Hair levels range from 1 to 10, with 1 being the darkest black and 10 being the lightest blonde. Your hair level determines how vibrant or subtle a hair dye will appear. The natural colour of your hair affects how dye pigments are absorbed and seen. Darker hair tends to show fewer dye pigments without pre-lightening, while lighter hair can achieve a full spectrum of vibrant colors.

All of our dyes are created for light, freshly bleached hair and show up most accurately on level 9-10 hair. However, many do also work on darker hair. At the bottom of this blog, you can find a guide to each of our colours to see how well it will show up on your hair level, all tested by us! As you can see on each of these test rings, the colours gradually get darker the darker the hair is, and some simply stop showing up!


SO, WHICH COLOURS WORK BEST ON DARK HAIR?

Naturally occuring and highly pigmented colours will usually show up and stick better in hair. Deep reds and burgundies are a fantastic choice for dark hair because these colours have rich pigments that can penetrate darker strands, providing a vibrant and striking look without the need for pre-lightening. Blues and teals can be quite striking on dark hair, providing a cool, edgy look. These colours tend to work well because they maintain their intensity even when applied to darker bases. Finally, purples offer a beautiful contrast to dark hair, creating a mystical and eye-catching effect. These shades work well because they are often formulated with strong pigments that show up nicely on dark bases.


To finally answer the question: Rage red, Jealous green, Mystic turquoise, Moody blue, Dramatic purple, and Loved pink are the most pigmented Attitude hair colours, thus will show up best on dark hair.


TIPS FOR LASTING DARK COLOURS

If you're applying dye to unbleached hair, it always means the dye will wash out quicker (read why here). So, how else can you keep the colour lasting?

1. Mix leftover dye with your conditioner: Consistently washing with coloured conditioner will help refresh your colour.
2. Use specialized haircare products: the Holyplex range is specially designed for coloured hair and has a low pH to prevent colour from washing out too quickly.
3. Wash cold: Cold water prevents hair follicles from opening up too much to let dye wash out.
4. Longer application time: Leaving the dye to process in your hair for longer (1-2 hours) will give it more time to stain the hair and last longer. Don't worry about damage, the dyes are conditioner based, so it's like applying a mask! To prevent drying out, it is suggested to wrap the hair with foil or plastic.
5. Limit heat styling: High heat can quickly strip artificial colour, so only use the lowest/cold setting or don't use any heat tools on your hair. Using a heat protectant can help, but limiting heat styling is a better option.

SOS: MY HAIR IS LIGHT BROWN AND NOTHING CHANGED! WHY?

Though we've shown that many dyes have at least a bit of an effect on darker hair, there are many factors that could have caused the dye to still not show up well. A main factor could be the porosity of your hair. The less porous (often more healthy) your hair, the less likely it is for the dye to be absorbed into the hair. This is why we recommend to still bleach it (even just using a lower volume) because it will open the hair follicles to be able to absorb the dye. In the other extreme, your hair may be over processed from too much bleaching previously or very damaged (and thus too porous). This means the dye doesn't have anything to cling on to on your hair anymore and it's like pouring water into a strainer expecting it to be a full bowl!

Some other factors could have been: not shampooing before dyeing, applying on dry hair, using hot water to rinse, or not using enough dye.

Always do a test strand to set your expectations and test out the best way for your hair to absorb the dye to prevent dissapointment when you've already done your whole hair!


No matter your hair level, there’s a perfect shade waiting for you. Embrace the vibrant, the bold, and the beautiful! Ready to try a new color? Visit our website to explore our range of colorful dyes and find your perfect match.