Expert Blondifier shampoo at Pankhurst & Deane.