
There is nothing more exciting than giving yourself a total hair transformation. If you’re stuck in a rut and can’t decide on your next hair color, why not show off your inner queen and dye your hair a striking shade of violet? Purple hair dye exudes an aura of mystery, royalty, and will surely set you apart from the crowd. But, before you get started, check out our comprehensive purple hair dye guide to find out FAQs about dying your hair purple, as well as our top 10 picks for the best purple hair dye.
Comparison Table |
Purple Hair Dye FAQ |

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1. How Do You Start?
Purple hair may seem difficult to achieve, but anyone can become a stylist for an hour with the right products and knowledge. First things first, you need a clean canvas to paint on, which can be achieved by lightening your hair to a pale yellow. For a vibrant, intense shade of purple, you will need to lighten your hair unless you are a natural blonde.
Once your hair has been lightened the perfect shade of yellow, you are ready to paint on your vivid violet hair dye. Remember, your hair is your canvas now, and you are free to express your unique style. Rock every shade of purple with a daring ombre, or stay on the lighter side with a feminine, delicate lavender color. No matter what shade of purple you decide suits you best, always remember to deep condition your hair once a week to keep your hair looking and feeling its best.
2. How Long Does Purple Hair Dye Last?

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While the longevity of your hair color will vary depending on the overall quality of the brand, most direct-dyes will last about 30 to 60 shampoos. To make your hair last as long as possible, try investing in a color-safe shampoo and conditioner free from stripping sulfates and other harsh chemicals. You can also shampoo your hair less often to keep your color vibrant for longer.
3. Will Purple Hair Dye Damage Your Hair?
Many women are hesitant to color their hair because they believe it can damage their hair. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Nearly all salon professionals use direct dyes when coloring hair with vibrant colors like purple. This is because direct dyes gently coat the hair shaft with conditioning agents that penetrate the hair to erase damage and repair the hair as it is being colored.
Permanent dyes, on the other hand, use ammonia and peroxide to deposit hair color deep into the hair shaft, blowing open the cuticle in the process. This process results in more damage, especially when used over time. Direct dyes, like the brands we have tested and reviewed below, will not damage your hair. In fact, they will deeply nourish and condition your hair, protecting it from future damage.
How We Reviewed |
We know how hard it can be to find salon-quality hair dye at home, so we researched and tested the most popular brands of purple hair dye on the market today to come up with a list of our top 10 favorites. We compared each brand based on their key features and price range to come up with a comprehensive list of the best purple hair dyes on the market today.
Overall Price RangeWhile a salon visit could cost you upwards of $100 for purple hair dye, you can easily save yourself the time and money by coloring your hair yourself. On average, you can expect to pay about $10 for a 4 oz. tube of hair dye. Higher priced hair dyes will usually contain either a bond builder to protect your hair from damage or natural oils to condition and nourish the hair. Lower priced hair dyes will usually just contain the dye itself, with no unique conditioning agents or damage protectants. |
What We Reviewed |
► Arctic Fox Vegan and Cruelty-Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color
► Joico Intensity Semi-Permanent Hair Color
► Sparks Long Lasting Bright Hair Color
► Manic Panic Hair Dye
► Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids
► Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Color
► Celeb Luxury Viral Colorditioner With Bond Rebuilder
► IROIRO Premium Natural Semi-Permanent Hair Color
► Punky Purple Semi-Permanent Hair Color
► L’Oréal Paris Feria Shimmering Permanent Hair Color
ARCTIC FOX VEGAN AND CRUELTY-FREE SEMI-PERMANENT HAIR COLOR
Arctic Fox Vegan and Cruelty-Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color Dye (8 Fl Oz, PURPLE RAIN)
Features Arctic Fox features 3 distinct shades of purple: Purple Rain, Girl’s Night, and Violet Dream. If you’re going for a deep, rich, royal purple Purple Rain is going to be the shade for you. Pastel lovers will find that Girl’s Night provides the perfect lavender finish, but if you’re looking for a bright, electric violet, Violet Dream will be your shade. Each shade is highly pigmented and made with 100% vegan ingredients. The hydrating formula adds shine while conditioning dry hair to leave your hair silky and smooth. The intermixable color palette allows you to customize your perfect shade of purple hair dye so you can get a hair color completely unique to you.
Where to Buy |
AJoico Intensity Semi-Permanent Hair ColorFeatures Joico Intensity is a popular salon-quality direct dye made with a nourishing bio-advanced peptide blend that nourishes and protects the hair from damage. Professional stylists love this brand because of its ability to condition the hair as it deposits rich, vibrant colors, so it’s safe to say you’re getting salon-quality hair color at a fraction of the price with Joico Intensity. This is the ultimate brand for women who want a shade of purple that is 100% unique to them, with 8 shades of pre-mixed colors to choose from. For a delicate purple glow, there are 2 pastel shades to choose from: a soft, light lavender and a smoky, charcoal violet. But if you’re someone who wants a more intense shade, there are 4 shades of purple ranging in lightness from deep eggplant to a bright, neon violet. Not only that, but Joico Intensity also features a unique metallic violet that has a chromatic, metal finish. No matter what your style, Joico Intensity has the perfect shade of purple for you.
Where to Buy |
Sparks Long Lasting Bright Hair Color
Sparks Long Lasting Bright Hair Color, Lala Lavender, 3 Ounce
Features Sparks features 2 shades of long-lasting purple hair dye: Purple Passion and Lavender. What it lacks in shade variability, it makes up for in longevity and durability. Sparks can withstand multiple shampoos, regular heat styling, and deep conditioning masques- all major color-fading culprits. Even after 4 weeks, your hair will keep the original vibrancy that it had when you first dyed it. Sparks even has a unique 3-step system which includes a leave-in conditioner that seals in color every time you wash it. If you don’t want to worry about premature fading and constant touch-ups, Sparks is definitely the perfect brand for you.
Where to Buy |
Manic Panic Hair Dye Color
Sale
Manic Panic Purple Haze Hair Dye Classic
Features Manic Panic has been one of the leading vivid hair care brands for years. Like Joico Intensity, Manic Panic has a wide variety of different shades to choose from so you can get a unique shade of purple that is 100% customized to your individual style. In fact, they have over 40 different highly pigmented, vivid shades! It is also one of the most budget-friendly brands, with discounted package deals available on Amazon. And, since you don’t have to buy multiple shades of purple to get the unique shade you want, you end up saving yourself time and money in the long run.
Where to Buy |
Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids
Sale
Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids (Violet) 3.0oz
Features PravanaChromaSilkVivids is a salon favorite for vivid colors. Pravanas purple is a classic, royal purple, but they do also sell a clear tube of color to make the color more pastel. If you are someone that wants a more customized shade, you will have to buy a couple of different tubes of color to customize the right shade for you.
Where to Buy |
Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Color
Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Tint, Gargoyle - Deep Stone Grey Fantasy Hair Color - Ultra-Conditioning, Semi-Permanent, Damage-Free Formula - Vegan - 6.76 fl oz
Features Brunettes have been ignored by the hair dye industry for too long! With Lime Crime Unicorn hair color, even darker brunettes can have vibrant, bright hair color results with their revolutionary system. Usually, brunettes have no choice but to lighten their hair with bleach for a highly pigmented look, but with Lime Crimes high-intensity formula, that is a thing of the past. Not only that, but their formula is also 100% vegan and cruelty-free, so you can feel good about your purchase.
Where to Buy |
Celeb Luxury Viral Colorditioner With Bond Rebuilder
Celeb Luxury Viral Colorditioner, Professional Semi-Permanent Hair Color Depositing Conditioner, Purple
Features We know how much fun it can be to change your hair color every other week, but unfortunately, this habit can negatively impact the overall health of your hair. If you have been a victim of over-bleaching or constant coloring, this Colorditioner is exactly what you need to revive your dry, brittle locks. The bond rebuilder will literally take damaged hair and transform it inside and out to give you luscious, healthy locks once again.
Where to Buy |
CIROIRO Premium Natural Semi-Permanent Hair Color
20 Purple Premium Natural Semi Permanent Hair Color
Features IROIRO is an all-natural haircare brand that is dedicated to the highest-quality ingredients. It is made without the use of harsh chemicals that can strip the natural oils in your hair and with a 100% vegan formula. This natural hair color is perfect for all the purists out there that don’t want any harsh chemicals damaging their hair.
Where to Buy |
Punky Purple Semi-Permanent Conditioning Hair Color
Punky Violet Semi Permanent Conditioning Hair Color, Vegan, PPD and Paraben Free, lasts up to 25 washes, 3.5oz
Features Punky Purple Semi-Permanent Conditioning Hair Color has just one shade of purple: classic, royal violet. What Punky Purple lacks in shade variety, it makes up in cost-effectiveness. Punky Purple comes in a larger tub than its competitors and retails on Amazon at a fraction of the price. Plus, the vegan keratin formula will instantly hydrate your hair and seal in your hairs natural oils for ultimate shine and reflection.
Where to Buy |
L’Oréal Feria Shimmering Permanent Hair Color
L'Oreal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color, V38 Violet Noir, Pack of 2, Hair Dye
Features Although L’Oréal Feria is a permanent hair dye, it is perfect for natural blondes that desire deep, rich depth. This shade of purple will give you an aura of mystery with its dark, deep violet finish. Plus, it comes with a nourishing deep conditioning masque and shine shot that is infused with a variety of natural oils to keep your looking its best. For anyone looking for long-lasting, glossy, dark violet color, L’Oréal Feria is the perfect brand for you.
Where to Buy |
The Verdict: Which Purple Hair Dye Is Right for You? |

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All the hair dyes we have reviewed are excellent products in their own right, but which purple hair dye is right for you? We have narrowed our top picks down to give you a complete breakdown of the perfect hair color for your hair goals.
Overall Best Purple Hair Dye: Joico Intensity
Joico Intensity has a wide variety of shades, making it easier than ever to get salon-quality results at home. Not only does Joico make it incredibly easy for anyone to get amazing hair at home, but the formula is long-lasting and incredibly hydrating.
Longest-Lasting Purple Hair Dye: Sparks Long Lasting Bright Color

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If you are a low-maintenance lady that likes to keep things simple, Sparks Long Lasting Bright Color will give you everything you need from a hair color: longevity, ease-of-use, and reliable color results.
Best Purple Hair Dye for Dry, Damaged Hair: Celeb Luxury Colorditioner
If you thought your dry, damaged, and brittle locks were beyond repair, think again. Celeb Luxury Colorditioner, though pricey, is well worth the expense to completely transform lifeless hair. Not only can you get vibrant purple hair color, but you can even restore your hair to its former glory in the process.
Best Purple Hair Dye for Natural Brunettes: Lime Crime Unicorn Hair
Brunettes are often left out of the hair color fun with traditional color formulas, but Lime Crime Unicorn hair color has completely changed the game. Their unique formula deposits vibrant, intense, and vivid color results on all shades of natural brunette hair.
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Last update on 2021-01-26 at 15:30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API